The Winding Road
by erm31323
Summary: *2018 Marauders Medal Nominee* - After the war, Remus must learn to navigate his life without his wife by his side. Though she's always thought she knew what she wanted, Hermione struggles with the path her life has taken. A story about the aftermath of war, healing, and the long road it takes to get there. Initial Ron/Hermione. Eventual Remus/Hermione. Slow burn. EWE.
1. Battle

**A/N - Hello! It seems like it's been forever since I've written anything, but I've finally coaxed the Muse into cooperating enough to get this new story started. While this will ultimately be a Remus/Hermione pairing, it will be a slow burn and Hermione and Ron will be together at first. It is also a story about healing and recovery after the war so there will be a lot of angst and sadness, especially here at the beginning. Right now I am planning on updating once a week, but I only have five chapters written and my Muse has been rather fickle this past year, so I'm not promising that schedule will continue.**

 **Thank you to my Falcons - MaryRoyale, trollnexus and asebi, who beta'ed and reassured me when I had zero confidence. Go and read their stuff, they are all awesome! Enjoy and please let me know what you think!**

 **Chapter 1**

 **1 August 1997**

"Again," Voldemort demanded. Draco's arm shook with the effort to hold the curse, his face pale, his eyes wide. When Dolohov did not seem to be suffering enough for the Dark Lord's liking, he snarled and cast a slicing hex at Draco before turning his wand on Dolohov.

"Crucio!" Voldemort shouted and Dolohov's body bowed and convulsed, his screams echoing off the walls of the drawing room. Voldemort wore an angry scowl as the Death Eater in front of him turned to his side and attempted to curl in on himself. Voldemort lowered his wand for a moment, allowing Dolohov to take in a great gasp of air.

"M-my L-l-lord, pl-please," he managed.

"You beg me after your continued failings, Dolohov?" Voldemort questioned. "You and Rowle have called me back for nothing and yet you expect me to be merciful?" He cast the curse again and Dolohov screamed for a few moments before his cries tapered to pitiful whimpers. A spreading puddle beneath him made the Dark Lord drop his wand again, scoffing in disgust.

"Draco, clean that up," he spat. Draco managed to raise his wand, despite his bleeding arm, and cast a cleansing charm around the fallen Death Eater. Voldemort stared at the man on the floor in front of him, Rowle already having faced his displeasure. They'd had Potter in their hands and yet the idiots had let him escape again. Three teenagers had bested them. Voldemort roared out the curse once more and when he finally dropped it Dolohov was no longer making any noise. Voldemort kicked at the man with his foot and he rolled to his back, his eyes unfocused, his head lolling to the side. The Dark Lord pushed his way into Dolohov's mind for a moment and scowled once he had retreated. "Weak," he muttered under his breath after finding nothing coherent. It was rather disappointing; Dolohov had been with him from the beginning and was one of his more vicious followers.

"Dispose of that," he said to the room at large. "And let this be a lesson to all of you. Lord Voldemort does not tolerate failures." He glided from the room and the Manor before taking flight and disappearing.

Harry gasped as he pulled from the vision.

"Harry, are you all right?" Hermione asked as she knocked on the bathroom door.

"Fine, m'fine," Harry mumbled. He stood and turned on the tap, splashing a bit of water on his face. When he opened the door, Hermione was standing in the corridor, her arms crossed.

"It was another one, wasn't it?" she demanded.

"Yeah," Harry said with a sigh.

"Harry-" she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"I know, Hermione, all right. It's not like I can stop it."

"You can!" she insisted.

"Hermione, give it a rest, yeah?" Ron said as he came up behind her. He looked at Harry. "All right?"

"Dolohov is dead or insane or something," Harry said. Ron looked at him in confusion while Hermione stiffened.

"What do you mean?"

"Voldemort tortured him with the Cruciatus," Harry explained. "Because we got away. He wasn't moving when Voldemort was finished."

"He was the one," Ron said looking at Hermione. "In the Department of Mysteries, he was the one, right?" Hermione nodded. Ron's face hardened. "Well, good. One less that we have to deal with."

Hermione looked as if she was going to protest, then closed her mouth and looked away.

"C'mon, let's see if there's anything to eat around here."

* * *

 **2 May 1998**

Remus shielded against another curse as he shot a stunner at the retreating Death Eater. The Death Eater crumpled to the ground and Remus ducked behind half a stone statue that had been blasted apart. Taking a breath, he looked around the courtyard. It only took him moments to realize that all the Death Eaters, as well as the creatures Voldemort had on his side, were retreating. Frowning, Remus wiped at a gash on his forehead as the disembodied voice began speaking.

Remus shook his head at the end of Voldemort's little speech, knowing exactly what Harry would do. Remus needed to get back inside and find him before the boy did something stupid. As he hurried across the courtyard, a moan to his left made him pause. He drew his wand and listened; the noise seemed to be coming from behind a stone bench that had been broken in half. Remus approached quietly until he saw a pair of feet sticking out from underneath the bench's larger piece. Levitating the stone away, Remus was met with the sight of Cho Chang covered in blood, one leg clearly broken.

Remus began to siphon the blood from her, looking for the source of the bleeding. He found it seconds later, a deep cut across her upper arm which he healed quickly. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Professor?" she croaked.

"It's all right," Remus assured her. "I'll take you to Madame Pomfrey." He muttered a stabilizing charm on her leg, but she still cried out in pain as he scooped her up into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said with a grimace. Mercifully, she seemed to pass out.

Remus picked his way through the rubble of the courtyard as quickly as he dared while carrying her. It was remarkably empty, save one dead Death Eater whom Remus didn't recognize. Wondering where everyone had gone, he entered the side door into the corridor to the Entrance Hall. There was more rubble and debris here and Remus saw movement up ahead of him. It looked to be Kingsley carrying someone in as Remus was, although Remus was quite sure whoever Kingsley carried was dead. Remus once again thanked Merlin that he had been able to convince Dora to stay with Teddy.

By the time Remus had reached the doors to the Great Hall, he was struggling to maintain his grip on Miss Chang. It wasn't that she was overly heavy, but the gash on Remus' forehead had started to bleed again and the spot on his back where he'd been hit by falling stone was throbbing. He stumbled into the Great Hall and sank down onto the floor. He eased Cho from his lap, conjuring a small pillow to put beneath her head. He looked around for Poppy but she was busy tending to another of the injured.

He wiped at the blood on his face, the sleeve of his shirt now sodden with it. Grimacing, he muttered a Scourgify, then healed the cut as best he could without seeing it. He looked around the Hall. Pomona was only a few feet away, helping Poppy from the looks of it. He rose and started towards her, but then saw a sea of redheads in one corner and frowned. When Bill turned to the side slightly, tears on his cheeks, Remus gasped.

"Pomona," he said as he reached her. "Miss Chang has a broken leg." He didn't wait for Pomona's response, but hurried towards the Weasleys.

"Bill," he said, putting a hand on the younger man's arm. Bill turned to him, a tearful Fleur in his arms.

"It's Fred," Bill managed and Remus' stomach dropped.

"Is he-" Remus trailed off, not wanting to give voice to his thoughts. Fleur spoke up.

"'e is dead," she said through her tears.

"I'm so sorry," Remus said, getting a bit choked up himself. He had always been fond of the twins. Their pranks, of course, reminded him of his younger days, but they were also incredibly smart, smarter than anyone gave them credit for. Their shop was a thing of beauty, something he wished Sirius and James could have seen.

Bill moved a bit and Remus could see George sitting on the floor, his twin's head in his lap. Molly was kneeling next to him, holding tightly to his hand. Both were sobbing. Arthur stood behind his wife, his hand on her shoulder, as he silently cried. Remus caught Arthur's eye and tried to convey his sorrow at Fred's passing through a look alone. Arthur nodded in acknowledgement and Remus suddenly felt as if he were trespassing.

"I'm going to help Poppy," Remus said to Bill as he turned, although the other man did not seem as if he had even heard.

Remus moved away from the Weasleys, searching the crowd again for Poppy. Given his lycanthropy, he was relatively well-versed in simple healing spells and figured that she could use the help. When he spotted her, she was bent over Firenze, working on a large wound in his flank. Remus began to make his way across the Hall, but before he was even halfway there, Kingsley stepped into his path.

"Remus," he said, his deep voice seeming to quaver slightly. Remus looked at him, a bit surprised at the emotion on the usually stoic man's face. "Remus, I," he paused and took a breath. Something shifted in Remus' gut, but he refused to put name to it.

"Have you seen Harry?" he asked instead, realizing he hadn't spotted the boy when he was looking for Poppy.

"Harry?" Kingsley repeated. "No, I haven't. Remus there's something-"

"We've got to find him Kingsley, make sure he doesn't go and do anything stupid." Remus turned away from the larger man and began to scan the Great Hall again, looking for Harry.

"Remus," Kingsley said, putting a hand on his arm. Remus knew there was something wrong, but he refused to look back at the Auror. Kingsley sighed. "I need to speak with you. It's about Tonks." Remus finally turned, his brow furrowed.

"Dora? She's at home with Teddy."

"No, she isn't," Kingsley replied, his voice trembling again.

"What are you talking about Kings? Of course she is."

"Remus, she," Kingsley trailed off and shook his head. "Just come with me." He began to walk away, but Remus stayed where he was. He needed to find Harry. Kingsley didn't know what he was talking about. Dora was home with her mother and Teddy.

Kingsley paused when he realized Remus wasn't behind him. He sighed and turned back, taking the werewolf gently by the arm until Remus was forced to follow.

"Kingsley, we've really got to find Ha-" but Remus never finished what he planned to say. Kingsley had stopped moving and there, on the floor in front of him, lay Dora. But that was impossible.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Kingsley said, but Remus shook his head.

"This isn't…no this…it can't be." Kingsley's hand tightened on Remus' arm. Remus turned to him, confused expression on his face. "She's at home."

"Remus, I'm sorry," Kingsley said again. "She must have come later."

"No, she told me, she said," Remus looked down at the woman on the floor again. "She promised me."

"Remus," Kingsley began, but Remus shook his head violently.

"She said she would stay with Teddy," he insisted. "It's not her." Kingsley looked at him, pity in his eyes. "I'm telling you Kingsley, it's not her!"

"Remus," another voice said and Remus turned to see Minerva standing beside him.

"She promised," he repeated, his tone begging his former professor to tell him that what he was seeing couldn't possibly be true. "She's at home. She's with our son." Minerva's eyes held the same look they'd had when he was eleven and had just woken from his first transformation at Hogwarts. Sad and comforting, with an undercurrent of anger. Anger that he suffered and had to deal with the pain every month, as young as he was.

"It's not true," he whispered. Minerva gathered him in her arms and he clung to her as he had after that first transformation when he'd wanted his mother so badly. "She promised."

"I know, lad, I know." Remus stared down at the body on the floor that was most certainly _not_ his wife. This woman had dark brown hair, not the bubblegum pink his Dora wore when he'd left her. She was so small, so broken-looking, not the vibrant, lively woman that made him smile every day. This was not her.

"I'm so sorry, Remus," Minerva said quietly and Remus pulled away from her. He met her gaze and her eyes were full of sorrow. She put a hand on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'll give you some privacy." Remus nodded numbly and she moved away to tend to more of the injured.

Remus stood rooted to the spot for a few moments before he dropped to his knees. He stared at the foreign-looking woman on the floor, trying to convince himself that what Kingsley and Minerva had said was a lie. That any minute this woman would shift and morph into someone else. That she was not his wife, the mother of his son. Her hand was lying on her stomach and Remus' heart froze when he saw the small diamond ring that adorned it. He stared at it for what seemed like hours before he gently took her hand in his. His fingers ran over the stone, the one he had been almost embarrassed to give her. She had deserved far better than the little that he'd been able to afford. She hadn't cared, her eyes had sparkled and danced the moment he gave it to her and he often caught her staring at it with a soft smile on her face when she didn't know he was watching her.

Remus squeezed her hand more tightly as the world seemed to crash in around him. She was dead. Dora. His wife, Teddy's mother, was dead. With his head bowed, her hand clutched to his chest, Remus wept.

* * *

Hermione and Ron walked into the Great Hall, Harry close behind. Hermione's eyes were immediately drawn to the large group of redheads in one corner. Ron and Hermione hurried towards them, expecting that Harry would follow.

"Dad," Ron said, his voice cracking. Arthur turned from his wife and pulled his youngest son into a hug. Hermione stepped up next to Ginny and took her hand.

"I'm so sorry, Ginny," Hermione said, tears pricking her eyes. Ginny merely nodded, leaning more into Bill who had his arm around her. Ron moved next to his brothers, Percy throwing an arm around his shoulder. They all stood in quiet sorrow, memories of Fred filling their minds.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny asked a few minutes later.

"He was right behind us," Hermione said with a frown as she looked around the group and realized that Harry wasn't there. He must have gone to view the memories, but Hermione was surprised he hadn't come to talk to the Weasleys first. She glanced around the Hall, wondering if he had been waylaid by someone else. There was no sign of him as her gaze came to rest on the row of bodies laid out down the middle of the Hall. Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and she swallowed thickly. She knew there would be others besides Fred, but she wasn't particularly keen to find out just who they were.

Opening her eyes again, she quickly skimmed past the rest, intent on continuing to search for Harry when a familiar head of light brown hair caught her eye. Remus was kneeling over someone, holding their hand, his shoulders shaking. When he bent further forward, Hermione gasped.

"Oh no," she whispered. Ginny looked up at her, question in her eyes, but Hermione let go of her friend's hand and hurried toward her former professor.

As she neared him, she stopped, wanting to comfort him, but not wanting to intrude. He was clearly lost in his grief. She chewed on her bottom lip and shifted from foot to foot for a few seconds. She watched as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Tonks' lips before sitting back on his heels. Hermione stepped forward, still unsure if she should interrupt him or not.

"Remus?" she said tentatively. He startled and turned his head towards her. Tears still shone on his cheeks and Hermione felt her own eyes fill in response. "I'm so sorry." He nodded and looked back at his wife, taking a shuddering breath. Hermione knelt beside him and placed a hand on his arm.

"She wasn't supposed to be here," he said shakily.

"She came because she wanted to know what was happening." Remus turned sharply towards her, brow furrowed.

"You saw her?" Hermione nodded.

"When Harry, Ron and I came back to the Room of Requirement she was there with Ginny and Neville's grandmother. We, erm, we needed the Room for something. She asked if we'd seen you and then ran off to find you. She didn't?" Remus shook his head.

"I don't even know what happened to her," he replied. "Or who…who did it." They sat in silence for a few moments, Hermione not knowing what else to say. She couldn't even begin to imagine what Remus was going through. Her eyes filled again as she thought about little Teddy, only a few weeks old. He would never know his mother.

"Where is Harry?" Remus asked. Hermione looked at him in confusion, but his entire expression had changed. The tears were gone and his features had hardened.

"Oh, erm, I'm not really sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Remus demanded. "I thought you were with him."

"I was, I mean, we were, Ron and me. We all came into the Great Hall together, but then Harry left, I guess." Hermione was a bit flustered. She didn't understand his abrupt change in demeanor.

"You _guess_?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Well, I've got a good idea of where he is, but I didn't see him actually leave. Ron and I went to join his family." Remus rose to his feet.

"We've got to find him," he said, frown on his face. Hermione stood as well, still watching him in confusion.

"I'm sure he's fine," she said.

"You're sure he's _fine_?" Remus repeated. "You don't think that he's gone _straight_ to Voldemort?"

"Remus," Hermione began, but he interrupted her.

"I don't understand why you're not more concerned, Hermione," he snapped. "Or why you let Harry out of your sight in the first place!" Hermione stared at him in shock for a moment before lowering her gaze.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"No, I'm sorry," he said shaking his head. "I…it's not your fault."

"It's all right," she said quietly. "I know that you're upset."

"Still, I shouldn't have snapped," he replied.

"I'm sure that Harry's fine," she said. "He had something that he needed to do." Remus' eyes narrowed.

"Something that wasn't finding Voldemort?"

"No, something else," she assured him. "Ron and I were going to go with him, but then we saw Ron's family and, well." She shrugged. Remus gave her a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Where do you think he's gone?" he asked. Hermione hesitated. No one else was supposed to know about the Horcruxes and no one yet knew about Professor Snape's death. She had no idea what was in the memories that Snape had given Harry, but she was sure it was something that Harry needed to know in order to defeat Voldemort once and for all. Hermione bit her lip.

"I just, well, no one is supposed to know."

Remus sighed. This ridiculousness again. He had thought Albus insane to have sent three teenagers on some quest for something that no one else knew anything about. His offer to accompany them back in September had been mostly about his fear about Dora's pregnancy, Harry had been spot on about that, but it was also partly about wanting to help the trio in whatever they were supposed to be doing. Harry had had so much put on his shoulders from the time he was eleven, Remus didn't think it right to continue to do so when there were plenty of adults willing and able to help. Not to mention that Harry was the last link to his friends. Remus had lost everyone, including his wife. Teddy and Harry were all he had left. Teddy, thankfully, was safe and Remus would do everything in his power to make sure Harry was too.

"Hermione, I realize what Albus told the three of you about going it alone. But you don't have to do that anymore. This is the end; I can feel it. After tonight, one side is going to come out the victor. Let me help you assure that it's us." Hermione still hesitated. "Help me avenge my wife." Hermione looked up at him, his jaw set, but his eyes pleading. How could she say no?

"I think he's in the Headmaster's office."

* * *

"Snape is dead?" Remus questioned as they walked quickly down the corridor. Hermione nodded. She hadn't elaborated on the reason, a part of her still not convinced it was a good idea to tell Remus anything at all. But she was definitely not going to explain about the Hallows. "I don't understand why."

"It's a long story," she said, thankful they had reached the gargoyle. When they reached the office, it was empty.

"Harry," Hermione called out in case he was hiding under his cloak. "Harry if you're in here, come out." There was only silence in the room. "Homenum Revelio." Two points of light left Hermione's wand and hovered over her and Remus.

"He's not here," she said with a sigh. "Maybe he was under his cloak and went back to the Great Hall. We probably just missed him." Remus nodded absently, glancing around the office once more.

"Hermione, why did Snape give Harry his memories?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said honestly. She had no idea why Snape, who betrayed them, would have anything that Harry would want to see. She had wondered about it since Snape had died. Remus looked at her skeptically.

"I honestly don't know," she insisted. "I am starting to wonder if there was more to Professor Dumbledore's death then we knew about though." Remus' brow furrowed. Truth be told, he had wondered the same thing ever since Albus was killed. Something about Snape's betrayal had never sat right with Remus, especially with Albus' unending trust of the man. Albus may have been many things, but ignorant was not one of them and regardless of Snape's prowess as an Occlumens, Remus had a hard time believing he could have fooled the Headmaster so completely.

"What were the three of you looking for this year?" Hermione started at the question.

"Remus, I," she paused, biting her lip. She glanced at the portraits on the walls, but they were empty. She knew she wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but what did it matter now anyway? All the Horcruxes, save Nagini, were gone and couldn't it only help to have someone else in on the secret in case she, Ron or Harry couldn't get to the snake? Harry would be furious with her though, if he found out she'd told. Ron had wanted to tell Bill the moment they got to Shell Cottage and both she and Harry had been adamant that he not.

"Hermione," Remus said sharply. Hermione looked up at him, surprised at the look of anger on his face. "This is absurd. There is no reason to keep it a secret any longer. We need to find Harry and standing here dithering about whether you should tell me or not is not helping!" Hermione flinched. "Now what is going on?"

"I-I," she blinked rapidly trying to keep the tears that were threatening at bay. She glanced back up at the portraits, hoping that Professor Dumbledore might have made a reappearance and be able to take this decision from her shoulders.

"Hermione, James and Lily were two of my best friends. Don't you think they would want me to do whatever it took to keep Harry safe? That they would want you to do the same?" Hermione remained silent, trying to compose herself. Remus sighed. "If the situation was reversed, don't you think your parents would want Harry to do the same for you?" At the mention of her parents, the dam broke and Hermione began to cry, quietly at first. And then she began to sob as the weight of everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, no, in the last year, began to crush her. She heard Remus swear under his breath.

"Hermione," he said, much more gently than before. He reached a hand out towards her, but she pulled away from him, mortified at her reaction. She grabbed her beaded bag and began to rummage through it in search of a handkerchief before she embarrassed herself further. Forgetting about summoning one in her current state, she tore through the bag in a frenzy, ignoring the repeated noises of things dropping to the floor.

"Hermione," Remus said again, but this time there was a question in his voice. She risked a glance at him and her mouth dropped open in horror as she realized he was holding one of the Basilisk fangs she and Ron had collected from the Chamber. "What, in Merlin's name, is this?"

"That's, that's, erm," she trailed off, looking at him helplessly. There were still tears on her cheeks, but his discovery had shocked her out of her sobs. He stared at the fang in his hand, then looked back at her.

"I think you had better tell me exactly what you've been up to, Hermione."

* * *

"Horcruxes?" Remus repeated. "You're certain?" Hermione nodded.

"We've destroyed them all except for the snake." Remus frowned. Why would Albus want them to keep this a secret? To do it all on their own? And what did Snape's memories have to do with anything? It made no sense.

"Remus?" Hermione said softly. Remus startled out of his reverie. "I think we should find Harry. The hour is nearly up."

"Of course," Remus replied. He gestured for her to precede him and he followed her down the spiral staircase, still deep in thought. They walked quickly through the corridors, back toward the Great Hall. When they reached it, they saw that the row of dead had been moved. Remus panicked for a moment until Hermione laid a hand on his arm.

"I'm sure they've just moved them somewhere safe, now that the hour is nearly up," she said quietly.

"Yes," Remus managed around the large lump in his throat. "Yes, of course." When he looked again, he realized that the wounded were gone too, as was Poppy. He scanned the Hall, but did not see the messy head of black hair. When Remus glanced at Hermione he saw that her brow was furrowed. Clearly, she hadn't spotted Harry either.

"Ron!" Hermione called. Remus saw the redhead turn around and his face sag in relief when he saw Hermione. He hurried towards them.

"Where's Harry?" they both said at the same time. If the situation hadn't been what it was, it would have been comical.

"He's not with you?" Ron demanded.

"No, we went looking for him, but when we didn't find him in the Headmaster's office, I figured he came back here."

"Hermione," Ron warned, giving Remus a side-long glance.

"It's fine, Ron. I've told Remus about the," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Horcruxes."

"Hermione!"

"Ron," Remus interjected before Ron could start a tirade against the brunette. "Now's not the time." Ron visibly deflated.

"Yeah, all right," he agreed, raking a hand through his hair. "Where is he then?"

"You don't think," Hermione trailed off, fear naked on her face.

"Fuck," Ron muttered. "Yeah, Hermione that's exactly what I _do_ think." Remus' mouth set in a grim line. He had suspected as much as soon as they hadn't found Harry in Dumbledore's office.

"We've got to go after him," Remus said. "Ron, can you tell your father?" Remus and Hermione took a few steps.

"Wait a minute," Ron said. "You two can't just rush off on your own."

"Ron, we don't have _time_ for this," Hermione insisted.

"And if you two just go rushing off, you'll end up just as dead as Harry!" Ron snapped. Hermione flinched. "Do you _know_ how many Death Eaters and creatures he's got with him, Hermione?"

"I'm well aware, _thanks_ ," Hermione replied scathingly. Ron sighed.

"Just let me tell Dad, all right? We'll gather a group and then go." Hermione made to argue but realized that Ron had a point and so she nodded quickly. Ron jogged back towards his family and moments later most of the Weasleys along with Kingsley, Neville and McGonagall were hurrying towards Hermione and Remus.

"Let's go," Remus said tightly. They had barely reached the Entrance Hall when the disembodied voice reached them once again.

" _Harry Potter is dead_."

Remus felt his breath leave him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione's knees buckle. Percy and Bill grasped her arms to keep her standing. Ron had a look of horror on his face.

"It's not true," Neville said shaking his head. "It can't be. It's just another of his tricks." Voldemort continued speaking and the group, along with everyone else in the Great Hall moved towards the front doors of the school. Minerva was in the lead and when she stopped short, Remus nearly ran into Kingsley's back.

"No!" Minerva screamed. Remus pushed past Kingsley and was met with the sight of Harry's lifeless body being cradled in Hagrid's arms. Remus heard the cries from Ron and Hermione and Ginny, but he could make no sound himself. Harry could not be dead. It was impossible.

"No," he whispered, but the rise of voices around him drowned it out.

"No," he said a bit louder and then found he couldn't speak at all, Voldemort having silenced them. Remus shook his head violently until Ron broke through the silencing charm.

"NO!" Remus roared and it took both Kingsley and Bill to hold him back from rushing forward. Remus struggled in their grip, but Kingsley's arm was like a steel band around Remus' chest.

"Think of your son," Kingsley hissed in his ear. "He's already lost one parent tonight."

"Harry," Remus said brokenly before he was silenced once more. The next few minutes passed in a blur as Neville stepped forward to defy Voldemort. But Remus could barely see him. All he could think about was that he had lost everything. His friends, his wife, Harry. Teddy was all he had left and perhaps…perhaps Teddy was better off without him. He had failed everyone, after all. Failed James and Lily by thinking Sirius the traitor, failed Sirius by letting him come to the Ministry that night, failed his wife by not protecting her from battle and now he had failed Harry by not stopping him from going to Voldemort. Everyone around him seemed to die. He would not let Teddy face the same fate. Remus' face hardened, he drew his wand and with a yell, he jumped into the fray before anyone could stop him.

* * *

Hermione's wand slashed and dove as she, Ginny and Luna battled Bellatrix. Harry was dead. She couldn't quite wrap her mind around it and tried to force the thought away to concentrate on what she was doing. Bellatrix was holding them off easily, cackling madly every time she blocked a spell sent her way. Hermione's eyes narrowed in determination. She cast a nonverbal slicing hex, but Bellatrix was faster, blocking it and then countering with one of her own. Hermione felt the cut across her collarbone.

"Didn't get enough before, Mudblood?" Bellatrix taunted. She flicked her wand and Luna was flung across the room. Hermione's first instinct was to rush to her friend, but she refocused and threw a stunner the Death Eater's way. Bellatrix simply laughed it off and sent another hex at Hermione, this one slicing through her sleeve where the word carved into her arm lay. Hermione gasped in pain but did not drop her wand. Bellatrix shot a spell at Ginny and she shrieked, her attention momentarily distracted by the odd angle her wrist now hung at.

"Now, Bellatrix, hasn't anyone ever told you it's unsporting to pick on children?" a voice behind Hermione said. She nearly sighed in relief as Remus joined the duel.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Order's pet werewolf," Bellatrix sneered, a nasty gleam in her eye. She began to duel Remus in earnest, mostly ignoring the two girls.

"Episkey," Hermione said quickly and Ginny's wrist straightened with another grunt of pain from the redhead. Before either could cast anything else, the Death Eater cast something at them both that left them unable to raise their wand arms. They watched helplessly as Remus and Bellatrix continued to duel.

"How nice it will be to dispatch of the rest of your little family," Bellatrix said with an evil grin, disdain dripping from the word 'family'. Remus faltered for a moment and Hermione gasped realizing that it must have been Bellatrix that had killed Tonks. The Death Eater laughed before sending the Cruciatus Curse Remus' way. "I'll have to pay my wayward sister a visit and make sure I've taken care of the little half-breed as well." Remus snarled as he fell to the floor, cursing Bellatrix even as he writhed in pain. Hermione felt the spell on her break and she lunged towards the older witch, casting a slashing hex. Bellatrix dropped the curse on Remus and spun, teeth bared in rage. Hermione grabbed Ginny and they ducked, whatever curse the Death Eater had cast flying harmlessly over their heads and hitting the stone wall behind them. Remus coughed from his position on the floor and tried to hit Bellatrix with a binding spell. Bellatrix, enraged, threw another curse at him. By the crack and Remus' scream, Hermione knew that his wand arm was broken. The Death Eater then rounded on the girls, but Hermione had dropped to her knees next to Remus. The killing curse left Bellatrix's wand, missing Ginny by a mere inch. Hermione was about to get back to her feet, when Molly Weasley came charging out of the crowd.

"Not my daughter, you bitch!" Hermione could only watch in fascination as the Weasley matriarch began to duel, looking nearly as dangerous as Bellatrix herself. Remus tried to get to his feet to help Molly, but Hermione insisted that he remain on the floor.

"She killed her," Remus snapped. "She killed my wife!"

"I know, but your arm is broken, Remus," Hermione retorted. "You'll only get yourself killed too!" Remus muttered something under his breath, but before Hermione could ask what he'd said, he slumped in defeat.

So many things happened after that, that later, Hermione would consider watching the memories in Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve, just so she could make sure she hadn't missed anything. When Molly dispatched Bellatrix, Hermione looked on in stunned disbelief. And then she and Remus gasped as Harry threw off his Invisibility Cloak and began to circle Voldemort.

"Harry," Remus breathed. Hermione could feel the tears running down her cheeks at the sight of her best friend. "But how-?" Hermione simply shook her head. She had long given up figuring out how Harry always managed to get himself out of life or death situations.

Everyone was silent as Harry and Voldemort circled each other and Hermione could not stop her mouth dropping open in shock when Harry revealed that Snape had not killed Dumbledore in cold blood after all. She glanced at Remus and saw the same surprise on his face, replaced instantly by what she could only call regret. She felt the same, but how were any of them to know? She held her breath as Harry explained that he was now the master of the Elder Wand, knowing what was coming from Voldemort. And when the green light erupted from his wand, she forced herself not to close her eyes, offered up a silent prayer and watched, transfixed, as Voldemort's body hit the floor. She glanced down at Remus who nodded once to her.

"Go," he said and Hermione ran towards Harry, Ron joining her steps before she reached him, the Hall breaking into tumultuous shouts and cheers. She grabbed Harry and hugged him, felt Ron embrace them both, and thanked Merlin and every other deity she could think of that it was finally over.


	2. After

**A/N - Thank you so much for your reviews and follows on this new story of mine. I hope you like this chapter, despite the angst.**

 **Chapter 2**

 **After**

The sun had finally fully risen. Remus watched Harry as he was shuttled around the Great Hall by one person or another who wanted to speak to him, touch him, thank him. He looked absolutely exhausted and yet he kept smiling, kept talking to whoever sought him out. Remus sighed, wishing everyone would just give the boy some peace for a few moments.

"Here you are," Poppy said, handing him a goblet. Remus swallowed the contents, then made a face. Skele-Gro still tasted as disgusting as he remembered. "I've put the rest of the injured in the Transfiguration classroom until we can determine if the Hospital Wing is sound. You need to join them and rest while the Skele-Gro does its job." Remus shook his head.

"No."

"Remus," Poppy began, but Remus interrupted her.

"Where is Dora?" he asked with just a slight tremor in his voice.

"She's in the chamber off the Great Hall," Poppy said quietly. "They all are." Remus nodded and looked across the Hall again. As he did, his arm shifted slightly and he grimaced.

"You need to be resting," Poppy said again.

"I can't," he replied. "There's too much to do."

"Then let someone else do it," Poppy snapped. Remus stared at the Matron.

"No one else can do this," he said quietly. He dreaded telling Andromeda, but he was the one that would have to. Poppy looked away for moment to compose herself.

"No, I suppose not," she agreed. She sighed again. "I can cast a stabilization charm and give you a sling, but if you think you're going to Apparate with that arm, think again." Remus opened his mouth to retort when he saw Hermione approaching.

"Hermione," he greeted.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. He managed a half-smile.

"I'll be fine," he said as Poppy finished with the stabilization charm and conjured a sling for him. She tutted at him as she wrapped his arm in it and moved to fasten it around his neck.

"Is there anything that I can do for you?" Hermione asked.

"No, thank you, Hermione." She fidgeted for a moment before continuing.

"If you need to send an owl to," she paused and took a breath. "To Tonks' mother, I could do it for you." Remus barely managed to swallow past the lump in his throat.

"I appreciate that, but I think this is news I need to give her in person." Hermione nodded in understanding. Poppy tutted again.

"I meant it about the Apparating, Remus," she informed him.

"How long?" he asked.

"Four hours' minimum. I'd prefer eight, but I'm sure I won't be able to keep you here that long." Remus made a noise of frustration. He knew the news that Voldemort was dead would travel quickly. He was sure the Prophet would print a special edition and send it out as soon as possible. The longer he waited before going home, the more Andromeda would worry.

"Can he Floo?" Hermione asked and Poppy contemplated him for a moment.

"I suppose, if he's extremely careful and knows exactly where he's going." But Remus was shaking his head.

"We disconnected the Floo as a precaution after we went into hiding," he explained.

"You could send a Patronus," Hermione suggested. Remus began to shake his head, but Hermione continued. "Just to let her know that it will be a few hours until you're back."

"I suppose that will have to do, although I'm not all that proficient with my other arm," he said indicating his wand arm which was now securely settled in the sling.

"If you want me to," Hermione began, but Remus shook his head.

"I'll manage," he said. They all stopped talking as Minerva walked into the Great Hall. She was levitating a body that was covered by a sheet.

"Is that?" Poppy began, looking uncertainly towards Remus. All of the dead and wounded had long been brought into the castle, so Minerva must have gone to retrieve Severus' body.

"It must be," Remus said. He glanced at Hermione who was biting her lip, tears in her eyes.

"Do you really think that he was on our side this whole time?"

"I learned long ago not to doubt that Albus had contingency plan upon contingency plan," Remus said.

"I wish we would have known," Hermione said quietly.

"The fact that we didn't says that Severus played his part just as he should have." Hermione nodded. Remus put his good hand on her arm and gave it a squeeze.

"That poor boy," Poppy said shaking her head sadly. She walked towards Minerva, who nodded at her and the two witches escorted the Potions Master toward a small room next to the antechamber.

"They're not putting him in with the rest?" Hermione questioned.

"There are still plenty of people that either don't know or won't believe that Severus was truly on our side." Remus reminded her. "It's better this way." They stood in silence until Minerva and Poppy returned, Minerva waving her wand and casting a few wards around the room, Remus suspected. Remus turned back to Hermione as Poppy began to check Minerva over, despite Minerva's protests.

"How is Harry holding up?" he asked. Hermione sighed.

"He's exhausted, but he won't stop until everyone that wants to speak with him has had a chance," she said with a frown. Remus' gaze drifted to the head of messy black hair. He was currently patting an older witch on the shoulder and the woman was sobbing. Obviously a relative of one of the fallen. Remus shook his head. Harry shouldn't have to bear such a burden.

"Perhaps you can convince him to take a bit of a break," Remus said. Hermione gave him a wry smile.

"I've tried, believe me," she said. "So, has Ron when he hasn't been with his family. Harry refused." Remus chuckled.

"Lily was much the same way when she was Head Girl. Her door was quite literally open at all hours of the day and night. It wasn't uncommon to find her asleep in the Common Room cuddling a homesick First Year." Hermione smiled.

"Does Harry know that story?" she asked. Remus shook his head. "He should."

"Harry should know a lot of things about his parents," Remus agreed.

"Maybe now there will be time to tell him."

"Perhaps," Remus agreed.

"I'm sure Harry will do the same for Teddy," Hermione said fondly, looking at her best friend. Remus stiffened. Hermione caught the motion from the corner of her eye and covered her mouth with her hand. "Remus, I'm sorry, I didn't," but Remus waved her off.

"No, it's fine," he said. He looked at her sadly. "It's the reality I have to get used to." Hermione nodded, tears in her eyes, unable to speak. "I'm," Remus cleared his throat as his voice cracked. "I'm glad Teddy will have Harry to, to tell him the stories I can't." He stood abruptly. "I need some air." He brushed past Hermione and hurried out of the Great Hall.

Hermione watched him go, tears escaping and running down her cheeks. She cursed herself for speaking without thinking. She contemplated following her former professor and apologizing again, but decided against it. He likely wouldn't welcome her intrusion into his grief. Sighing she swiped at her eyes and walked towards Harry, hoping to persuade him to rest as Remus had suggested.

* * *

Remus escaped out the front doors and stepped onto the grounds. All the dead and wounded had been brought into the castle, but the craters the giants had made and the scorched grass from the dragons' fire stood in stark relief to the cloudless blue sky and the breeze blowing lightly through the trees. Remus made his way towards the lake, forcing away the tears that were threatening. His throat was tight as Hermione's words played over in his head. He knew she hadn't meant to upset him and he was grateful that there were others that would be able to speak to his son about his mother. But the reason they would have to hit Remus like a Bludger to the chest. Teddy would never know his mother. Oh, he would know about her and who she was, but he would never _know_ her. While Remus' own mother had died when he was just nineteen, he would always have his memories of her. Teddy would not. The thought made Remus' heart ache and his stomach clench painfully.

When he reached the lake, Remus sat down on a large rock near the water's edge. His arm was throbbing despite the pain potion Poppy had given him and he was so tired. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, hoping that when he woke he would discover all of this was just another bad dream. He shook his head. It would do no good to wish for things that would never be.

Sighing, he pulled his wand from his pocket with his left hand. He had cast left-handed before; the Death Eaters' favorite trick had always been to try and disable their opponents' wand-arms before going in for either the proverbial or literal kill. Mad-Eye and Dumbledore had always encouraged Order members to practice with their non-dominant arms. But it always felt clumsy to him and he hadn't done it for quite some time. Remus practiced the wand movements a few times, glad that it was a circular motion instead of something more difficult.

"Expecto Patronum," he whispered, but nothing more than a wisp of white mist left his wand. It wasn't surprising given his current state of mind and he hadn't used anything near enough to his happiest memory as those were now also the most painful. He tried a second time and didn't fare much better. Finally, as the tears poured down his cheeks, he thought of his wedding and the enormous smile on Dora's face when she danced with him for the first time as his wife, the way they'd both sat in awe, their hands on her stomach when Teddy had kicked her for the first time and the elation he'd felt when he first held his son. His wolf burst from the tip of his wand and turned to look at him expectantly. Remus pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he spoke to it.

"Battle is over, we have won. Will be a few hours until I return."

It wasn't until the wolf disappeared that Remus realized he had said 'I' instead of 'we'. He suspected his mother-in-law would catch the slip.

* * *

"Please, Harry," Hermione said again as Harry refused to leave the Great Hall for the third time. "You're dead on your feet."

"So are you," Harry pointed out.

"I'll rest if you will," Hermione returned, crossing her arms over her chest. Harry scrubbed a hand tiredly down his face.

"I will, Hermione, I swear. I just, I just need a few more minutes." Hermione sighed and looked behind him at the small group of people that was clearly waiting to talk to him. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this now, Harry. People will understand."

"I know, but," he trailed off and shook his head. "I'd rather get it over with."

"Fine," she said, understanding his reasons even if she didn't like them. "But I'm holding you to that." Harry gave her a small smile and then turned to talk to an older wizard.

"The public will always want something from him," Professor McGonagall said as she stepped up next to Hermione.

"I know," Hermione said with a frown. Harry hated the spotlight, always had. But it seemed as if he would forever be in it.

"I expect they will want almost as much from you and Mr. Weasley," her teacher continued. Hermione nodded. She had already had her fair share of people want to speak with her this morning.

"Believe me, I'm not looking forward to it."

"No, I don't expect you are." The two women stood in silence for a few moments before Minerva spoke again. "How is he really?"

"Blames himself," Hermione answered at once. "He feels like if he'd found the last, well, thing sooner that not as many people would have died. He was especially upset about Tonks."

"I thought as much," the older witch said with a sigh. "I don't doubt that Remus feels the same blame."

"It's not his fault," Hermione said firmly. "Either of them."

"No, it isn't," Minerva agreed. "But you will be unlikely to convince them of that." Hermione was about to respond when her stomach growled loudly. The professor chuckled as Hermione blushed. "Not to worry, I was just going to the kitchens to get the elves started on some food."

"Maybe I can at least get Harry to eat," Hermione said hopefully. Professor McGonagall patted her shoulder and turned to walk briskly from the Hall, heading for the kitchens and the House Elves.

Hermione's eyes scanned the Hall. Remus still hadn't returned from wherever he'd gone. Hermione worried her lip between her teeth. She thought again about seeking him out and actually began taking a few steps towards the doors when Ron appeared at her side.

"How's your mum?" Hermione asked gently. Ron shook his head.

"As well as she can be, I guess," he said. His mouth quirked up at the corners. "Bit wicked she was, wasn't she?" Hermione grinned remembering Molly's duel with Bellatrix.

"A _bit_ wicked?" she repeated. "She was completely brilliant." Ron's smile grew wider.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Fred would have loved it."

"And George?" Hermione asked. Ron's smile disappeared and he sighed.

"I don't know how he's going to get through this, Hermione." Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder. "I mean he and Fred were…he and Fred, you know?"

"I know," she said quietly. Ron put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He rested his cheek on top of her head. They both watched Harry for a few minutes as he shook a few more hands and spoke to a few more people.

"How does he do it?" Ron asked. Hermione shrugged.

"He's Harry," she said simply. Ron nodded in agreement, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Let's sit down," Ron suggested. "I'm dead on my feet." They wandered over to what would have been the Hufflepuff table during the school year and sunk tiredly onto one of the benches. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder again, hoping that the food appeared soon.

"What are they still doing here?" Ron hissed. Hermione followed his gaze and saw the Malfoys sitting at the end of the Slytherin table. Draco and his mother looked terrified, as if any moment someone from the Ministry was going to swoop in and take them away. Draco's father just looked defeated, staring at the tabletop in silence. Hermione couldn't even find it in herself to be angry, she was so exhausted.

"Just let it be, Ron," she said.

"He's a bloody Death Eater, Hermione," Ron said vehemently. "They both are."

"Then the Aurors will get to them eventually," she said tiredly.

"And what if they escape before that?" Ron demanded.

"Ron, they could have left any time," Hermione replied in exasperation. "The battle has been over for hours." He scowled in the Malfoys' direction but didn't disagree with her. "I don't want to talk about Malfoy."

"Yeah, all right." Before either of them could say anything else, platters of eggs, bacon, sandwiches and fruit appeared on the tables in front of them. Ron nearly groaned in delight and Hermione couldn't help but agree. While she had been used to living on little food for months, their stay at Shell Cottage had almost made her forget what it was like to be hungry and on the run.

"We should really get Harry to eat something," Hermione said, looking around for their friend again. Before she could call him over, an elderly witch approached him with a plate full of sandwiches. Harry thanked her and tucked into one while he continued to listen to the wizard in front of him. Hermione shook her head, but was glad he was eating at least.

"There's Remus," Ron said around a mouth full of eggs. Hermione grimaced before looking towards the doors to the Great Hall. Remus had just stepped inside, looking just as tired as she felt. She caught his eye and he made his way towards them.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked.

"Eventually successful," Remus said as he reached for a sandwich. Hermione nodded in understanding. At Ron's confused expression, Remus explained.

"I can't Apparate for a few more hours with this," he said indicating his arm. "So I sent a Patronus to Andromeda." Ron nodded.

"I'm sorry about Tonks," he said.

"Thank you, Ron," Remus replied. "How is your family holding up?" Ron shrugged a shoulder.

"As well as you are, I expect." Both men fell silent. Hermione squeezed Ron's arm and gave Remus a sad smile.

"And Harry?" Remus asked changing the subject. Hermione sighed.

"He refuses to rest until everyone that wants to speak to him has," she explained. "But he's eating at least."

"That's something, I suppose," Remus said. The three went back to their food, speaking little and lost in their thoughts. Remus eventually left the table and went to speak to Madame Pomfrey. Hermione suspected he was trying to convince the mediwitch to let him Apparate sooner than her four-hour limit.

"It's me," a quiet voice said behind them and Hermione realized she had lost track of where Harry was some time ago. "Will you come with me?" She and Ron rose at Harry's request and followed him from the Great Hall. Hermione hoped that this meant he was ready to sleep, because she certainly was. She glanced at Remus as they walked away. Madame Pomfrey was shaking her head and Remus was arguing with her. Hermione certainly hoped that he listened to what the Matron had to say. The last thing he needed was to injure himself further.

* * *

"Poppy, this is ridiculous," Remus argued. "I feel fine."

"You may feel fine, but you are _not_ fine," she returned, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you Apparate now, I might as well remove the bones in your arm and start over." Remus sighed in frustration, raking a hand through his hair. He knew Andromeda had likely deciphered what he hadn't said in his Patronus message and he wanted to get home and explain. Not to mention that he very much wanted to hold his son in his arms.

"Two more hours, Remus," Poppy said sympathetically, laying her hand on his good arm. "That's all I ask. Perhaps you should rest. Minerva is checking the dormitories to make sure they are sound and setting up beds in a few of the classrooms in the meantime."

"I'll be with my wife," Remus said gruffly, turning towards the antechamber off the Great Hall where the dead had been moved. He heard Poppy muttering something under her breath and caught the word 'stubborn' as he walked away.

Remus entered the small room and looked along the back wall where he knew Dora lay. He nodded to Arthur who looked as if he was trying to convince George to leave and get something to eat. As far as Remus knew, George had not left his twin's side since the battle had ended. As Remus reached Dora, he heard Arthur sigh and saw him squeeze his son's shoulder.

"Remus," Arthur said as he approached. "I'm so sorry about Tonks."

"Thank you," Remus replied thickly. "How is George doing?" Arthur shook his head.

"Not well, as you would expect. I can't even get him to come and eat something." The older wizard glanced back at his sons, pain evident on his face. "I suppose I'll have to let Molly come back in and try to talk to him." Remus nodded and clapped the other man on the shoulder before turning towards his wife. He lowered himself to the ground and sat by her side, taking her hand in his.

She still didn't look like herself. She had seldom worn her hair in its natural color or length, preferring more vivid shades, especially pink. He let go of her hand and reached out for a strand of her hair, letting it slide through his fingers. It was not quite as dark as Andromeda's, but much darker than Ted's had been. His frown deepened as he thought of his father-in-law. They had done nothing to formally mark his passing, stuck in their house as they had been. He would suggest they have a service now, perhaps in conjunction with Dora's.

Remus wondered if Andromeda would allow him to continue to stay with her for the time being. Merlin knew he had little money of his own and with the current werewolf legislation still in place, he wouldn't for some time. If it had just been him, he wouldn't have even thought to ask, but he had Teddy to think of now. Remus had heard that Kingsley had been made acting Minister of Magic, so he hoped that his fellow Order member might repeal the ridiculous laws that Dolores Umbridge had managed to pass. He knew that the first thing Kingsley intended to do was dissolve the Muggle-born Registration Commission, perhaps as soon as today. He doubted Kingsley would want innocent Muggle-borns sitting in Azkaban for one more day.

The werewolf legislation was different, however. Years of prejudice and mistrust were behind it and Remus highly doubted the public was ready to welcome werewolves with open arms. Too many had been injured or killed by Greyback and his ilk during the course of the war. Remus still had a difficult road ahead of him. He would have to stay with Andromeda for the time being, or at least leave Teddy with her if she wasn't willing to let Remus stay. She adored her grandson and Remus knew she would never turn Teddy away.

Thinking of the werewolf that had turned him, Remus frowned. He would need to find out what had happened to Greyback after the Battle. Remus remembered that Ron and Neville had been dueling with the werewolf when he had come to Hermione and Ginny's aid. But in all the chaos, he hadn't seen what had happened after that. Kingsley and a few of the other Aurors had taken all the Death Eaters that had been captured with them to the Ministry, so Remus assumed that Greyback had been with them. Still, he would need to know for sure. He could not rest with that threat still hanging over his family. Of all Voldemort's followers, Greyback had been one of the most vicious and would not take Riddle's defeat well. The sooner he was in Azkaban, the better.

Remus shook those thoughts from his head and turned back to his wife. He took her hand again and kissed her palm. Her skin was still warm, kept that way by the preservation charm Poppy had cast. If Remus closed his eyes, he could imagine that Dora was simply sleeping and would soon wake and give him that mischievous grin he so loved. Gripping her hand tighter, he bowed his head and allowed the tears to return once again.

* * *

Hermione and Ron listened incredulously as Harry told them all about Snape's memories and Harry's trip to the forest.

"Blimey, Harry," Ron said once Harry had finished. They were still walking towards what Hermione now realized was the Headmaster's office.

"I still can't believe Professor Snape was on our side this whole time," Hermione said in amazement.

"And he and your mum, I mean," Ron trailed off, clearly uncomfortable with the fact that Snape had ever been in love with anyone, let alone Harry's mother.

"Yeah," Harry agreed, although Hermione could tell he didn't really want to talk about it. They had reached the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office, but it was lying lopsided and let them up without a password.

The applause that greeted Harry when they stepped into the room brought tears to Hermione's eyes. Plenty of the portraits were crying too, but all were cheering and yelling out congratulations to Harry. And then Hermione looked at Professor Dumbledore's portrait and her breath caught in her throat. Dumbledore was crying, silver tears running down his cheeks. Hermione reached unconsciously for Ron's hand and Ron gave hers a squeeze, looking a bit choked up himself.

When Harry announced that he had dropped the Resurrection stone in the forest and wouldn't go looking for it, Hermione felt a pang in her chest. Even though she knew that it wasn't right to call anyone back, Hermione couldn't help but imagine that George and Remus would love a chance to speak to Fred and Tonks one last time. But when Harry pulled out the Elder Wand, Hermione felt a yearning that she never imagined she might feel for a wand. She knew she was staring at it in longing, but it wasn't until she saw Ron doing the same that she shook herself from her stupor. Even after Harry had repaired his own wand and explained to Dumbledore what he planned to do with the Elder Wand, Ron continued staring at it greedily.

"I think Harry's right," she said, touching Ron's arm to take his focus off the wand. Ron shook himself and took a breath.

"Right," he said. "You're right." Harry put the Elder Wand into the pouch he carried around his neck. He looked back at Dumbledore's portrait.

"Is Gryffindor Tower all right?" Dumbledore smiled and glanced towards his fellow Heads.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, Professor McGonagall has just been there and deemed it safe," Professor Dippet said with a smile.

"All right then," Harry said and turned to Hermione and Ron. "I'm going to sleep. Join me?"

"I have to tell Mum," Ron said. "She'll worry otherwise." Harry nodded.

"I'll come with you, Harry," Hermione assured him. The three of them left Dumbledore's office and walked back down the spiral staircase together.

"I'll be there soon, yeah?" Ron said as they reached the bottom and he turned back toward the Great Hall.

"Yeah," Harry replied. Ron's smile widened for Hermione and she blushed slightly, remembering their kiss from hours ago. He turned and hurried toward the Great Hall. Harry gave Hermione a look and she slapped his arm.

"Shut it," she said, unable to hide a grin of her own.

"I didn't say anything," Harry said innocently and Hermione laughed as the two of them made their way toward Gryffindor Tower.


	3. Loss

**A/N - Thanks so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing! You all make my day! More angst here, of course, but a bit of fluff too. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Loss**

"Remus," someone said quietly. Remus opened his eyes to see Minerva standing in front of him. He was still sitting on the floor next to Dora, holding her hand. He must have drifted off. He shifted uncomfortably and wished he had thought to cast a cushioning charm before he sat down.

"Minerva," Remus greeted trying to stifle a yawn.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought you might prefer to rest in an actual bed," she said. "All the dormitories save Ravenclaw Tower have been deemed safe. You're welcome to any of them." Remus pulled himself to his feet.

"Thank you, Minerva, but I'm just waiting until I can Apparate home," he said. "What time is it?"

"Half eleven," his former professor replied. Remus looked at her in surprise. He'd been sleeping for over two hours, well past the time that Poppy had allotted. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, earlier," he replied, scrubbing a hand down his face to clear the lingering tiredness. "I need to get home and explain to Andromeda."

"Of course," Minerva said, glancing down sadly at Dora.

"How is Harry?" Remus asked.

"Finally resting," she said with a sigh. "As are Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley." Remus nodded, relieved.

"You look as if you should be doing the same," he pointed out. She gave him a small smile.

"There is still much to be done," she simply said.

"I'm sure that there are many others who would be willing to help," he admonished gently.

"Filius and Pomona are resting now," Minerva explained. "When they wake, I will let them take over." Remus looked at her in concern. She looked older than he had ever seen her and more disheveled. He realized that not only had she not yet slept, she likely hadn't even sat down for more than a few minutes.

"Have _you_ eaten?" he asked. She glanced away from him, back towards where he noticed Molly sat with Fred. She must have finally convinced George to get something to eat and rest as he was nowhere to be seen.

"I will," she assured him.

"Yes, you will," Remus returned, lightly grasping her elbow and steering her toward the Great Hall.

"Remus," she protested, giving him a glare that when he was younger would have sent him cowering. Now, however, he simply ignored her and led her out of the antechamber towards one of the House tables.

"Eat something," he said as they reached the table. She scowled, but sat down on the bench all the same and pulled a platter of eggs towards her. Remus sank down next to her. He had wanted nothing more than to get home as soon as possible, but now that he was actually able to leave, he was dreading it.

Minerva poured both of them a cup of tea and added sugar to Remus' before passing it to him. He took the cup gratefully, taking a small sip.

"What is it?" she asked, sipping her own tea.

"I was so anxious to leave and now I find that I'm having a hard time going," he admitted. Minerva put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He sighed, taking another drink of tea as if it would fortify him somehow.

"I don't know how to tell her this," he said quietly.

"Andromeda is a strong woman," Minerva said. Remus nodded. This he knew, but the woman had just lost her husband a few months before and now had lost her only child.

"May I stay here tonight?" he asked his former teacher a few moments later. Minerva's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Of course, you are always welcome here, but don't you want to be with your family now?"

"It's likely that Andromeda will not want anything to do with me after today," he said.

"Why in Merlin's name not?" Minerva asked incredulously. Remus shrugged.

"It's my fault Dora was here," he said simply.

"And how is that?"

"Hermione told me that Dora came because she couldn't stand not knowing what was happening."

"And that is your fault?" Minerva asked in confusion.

"She wanted to know what was happening with _me_ , Minerva," he returned. "If it weren't for me, she wouldn't have come." Minerva just stared at him.

"You are a bit full of yourself, aren't you?" she finally said. Remus looked up at her in astonishment. "Do you honestly think your wife, the Auror, the Order member, would have stayed away from this battle?"

"I-" Remus began but Minerva held up a hand.

"Do not disrespect your wife or your mother-in-law by making this about you," she said. "Nymphadora was worried about you, yes, but she would have been here regardless. She was a fighter and she would never have stayed away. Andromeda knows that as well as I." Remus looked down at his tea cup, his throat tight. Minerva's voice softened.

"Go home, Remus. Go home to your son and tell Andromeda that her daughter died a hero." Remus pulled in a shaky breath and nodded. He drained the last of his tea and then stood from the table.

"Thank you, Minerva." She patted his hand and turned back to her food. Remus left the Great Hall and strode toward the gates to Apparate home.

* * *

He landed with a soft pop in the back garden, just outside the wards. He stared at the back door for a moment before gathering his courage and walking towards the house. He entered quietly, closing and locking the door behind him. The house was quiet and Remus checked the kitchen and the living room before climbing the stairs to the second floor. He walked quickly past the bedroom he and Dora had shared, after a glance inside told him that Teddy was not in his cradle next to their bed. The door to Andromeda's bedroom was shut and he was loathe to disturb her if she were napping. A soft humming caught his attention.

Continuing down the corridor to the guest room that had been transformed into a nursery for Teddy, Remus found his mother-in-law humming to his son as she slowly swayed from side to side. Teddy appeared to be sleeping and Remus stood in the doorway and watched them for a few seconds, grief nearly swamping him. Andromeda must have sensed his presence for she turned around and looked at him before gently placing Teddy in his cot. Remus stepped into the room and looked down at his sleeping son. His hair was currently blonde, but as Remus watched it darkened to a shade similar to Remus' own. He placed a hand lightly on his boy's chest, feeling the even rise and fall of his breaths. It comforted Remus more than anything else had this day. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on Teddy's forehead before turning and following Andromeda from the room. She closed the door behind them and they said nothing as they continued down to the kitchen.

"Are you all right?" she asked indicating his arm once they had stopped.

"Yes, just broken," he said. "It should be fully healed in a few more hours." Andromeda nodded and stared at him, waiting. Remus' heart began to pound loudly in his chest. He had no idea how he was going to tell her.

"She is dead, isn't she?" Andromeda said a few moments later. Remus looked up at her in shock.

"Andromeda-" he began, but she held up a hand.

"Just tell me, Remus."

"Yes," he whispered. Andromeda nodded and stood rooted in place, her back ramrod straight. Remus watched her, blinking to try and keep the blur of tears from his eyes.

"How?" she finally asked. Remus hesitated, then swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"It was," he paused and cleared his throat. "It was Bellatrix." The closing of her eyes was all the emotion Andromeda showed for a moment. But then she swayed and Remus darted forward, grasping her arm and guiding her into one of the kitchen chairs. Andromeda sat with her eyes closed, her hands clasped in her lap. Remus stared at her for a moment before pulling out the chair next to hers and sitting down. He took one of her hands in his. Neither of them said anything for a long moment.

"I knew that my sister hated me," Andromeda finally said. "I did not realize to what extent." Remus squeezed her hand in his. "And what of Bellatrix?"

"Molly Weasley killed her after Bellatrix threatened Molly's daughter," he informed her. Andromeda seemed to sag a bit, whether it was in relief or just the weight of all that had happened, Remus wasn't sure. She straightened seconds later.

"Where is Nymphadora now?" Remus swallowed thickly again.

"She is still at Hogwarts," he replied. He pulled in a breath. "They're all being kept in a small chamber off the Great Hall."

"How many?" Andromeda questioned.

"About fifty," Remus said with a sigh. "Many of them students."

"Such a waste," she said with a shake of her head. "And He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Dead, by Harry's hand." Andromeda sighed.

"So it is truly over then." Remus nodded.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt has been named acting Minister. The Muggle-born Registration Commission has already been dissolved and he should be releasing the Muggle-borns from Azkaban later today." Andromeda nodded, although it was already too late for her husband. "The Ministry will need to be cleaned out next."

"The Minister will have his work cut out for him."

"That he will," Remus agreed. He stifled a yawn. Andromeda looked him over critically.

"You should rest," she said. He nodded before getting to his feet.

"I'll head back to Hogwarts. Would it be all right if Teddy stayed here for now?"

"Of course, but why are you going back to Hogwarts so soon?" she asked.

"Minerva has opened the dormitories to anyone who needs a place to stay," he explained. Andromeda looked at him in confusion.

"And why would you need a place to stay?" Remus shifted and Minerva's words replayed in his head. He ignored her warning, however, and plunged on.

"I didn't think you would want me here," he admitted. Andromeda stared at him and it took all Remus had not to quell under her gaze.

"And why would I not?" she demanded.

"Because I couldn't keep your daughter safe! She followed me to Hogwarts instead of staying here. She was my responsibility and I failed her!" Remus exclaimed. To his shock, Andromeda began to laugh. He gaped at her.

"Do you honestly think that you could have controlled _anything_ Nymphadora had set her mind to?" Andromeda finally managed. "Or that she would have _allowed_ you to 'keep her safe' as you put it?" Remus couldn't form words to argue. Andromeda chuckled. "For as much as she was a Tonks, she was still a Black, darling. And I do not think I need to explain to you what that means."

"No," Remus agreed quietly. Andromeda rose from her chair and put a hand on Remus' arm.

"Go upstairs," she said. "Sleep. I will watch over Teddy and when you wake, we will return to Hogwarts and bring her home with us." Remus tamped down on the emotion that was threatening and nodded to his mother-in-law. She put a hand to his cheek and smiled warmly at him.

"You are welcome here, Remus. For as long as you wish." He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered. When he pulled back, he saw the emotion on her face, although she quickly tried to hide it. She squeezed his hand and turned back towards the kitchen. Seeing it for the dismissal it was, Remus turned to the stairs and made his way to his bedroom where he collapsed, fully clothed, on his bed and was almost instantly asleep.

* * *

Hermione shifted slightly and sighed in contentment, warm and comfortable. She wasn't sure how long she had slept but she felt as if she could sleep for hours more. She yawned, burrowing closer to the body next to her, the arm around her tightening in response.

Hermione's eyes flew open and she held her breath. She remembered following Harry up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, the thought of sleeping in her own room never crossing her mind. Harry had flopped down in his own bed and Hermione had sat down on Ron's. She had scooted up to sit against the headboard and she and Harry were talking quietly as they waited for Ron to arrive. She didn't remember falling asleep and she certainly had no recollection of falling asleep _with_ someone else.

She glanced down at the freckled arm across her middle. Ron muttered something in his sleep and tightened his hold on her. Hermione slowly let out the breath she had been holding and contemplated her options. She could sneak out of Ron's bed and go to her own room, but she didn't want the boys to worry if they woke up. A quick glance around the room showed her that Seamus, Dean and Neville occupied their own beds. Her face heated at the thought that they had all come up at some point after she had fallen asleep and had likely seen her in Ron's bed.

'Stop being stupid,' Hermione admonished herself in her head. 'You were simply sleeping, it's not as if anything else happened.' Still, she felt rather awkward about the whole thing and decided to ease herself from the room. She would lie down on one of the couches in the common room until Ron and Harry woke up. It was likely the first place they would check anyway.

Hermione gently lifted Ron's arm, intending to slide out from underneath. He shifted again and she rolled to her back, but before she could get out of the bed, he pulled his arm away from her and wrapped it around her waist again, pulling her towards him. Hermione bit her lip and looked up into his face. When Ron didn't move again, she sighed. She was going to have to wake him up.

"Ron," she whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. "Ron, wake up." He mumbled unintelligibly. "Ron."

"'Mione," he muttered. "Sleepin'." She clamped her lips shut to keep from giggling out loud.

"Ron," she said a little louder. When he didn't move, she pinched his arm.

"Ow!" he said loudly, his eyes opening as Hermione tried to shush him. "What was that for?" Then his eyes opened wide as he realized Hermione was lying next to him in his bed. He pulled back from her abruptly and before Hermione could say or do anything, his shoulders were off the edge of the bed. His legs were tangled in the sheets and the momentum of his upper body pulled him to the floor with a loud thump. Hermione couldn't stifle her laugh as she crawled to his side of the bed and looked down at him.

"Are you all right?" she asked. He glowered at her as he rubbed his shoulder.

"No," he pouted. A pillow came flying from the other side of the room and hit Ron in the back of the head.

"Oi, some of us are tryin' t'sleep," Seamus groused. "Snog your girl somewhere else." Ron's face was instantly red and Hermione was sure hers was no better. Still, she climbed down from the bed and held a hand out to him. He took it and she helped haul him to his feet. They both grabbed their shoes and slipped silently from the room.

When they reached the common room, Hermione's hope of being able to have a quiet conversation was dashed. Every couch was occupied and clearly some of the chairs had been transfigured into beds as well. She motioned to Ron and they left the dorm.

When they reached the corridor, they each glanced at one another and then looked away shyly. Hermione led him around the corner to a small alcove she had often caught couple's snogging in while on patrol as a Prefect.

"Sorry about your arm," she said when they'd reached it.

"S'okay," he replied. The stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

"So how-" Hermione began.

"I didn't-" Ron said at the same time. They laughed.

"You go," Ron said.

"How did we end up…sleeping together?" The tips of Ron's ears reddened.

"When I got up to the room, you were asleep leaning against the headboard," he explained. "Dean and Seamus were already in bed and I'd talked to Neville in the Great Hall and he said he was coming up as soon as he got his gran settled. I was going to take the floor, but you wouldn't let go of the blankets." He grinned at her and she blushed.

"I figured the bed was big enough for both of us and it's not like we haven't shared small spaces before." He glanced at her. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," she insisted. "I certainly don't expect you to sleep on the floor. You could have woken me though. I would have gone to my own room." Ron stared at her for a moment.

"Didn't want to," he admitted. Hermione looked at the floor and smiled. When she looked up again, Ron was watching her nervously.

"It's okay," she assured him. "I didn't mind."

"Yeah?" he questioned, lips quirking up into a smile.

"Yeah," she repeated, smiling now too. He grinned wider and then stepped closer to her.

"We could go back to sleep," he said. "Or-"

"Or?" she questioned, having an idea what he was suggesting.

"Or," he repeated again, stepping even closer before he leaned down and kissed her. Hermione smiled into his lips.

"Or," she agreed.

* * *

Remus awoke to the sound of a baby's cries and he sat bolt upright before he realized that the cries were Teddy's and he was in his bedroom at Andromeda's. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he looked down at himself and grimaced. He definitely needed a shower. He cast a quick tempus charm. He had been asleep for nearly five hours and his stomach grumbled in protest. Remus rose from his bed, casting a cleansing charm on himself before going into Teddy's room.

Teddy was waving his fists in the air as he cried, his hair turning red. Remus smiled, remembering that Dora's hair used to do the same thing when she was angry with him. His heart clenched and he pulled in a breath before he reached for his son.

"Damn," he swore as his right arm's progress was stopped because of the sling. He had forgotten to ask Poppy how long he needed to wear it. It normally took at least twelve hours to completely mend bones and while it had been nearly that long since he took the Skele-Gro, he had no idea how bad the break had been. Still, Remus slipped his arm out of the sling and picked Teddy up, settling the baby on his left shoulder and rubbing his back gently with his right hand. The arm twinged a bit, but it wasn't overly painful so Remus vanished the sling.

Teddy's cries faded slightly, but picked up again quickly. Remus changed his nappy and raised the baby back to his shoulder. His son's cries tapered to soft whimpers and he began to root around on Remus' shoulder. Remus closed his eyes. Teddy was hungry, but his mother wasn't there to feed him, would never be there to feed him again. Squeezing his eyes tightly, he drew in a breath to try and keep himself under control. He knew there was breast milk in the ice box. Remus had always taken one of the middle of the night feedings so that Dora could rest and Teddy had no issue with drinking from a bottle.

Figuring Andromeda was resting and not wanting to wake her, Remus bounced Teddy lightly as he carried him downstairs. He pulled a bottle from the ice box and warmed it before settling in an armchair in the sitting room. Teddy drank greedily and Remus frowned. He wondered how long the boy had been crying before Remus woke. And then he wondered why Andromeda hadn't tended to Teddy if Remus hadn't heard him right away.

Cradling his son, Remus rose and walked toward the library. Andromeda's door had been closed when Remus went into Teddy's room and so he had assumed that she was sleeping. Remus guessed that she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. But if she hadn't gotten up with Teddy, then perhaps she was somewhere else in the house.

A quick search of the main floor yielded nothing. Remus hurried upstairs as Teddy finished his bottle. He shifted the baby to his shoulder and began to pat his back, even as he moved toward Andromeda's door. He knocked lightly but received no response.

"Andromeda," Remus called, then pressed his ear to the door, but he heard nothing from within. Remus wrestled with his options before finally opening the door just a bit and peeking inside.

The bed was neatly made and there was no evidence that anyone had slept in it recently. He could see the door to the en suite bathroom was open and so he opened the door a bit wider. The small sitting area near the large window was also empty.

"Andromeda?" he called again into the empty room, but he expected no response. Teddy, having drunk his fill was sleepily burrowing into his father's shoulder. Remus pulled Andromeda's door shut once again and went back into Teddy's room to fetch a blanket. The back garden was the only place left to look.

After wrapping Teddy up, Remus hurried to the back door. He didn't think that his mother-in-law would do anything foolish, but grief had a way of sneaking up on a person. And given that Andromeda hadn't reacted much at all to the news of Dora's death, Remus was concerned that once alone, her pain might have overwhelmed her. Holding Teddy tightly to him, Remus took a deep breath and stepped outside.

Andromeda was not sitting at the small outdoor table nor was she on the bench situated in front of her flower garden. Remus walked further into the garden, past the wards towards the rear corner. He saw her sitting on the swing that Ted had put in the large oak tree for Dora when she was small, pushing herself back and forth gently with her toe.

"Andromeda," he said in relief when he had reached her.

"Remus," she replied in surprise as she looked up at him. "What time is it?"

"Half five," he said, shifting Teddy slightly.

"Oh, my, I completely lost track of time," she said rising from the swing. "Oh and Teddy!" She looked stricken.

"It's all right," Remus assured her. "I've fed him and changed him and he's nearly asleep again now."

"I am so sorry, Remus," Andromeda said. "I should have been inside to hear him, I-" Remus stopped her with a hand to her shoulder.

"He's fine," Remus said again.

"But you were resting," she protested.

"I've slept enough. Perhaps you should rest for a bit."

"No," she shook her head. "Let me make you something to eat."

"Andromeda, you don't" Remus began, but she pulled away from him.

"It will be just a few minutes," she said and pushed past him towards the house. Remus sighed, but let her go. He followed behind a few moments later.

* * *

Hermione made her way down the stairs to the common room after her shower. Ron was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs. She smiled at him and he took her hand once she reached him. The common room was mostly empty, only two people still slept in a far corner.

"Feel better?" Ron asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Much," Hermione replied with a smile. Before Ron could say anything else, Harry came down the stairs, his hair still wet from his own shower. He looked at their clasped hands and then back up at their faces. Hermione saw a small smile playing around his lips before he crossed his arms and stared hard at Ron.

"That's my sister, you know," Harry said, his words eerily reminiscent of Ron's the year before. Ron gaped at Harry for a moment before he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Uh, yeah," he finally said. Harry looked at him for a few more seconds, before glancing briefly at Hermione. It was all she could do to hold in her laughter and she was quite sure that the inside of her cheek was bleeding from biting it so hard.

"All right, then," Harry finally said. "Just keep the snogging to a minimum around me." Ron turned red and Hermione finally let go of her laughter. Harry grinned.

"Git," Ron said with glare, but there was no heat behind his words. The three of them stood with goofy grins on their faces for a moment before there was a noise behind Harry. Hermione looked up and saw Ginny coming down the staircase. The grin slid from Harry's face and he fidgeted nervously.

"H-Hi, Ginny," he managed.

"Hey, Harry," she replied. Hermione and Ron could have been invisible. Ron looked back and forth between his sister and his best friend, then rolled his eyes when the two simply stared at each other.

"Are we going down to the Great Hall to eat or what?" he finally asked. Harry jumped slightly and glanced back at Ron and Hermione.

"Uh, yeah, sure, dinner, dinner sounds good." Hermione stifled a laugh. Harry had just defeated Voldemort and he was still nervous around Ginny Weasley. Ron muttered something under his breath before Hermoine pulled him by the hand toward the portrait hole. Ginny and Harry followed behind, Harry's hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. Ginny glanced at him in amusement every few seconds, but made no move to take his hand or move closer to him.

"Mental," Ron said under his breath as Ginny and Harry fell a bit further behind.

"Leave him alone, Ron," Hermione admonished. "He hasn't seen her in nearly a year."

"Like her feelings have changed any," he scoffed.

"Harry doesn't know that," Hermione reminded him. "They'll figure it out."

"Still," Ron began, but Hermione gave him a look.

"Are you sure _you're_ one to talk about this?" she questioned pointedly. He looked away.

"Yeah, all right," he grumbled. Hermione laughed and squeezed his hand as they reached the Great Hall.

* * *

Remus and Andromeda passed through the gates of Hogwarts. They had Flooed to the Three Broomsticks after Remus had opened the Floo at the house. He would have rather Apparated and left the Floo closed, but Teddy was too young to do so just yet.

The damage in Hogsmeade had not been as bad as Remus had feared. It appeared the Death Eaters had been in too much of a hurry to get up to the school to bother much with the village. It had mostly been broken windows and few doors blown off hinges. Everything would be easy to repair.

They made their way across the grounds, Teddy held tightly to Remus' chest. Teddy had fussed a bit coming out of the Floo, but otherwise seemed rather content in his father's arms. Remus glanced to the side, but Andromeda continued to hold her head high, her eyes betraying nothing as they neared the front doors of the castle. The most reaction Remus had seen from her had been when she heard it was Bellatrix that killed Dora. He knew it was the Black façade that Andromeda was falling back on to keep her emotions under control, but he still couldn't help but worry.

They stepped into the Entrance Hall and Remus noticed that this area, at least, had been repaired. The piles of rubble were gone and the large hole that had been in one wall was fixed. Remus glanced at Andromeda before they continued on to the Great Hall.

The House tables weren't overly crowded, most of the younger students had been taken home from Hogsmeade by their parents or relatives just after the end of the Battle. The older students were still there of course, as well as the staff and the Order and many of the others that had returned to fight. A couple of reporters still wandered around and there were a few Aurors that Remus recognized. Most everyone was eating dinner and Remus led Andromeda towards the antechamber where Dora was. As they entered the room, they nearly ran into Molly who appeared to be on her way out.

"Andromeda," Molly said, laying a hand on the other woman's arm. "I am so sorry about Tonks." Andromeda nodded.

"And my condolences for your son," Andromeda replied. "Remus told me his name, but I've forgotten, I'm sorry."

"Fred," Molly said with a sad smile. "And thank you. Remus," Molly acknowledged before slipping past them and out the door. Remus glanced to the side and saw that George had resumed his place next to his twin. He shook his head sadly and directed Andromeda across the room.

Andromeda stepped forward and lowered herself to her knees next to Dora. Andromeda brushed the hair back from Dora's forehead and simply stared at her for a moment before she shuddered. Remus took a step forward as the woman seemed to fold in on herself. A large sob racked her frame and Remus stood frozen behind her. He had never seen such emotion in his mother-in-law, not even after they were notified of Ted's death, and he was unsure what to do.

Teddy squirming a bit pulled Remus from his stupor. He closed the remaining distance between he and Andromeda and put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. She continued to cry, albeit more silently than she had at first, and Remus simply held onto her. After a few minutes, her hand rose and patted his where it sat on her shoulder. She conjured a handkerchief and dried her tears before standing once more.

"I am sorry," she said quietly.

"For?" Remus questioned in confusion.

"I did not mean to lose control of myself," Andromeda explained.

"She's your daughter, Andromeda," Remus replied. "And while I would hardly call that losing control, you are entitled." Andromeda simply nodded, unconvinced. She looked down at Dora again, sorrow and pain evident on her face.

"Would you like to spend a little time with her before we leave?" Remus asked.

"Yes, thank you." She knelt back down next to her daughter and Remus gave her shoulder one final squeeze before walking back into the Great Hall.

* * *

"Oh, Remus is back," Hermione said as he saw their former professor walking into the Great Hall. "And he's got the baby with him."

"Is that Tonks' mum?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"It's so horrible," Ginny said. "Losing her husband and then her daughter. And in such a short amount of time." Silence fell among the four of them as Remus and Mrs. Tonks disappeared into the antechamber.

"Here comes Mum," Ginny said looking up expectantly. Her face fell seconds later. "George isn't with her." Hermione squeezed Ron's hand underneath the table. George had only left Fred's side once the entire day and that was only for as long as it took him to wolf down some food.

"Have either of you tried talking to him?" she asked. Ron shook his head, but Ginny nodded.

"Just before I went up to the Tower to sleep, I tried to convince him to come with me."

"What did he say?" Ron asked. Ginny shrugged.

"Not much really. He barely spoke to me except to say no thanks." Ron sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"What's going to happen when they take Fred's body away?" he asked. "George can't follow him there." Ginny's eyes sparkled with tears and Harry unconsciously moved closer to her. Ginny leaned into him and Hermione saw Harry freeze for a moment before he relaxed and let Ginny rest her head on his shoulder.

"He'll be all right," Hermione reassured Ron. "He probably just needs to spend as much time with Fred as he can right now."

"Maybe," Ron muttered not looking convinced. Hermione knew they were worried about losing George too and she had to admit that she was concerned herself. She looked up and saw that Remus had come back into the Hall.

"There's Remus," she said and the rest of them looked up as well. "Do you think he'd mind if we talked to him?"

"Why would he?" Ron asked in confusion.

"I don't know, I don't want to intrude," Hermione explained. "They're here to get Tonks after all."

"Looks like he left Mrs. Tonks inside," Harry said. "I'm sure he won't mind." They rose and walked towards Remus.

"Remus," Harry said once they'd reached him. Remus looked up with a small smile.

"Harry," he said. "Would you like to meet your godson?"

"Um, yeah, I would," Harry said with a grin. Remus shifted Teddy in his arms so they could all get a look at him.

"Oh, Remus, he's so beautiful," Hermione breathed. Remus smiled.

"Beautiful?" Ron questioned. "Kid's a bloke, Hermione." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"All babies are beautiful, Ron, regardless of their gender," Hermione said a bit exasperated.

"I don't know, I've seen baby pictures of Ron," Harry put in with a grin. Ginny snickered.

"Wanker," Ron said with a scowl.

"Thank you, Hermione," Remus said. "Harry, would you like to hold him?"

"Me?" Harry squeaked. "I've never, I mean, I don't know what to do."

"It's not hard," Hermione said. "Just make sure to support his head and cradle him like this." She held her arms up to show Harry.

"Since when do you know so much about babies?" Ron asked.

"I've got a younger cousin," Hermione explained.

"Maybe you should do it, Hermione," Harry said still looking nervous.

"May I?" Hermione asked Remus.

"Of course," he replied settling Teddy into her waiting arms.

"Hello, Teddy," she murmured with a smile. Teddy's hair slipped lazily from black to blonde. She glanced up at Remus.

"It does that," Remus explained. "He doesn't have any kind of control over it yet."

"Hey, Teddy," Harry said, reaching out and stroking a finger down Teddy's hand. He looked shocked when Teddy's fist opened and he grasped Harry's finger.

"He does that too," Remus said in amusement. "All babies do."

"You should hold him, Harry," Hermione encouraged. Harry looked nervous, but Ginny stepped closer to him.

"You can do it, Harry," she said.

"Yeah?" he asked. Ginny nodded. "All right." Ginny helped Harry position his arms and Hermione carefully transferred Teddy to him, not letting go of the baby's head until she was sure that Harry was comfortable. Harry glanced at Ginny with a smile and looked down at his godson. Teddy's eyes opened and he seemed to study his godfather, although Hermione knew he really couldn't see much yet.

"And I promise I'll always be there for you," Harry was saying. Hermione's eyes misted over and Ron wrapped an arm around her. She looked up at Remus who was looking at the scene with a mixture of pride and sadness. Stepping a bit closer to Remus, Hermione took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Remus looked down at her and smiled gratefully, squeezing back.


	4. Nightmares

**A/N - Thank you for all the new follows last chapter! I would love to hear what everyone thinks of the story so far. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Nightmares**

They had begun to attract a bit of attention. Former students as well as some of the staff had wandered over and given Remus their congratulations after peeking at Teddy. Hermione had taken the baby back from Harry after Teddy started to squirm and Harry had looked panicked. Remus had chuckled quietly at the exasperated look on Hermione's face when Harry had nearly thrust the baby at her.

"Don't worry, Harry," Remus had reassured. "Sirius did the exact same thing with you the first time he held you." Harry had smiled at this. "It takes a bit of getting used to."

"Never thought Hermione would be such a natural," Harry said watching his best friend coo at his godson.

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"She's never really talked about kids much," Harry replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I didn't even know that she had a cousin."

"Hi, Professor," Neville said as he stepped up to the group, Luna at his side.

"Neville," Remus greeted. "You may call me Remus, you know. I am no longer your professor." Neville smiled sheepishly. "Luna."

"Hello, Remus," Luna replied. "I'm very sorry about your wife." Neville nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Remus said, trying to keep the sadness from his voice.

" _They're_ still here?" Ron asked incredulously. Everyone turned to see Draco and Narcissa Malfoy walking into the Great Hall. They did not make eye contact with anyone and sat down at the far end of the Slytherin table, dishing up plates in silence. "Where's dear old dad?"

"Ron," Hermione admonished, but Remus saw her eyes narrow as she looked at the Malfoys.

"Aurors arrested him," Neville said.

"When?" Ron asked.

"Just after you left the Great Hall this morning," Neville replied. "I was waiting for Gran to finish eating so I could walk her to the room that Professor McGonagall had set aside for her. It was quite a scene."

"Threw up a fight about it, did he?" Ron asked scornfully.

"No, actually. He didn't protest at all. But when they tried to take Draco and Mrs. Malfoy, he nearly broke out of the magical restraints they had him in." Ron and Harry gaped at Neville who nodded.

"The Minister walked in then and told the Aurors to leave her alone since she didn't have the Mark." Remus saw a look pass between Ron, Hermione and Harry and Harry nodded once. Remus made a note to ask about that later. "Then Mrs. Malfoy begged Kingsley to leave Draco with her. Said that he never wanted to be Marked in the first place, but that Voldemort forced him when Mr. Malfoy was arrested after fifth year."

"And Kingsley believed that?" Ginny asked incredulously. Another look passed between the trio.

"Dunno, but he agreed to leave Draco in Mrs. Malfoy's custody as long as they stayed in the castle until he could question them himself. I think Professor McGonagall gave them a private suite or something."

"Figures," Ron said derisively. The teens began to talk amongst themselves and Remus looked warily from Narcissa Malfoy to the door of the antechamber where Andromeda was. He didn't think this was the best time for a confrontation, although it appeared the Malfoys were interested in nothing but eating as quickly as possible. Still, Remus was sure they were completely aware of their surroundings.

Before he could decide whether to warn her or not, the door to the antechamber opened and Andromeda stepped out. Remus hurried towards her, not wanting her to be taken unaware, but she only had eyes for Teddy. She walked directly to Hermione and introduced herself, before requesting that Hermione relinquish Teddy to her. Remus saw Andromeda's shoulders relax slightly as soon as she had the boy in her arms. He thought perhaps they could avoid the Malfoys all together.

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked.

"Yes," Andromeda replied, holding Teddy close. She took a breath. "I would very much like to go home."

"Of course," Remus agreed and bid his former students good-bye. He put a hand on Andromeda's back, his intention to lead her from the Hall in the opposite direction of the Slytherin table, but they had only taken two steps forward when she froze. Remus looked up at saw that she had locked eyes with Narcissa. The two stared at each other for a moment before Narcissa looked away, focusing on her plate once more. Andromeda continued to stare at her as Draco looked between the two of them in confusion for moment before he noticed Remus. Comprehension dawned then and he glanced nervously from his mother to his aunt.

"Andromeda," Remus prodded.

"Yes?" she said but it sounded higher than usual.

"Shall we go?"

"He looks just like his father," she said instead of answering the question and Remus knew she was speaking of Draco. They stood there for a few more seconds before Andromeda began to walk away, giving the Slytherin table a wide berth. Remus followed quickly behind her.

* * *

Hermione watched the two of them walk from the Hall, glancing back at the Malfoys every few seconds. Mrs. Malfoy never looked up from her plate and Draco just looked uncomfortable.

"That was odd," Luna said as she stared at Mrs. Malfoy her lips pursed. "Did they forget that they were related?" Everyone stared at her for a moment, likely wondering, as Hermione was, how Luna knew the two were sisters. Hermione knew better than to question it, however. Luna knew all sorts of things no one would expect her to.

"They don't get on, Luna," Ron explained.

"Gran told me about that," Neville said. "How Mrs. Tonks was disowned because she married a Muggle-born." Harry and Hermione looked at him in surprise. Neville shrugged.

"It was part of my education," he explained. "Learning about pureblood customs and all that. That included learning about the Sacred Twenty-eight." He looked at Ron and Ginny. "Didn't you?"

"Nah, not really," Ron said. "Mum doesn't hold with all that shite, especially since Dad says that book was conveniently edited. Most every pureblood family has a Squib or Muggle-born or two in it."

"Yeah, Gran told me the same thing," Neville agreed. "Still forced me to learn it all though." He made a face.

"Mrs. Malfoy misses her sister," Luna said. There was silence again as they all looked at her.

"How can you tell?" Hermione finally asked.

"There are Glimbobbles all around her," Luna answered.

"Right," Ginny said and the rest of them wisely remained silent.

"Maybe they can be sisters again now that the war is over," Luna continued.

"I wouldn't count on that, Luna," Harry said somewhat bitterly. Seconds later the two Malfoys rose from the table. Draco offered an arm to his mother and the two of them left the Great Hall. Ron shook his head in disgust.

"Can't believe the ferret got out of being arrested."

"That's not necessarily true," Hermione pointed. "Kingsley might still arrest him once he questions them."

"You don't think they're going to lie through their teeth?" Ron demanded. "After everything, Hermione, I can't believe you're defending them."

"I'm not," she insisted, her right hand covering her left forearm. Neville looked at her quizzically. She ignored it. "But it's not all black and white, Ron."

"Mrs. Malfoy did save me," Harry reminded them.

"What?" Neville exclaimed. Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He explained that Draco's mother had told Voldemort that Harry was dead when he hadn't been.

"She only did that to get to her precious Draco," Ron scoffed.

"It doesn't really matter why, Ron, just that she did it," Harry pointed out. "If she hadn't, I likely wouldn't be here right now." Ron fell silent, looking a bit chastened.

"Still, doesn't mean the ferret shouldn't have gone the same way as his father," Ron said, a bit petulantly in Hermione's opinion.

"Can we stop talking about Malfoy?" Ginny huffed. Ron muttered something under his breath, but everyone ignored him.

"Luna," Harry said. "Luna, look." Luna turned toward the doors of the Great Hall.

"Oh." She stood frozen for a moment before she began to walk towards where Harry had been pointing. After a few moments, she was nearly running. Her father, disheveled and dirty, stood in the doorway, looking frantically around the Hall.

"Daddy," Luna called and his head swung towards her. Luna stopped short in front of him and he simply stared at her for a few seconds, before he pulled her to him and began to sob. Hermione swallowed over the lump in her throat and took Ron's hand. Ginny, on her other side, grabbed Hermione's other hand and Hermione saw all three of the boys swipe quickly at their cheeks. Luna had managed to lead her father to one of the benches and they were now sitting, but still clinging tightly to one another. Hermione watched as more people came into the Great Hall. They all looked to be students and Hermione knew that most, if not all, were Muggle-borns. They were just as grubby as Luna's father and looked shocked to be in the castle.

"I guess Kingsley cleared out Azkaban," Harry said as some of the professors began leading the group towards one of the House tables. Hermione saw large tureens of soup and slices of bread appear. Some of the younger children jumped and Hermione wondered if they were first years that were arrested when they tried to board the Hogwarts Express.

Seconds later, Kingsley himself strode into the Great Hall, followed by a few Aurors. The Aurors made their way to the table where the ex-prisoners were and began speaking with them. Kingsley spoke to Professor Flitwick briefly and then made his way towards them.

"Azkaban prisoners?" Harry questioned.

"Yes," Kingsley answered. "The adults were all able to return home by Floo, but most of the students don't have Floo connections. Not to mention that we're not sure what's happened to their families over the course of the war. We decided it was more important to feed them and have Poppy check them over while we find their families. I hope that they'll all be returning home in the next day or two."

"What if they don't have home to return to?" Neville asked.

"We are hoping that won't be the case," Kingsley said gravely. "But if it is, I hope that some wizarding families might be able to help." Neville nodded.

"Hermione and Harry, I wonder if you might assist the Aurors," he continued. The two of them looked at him questioningly. "Both of you are familiar with the Muggle world and might be of some assistance as to locations and such."

"Sure, Kingsley," Harry agreed.

"Of course," Hermione replied.

"Thank you," Kingsley said. "I'll speak with you later." He turned and walked out of the Hall.

"Must be off to question Malfoy," Ron said.

"Give it a rest, Ron," Ginny sighed in exasperation.

"Ready, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose," Harry replied with a sigh. The two of them walked toward the group of Muggle-borns.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Remus asked Andromeda once they had come through the Floo.

"Fine," she said. She still held Teddy and didn't look like she planned to let go of him anytime soon, so Remus went into the kitchen to prepare a bottle for him.

After he had handed it to Andromeda, she sat down in one of the armchairs in the sitting room and began to feed Teddy. Remus saw her visibly relax after a few moments and sat down on the couch opposite her.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he questioned.

"What is there to talk about?" Andromeda returned.

"Well, you looked quite shocked to see your sister." Andromeda stiffened. She relaxed again when Teddy protested.

"I was not expecting her to be there, given the side she chose in the war."

"She was under a house arrest, of sorts," Remus explained. "The Aurors arrested Lucius, but Kingsley wouldn't let them take Narcissa or Draco. He wanted to question them himself so he told them to remain in the castle." Remus could see that Andromeda was holding herself very carefully, her Pureblood training for dealing with something painful coming to the fore at the same time she was trying not to distress her grandson.

"Her son was one of them as well," Andromeda said and Remus didn't think she meant it as a question.

"She insists he was forced against his will."

"That would not surprise me." They fell silent, Teddy's swallows the only noise in the room.

"She would not look at me," Andromeda said quietly a few minutes later.

"I think she was likely as surprised as you were," Remus said gently. Andromeda got a far off look in her eye.

"Cissy and I were very close as girls. Much closer than either of us were to Bella," Andromeda said. "We were only eighteen months apart, while Bella was nearly three years older than me. Cissy was my playmate and then my confidant. She was so upset when I went to Hogwarts. She still had two years to wait and she was miserable." Andromeda paused, looking somewhere over Remus' shoulder.

"She found out about Ted and I in my seventh year. Caught us snogging." A slight smile crossed Andromeda's face. "She promised she wouldn't tell anyone if I promised not to see him again. And she didn't."

"But you still saw him, obviously," Remus said.

"Not at first, no," Andromeda replied. "I kept my promise for a while. But eventually I could no longer stay away from him. We got married a month after graduation and my father disowned me as soon as I told him." She smiled sadly when Remus looked surprised. "I was under the delusion that once he met Ted, once he saw how happy we were, how much in love, that he would change his mind. He would not even let me say good-bye to my mother or my sister." Remus sat forward on the couch and put his hand on Andromeda's knee.

"I'm sorry," he said. He watched as she took hold of her emotions, sitting up straighter and shaking her head as if to rid it of the sadness.

"My sister never tried to contact me afterward," Andromeda continued. "Not even once she was of age and out of my father's house and no longer under his thumb. Of course, by then she was under Lucius' thumb so I suppose I should not have been surprised."

"Perhaps now," Remus began, but Andromeda cut him off with a shake of her head.

"Too much time has passed, too much has happened," Andromeda insisted. "Her husband's ideals killed my husband and our sister killed my daughter. I am sure that Narcissa wants as much to do with me as I do with her." She shifted Teddy from her lap to her shoulder and began to pat his back. "I will put him down." She rose from her chair and walked out of the room. Remus couldn't help but think that Andromeda wanted more to do with Narcissa than she was letting on.

* * *

Hermione was exhausted. She and Harry, joined by Dean once he had been told what was going on, had spent most of the evening with the Muggle-borns recently released from Azkaban. Hermione had spent most of her time with two girls and a boy who would have been first years. Once they had gotten over their initial shock of being in the castle, they had cried for their mothers for well over an hour. Hermione had managed to get them to shower and then tucked them into bed, the three of them in the same room, refusing to be separated from each other. Hermione discovered that they had been kept in the same cell in Azkaban. She had conjured a jar and filled it with her bluebell flames, staying with them until they were asleep.

Hermione made her way down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, sighing heavily as she sat down on a couch beside Harry. Most of the D.A. that had been in the Battle were there as well.

"Are they all right?" Hannah Abbott asked.

"They want their mothers," Hermione replied. "And I know there weren't as many Dementors at Azkaban as usual, but the few that were still there terrified them of course. I'm glad Madame Pomfrey gave them the Dreamless Sleep."

"We'll watch over them," Susan Bones assured her.

"Thanks, Susan," Hermione said with a small smile. She turned to Harry and Dean. "What about the rest of them?"

"Same as the first years, really," Harry informed them. "Most didn't get the Prophet so they had no idea there even was a Muggle-born registration until they crossed the barrier onto Platform 9 ¾. None of them know what happened to their families."

"A couple of the older ones went on the run like I did," Dean put in. "They got snatched at some point."

"Any word from Kingsley?" Hermione asked.

"Not yet," Harry said.

"Is anyone hungry?" Ron asked the room at large. Hermione smiled at the predictability of her…boyfriend? She wasn't sure just what to call him. They hadn't formally discussed it yet.

"I could eat," Neville answered. There were a few nods from some of the others and Seamus got up with Neville and Ron to fetch food from the kitchens. A few minutes after they returned, Kingsley entered.

"How are they?" he asked after he had accepted a plate of food from Hannah.

"The younger ones are terrified. They just want their mothers," Hermione said.

"The older ones are trying to hide it, but they feel the same," Dean added.

"Any news on that front?" Harry asked. Kingsley sighed and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and forefinger.

"The preliminary reports are not good," Kingsley admitted. He looked around the room and for a moment Hermione thought he wasn't going to continue, perhaps wondering if he should say anything in front of the rest of the students. He must have decided that given those same students had just done battle, they could handle whatever he was about to say.

"We have been able to find a few of the families so far," he said. "Some were Obliviated, likely after their children were taken from them."

"Not memory charmed?" Hermione questioned. "Actually Obliviated?"

"Yes."

"What's the difference?" Harry asked.

"Memory charms can be reversed," Hermione explained. It was what she had done to her parents before she sent them to Australia. "Obliviation…obliviation is permanent." There was silence in the room. Seamus swore and Hermione saw Hannah wiping tears off her cheeks.

"That is not all," Kingsley said. "Death Eaters followed some of the families home from King's Cross." He paused. "They were killed."

"Oh, Merlin," Parvati whispered. Padma took hold of her hand.

"Do you know how many?" Harry asked, hard edge to his voice.

"Three Obliviated so far and two dead," Kingsley replied. "We have not had time to track everyone down."

"Gods," Ginny said quietly. Hermione saw Harry take her hand.

"What should we tell them?" Hermione asked, her voice shaky. She kept picturing the three young, scared first years in her mind and was having a hard time not bursting into tears.

"For now, tell them we are still working on it," Kingsley replied. "I hope to have more information in the morning." Hermione nodded. Kingsley rose from his chair.

"I'm sorry that I did not have better news," he said. "But I must go." They all murmured their good-byes and sat in silence for some time after he had left.

"I'm sure Mum and Dad would take someone in," Ron said, finally breaking the silence.

"Gran too," Neville agreed.

"We're all of age," Susan pointed out.

"I don't know if the Ministry will let us be parents," Padma said skeptically.

"I don't mean parents, really," Susan said. "Just so they'd have somewhere to stay on holidays. I don't want anyone to end up in an orphanage after, after everything."

"Maybe they've got someone else who would take them in," Ernie mused. "Grandparents or something."

"Maybe," Dean agreed. Discussion of the Muggle-borns' fate continued for a while longer before people began to yawn. Hermione realized just how tired she was when she stood from the couch and swayed dangerously.

"Whoa," Ron said, steadying her. "You need sleep."

"I don't want to leave them alone," Hermione admitted.

"They've taken Dreamless Sleep, Hermione," he reminded her. "They won't wake up until morning."

"Still," she said. "I think I should stay here."

"All right, we'll stay," Ron decided.

"No, Ron, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"It's just," she paused. "There's only one empty bed left in the room they're in."

"And?" he questioned.

"They're only eleven and twelve, Ron," she said.

"Honestly, Hermione, even if I wanted to ravish you, I'm too knackered," he said with a smirk. She slapped his shoulder and turned red.

"Ron," she hissed looking around the Common Room to make sure no one had heard. He chuckled.

"Fine, I get it," he said. "You sleep with the firsties and I'll go back to Gryffindor Tower." He kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'll meet you in the Great Hall for breakfast?"

"All right," she agreed. Ron smiled and kissed her one more time, this one lingering a bit before he followed Harry and Ginny out of the Common Room.

"Hannah and I are going to stay with younger girls," Susan told Hermione as they walked down the corridor towards the dormitories. "Ernie is bunking in with the boys. Just in case anyone needs anything during the night, although they should be fine with the Dreamless Sleep." Hermione stopped at the room where the three first years were sleeping.

"Thanks," she said to the girls. "Tell Ernie thank you as well."

"We'll see you in the morning," Hannah said.

"Good night."

Hermione stepped into the room and immediately drew her wand. The bed closest to the door, where she had left Annie, was empty. Turning slightly, she saw that David's bed was empty as well. Her heart began to beat faster. Logically, she knew that all the dormitories had been checked, but what if a rogue Death Eater had been hiding out? Taking a breath, Hermione took a few steps towards Claire's bed. When she looked, all three children were curled up together, David holding Annie's hand and Claire's head on Annie's shoulder. Tears pricked Hermione's eyes even as she smiled.

She drew the duvet up higher over all of them and smoothed a bit of hair from Annie's face. The girl shifted in her sleep but didn't wake. Hermione moved towards the bed next to theirs and laid down on her side so she could keep watch over them. Sooner than she expected, her eyelids drooped and seconds later she was asleep.

* * *

"No, no please," Hermione begged, the pain in her arm flaring as another cut was made. "I swear, it's not real. Please!"

She sat up with a gasp, rubbing at her forearm. She looked quickly around the room, trying to ascertain where she was and relaxing only marginally when she remembered she was in the Hufflepuff dorms. Hermione lit her wand and yanked up her sleeve, but the word carved into her arm looked the same as it had for the last few weeks. She dropped her head into her hands and pulled in a breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

Throwing the blankets off her legs, Hermione rose from the bed and left the room, crossing the corridor to the loo. She splashed water on her face and then braced her hands on the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. In all that had happened over the last few days, she had managed to forget about the dream, which she'd had often since their rescue from Malfoy Manor.

There was movement behind her and Hermione spun, her wand drawn as Hannah stepped into the loo. Hannah immediately raised her hands, showing Hermione that she wasn't a threat.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered, tucking her wand back into the pocket of the pajama pants she had transfigured from her jeans.

"Don't apologize," Hannah said with a grim smile. "I expect this will be a common occurrence for all of us for a while."

"Likely," Hermione snorted. Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall next to the sinks.

"Nightmare?" she asked.

"Yeah," Hermione replied. "You?" Hannah nodded.

"Most nights," she admitted.

"Me too."

"I know we've never really been friends, Hermione, but if you ever want someone to talk to," Hannah trailed off, looking a bit nervous. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks, Hannah." Hannah smiled back at her.

"Everything all right in your room?" Hannah asked.

"So far, yes," Hermione replied. "What about yours?"

"A little muttering in their sleep, but no one's woken up or anything." Hermione nodded. She had finally calmed and the need to sleep was nearly swamping her. She tried to stifle a yawn and failed.

"I'll let you get back to bed," Hannah said with a smirk. Hermione laughed a bit and then gave a wave before she left the bathroom and crawled back into her bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Remus came around the corner of the courtyard and stopped short. He blinked. It wasn't possible. She wasn't supposed to be here, he'd left her home with Teddy. Before he could convince himself that his wife was actually at Hogwarts, he heard a cackling laugh and Bellatrix stepped out of the shadows. Remus was unable to speak or move and simply had to watch as his wife dueled her aunt. When the green light left Bellatrix's wand, he shouted, but Dora, unable to hear him, crumpled to the ground, while Bellatrix laughed maniacally.

"No!" he roared and sat up in bed, bathed in sweat. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and then tossed the blankets aside, getting up to pace about his room. He knew it was just a dream, as he hadn't even been aware that Dora was at the Battle until he'd seen her body, let alone seen her killed. Still, he couldn't shake the image of Bellatrix sending the Killing Curse at his wife.

"Remus?" a soft voice questioned and he looked up to see Andromeda standing in the doorway.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said, grabbing his t-shirt from the end of the bed and slipping it on.

"I wasn't sleeping," she admitted. "Nightmare?" He nodded, running a hand through his hair again. "Come." She turned and walked towards the stairs and Remus reluctantly followed her.

Remus sat down at the table while Andromeda made them tea. A quick glance at the clock showed him it was three in the morning. He had only been sleeping for a few hours. Andromeda carried the tea tray to the table and fixed Remus a cup before serving herself.

"I assume I do not need to ask what your nightmare was about," she said as she took a sip.

"You don't want to know, believe me," he said gruffly. She nodded. Remus sighed and took a drink, the tea warming him. He wrapped his hands around the cup and stared at the table top.

"There was nothing you could have done," Andromeda said after a few minutes.

"I could have stayed here with her," he returned. "She wanted me to. Begged me to."

"Neither of you could have stayed out of it," Andromeda said.

"Still," Remus began, but she cut him off.

"No," she said forcefully. "This second guessing will not change the outcome." Remus stayed silent, trying to compose himself. Andromeda was right. He never would have stayed away from the fight and he should have known that Dora wouldn't either. It didn't make it hurt any less, however.

He tried to stop them, but the tears that had gathered in his eyes began to fall. He kept his head down, trying to hide his emotions from Andromeda, but she reached forward and took his hand. The tears dripped from his chin onto the table below and when he glanced up, he saw that tears were running down Andromeda's cheeks too. He tightened his grip on her hand and they silently cried for the woman they had lost.


	5. Orphans

**A/N - Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter and for the new follows and favorites! You may have received a notification for chapter one as well as this chapter. I did replace chapter one, but only for a few typos I noticed. There weren't any plot changes. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Orphans**

 **3 May 1998**

Annie and Claire sat on either side of Hermione for breakfast, David next to Claire. All three children were quiet and Kingsley's explanation the night before repeated in a loop in Hermione's mind. After all they had been through, many of the Muggle-born students weren't even going to get to go home to their parents. She glanced down at Claire who was continually stirring the porridge in front of her. Hermione had been able to coax her into eating a bit of fruit, but she had refused everything else. David and Annie had eaten a bit more, although Madame Pomfrey had restricted their diets for the moment, given they'd had nothing but watery gruel for months now. Some days they hadn't even been given that.

"Miss Granger." Hermione looked up to see Professor McGonagall. "Might I have a word?"

"Of course," Hermione said, attempting to rise from the table. Claire grabbed her arm, however and wouldn't let go. Truthfully, Hermione was a bit concerned at how attached all three of them had gotten to her, Claire especially. She supposed it was only natural, given that she was the first person to have shown them any kind of caring for months. But she worried what would happen when it was time for them to leave.

"It's all right," Hermione soothed. "I'll be right back, I promise." David moved closer to Claire and put an arm around her shoulders. Annie moved into Hermione's spot and took Claire's hand. Hermione looked at Harry, Ron and Ginny who all nodded and began talking to the children, trying to distract them.

"I've just gotten word from the Minister," the professor said once they were a few feet from the table. "The Aurors are bringing some of the parents of the Muggle-borns here in just a few minutes."

"But I thought," Hermione paused and took a breath. "I thought they had been Obliviated or killed."

"Not all of them, apparently," Professor McGonagall said.

"Do you know who's coming?" Hermione asked. The professor shook her head.

"No, Kingsley didn't say." Hermione bit her lip in thought.

"I don't think I should say anything to them until we know for sure."

"I agree," Professor McGonagall said. "When the parents arrive, I will take them to the staffroom and call for the students once I've determined which parents are here." Hermione nodded.

"I'll let the Hufflepuffs know," she said.

"Thank you." Professor McGonagall turned and left the Great Hall to await the parents' arrival. Hermione crossed to the Hufflepuff table and pulled Hannah aside to explain what was happening. When Hermione got back to the Gryffindor table, Ron, Harry and Ginny were all looking at her expectantly.

"I'll tell you later," she said, looking pointedly at the three first years.

She sat down to finish her breakfast and Claire immediately grabbed onto her hand and wouldn't let go. Hermione smiled at her.

"Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?" she asked. Claire shook her head. Before Hermione could say anything else, there was a commotion outside the Great Hall. She saw Harry, Ron and Ginny draw their wands, even as Ron shifted on the bench to shield Hermione and the first years.

"Ma'am please, just wait a minute," a male voice said.

"No! Where is she?" a woman's voice screeched. Hermione heard Claire mutter something, but Hermione's attention was fixed on the doorway to the Great Hall. The doors had been blown out during the Battle and had not been fixed yet. "Let me see her!" Claire muttered again and Hermione looked down at her.

"It's all right, Claire," she said thinking the girl was scared. David had turned to stare at Claire, his eyes wide.

"Please!" the woman shouted again.

"Mum," Claire whispered. Hermione glanced at Ron who had heard as well. He looked sadly at Hermione.

"Claire, it's," but Hermione was interrupted by a woman appearing. Her eyes wildly roved over everyone seated in the Great Hall.

"Mum," Claire said again, a bit louder this time.

"Claire!" the woman called. "Claire, where are you?" Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. She hadn't expected any of the first years' parents to have escaped the Death Eaters as they were most likely to stay with their children while they went through the barrier to get to the train. Hermione figured it had been some of the older students' parents who hadn't accompanied them to the platform.

"Mum!" Claire shouted, standing from the bench. "Mummy!" She began to run and her mother, finally spotting her, dropped to her knees and held out her arms.

"Oh, Claire," the woman said, beginning to sob as Claire jumped into her embrace. They knelt there weeping as an Auror hurried toward them, trying to get them to move away from the Great Hall. Hermione felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down at David.

"Is my mum here too?" he asked. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears.

"We're not sure, mate," Ron said and Hermione looked at him gratefully. "Let's let the professors and the Aurors get it sorted, yeah?" David nodded solemnly. Hermione turned to Annie who was crying as well. She pulled the girl into her side, squeezing her tightly.

"It's all right," she said as the Auror finally got Claire and her mother to their feet. He led them away from the doorway and as soon as they were out of sight, the Great Hall erupted. Many of the Muggle-borns stood, obviously intent on discovering whether their families were there as well. Some of them even began walking toward the door when Professor McGonagall appeared.

"Please," she called, holding up her hands for quiet. "Please return to your breakfast."

"Is my mum here?" one girl called.

"How about my da?" another boy asked.

"I will let all of you know what is going on very shortly," the professor said. "Please be patient."

"Patient?" an older student said. "We've been in Azkaban for bloody months!" There was agreement amongst many of the students and grumbling which grew louder after just a few moments. The other professors were moving towards the students and trying to get them to sit down while Professor McGonagall stayed in the doorway to keep anyone from leaving. Breakfast had quickly descended into chaos. Not that Hermione could blame anyone.

"Hey!" Harry shouted as he jumped up on his bench. A few people looked his way, but most ignored him. Hermione drew her wand and cast a Sonorus charm on him.

"Listen!" Harry's voice boomed across the room and a few people screamed while most others drew wands and spun around towards him. "Sorry!" he said holding up his hands. Slowly, the room quieted and everyone looked at Harry.

"I know you all want to see your families," Harry said. "But we've got to give the Aurors and Professor McGonagall a few minutes to get everything settled. Not everyone is here today." There were protests and a few students started to cry. "It's going to take a bit of time to contact everyone," Harry continued. "The Ministry is doing their best, but they're stretched thin right now."

"Why'd they let us out then if they weren't going to take us home?" a boy demanded.

"Would you have wanted to stay in Azkaban?" Harry countered. The boy grumbled but fell silent.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said. Hermione had almost forgotten she was there. Harry nodded to her and got down from the bench as Hermione cancelled the charm.

"I will return shortly," she told the room at large.

"Nice, Harry," Ron said with a smile. Harry glanced at Annie and David then looked at Hermione. She could read his regret in his expression. He knew he had just given most of the Muggle-born students false hope.

"Everything you said was true," she said, but Harry just shook his head. She couldn't blame him. Ron and Ginny pulled David into conversation about Quidditch and Hermione glanced down at Annie. Her head was hanging down and she was picking at a loose thread on the student robe she'd been given to wear.

"I don't think my mum and dad are here," she said quietly.

"Why not?" Hermione asked. Annie shrugged a shoulder.

"I think those people, those ones that wear the masks, got them." Hermione met Harry's gaze.

"What makes you say that, Annie?" Harry asked.

"When we were in that prison, I heard some of them talking. They came to the prison sometimes," she said looking up at Harry. He nodded. "It was right after we got there and they were talking about killing people. They laughed about how easy it was because they just followed them home from King's Cross. They said Muggles were so stupid they didn't even notice." Annie paused and looked up at Hermione with teary eyes. "Claire and David were asleep so they didn't hear. But I think they killed my mum and dad." Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying.

"We don't know that," she said. Annie just shrugged again and Hermione squeezed her shoulders. "Let's just wait and see what Professor McGonagall has to say."

They had all finished eating, but no one left, waiting for the professor to return. Hermione saw David glance at the entrance to the Great Hall every few seconds. Annie had burrowed into Hermione's side and hadn't spoken another word. The four friends tried to make small talk, but even that fell off after a few minutes. When Professor McGonagall returned, the entire Hall fell silent.

"When I call your name, please come forward," she said. Before she began with the list that was in her hand, she looked around at all the hopeful expressions on the student's faces. "Please remember what Mr. Potter said. Not everyone is here today, but that does not mean that they won't be tomorrow. Magical Law Enforcement is working to locate everyone's family." She looked down at the parchment in her hand and began to call names.

Hermione felt Annie shrink further into her the more names that were called. The hopeful, expectant expression slowly slid off David's face as the professor reached the last name on the list. He heaved a sigh when the Headmistress left the Hall with the small group of students.

"I knew it," he said.

"Don't give up hope yet," Hermione said softly. David just shrugged dejectedly. Hermione looked up at her friends, unsure what to do.

"Let's take them up to Gryffindor Tower," Ginny suggested. "We could play Exploding Snap." David looked at her warily. Ginny chuckled at his expression. "Don't worry, it's fun." Neither child looked like they wanted to go anywhere, but after a bit of coaxing from Hermione, they both got up and dutifully followed the group.

* * *

It took a bit of time, but eventually David was laughing as the cards exploded in Ron's face and even Annie cracked a smile.

"Do you have other games like this?" David asked.

"Do you know how to play chess?" Ron replied.

"A little," David said. "My mum's old boyfriend taught me last year."

"Let me find a set then," Ron said as he rose from the floor.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Hermione asked both children.

"I have a sister, but she doesn't live with us," Annie said. "She's married."

"How about you, David?"

"No, it's just me and Mum," he said. "My dad died when I was a baby."

"What about grandparents or aunt and uncles?" Harry asked. David shook his head.

"My mum's parents are dead and she didn't have any brothers or sisters," he said. "I don't know about my dad's side, I never met any of them and my mum's never talked about them." He shrugged. Ron reappeared with a chess set in hand.

"Ready?" he asked David.

"Is it like regular chess?" David asked.

"The rules are, yeah," Ron said. "But the pieces are a bit different." Ron began to set up the board and both David's and Annie's eyes widened when the pieces began to talk and argue amongst each other.

"They talk?" Annie exclaimed.

"They do more than that," Ron said with a grin. "Want to show them, Harry?"

"So you can trounce me as usual?" Harry grumbled good-naturedly.

"Best way to show them, isn't it?" Ron said cheekily.

"Git," Harry said with a glare. Ron just laughed. Both children jumped when one of Ron's pieces took out one of Harry's. But the grin returned to David's face moments later.

"Wicked," he said. Annie glanced up at Hermione in concern.

"I know, it's a bit barbaric, but it doesn't hurt them, I promise." Annie didn't look convinced. Before Hermione could say anything else, the portrait hole opened and Professor McGonagall stepped inside.

"Miss Granger," she greeted. "A word."

"Of course," Hermione said rising from the couch. She left Annie with Ginny and followed the professor outside.

"We've gotten more information about the rest of the families," the headmistress said without preamble. "And it is not good news."

"I was afraid of that," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Everyone that is not here today was either Obliviated or killed," Professor McGonagall said. "Both Annie's parents and David's mother are dead." Hermione couldn't help the tears that gathered. Professor McGonagall sighed deeply, looking close to tears herself. "Has either of them mentioned any other family?"

"Annie has a sister that's married," Hermione replied, wiping at her cheeks. "But David has no other family as far as he knows. His father died when he was a baby and he says his mother never talked about his father's side of the family." The professor nodded.

"I'll inform the Aurors of Annie's sister," she said. "They will likely want to speak to David to see if he has any other information. They've been working with the Muggle Prime Minister on locating family members, but we'll need names or anything else that might help."

"I should speak with them now," the professor said, moving to go back into the Common Room. Hermione put a hand on her arm.

"Can we wait?" Hermione asked. At Professor McGonagall's look, Hermione hurried on. "Just for a little while. We've just gotten them cheered up a bit and Ron is teaching them Wizard's chess. I just," she trailed off and shook her head, getting choked up. The professor put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"It will not get any easier by putting it off," she said quietly. She gave Hermione's shoulder a squeeze and spoke the password before disappearing into the Common Room.

* * *

Hermione glanced toward the portrait hole, but it was only Ron. Professor McGonagall had taken Annie and David with her nearly an hour ago.

"Dad, Bill and Charlie are going to the house to see how it is," Ron informed them as he sat down on the couch next to Hermione. "Mum says as long as it's still standing we'll go back after lunch."

"What did Dad say to that?" Ginny asked.

"He says they've got to get up some basic wards first and be sure everything is safe inside," Ron replied. "Probably not until after dinner, maybe not even until tomorrow." Ron looked at Harry and Hermione. "You two know that you're coming with us, right?" Harry nodded, but Hermione bit her lip and looked at Ron.

"I want to stay until Annie and David are taken care of," she said.

"Hermione, there are plenty of people that can watch over them," Ron said. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't feel right leaving them alone. They don't have anyone else right now."

"It could take days or weeks to find any of David's relatives, if they even find any at all," Ron protested.

"Let's just wait and see what Dad has to say," Ginny interrupted. "There's no use worrying about it now."

"You're right," Ron agreed. He glanced at Hermione. "They were getting ready to serve lunch. Are you hungry?"

"Not really, but I suppose we should try and eat something." Ron stood and held a hand out to her, pulling her up from the couch and leading her out of the Common Room. Harry and Ginny followed behind. They ran into Neville in the corridor.

"Coming to lunch?" Harry asked.

"No, I've got to go and get my trunk," Neville explained. "Gran and I were just at the house and everything seems to be all right so she wants to go home. I'll be back tomorrow though. Professor Sprout said that they're going to start repairs on the castle so I volunteered to help."

"We should help too," Ginny said.

"If Mum will let us out of her sight once she's gotten us home," Ron said.

"Have any of you seen Luna?" Neville asked.

"Not since breakfast," Ginny replied. "I think Professor McGonagall gave her and her dad their own rooms."

"Well, if you see her at lunch, can you tell her I'm leaving but I'll be back?"

"Sure, Nev," Harry said. Once Neville had disappeared around the corner, Harry turned to the rest of them. "Why is Neville always looking for Luna?" Ginny and Hermione rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"What?" Harry said, but Ginny simply grabbed his arm and pulled him along behind them.

* * *

"There's Claire," Ron said, pointing with his fork towards the doorway. Hermione immediately stood and walked towards the younger girl and her mother.

"This is Hermione, Mum," Claire said.

"Thank you so much for looking after her," Claire's mother said. "I'm Sarah."

"It wasn't a problem," Hermione replied, shaking her hand. "I'm just glad you're together again." Sarah opened her mouth to say something, then looked down at her daughter. She glanced at Hermione again, worry on her face.

"Claire, have you had lunch?" Hermione asked the girl. Claire shook her head. "Why don't you go over and sit with Ron, Harry and Ginny?" Claire tightened her grip on her mother's hand.

"Just for a minute, sweetheart," her mother said. "I'll be right in, I promise." Claire looked at her mother and Hermione, then reluctantly let her mother go and walked towards the Gryffindor table. She glanced back twice on her way as if to make sure they were still there. Once she was finally seated, Sarah turned back to Hermione.

"I've heard that I'm one of the lucky ones," Sarah said.

"Yes," Hermione agreed sadly. "Do you know why?"

"No," the other woman said with a sigh. "All I can figure is that it was because of Claire's younger brother." Hermione looked at her quizzically.

"When we got to the barrier to the platform, my son balked. He didn't think there was any way we wouldn't just crash into the brick wall, even though the professor had explained that we would be fine if we were hanging onto Claire. He got scared and ran off. I let go of Claire to follow him, but she was already running towards the barrier and couldn't stop in time. She went through and we were stuck. We were late too, so there was only a few minutes until the train was supposed to leave. I waited for a bit to try and go through with someone else, but no one came. Once I knew the train had gone, I, I just left." She started to cry. "I left my daughter to be kidnapped and taken to prison."

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione said putting a hand on her arm. "If you'd gone through with her, you likely would have ended up like one of those other families." Sarah nodded.

"I was worried when I didn't hear from Claire right away. She had promised that she would write the first night. But I wasn't sure how long it took owls to travel with letters. After the third day with no news I was positive something was wrong. My husband told me to be patient, that she was probably so excited it had just slipped her mind. After a week, I was frantic."

"The problem was there was no one to contact. I had no idea how to go about sending any kind of post here and we couldn't go to the police without exposing magic. Even if we had, they wouldn't have believed me." She gave a derisive snort. "I even went back to that pub we'd gone through to get Claire's things for school, but I couldn't find it. I knew where it was supposed to be, but it wasn't there."

"Claire wasn't with you," Hermione said. "It was her magic that made The Leaky Cauldron visible to you." Sarah nodded miserably.

"At Christmas, I went back to the train station. Students came out, of course, but Claire wasn't with them. I tried to speak to a few of them, but they ignored me." Hermione shuddered realizing how lucky Sarah had been. If she had tried to speak to the wrong person, she likely wouldn't be here now.

"That's when I realized that she wasn't coming home." She broke down in tears again and Hermione put a comforting hand on her arm. "When that man showed up at the house this morning and told me that Claire was alive, I couldn't believe it." Before Hermione could say anything, there was movement behind them and Hermione looked up to see Professor McGonagall leading a small group of students towards the Great Hall. By the looks on their faces, Hermione guessed that they had been told about their parents.

"Hermione," David called. He pulled Annie with him and soon they both had their arms wrapped around Hermione's waist.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as they cried. She glanced up and saw Claire's mother, her hand covering her mouth and tears running down her cheeks.

"Mummy, are you-?" Claire stopped short when she saw her friends. "Annie? David?" They both looked up with tear-stained faces. "What's the matter?"

"My mum's dead," David said flatly.

"No," Claire whispered. She turned to Annie. "Yours too?" Annie nodded, her lip trembling. Claire threw herself at her friends and the three of them clung to each other. Professor McGonagall ushered the other students into the Great Hall.

"Any word?" Hermione asked quietly, while Claire's mother tried to comfort all three children.

"They have located Annie's sister," Professor McGonagall said. "One of the Aurors will bring Annie to her after lunch. There has been no luck with David's family." Hermione nodded.

"Mum," Claire said, looking up at her mother. "Can Annie and David come home with us?" Sarah looked from the three children to the professor and back again.

"Just a minute, sweetheart," she said to her daughter. Sarah pulled Professor McGonagall and Hermione aside.

"Is it true that David has no family?"

"None that we have been able to locate, but we're having problems establishing just who his father was," the professor replied.

"And Annie?"

"She has an older sister, but the girl is newly married and just nineteen," Professor McGonagall explained. "She buried her parents last fall and thought Annie had gone missing. After all these months, she assumed her sister was dead as well. It's been a bit of a shock."

"Let them come home with me," Sarah said.

"I don't know about that," Professor McGonagall said.

"Please," Sarah said. "They need support and comfort. I'll call Annie's sister and she can pick Annie up at my house if that's what she wants to do. Or she can let her stay with us for now. David can stay until you find his family or forever if you don't. We've got plenty of room and all Claire has talked about are those two."

"They were imprisoned together for months, Professor," Hermione added. "I don't know if it would be a good idea to separate them right now."

"Yes, I suppose you are right," Professor McGonagall agreed. "I will inform Auror Dawlish. He has your contact information, yes?"

"Yes, he does."

"If it is all right with the children, then we will release them to you."

"Thank you," Sarah said gratefully. She turned toward her daughter and her friends with a smile.

"Thank you for watching over them, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said.

"No thanks needed, Professor. I was happy to do it." The professor patted her arm before walking back towards her office to inform the Aurors of the new developments.

"What do you think?" Sarah was asking.

"I don't have anywhere else to go," David said miserably. Sarah squatted down in front of him and took hold of his hand.

"You will always have a home with us, David," she said, tears shining in her eyes. "For as long as you want." David stared at Claire's mother for a moment before throwing his arms around her neck. Sarah hugged him tightly to her.

"Hermione?"

"Yes," Hermione said to Annie as the girl walked towards her. Annie threw her arms around Hermione's waist.

"Can I stay with you?" she asked in a small voice. Hermione closed her eyes and hugged the girl closer for a minute, then squatted down in front of her when she had calmed herself.

"I don't think that would work, Annie," she said. "I'm still a student and I don't have a home of my own right now." Annie looked dejectedly at the floor. "But Sarah would love for you to stay with her and I'm sure your sister is going to be so happy to know you're all right."

"She won't care," Annie mumbled.

"I'm sure that's not true, Annie." Hermione bit her lip. Annie hadn't spoken much about her sister, but what she had said led Hermione to believe that the older girl wasn't enamored with magic in the least. Hermione hoped that Annie's sister would just allow Annie to stay with Sarah and Claire.

"I'm going to miss you," Annie said, throwing her arms around Hermione's neck.

"I'll miss you too, Annie." There was a lump in Hermione's throat that she was having a hard time swallowing around.

"I'll miss you too," Claire said joining in the hug. David followed suit and the three of them clung to Hermione for a few minutes.

"Mum, can Hermione come and visit us?" Claire asked. Sarah smiled.

"Of course she can. Let me give you our number." Sarah pulled a piece of paper and pen from her handbag and wrote down her phone number before handing it to Hermione.

"I'll definitely come see you this summer, all right?" The three children nodded.

"Come on, you three," Sarah said as she stood. "We need to find the professor so we can go home." She turned to Hermione and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome," Hermione said. "If you need anything, anything at all, please let me know. The Aurors will be giving you a way to contact them and they can always find me." Sarah nodded and Hermione hugged each of the children one more time before they followed Sarah back towards the staff room.

"All right?" Ron asked from behind her.

"I hope so," Hermione said. "It's not going to be easy for any of them."

"Or any of us," Ron said.

"No," Hermione agreed with a sigh.

* * *

Remus stood in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee. He wasn't overly fond of the stuff, but after the night he'd had, he needed something stronger than tea. He had finally managed to drift off again shortly before dawn, but been awoken a short time later by yet another nightmare. He had barely had time to fully wake before Teddy was crying. Remus had just gotten him back to sleep a few minutes before.

"Good morning," Andromeda said quietly as she entered the room.

"Andromeda," Remus acknowledged.

"Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. I just got Teddy back to sleep."

"I'll fix you something," she said and moved toward the stove.

"That's not necessary," Remus protested. "I can fix something myself."

"It's no bother," Andromeda said.

"Andromeda-" Remus began, but she cut him off as she turned back towards him.

"It keeps me busy," she said. "It…helps." Remus couldn't speak for a moment. He swallowed thickly and nodded.

"All right."

"I'm sorry I didn't hear Teddy this morning," she said as she busied herself with eggs and sausage.

"It's all right, I was awake anyway." Andromeda turned to him in concern.

"Another nightmare?" He nodded. "I have some Dreamless Sleep." Remus shook his head.

"No, I'll be fine," he said.

"Remus," Andromeda protested but he shook his head again.

"I'll be fine, Andromeda." She sighed and turned back to the breakfast. She worked in silence for a few minutes before Remus spoke again.

"Have you decided? About the service?" She stiffened for a moment before forcing herself to relax.

"I thought Wednesday," she said as she cracked eggs into a bowl. "It will give us a few days to prepare and still be long enough before the full moon."

"All right," Remus agreed.

"And perhaps, perhaps we can do as you suggested and have a joint service for Ted as well."

"That sounds like a good idea." Andromeda nodded and continued with breakfast preparations. Remus watched her for a few moments, but except for the hard set of her shoulders, she looked the same as she always did. Looks, however, could be deceiving as he well knew. Still, Remus knew better than to ask her about it. Their shared grief the night before notwithstanding, Andromeda was a very private person.

"How was Teddy this morning?" she asked.

"A bit restless," Remus said. "He wasn't inclined to take the bottle at first, but he settled down after a few minutes." Andromeda simply nodded. Remus knew that even as young as he was, Teddy could sense the sadness around the two of them.

"I expect we'll have a bit more trouble with that in the next few days," she said.

"Probably," Remus agreed. Andromeda brought two plates to the table and they fell silent as they ate. Remus noticed that she did little but pick at her food. He didn't say anything, not eating much more himself. He knew he needed to, for Teddy, but the rock that currently sat in his stomach left little room for food. He finally pushed his plate away.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," he said. Andromeda nodded absently, still moving her eggs around her plate. Remus sighed and turned to make his way upstairs to the loo. He wasn't sure how they were going to make it through this. But somehow, they had to, for Teddy's sake.


	6. Grief

**A/N - Hi everyone! I've been told this chapter is a bit brutal, so just an extra tissue warning for you. Thank you for all the new follows and favorites. I always love to hear what you are thinking about the story! And thank you to MaryRoyale for being my alpha reader and all around cheerleader. :)**

 **Chapter**

 **Grief**

 **3 May 1998**

Hermione landed with a soft pop. She looked up at her second home and smiled. The Burrow looked just as it always had and it gave her a bit of comfort. It only took a few more seconds before everyone had arrived and Mrs. Weasley hurried into the house. Mr. Weasley had assured her that the interior was fine, but Hermione was sure she wanted to see for herself.

"Sometimes, I wondered if I would see it again," Ron said quietly, looking up towards the window of his room.

"Me too," Hermione confessed.

"Bill, Charlie, Percy, if you'd help me with the rest of the wards, please," Mr. Weasley said. The three brothers nodded and followed their father. In the end, he hadn't been able to put off his wife on returning home. As soon as he had ascertained that there was no structural damage nor Death Eaters lurking about, they had returned to the Burrow, Mr. Weasley agreeing that he and his sons could put up the wards they needed. Mrs. Weasley was eager to get back to her kitchen, although Hermione knew that was a coping mechanism as much as anything.

"We should see if your mum needs help," she said to Ron. He didn't answer, watching George in concern. His older brother had been staring at something near their mother's flower bed since they had arrived.

"George?" Ron said. "You want to go in?" George just shook his head and kept staring. Hermione and Ron walked towards him, followed by Harry and Ginny.

"Mate?" Ron said gently. George bent down and picked up a garden gnome. He stared at it for a few seconds before he swung it above his head and let it go. They all watched as the gnome sailed toward the orchard.

"George?" Ginny said quietly when George didn't say anything. Instead, he bent down and picked up another gnome and flung it harder than the first. And then it was like something snapped inside him. He picked up gnome after gnome, flinging them one after the other in a frenzy. They all stood frozen for a few minutes until George dropped to his knees and began to scrabble through the dirt in search of more gnomes. Ron dropped behind him and grabbed his brother around the waist pinning his arms to his sides.

"Stop!" Ron begged.

"Ger'off!" George struggled in Ron's grip.

"No," Ron said. "Stop, George."

"Leave me alone," George demanded, still struggling. Hermione brought a hand to her mouth and tears sprung to her eyes. Ginny stepped forward.

"Gin, back up," Ron told her, concerned that George would accidentally hit her. He'd already elbowed Ron in the ribs and knocked his head against Ron's lip which was now bleeding. Ginny ignored him and put a hand on George's shoulder.

"George," she said in a whisper. "George, don't." George stilled for a moment and then the fight went out of him. He sagged in Ron's arms and sobs racked his body. Ginny knelt down in front of him and pulled him into her arms, wrapping them around Ron's shoulders as well. They clung to each other as George cried and Harry stepped up next to Hermione.

"Let's go inside," he said and Hermione nodded, wiping the tears from her face as they gave the three siblings their privacy.

They walked into the kitchen and found Mrs. Weasley standing with something in her hand, staring at her clock.

"Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione said tentatively. She glanced at the clock, but all the hands were pointing towards home.

"It fell off," the older witch said and Harry and Hermione glanced at each other.

"What did?" Harry asked. In response, the Weasley matriarch opened her hand and Hermione gasped. Fred's hand from the clock lay on her palm.

"I tried to put it back, but it keeps falling off," she continued. "The spell isn't working."

"Why don't I take that?" Harry said, but Mrs. Weasley snatched her hand back. Harry looked back at Hermione.

"Mrs. Weasley, why don't you sit down and I'll make you some tea," Hermione suggested, even as Harry led her to a chair. When Mrs. Weasley was seated and Hermione had grabbed the kettle, she turned to Harry.

"Get Ginny," she said under her breath. Harry nodded and hurried back outside. Hermione busied herself preparing the tea. She was just carrying the tray to the table when Ginny came in. She looked at Hermione, then at her mother who was once again staring at Fred's hand from the clock.

"How about some tea, Mum?" Ginny asked as she sat down and began pouring a cup. Ginny slid the cup in front of her mother and touched her arm. "Mum?" Mrs. Weasley seemed to come back to herself. She glanced up at her daughter, her hand closing around Fred's hand from the clock. She quickly put it in her pocket and accepted the cup of tea.

"Yes, thank you, Ginny, Hermione," she said taking a sip. "It's nice to be drinking tea in my own kitchen again. Your Aunt Muriel's house is lovely, but not very comfortable."

"Are you all right, Mum?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Why wouldn't I be?" Ginny glanced at Hermione who shook her head slightly.

"No reason," Ginny said. They watched as Mrs. Weasley finished her tea and then rose from the table.

"I appreciate the tea, but I've got to get to work on dinner now," she said. "Your father and brothers will be hungry when they finish the wards."

"Do you need any help?" Hermione asked, still concerned.

"No, no, I'm fine," the older witch assured them. "You girls go and make sure the boys don't need any help."

"Sure, Mum," Ginny said, glancing at Hermione, likely wondering, as Hermione was, just which boys Mrs. Weasley was talking about and what they might need help with. Ginny and Hermione rose from the table, watching as Mrs. Weasley bustled about the kitchen before turning to the back door.

"Maybe you should tell your dad," Hermione said when they'd left the house. Ginny nodded.

"I will, once he's finished. I don't want to interrupt their casting." They stood in silence for a few minutes. "I didn't know the hands fell off," Ginny nearly whispered. Hermione moved closer to her and put her arm around the younger girl's shoulders. Ginny sighed and rested her head against Hermione's. Hermione didn't say anything as there really wasn't anything to say.

* * *

Remus sat in the rocking chair, watching his son sleep. His hair shifted to black and Remus closed his eyes tightly for a minute. At least Teddy's hair hadn't been shifting to any unusual colors. Remus didn't know how he would react if his son's hair turned the shade of pink his mother had favored.

Andromeda was in the garden again, sitting on the old swing. She vacillated between not wanting to put Teddy down, even when he was napping, to fleeing to the garden as soon as she could. Remus wasn't comfortable with the fact that she was outside the wards around the house and had told her as much. But he couldn't deny her the small bit of comfort she seemed to get from the swing.

Remus stood and put a hand on Teddy's chest for a moment before leaving the room. He walked down the stairs to the kitchen, intending on putting together something for dinner, although neither one of them had eaten much in the last day. Rummaging through the ice box, he turned when he heard Andromeda come into the house.

"You've gotten an owl," she said as she held the envelope out in front of her. Remus' took the letter which was from Hogwarts; he recognized Minerva's handwriting. He read it quickly, it wasn't very long, then folded it back up and returned it to its envelope.

"Everything all right?" she asked, as she took over the dinner preparations.

"Yes, Minerva is just looking for volunteers to help repair the castle and reset the wards," Remus said. "I'll owl her later and let her know I won't be able to help." Andromeda's brow furrowed.

"You don't wish to help?" she asked.

"No, it's not that I don't want to," he replied. "But you and Teddy need me here." Andromeda stopped what she was doing and turned towards him.

"Remus, I know that I have been," she paused and looked at her hands, then back up at him. "I know I have not seemed myself." Remus opened his mouth to protest, but Andromeda held up a hand. "But I am more than capable of taking care of Teddy if you want to go to Hogwarts."

"Andromeda, you have every reason not to be yourself, as you say, although I don't agree with you," Remus said. "But I should, I should be here."

"And what would you do?" she asked. "Yes, caring for Teddy is important, but he is a newborn. He sleeps more often than not. When we are not tending to him, we are thinking. And I do not think…I do not think that is good for either of us." Remus couldn't argue with that. He had spent an hour in Teddy's nursery doing just that this afternoon. "Having to care for him myself will keep me busy and rebuilding Hogwarts will keep you the same."

"I don't know the status of all the Death Eaters," he said. "I wouldn't want to leave you unprotected."

"The wards are still in place and do I need to remind you that we spent the majority of the war here with more Death Eaters running around than are likely free now? Nothing happened then, I doubt anything will happen now. Besides, the Floo is functional again, I can get Teddy to safety if I need to." Remus pursed his lips. He didn't like it, especially since he had yet to find out what had happened to Greyback. He could owl Kingsley and ask, although he was quite sure the Minister had his hands more than full.

"Let me ask Minerva if we can connect our Floo to her office at Hogwarts," Remus finally said. "Then if anything happens, you can come straight to me."

"If that will make you feel better," Andromeda agreed with a small smile.

"It will," Remus said. She turned back to the dinner and Remus sat down to write a reply to Minerva.

* * *

Hermione sat down tiredly on the camp bed in Ginny's room. With everyone home, even Percy, the Burrow was full to bursting. George had moved into Percy's room with him and no one had even thought about sleeping in the twins' old room. Charlie was bunking in the living room so Bill and Fleur could have his and Bill's room. The married couple had suggested they return to Shell Cottage and take Charlie with them, but Mrs. Weasley wouldn't hear of it. Hermione knew that the woman would want all her children under her roof for the foreseeable future.

"I'm knackered," Ginny said as she flopped down on her bed.

"Me too," Hermione said around a large yawn she tried unsuccessfully to cover with her hand. Ginny snickered.

"I can see that." Hermione huffed at her friend as Ginny put out the lights and they settled down to sleep.

"Gin?" Hermione asked a few moments later.

"Yeah?" Ginny replied sleepily.

"Do you think David and Annie are all right?" Hermione heard Ginny sigh sadly.

"I think it's going to be a long time before they're all right," she said. "But you said Claire's mum seemed like a good person. She'll help them. And Annie has her sister, right?"

"Yes, but I got the impression Annie's sister wasn't quite sure what to make of her after she found out she was a witch," Hermione explained. "Annie made it seem like her sister got married just to get out of the house and away from Annie." Ginny was silent and for a moment, Hermione thought she had fallen asleep.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Hermione, but I don't get Muggles," Ginny said. "I mean I know that they don't really understand magic and everything, but Annie is her sister." Hermione sighed.

"Some people are frightened of things they don't understand," she said. Hermione knew she was a bit of an exception to the rule. Most of the Muggle-borns she knew said the same thing. Their parents were wary, unsure of just what their children were capable of and the confusing world that they now belonged to. It wasn't that they were like the Dursleys, but they weren't completely accepting either. Hermione's parents had always been excited and interested in what she was doing at Hogwarts and they found Diagon Alley fascinating. Dean was the only other one Hermione knew whose mother seemed comfortable with his status as a wizard and Dean suspected it was because his father had been a wizard too, even though his mother hadn't known it at the time.

"I suppose," Ginny said. "But I still think it's rubbish." Hermione smiled in the darkness. She could always count on Ginny to speak her mind.

"Good night, Gin," Hermione said.

"Night, Hermione."

* * *

Hermione screamed. She tried not to, but it just hurt too much. Her skin felt like it was on fire.

"Please," she begged again, crying now. She heard the cackling laughter in her ear and screamed louder.

"Hermione," a voice said. It sounded very far away and Hermione turned her head to try to see who was speaking.

"Hermione," the voice became more insistent and she felt someone shaking her shoulder. "Wake up." Hermione's eyes snapped open.

"Thank, Merlin," Ginny said.

"Ginny?" Hermione questioned. She was confused.

"You were having a nightmare," Ginny explained. Hermione sat up in her bed, but before she could say anything, the door flew open. Charlie stood in the doorway, wand drawn and was joined quickly by Percy.

"What's wrong?" Charlie demanded.

"Hermione had a nightmare," Ginny said as Hermione's face colored.

"What's going on?" Bill's voice said from the corridor.

"Ees everyone all right?" Fleur added. Hermione put her face in her hands. Had she woken the entire household?

"All of you, get back to bed." Hermione groaned. She'd even woken Mrs. Weasley. Charlie glanced at Hermione once more before he obeyed his mother and left the doorway. Bill and Fleur must have already gone back to their room because only Percy remained as his mother walked into Ginny's bedroom.

"Percy, you too," she said. "Make sure George is still sleeping. I slipped a bit of Dreamless Sleep in his tea, but I don't know how much of it he drank." Percy finally nodded and left. Mrs. Weasley turned to Hermione. "Now dear, are you all right?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione whispered, completely mortified.

"Nonsense," the older witch said as she directed Ginny back to her bed. Mrs. Weasley sat down on the edge of Hermione's cot. "Would you like to tell me about it?"

"N-no," Hermione said quietly. Mrs. Weasley's eyes narrowed as she studied Hermione.

"Something about the war, I wager."

"Yes." Hermione's voice was very small. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, glad that she was wearing a long-sleeve pajama top. Mrs. Weasley put her hand on Hermione's back.

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it," she coaxed gently. Hermione just shook her head. "All right, well, if you ever change your mind, I will gladly listen."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly.

"I have more Dreamless Sleep, if you'd like." Hermione thought about it for a moment. It would be nice to sleep more than a few hours at a time, but she also knew that she couldn't take it forever. Still, if she could at least sleep tonight, she might feel better tomorrow and then maybe she wouldn't dream again.

"All right," she agreed. Mrs. Weasley pulled the vial out of the pocket of her dressing gown and gave it to Hermione. Hermione drank it down and gave the vial back to the older witch, smiling gratefully.

"Into bed with you, then." Hermione allowed the woman to tuck her in, relishing it a bit. Mrs. Weasley brushed the hair from Hermione's face. "Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione closed her eyes and fell asleep to the feel of Mrs. Weasley carding her fingers through Hermione's hair.

* * *

Remus came awake with a shout. He'd dreamed about Dora's death again. Sighing heavily, he scrubbed his hands down his face. There was a quiet knock on his door.

"Damn," he swore. He'd woken Andromeda again. Remus swung his legs out of bed and stood, pulling on a t-shirt as he crossed the room.

"Andromeda, I'm sorry," he said when he opened the door.

"It's all right," she assured him. "I've got something for you." She pulled a vial from the pocket of her dressing gown and Remus recognized it as Dreamless Sleep. He stared at it for a moment, then looked back at his mother-in-law.

"No, I, it's fine," he said, shaking his head. Andromeda sighed in exasperation.

"It is not fine, Remus and you need your sleep," Andromeda said. She held the vial out towards him.

"But Teddy," Remus protested.

"I will take care of Teddy tonight," Andromeda assured him. "Sleep." Remus took the vial. He stared at it again. It would be nice to sleep, at least for one night.

"Thank you," he said and she patted his arm before she turned back towards her own room. After he closed his door, Remus drank down the contents of the vial and fell into his bed, barely managing to pull the blankets over himself before he was asleep.

* * *

 **4 May 1998**

Hermione blinked at the sun streaming in through the partially opened curtains. She yawned and stretched before turning to her back and staring up at the ceiling. A glance at Ginny's bed revealed the younger girl was already up and Hermione wondered what time it was. She could smell breakfast cooking and her stomach growled loudly. Laughing a bit, Hermione rose from the camp bed just as there was a light knock on the door.

"Come in," she called and Ron stepped through.

"Hey," he said.

"Morning," Hermione replied with a smile. Ron fidgeted a bit and her brow furrowed. "Something wrong?"

"Percy told me you had a nightmare last night," he finally said.

"Oh," Hermione said quietly. "Well, I'm glad I didn't wake you and Harry, at least. Seems like the rest of the house wasn't so lucky." She tried to smile, but it slid quickly from her face at his look.

"Was it about… _her_?" he asked. "And, you know." He gestured towards her arm. Hermione instantly covered her sleeve with her hand.

"It, it doesn't matter," she muttered.

"It does, Hermione," Ron insisted, rather loudly. She glanced up at him and was surprised by the look of anger on his face.

"Ron, I," but he shook his head interrupting her.

"It does," he said again. She saw his hands clench into fists and she bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if he was angry at her or Bellatrix.

"Ron, I'm sorry, I," she trailed off, biting her lip again.

"Why are _you_ sorry?" he demanded. She stared at him helplessly until she saw his expression change. His shoulders slumped and he dragged a hand through his hair.

"No, Hermione, no," he said, his tone much more gentle. "I'm the one that should be sorry."

"For what?" she asked.

"Because I couldn't protect you," he mumbled. "I couldn't keep her from doing, doing that."

"It's not your fault, Ron," Hermione said, not missing the fact that Ron couldn't seem to actually talk about the word carved into her arm, only vaguely refer to it.

"And it's not your job to protect me." He looked up at her sharply and Hermione could tell that he wanted to argue. She continued before he could. "I'm sorry I woke everyone last night." Ron muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'except me.' Before she could ask him to repeat himself, he stepped further into the room.

Hermione watched as he took a breath. She could see him visibly try to calm himself. When he had, he looked up at her again.

"You didn't answer my question," he said.

"What question?"

"Were your dreaming about that night at, at Malfoy Manor?"

"Yes," Hermione said in a small voice. Ron blew out a breath and nodded.

"I know," he cleared his throat, "I know you had a few dreams at Bill and Fleur's, right after." He paused and looked at her. "Does it, does it happen often?"

"No, not really," she said, wondering why she was lying about it, but feeling like she should.

"Good, that's good," he said. She looked at him in confusion. "I just mean, I wouldn't want you to have to go through that all the time." Hermione just nodded, not knowing what else to say. He smiled.

"Breakfast is ready, if you're hungry."

"I am, actually." She smiled back tentatively. Hermione still wasn't sure just what exactly had happened and who Ron was angry with, but she let him take her hand and lead her from the bedroom toward the kitchen.

* * *

Remus woke slowly to sounds of someone moving about and talking quietly. After listening for a few seconds, he determined it was Andromeda talking to Teddy. Remus smiled before sitting up and looking around his bedroom. Reminders of Dora were everywhere and he squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds before forcing them open again. He picked up the photograph on his bedside table, one Andromeda had taken just after Teddy was born. Dora was holding Teddy and Remus was looking down at him adoringly. Neither of them even glanced up at the camera, as enamored as they were with their son. The only movement in the picture was when Remus leaned forward and kissed the top of Dora's head and she leaned into him for a moment.

He sighed and set the photograph down. Remus rose from the bed and crossed the room to the wardrobe. Pulling out clothes for the day, he pointedly ignored his wife's side of the wardrobe. His arm brushed against a set of her robes and a waft of her scent escaped even as he closed the door. Knowing it was a bad idea but unable to help himself, Remus rested his forehead against the wardrobe and breathed in deeply.

It hurt. It hurt knowing that she was gone. It hurt knowing that Teddy would never know that unique scent that was his mother. And it hurt knowing that one day, sooner than Remus would like or be ready for, her scent would fade from her things, their room, this house and not even his enhanced sense of smell would be able to detect it.

"Stupid," he admonished himself for giving in to the temptation. But he knew that if he opened the wardrobe again, he would bury his face in her robes and stay there. Instead, Remus moved purposefully away and into the loo to shower and dress.

* * *

Remus lowered his wand after the ward was finally in place. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and nodded gratefully to the House Elf that handed him a glass of water. While Minerva and Kingsley had reset the Anti-Apparition ward over the school directly after the Battle, the rest had yet to be replaced. When Remus had arrived at the school that morning, he had instantly been enlisted to help with the wards.

"I thought the wards at the Burrow were difficult," Bill said, conjuring a cloth to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Hogwarts is a bit larger than the Burrow," Remus replied with amusement.

"I'm aware," Bill said drily. Remus smiled as Minerva came around the corner. Remus wondered just how much sleep she had gotten in the last two days.

"Lunch is being served, if you would like to eat," she announced to the two men.

"Is there more to finish here?" Bill asked. "I'd rather get it done now, than come back later."

"Actually, no," she said. "Filius and Septima have just finished the last of the basic wards. The only thing to do is key the wards to the new Headmaster or Headmistress and as you know the Board will need to meet first."

"Are you doubting that they will choose you?" Remus asked, a bit surprised she would think she wouldn't be chosen.

"One never knows, Remus," she said with an eye roll. "One never knows." Remus chuckled a bit. The Board of Governors had surely made a few ridiculous decisions in the past, although he was quite certain not naming Minerva as Headmistress would not be one of them.

" _If_ I am appointed, there will likely be more fine-tuning to do, but for now, Hogwarts is safe enough." Both men nodded.

Remus followed Bill into the Great Hall which was already filling up with students and adults that had volunteered to help with the repairs on the castle. Some of the Muggle-borns that had been released from Azkaban were still in the castle as well. Filius had told Remus that it was taking a bit of time to find relatives for everyone.

Bill walked toward the Gryffindor table where his wife sat with most of the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione. Molly and George were absent, as was Ginny. And Arthur and Percy were at the Ministry aiding Kingsley in determining who had been working with Voldemort openly and who had been Imperiused.

"Hey, Remus," Harry said as the man sat down next to him. He was greeted by the rest of the group as he pulled a platter of food towards him.

"Where's your sister?" he asked Ron, surprised that the youngest Weasley was not present.

"Mum wanted her to stay home," Ron said around a mouthful of food. Remus noticed Hermione avert her eyes from the sight as Ron swallowed quickly. "Said she needed some help around the house, but I think she wanted someone there to keep an eye on, on George." Everyone got quiet.

"How is he doing?" Remus asked, glancing at Bill on his other side.

"The funeral is tomorrow afternoon," Bill said. "It's been…rough." Remus nodded, all too aware of what Bill was talking about.

They were relatively quiet after that, discussing the repairs some of the others had done while Remus had been helping with the wards. Everyone, save Charlie, who was helping Hagrid in the forest and on the grounds, had finished their respective tasks before lunch and were waiting for Minerva to direct them to the next. Remus saw her moving amongst the tables as pudding was served and wondered if she had even sat down to eat.

"Miss Granger," Minerva said as she reached them. "I wonder if you would work in the library after lunch."

"Of course," Hermione responded.

"Big surprise," Ron muttered, but there was a smile on his face. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned wider and took hold of her hand. Minerva ignored their display and turned to Remus.

"Perhaps you would help Miss Granger, Remus." Remus looked at her in surprise. He had no problems working in the library or with Hermione, but he thought that the adults would have been given more difficult tasks.

"I find that it is best to perform a less taxing assignment after spending the entire morning on a difficult one," Minerva said seeming to read his mind.

"All right," Remus agreed, agreeing with Minerva's assessment. He was rather tired and wouldn't want to make a mistake repairing the bones of the castle.

"Excellent," she said turning to the rest of the group.

"Are you ready, Hermione?" he asked once Minerva had left.

"Yes," Hermione said rising from the bench.

"Wait," Ron said, grabbing her hand. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her, rather longer than Hermione would have preferred if her bright red face was anything to go by.

"I'll see you later," she mumbled as she hurried away from the table. She passed Remus and moved quickly toward the door. He followed, glancing back once at Ron who had a rather smug look on his face.

"Hermione," Remus called once he reached the corridor. She was already half way up the main staircase. She slowed and Remus swiftly caught up to her. Her face was still red and she looked angry.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said shortly. Remus said nothing as they walked toward the library, Hermione's arms crossed tightly over her chest. When they reached the library, Remus stopped and put a hand on Hermione's arm.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She stared at him for a moment before Hermione sighed.

"Ron doesn't think sometimes," she said. Remus looked at her quizzically. She huffed out a breath. "We didn't need to make a scene." Remus bit back a smile.

"It wasn't as bad as you're likely thinking it was," he said. She looked up at him skeptically. "After you've been friends with Sirius Black, a bit of kissing in the Great Hall doesn't bother you, trust me." Hermione smiled.

"No, I suppose not," she said. Remus gestured for her to proceed him into the library. As they walked in, Remus looked around. All things considered, the library was in relatively good shape. The fight hadn't extended much above this floor and even here, it hadn't been the heavy fighting of the ground and first floors. There was a hole in one wall that was probably made by one of the giants. Someone had erected some type of shield charm over it, likely to protect the books that had been strewn about when their shelves had been knocked over. Remus wondered why the hole hadn't just been repaired. Some scorch marks on the floor proved that there had been at least one duel here and it looked as if something had burrowed through a few of the lower shelves in one section. Remus wasn't sure just what, but with everything that had fled the forest during the Battle, it didn't surprise him.

"Where should we start?" Hermione asked. Remus thought that might be a question better asked to Madame Pince, but the librarian didn't seem to be anywhere about. Remus didn't remember seeing her in the Great Hall for lunch either.

"I'm wondering why that hole hasn't been repaired," he said. Hermione's brow furrowed as she looked at it.

"Something to do with the wards maybe?" Hermione questioned. Remus pursed his lips in thought.

"It's possible, although the Entrance Hall was completely repaired before the wards were recast."

"Maybe we should just start with the books and ask Madame Pince when she gets here," Hermione suggested.

"All right," Remus agreed.

They began to sift through the books on the ground, making two separate piles of those that needed to be repaired and those that were still intact. Most of the books that had fallen away from the shelves seemed relatively unscathed. It wasn't until Remus levitated one of the fallen bookshelves away that they saw more damage. There were many that were missing covers or had torn pages. Hermione looked solemn as she stacked another book on the repair pile. Remus couldn't blame her. Some of the books were very old and likely to be extremely difficult to replace.

"How is Teddy?" Hermione asked as she picked up a book on Nifflers.

"He's doing well," Remus replied, setting the book about the care of unicorns on the repair stack. "For the most part." Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"He senses something is wrong," Remus said with a sigh. "He's been fussier of late and been having some issues taking a bottle."

"I'm sorry, Remus," Hermione said putting a hand on his shoulder. Remus gave her a sad smile.

"He'll be fine, in time." Hermione just nodded and looked back down at the books.

"Mrs. Weasley said the, the funeral is Wednesday," Hermione said quietly. Remus nodded stiffly.

"We'll be there," she said. "Harry and I and the Weasleys."

"Thank you, Hermione," Remus managed. After a few moments, Hermione squeezed his shoulder and went back to sorting books. Remus followed suit and they worked in silence for a time. They had made their way through nearly all the fallen books and Remus raised his wand to levitate the third of the bookshelves when there was a shriek from behind him.

"What are you _doing_?" Hermione was so startled, she dropped the small stack of books she had in her hands, drawing her wand as she did so. The shelf wobbled precariously in the air and Remus forced his concentration back to it before he did more damage.

"Put that down, _this instant_!" Madame Pince demanded and Remus let the bookshelf settle into a cleared spot on the floor. He and Hermione turned to face the irate librarian.

"Explain yourselves," she said angrily. Hermione glanced at Remus, her eyes wide.

"I am sorry, Irma, but Minerva asked us to help with the repairs in the library," he began.

"And you thought you could just cast any kind of magic you wished?"

"I, well," Remus trailed off, at a loss for words and unsure why she was so upset.

"Please tell me you have _not_ attempted to repair any of the books," she said, her mouth pinched.

"N-no," Hermione nearly whispered. "We've simply been sorting them into piles of what needs to be mended and what doesn't."

"Thank Merlin for small favors. Did either of you wonder _why_ the hole in the wall had not been repaired?" the librarian demanded.

"We did, yes," Remus said, feeling more and more like a chastised child.

"Many of the books in this library have their own inherent magic," Madame Pince continued. "Doing magic of any kind without first knowing how it will affect the books could be _catastrophic_." Remus glanced at Hermione who was looking at her shoes. He thought Irma was being a bit melodramatic. The books they had been sorting through were all about magical creatures and their care. Remus highly doubted there was any sort of inherent magic in any of them.

"Irma," he began, but when the librarian turned her full glare on him, he fell silent. The whole situation was eerily reminiscent of the time that James and Sirius had almost gotten him banned from the library in third year after a prank of theirs had gone wrong.

"I'm sorry, Madame Pince, we didn't know," Hermione said. Madame Pince sniffed.

"Yes, well, you should have waited for me to give you instructions." They both nodded. She looked them over for a few more moments. "At least I know that the two of you have _some_ respect for books, unlike many of your friends." The librarian glared at them as if daring them to contradict her. She looked over what they had done so far.

"Since you've moved all the books away from the wall, I suppose the hole can be repaired now," she said.

"I'd be happy to do that," Remus said and Irma gave him a sharp nod. She looked at the stacks of books they had made.

"These are the ones that need to be fixed," Hermione offered, pointing to the larger group of books.

"Very well," Irma said. "Bring them to my desk. Once I have looked through them, I will determine if there are any that the two of you can mend and then replace. Understood?" Remus nodded.

"Yes, Madame Pince," Hermione said dutifully. The librarian turned on her heel and walked briskly to her desk. Hermione gathered up a stack of books and followed her and Remus turned his attention to the hole in the wall.

He had just begun to repair it when he heard Hermione return. He looked back at her and saw her clamping her lips together. If he wasn't mistaken, she was trying not to laugh. Remus turned away, biting his cheek to hold in his own laughter as he turned his attention back to the hole. The bricks flew up from the floor and reassembled themselves into the wall. Remus heard Hermione return from transporting another stack of books as the last brick fitted itself back into the wall.

When he turned around, Hermione was watching him. He could see the amusement in her eyes and he looked away quickly so as not to succumb to laughter when Irma could still hear them. Hermione picked up another pile and Remus began to sort through the few remaining books on the floor so he could move the bookshelves back into place.

When Hermione returned from carrying the last of the books needing repair to the librarian's desk, Irma was with her.

"I need to fetch something from my quarters," she said to the two of them. "I will return shortly. In the meantime, the two of you can begin to reshelve the undamaged books. Do _not_ do anything else."

"Of course," Remus said. He and Hermione stood motionless until they heard the door to the library close. Hermione glanced at him and that was all it took. The two of them burst into laughter.

"Honestly," Hermione said, shaking her head when she had finally recovered enough to speak. Remus laughed again, even though his sides ached.

"I was having flashbacks to my time as a student," he said, shaking his head.

"The look on your face," Hermione said, still laughing. "I don't know if I've ever seen you look so shocked. It was everything I could do not to completely lose it."

"You looked somewhat chastened at first," he said with another chuckle.

"Oh, I _had_ to keep looking at my feet," Hermione said, wiping tears of mirth from her cheeks. "Otherwise I would have laughed right in her face." That set the two of them off again and it was another few minutes before they composed themselves.

"That felt good," Hermione said with a smile. "I haven't laughed like that in ages."

"Nor I," Remus agreed. The smile slowly slid from Remus' face. Hermione gave him a quizzical look, but he turned away. They stood in silence for a few moments.

"We should get started shelving these before she comes back," Hermione finally said. Remus nodded absently, but his thoughts were no longer on the library or their task. His thoughts had turned to the fact that he had just laughed harder than he had in months, years maybe, when his wife had only been dead for two days.

"Remus, are you all right?" Hermione asked in concern.

"I'm fine," he said gruffly. Hermione moved closer and reached a hand out to him, but he pulled away abruptly. "I just, I need some air." He turned and hurried out of the library, leaving a stunned Hermione behind him.


	7. Support

**A/N - Thank you for all the new follows and favorites. And special thanks to MaryRoyale who helped me work out Remus' and Minerva's discussion at the beginning of this chapter. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Support**

 **4 May 1998**

Hermione bit her lip as she watched Remus walk away, wondering what had just happened. They had been working well together and he had laughed just as much as she had at Madame Pince's behavior. Hermione didn't think she had done anything wrong, but maybe it was something she'd said. Before she could think on it further, the door to the library opened and Hermione heard voices.

"I did not give them specific instructions, no," Professor McGonagall was saying. "I do apologize, I thought you would be here."

"Well, thankfully you gave me two of the more responsible students to have come through this school and no harm was done," Madame Pince replied. "However, I should like to finish the work myself."

"Are you sure, Irma?" Professor McGonagall questioned. "I know that Miss Granger and Mr. Lupin will be more than willing to take direction from you." The librarian sniffed.

"They have already done the bulk of the work, if you must know. And I am fully capable of repairing my own books." Hermione peeked around the shelf she was standing by. She could see the exasperation in Professor McGonagall's eyes when Madame Pince turned her back on the professor.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall said. "I will just inform them of your decision." Hermione hurried back to the shelves Remus had replaced and busied herself organizing the books that did not need repair.

"Miss Granger."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said as innocently as she could.

"Madame Pince no longer requires your assistance. If you like, I am sure that Professor Sprout and Mr. Longbottom could use more help in the greenhouses."

"Of course, Professor." Hermione set down the books she had been sifting through as the professor looked around.

"Where is Remus?"

"He…left," Hermione replied, biting her bottom lip again.

"Was he called away?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Is his family all right?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Hermione assured her. "I don't know why, exactly. Everything seemed to be going fine and then he just said he needed some air and left." She paused and looked at the professor in concern. "You don't think it was something I did, do you?" The professor studied her for a moment.

"Why don't you tell me exactly what happened."

* * *

Remus walked briskly through the corridors, unsure where exactly he was going, until he ended up near the Clock Tower entrance. He walked around the swinging pendulum to lean against the windowsill that looked out over the grounds. The courtyard where he had found Miss Chang was directly below him. Remus shut his eyes against the memories that assaulted him. He pulled in a breath and blew it out, resting his forehead on the glass.

Remus wasn't sure how long he had been standing there before he heard the click of heels behind him. He turned slightly and saw Minerva walking towards him, an irritated look on her face. He immediately felt guilty for leaving Hermione alone with the work in the library.

"Remus," Minerva began but Remus held up a hand to interrupt.

"I'm sorry that I left Hermione to finish the library alone," he said. "I'll go back and help her in a minute."

"That will not be necessary," Minerva said, her voice clipped. "Irma has decided that she would prefer to finish the work herself. Miss Granger has gone to work in the greenhouses."

"Oh," Remus said. "Well, I suppose I should ask what you would like me to do instead then." Minerva crossed her arms in front of her.

"Perhaps you can begin by telling me why you ran out of the library leaving Miss Granger to think that she had done something to upset you."

"What?" Remus questioned, confused.

"Miss Granger is under the impression that she did or said something to offend you."

"That's ridiculous, she did no such thing," Remus insisted.

"Then why did you leave the library?" Minerva asked. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"I really don't want to talk about this."

"I was not aware I was giving you a choice." Remus looked up at her in surprise, but she was simply staring at him with _that_ look on her face. The one she had always given to the Marauders when she had caught them in a prank. The look that said she was extremely disappointed in him.

"Minerva, really, I don't," he shook his head and looked away from her.

"Remus," she said and her tone had softened. She put a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right to laugh." His head whipped up and he stared at her in shock again. "That is what this is about, isn't it? You and Hermione were laughing and then you felt guilty for it?" Remus looked away again and Minerva sighed.

"Nymphadora would not want this," Minerva said.

"It's only been two days, Minerva," Remus said softly.

"Grief is a strange thing," Minerva said, turning to look out the window. "It is such a different process for all of us. I don't think anyone does it in exactly the same way." Remus frowned, not sure what she was getting at.

"When I lost Elphinstone, I packed up my things and returned to the castle almost immediately," she said. Remus startled. He had never heard Minerva speak of her husband before. "I couldn't bear to stay in the cottage with all of the memories there. In fact, I left everything of Elphinstone's exactly where it had been and didn't return to the cottage for more than a year." She paused and smiled sadly.

"Most everyone thought I had gone a bit mad," she continued. "My mother didn't understand it. She thought I was running away from my grief. Even Albus was concerned I had returned to the school too quickly."

"And had you?" Remus asked.

"No," she said. "If I had stayed I think I would have been lost in my sorrow. I think, for me, getting away from everything that was ours and returning to what was only mine, saved me. For another, it would not have been the right choice, but for me, it was. When I went back to our cottage and packed up Elphinstone's things, I was able to do it with fondness and nostalgia more than anything. I was still sad, of course, but not overwhelmed by that anguish." She paused and turned to him.

"Do you see?"

"Not really," Remus admitted.

"What I'm saying, Remus, is there is no formula, no 'right' way to grieve. Laughing with Miss Granger or anyone else for that matter, does not mean you did not love your wife. It does not mean that you do not miss her. It means you're human." She put a hand on his upper arm. "Tonks would not begrudge you a bit of laughter." Remus nodded, too overcome to speak. Minerva patted his arm and smiled before she turned to walk away.

"Minerva," he said before she was out of earshot.

"Yes?"

"Is Hermione?" he paused.

"Miss Granger understands," Minerva said.

"Thank you," Remus replied. Minerva nodded once and continued on her way, leaving Remus looking out the window in contemplation.

* * *

"Mione?" Ron's voice called and Hermione looked up from the plant she was repotting with a slight scowl on her face. Ron knew she hated that nickname. She glanced at Neville who smirked and went back to his own plants.

"Back here, Ron," she said. After a few seconds, the redhead came into view.

"Hey, Nev," Ron greeted.

"Ron," Neville replied.

"So, are you about done here?" Ron asked. Hermione looked around at the plants she still had left to repot.

"Not really," she said.

"How much longer do you think?" Ron questioned. "It's only that I know Mum was planning dinner for everyone. Bill and Fleur already left and Charlie said he'll just be a few more minutes. Harry's waiting for us outside."

"It's all right, Hermione," Neville said. "I can finish."

"Neville, it's at least two hours work for one person," Hermione protested. "And Professor Sprout said these plants should really be potted today or she's afraid they won't make it."

"I don't mind," Neville said with a shrug.

"Thanks, mate," Ron said with a smile, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Ronald, I am not about to make Neville do all this on his own," she huffed, hands on her hips. "You and Harry go on with Charlie. Tell your mum not to wait dinner for me."

"But, Hermione," Ron whined. Hermione glared at him and he sighed. "Mum won't be happy."

"I don't mean to upset your mother, Ron, really I don't, but I'm going to finish what I've started." Hermione truly didn't want to upset Mrs. Weasley after everything she'd been through. But it's not as if Hermione was refusing to come to dinner at all.

"Fine, fine," Ron finally said. "Just try to get home as soon as you can, yeah?" She nodded. Ron leaned down and kissed her. Hermione felt her face heat, knowing Neville was only a few feet away.

"Ron," she whispered, pushing him away from her.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Nothing," she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. He smiled at her, then said good-bye to Neville before leaving the greenhouse. She and Neville worked in silence for a bit.

"It doesn't bother me," Neville said a few minutes later. Hermione glanced up at him. "If that's what you were worried about, it doesn't bother me."

"Well, it bothers me," Hermione muttered. Neville looked at her questioningly.

"Why?" he asked. His cheeks reddened immediately. "Sorry, that's none of my business."

"No, it's fine," she said with a sigh. "We just haven't really…discussed it."

"Kissing in public?" Neville asked cheekily and Hermione blushed.

"Well, yes, but the whole…thing," she gestured wildly with her hands.

"What whole 'thing', exactly?"

"The whole relationship," Hermione said in exasperation. "We haven't defined anything."

"Are you supposed to?" Neville questioned, sounding genuinely confused.

"Well, of course."

"Oh," he replied, looking thoughtful.

"I mean, shouldn't we?" Neville shrugged.

"I'm definitely not any kind of an expert on relationships," he said wryly. "But, Ron doesn't seem to be big on defining things. He and Lavender just sort of, began, didn't they?" Hermione snorted.

"You could say that." Neville chuckled. Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the plant she had just repotted. Maybe that's what was bothering her. Ron and Lavender had just fallen into their relationship and look how that had turned out.

"It's obvious that he's fancied you for years," Neville continued.

"Obvious to who?" Hermione asked.

"Everyone?" Neville said looking at Hermione like he wasn't sure if she was serious or not. This was news to Hermione.

"I don't know if that's true," Hermione mumbled, but she was secretly pleased. Neville shrugged again.

"Sure seemed that way to the rest of us," he said. "Except maybe Harry." Hermione laughed.

"Harry isn't very observant about things like that." Neville grinned.

"Well, anyway, everyone assumes the two of you are boyfriend and girlfriend, Ron included," he continued. "Especially after that kiss in the Great Hall today at lunch." Hermione blushed again.

"But if that kind of stuff bothers you, maybe you guys should talk," Neville said with a frown.

"No, it's not that," Hermione said quickly. Neville looked doubtful.

"It's just," Hermione trailed off. It was just that she didn't want Ron to expect she was going to make it a personal challenge to suck his face off every day.

"You're not Lavender," Neville said quietly. "Ron knows that." Hermione glanced up at Neville in surprise. He gave her a small smile before returning his attention to his plants. Hermione watched him for a moment before shaking her head. When had Neville gotten so wise?

"Thanks, Neville," she said with a smile for her friend.

"You're welcome," he replied, returning her grin.

* * *

Remus made his way across the grounds toward the gates. After his talk with Minerva, he had wandered around the school a bit aimlessly for a while, finding himself in the courtyard where Kingsley had found Dora. Remus had sat down heavily on a bench and let his mind wander, which hadn't been helpful or particularly healthy, most likely. When he had finally pulled himself from his stupor he was surprised to find it was nearly supper. Knowing that Andromeda would be expecting him and wanting to see Teddy, Remus had hurried from the school.

As he neared the gates, Remus saw Hermione and Neville. Remus faltered for a moment, wondering if Hermione was still upset about this afternoon in the library. He really should apologize to her, but wasn't overly eager to have to explain things in front of Neville.

When the two stopped to open the gates, Hermione turned. Remus knew that she had seen him by the look on her face. Biting back a sigh, he continued towards them. He saw Hermione say something to Neville who nodded.

"Hi Pro-, I mean Remus," Neville said sheepishly. Remus smiled.

"Good evening, Neville," Remus replied. The three of them stood in awkward silence for a few seconds.

"Right, well, I've got to get home to Gran," Neville finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hermione?" She nodded and he waved to Remus before exiting the gates and Disapparating.

"Hermione," Remus began.

"Remus," Hermione said at the same time. She laughed nervously as he smiled.

"If I may?" he asked and she nodded. "I'm sorry if I made you feel as if something you said in the library drove me away. I assure you that wasn't the case."

"Professor McGonagall said as much," Hermione said.

"And she was quite right, including the reason she thought I had run," he said.

"I think she was also right about you not feeling guilty about it," Hermione replied quietly.

"Perhaps," he agreed. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Remus cleared his throat.

"Are you waiting for Harry and Ron?" he asked.

"No, I wasn't finished in the greenhouses when they were ready to leave, so I sent them on ahead." He raised an eyebrow.

"They left you here by yourself?" Hermione laughed.

"Remus, I spent the last year Apparating all over Britain and living in a tent," she said. "I rode a dragon out of Gringotts after breaking in. I think I can handle getting to the Burrow on my own."

"Of course, of course," he said, color staining his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply-" But she just laughed again and shook her head.

"It's fine," she said.

"Well, I should be getting home myself."

"Good night, Remus," Hermione said with a smile.

"Good night, Hermione," he replied as she Disapparated. He stared at the spot she had been for a few moments, wondering just when he had missed that Hermione Granger had grown into a more than capable witch.

* * *

Hermione landed outside the Burrow with a small crack. Even this far away from the house, she could hear the voices inside and almost smell Mrs. Weasley's cooking. She smiled as she walked towards the back door.

"Oh, Hermione, dear, you're home," Mrs. Weasley said as Hermione stepped into the kitchen. "Sit down, sit down, I'll get you a plate."

"I can get it," Hermione protested.

"Nonsense, you just sit down and I'll be right back." Hermione slid into the chair next to Ron, who was just finishing a piece of pie. He smiled and swallowed before kissing her on the cheek.

"Plants all done then?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, wiping a bit of crust from the corner of his mouth with her thumb. He smiled sheepishly and picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"Here you are, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she set down Hermione's plate. Hermione realized just how hungry she was as she took a bite. As Ron's mother bustled back into the kitchen, Hermione looked around the table. Harry and Ginny were in quiet conversation across from Ron and Mr. Weasley was reading the Daily Prophet. He rose after greeting Hermione and went into the living room, taking the paper with him.

"How was the rest of your day?" she asked Ron.

"Harry and I worked in the main Courtyard. It's a right mess," Ron said shaking his head. "Broken columns and suits of armor everywhere. There's a lot we couldn't even use magic on. Do you know how hard it is to match up the pieces to suits of armor? How many did we actually finish, Harry?"

"Three, I think," Harry said.

"They're bloody heavy too," Ron groused. "Feel lucky you only had to deal with books and plants." Hermione patted his shoulder consolingly as she continued to eat.

"How's George?" Hermione asked Ginny. The table fell silent. Ron began to drag his fork through the crumbs on his plate and Ginny looked down at her lap. Hermione wished she hadn't asked.

"He's not doing well," Ginny finally said. "He spent most of the day sitting by the pond just staring at it. Mum kept sending me out there to try and talk to him." She paused and looked up at Hermione. "I think she was afraid he was going to try and drown himself or something." Harry put an arm around Ginny's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Hermione glanced at Ron who was staring fixedly at his plate. She put a hand on his arm and he flinched.

"Ron?" she said quietly, but Ron shoved back from the table and practically ran out the back door. At the slam of the door, Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen.

"What's happened? Where's Ron?"

"Nothing, Mum," Ginny said. "I'll go after him."

"No," Hermione said. "I'll go."

"But you haven't finished your dinner," Mrs. Weasley protested.

"I'll be right back," Hermione assured her. She stood from the table and went outside, spotting Ron leaning against his father's shed. He was staring out towards the pond, his hands jammed into the pockets of his jeans.

"Ron?" Hermione said tentatively. He looked towards her for a second, but didn't say anything. Hermione moved to stand beside him. She wrapped a hand around his arm and leaned against him. They didn't speak for several minutes.

"I don't think I can do this," Ron finally said.

"Do what?" Hermione asked softly.

"The funeral tomorrow," he mumbled. "I don't know if I can say good-bye to Fred." She squeezed his arm harder.

"Those two were complete prats to me when I was younger," Ron continued. "They teased me all the time and played tricks on me and I hated it." He took a breath. "But they're my brothers."

"And I can't, I don't know what's going to happen to George now." Tears began to run down Hermione's cheeks. "I don't know how he's going to do this, Hermione. He's broken."

"Of course he is," Hermione said through her tears. "He lost his twin brother." Ron lowered his head and Hermione could see that he was crying.

"But that doesn't mean he's going to stay broken, Ron. He has all of you and one day, even though it won't ever be the same, one day, he'll be all right." Ron reached over and pulled her into his arms, crying on her shoulder. Hermione rubbed his back and whispered soothing words to him. When he quieted, he looked embarrassed and tried to pull away from her, but she refused to release him. She looked up at him and wiped a few of his tears away with her fingers. Ron gave her a watery smile and hugged her tighter. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled back slightly.

"Your mum was worried," she said. "We should probably go back in."

"Just a few more minutes," Ron said, dipping his head to kiss her. Hermione smiled and enthusiastically returned his kiss. When he pulled away, he gave her a quizzical expression.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just surprised is all," he said. "Because of how you reacted when I kissed you in the greenhouse earlier." Hermione immediately reddened.

"Neville was there," she muttered.

"So, I can't kiss you in front of Neville?" Ron asked. She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"No, I just," she shook her head and pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You just what?" Ron asked. When she didn't respond, he put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around. "Hermione, what's going on?"

"Are you my boyfriend?" she blurted out after a few moments. Ron looked confused.

"Of course I am, why would you ask that?"

"Because you never said-" she trailed off. "Never mind." She made to walk away but Ron grasped her arm.

"Hermione, please tell me what's going on," he begged.

"We never really…talked about it," she said quietly. "And I know that you and Lavender, just, well, you know, but I, I need to know." Hermione bit her lip and looked at the ground. Ron took her hand and squeezed it.

"Hermione Granger," he said and Hermione glanced up at him. "Would you please be my girlfriend?" She blushed and nodded. "Sorry, I think a verbal response is called for in this situation." Hermione laughed a bit and looked him in the eye.

"Yes, Ron Weasley, I will be your girlfriend," she said. Ron grinned and kissed her breathless.

"Just, can we, erm," she trailed off and huffed impatiently.

"You don't want me to kiss you in front of Neville?" Ron said cheekily.

"Ron," she said in exasperation. Ron laughed and put his arms around her again. "It's just, some things are private."

"All right," Ron said solemnly. "I promise not to ravish you in public."

"Ron," she said again, slapping him on the arm. Ron pulled her to him and hugged her, kissing the top of her head.

"I understand, Hermione," he said. She looked up at him skeptically. "I do, I swear."

"Thank you," she said. He kissed her once more.

"Now we should really go back," Hermione said. "Before your mum sends out a search party." Ron grinned and took her hand, leading her back into the house.

* * *

 **5 May 1998**

Hermione and Ginny walked downstairs to the kitchen, but stopped at the sound of quiet sobbing. Hermione glanced at Ginny, whose eyes had already filled with tears. Hermione took Ginny's hand and squeezed it before the two of them continued toward the kitchen. Hermione had expected to find Mrs. Weasley or possibly even George. She was not prepared for the sight of Mr. Weasley, hands braced on the edge of the sink, shoulders shaking. Ginny let go of Hermione's hand and hurried toward her father.

"Daddy," she whispered and Mr. Weasley reached out an arm and pulled his daughter toward him, hugging her tightly. Hermione turned and hurried from the room, not wanting to intrude on their grief. She ran right into Harry as she turned the corner towards the stairs.

"Whoa, Hermione," Harry said as he grabbed her upper arms to keep her from falling. He looked at her tear-stained face. "What's the matter?" Instead of answering, Hermione threw her arms around his neck and began to sob. Harry held her close, rubbing her back.

"It's going to be okay," he said quietly. This set off a new round of crying and Hermione clung tighter to Harry. He kissed the top of her head and held her until she had finally shed all her tears.

"What's going on?" Harry asked after conjuring a handkerchief for her.

"Ginny and I came into the kitchen and Mr. Weasley was crying," Hermione said quietly. Harry blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"I just, of course he's upset, he lost his son, but," Hermione trailed off shaking her head. She couldn't explain why the sight of Mr. Weasley's grief had affected her so much.

"It's okay," Harry said. "I know what you mean." The two sat down on the bottom step of the staircase. Hermione leaned her head on Harry's shoulder.

"These next few days," she began. The funerals were beginning today. She, Harry, Ron and Ginny were planning on going to Colin Creevey's this morning and Fred's was this afternoon. She took a breath. "How are we going to get through them, Harry?" Harry took her hand.

"The same way we always do, Hermione. Together."

* * *

Remus adjusted his robes one last time and stepped out of his room. He walked towards the nursery and peeked inside, but Teddy was still asleep. Moving quietly, Remus gathered everything Teddy might need while they were at the funeral and put them into a small bag. Shrinking it, he put it in his pocket and picked up the blanket that lay on the rocking chair. He crossed the room to Teddy's cot and looked down at his son.

Teddy's hair, which usually changed colors as he slept, was currently the exact shade of brown that Dora's had been the few times she had left it her natural color. Remus gently ran his fingers through the silky strands and took a breath to calm himself. Teddy stirred a bit at Remus' touch, but settled again relatively quickly, his mouth working in his sleep. Remus couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips and wished again that Teddy's mother was here to see him.

Before he could become too maudlin, Remus laid the blanket over Teddy, then picked him up and settled him against his chest. He stepped out into the corridor just as Andromeda was coming out of her room.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Not even a little bit," he admitted. She sighed and nodded in agreement before peeking at Teddy. The loving smile that lit her face calmed Remus a bit as the two of them made their way to the Floo. Remus adjusted the blanket to cover Teddy's face to protect him in the Floo, threw in the powder and called out for the Burrow. As he spun away, he saw the look on Andromeda's face. While today was going to be horribly difficult, it wouldn't hold a candle to how awful tomorrow was going to be.


	8. Funeral

**A/N - More tissue warnings ahead. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Funeral**

 **5 May 1998**

Hermione walked into the living room with a deep sigh. She glanced at the photographs on the mantle and picked up one of the entire Weasley family that must have been taken when Ron was only three or four. Fred and George stood behind him and every few seconds, one of them would poke him in the shoulder. When Ron turned around with a scowl, they looked innocently at the camera, smiling widely and completely ignoring their younger brother. This happened three times in quick succession before Ron began to pout. Hermione smiled sadly before setting the photograph back on the mantle.

Attending Colin Creevey's funeral that morning had been difficult. While she had wondered just how the two Muggle-borns had ended up at Hogwarts for the Final Battle, Hermione had been a bit shocked to learn that Colin and Dennis had gone on the run from King's Cross on the first of September. After learning about the Muggle-born Registration Commission from the Daily Prophet, the two boys hadn't told their parents, but instead convinced the couple that they were old enough to simply be dropped off at the station. Once their parents were out of sight, Colin and Dennis had hidden in Muggle London for quite some time before slowly making their way to Scotland. When they had finally reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade, Hagrid had found them half-starved and nearly frozen. He had taken the boys to the cave he had been living in since he had escaped from Hogwarts after his 'Support Harry Potter' party. They boys had stayed there until Colin had gotten the message on his D.A. coin before the Final Battle. Hermione was actually grateful that Colin had thought to put his brother in a full-body bind before Colin headed to Hogwarts. If he hadn't, the Creeveys would have likely buried both their sons.

"All right, Hermione?" Harry asked as he walked into the room. He was still in his Muggle clothes from Colin's funeral.

"Not really," she said. Harry came up beside her.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Where is everyone?"

"They're having a family moment," Harry said. "Something about the funeral." Hermione nodded and looked back at the pictures on the mantle.

"I saw you talking to Mr. and Mrs. Creevey just before we left," she said. Harry ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, that was," he shook his head. "They don't even really understand what was going on. Dennis said that he isn't sure they're going to let him come back to Hogwarts this fall." Hermione wondered just how many other parents of Muggle-borns would feel the same way, especially if their children had been in Azkaban. Her thoughts drifted to Claire, David and Annie.

"What did you tell them?" Hermione asked.

"Just that the war was over and the people that had caused it were either dead, in prison or soon would be." Hermione nodded.

"I don't know if I convinced them of anything though. Told Dennis I'd come talk to them again if he needed me to." Hermione smiled at her friend.

"That was kind of you," she said. Harry shrugged.

"Colin was a good kid." They both stood in silence and Hermione could feel the tears pricking her eyes again. Harry sighed.

"I guess I better go get changed." Hermione nodded absently as he left the room, thinking about the two enthusiastic brothers. She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped and shrieked a little when the Floo flared green. Not even aware of what she was doing, she drew her wand and as the flames died down, pointed it straight at Remus' chest.

* * *

Remus held Teddy tightly as they spun through the Floo network. As they reached the Weasley's grate, he glanced down at his son to be sure the blanket Remus had put over Teddy's face was still in place. He looked up as he made to step out of the fireplace and came face to face with Hermione's wand. Instinctively, Remus turned and sheltered Teddy with his body, even as a low growl escaped his throat. He heard a gasp and the clatter of something hitting the floor.

"Oh Merlin, Remus, I am so sorry!" Hermione cried. Remus, still on alert from a perceived attack, didn't relax his posture. It wasn't until Teddy began to cry that he stepped quickly from the fireplace as he knew Andromeda would be right behind him.

"Is Teddy all right?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands in front of her. "God, Remus, I'm sorry!"

Remus shifted Teddy to check on him while Hermione reached down and grabbed her wand from the floor where she had obviously dropped it. She began siphoning the ash from both Remus and Teddy as the Floo flared again and Andromeda stepped through. Hermione's face was bright red and Remus could see tears gathering. Andromeda looked between the two of them in confusion.

"So stupid," Hermione muttered, as she waved her wand over Remus again. Andromeda gave Remus a quizzical look, but he simply handed Teddy to her.

"Hermione," he said, but Hermione continued to mutter to herself. "Hermione, it's all right." He put his hands on her shoulders to stop her movements. She looked up at him, eyes awash with tears.

"I could have hexed you!" she said. "Teddy too!"

"But you didn't," Remus said soothingly. "Look, Teddy's fine." Andromeda turned her grandson towards Hermione. Hermione looked at him and then back up at Remus. She was biting her bottom lip, which Remus noticed had begun to tremble. Instead of saying anything else, he gathered Hermione into his arms. She broke down into sobs.

"It's all right, Hermione," Remus said, trying to calm her. "It's a natural reaction when you're startled, especially now after everything."

"I'm s-so s-sorry," she said pulling away from him, looking embarrassed. Andromeda handed her a handkerchief with a small smile. Remus led Hermione to the couch and sat down beside her.

"You don't have to keep apologizing," he said. He cocked his head as he looked at her. "Is this about something else besides almost hexing me?" She looked up at him and he gave her an amused smile which she tried and failed to return.

"We went to Colin Creevey's funeral this morning."

"Ah, yes," Remus said. "I had heard that was today."

"Harry and I had just been talking about it and I was thinking about the rest of the Muggle-borns and the Floo just startled me. I'd forgotten that Teddy was too young for Apparition. I'm sorry." Hermione looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks.

"It's all right, Hermione, really." Remus patted her hand which was currently twisting the handkerchief into knots. She smiled gratefully and jumped up from the couch.

"I'm sure I look a fright," she said. "I'll see you in a bit." With that she rushed from the room. Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. He turned to Andromeda. "Is Teddy all right?"

"He's just fine," she assured him. "Asleep again already." Remus nodded.

"Are _you_ all right?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes. She was just startled, but I," he shook his head. He had _growled_ at her for Merlin's sake.

"You what?" Andromeda asked.

"I might have growled at her."

"Oh," Andromeda said with a pause. "Well, that's just instinct, isn't it? Teddy was threatened and you wanted to protect him."

"Yes," Remus said somewhat petulantly. Andromeda's lips twitched and he scowled at her.

"It isn't funny."

"Not that you were protecting Teddy, no," she agreed. "But your reaction to it is rather amusing." Remus scowled again and she laughed. "I doubt the girl even noticed in all that was happening."

"I certainly hope not."

* * *

Hermione hurried up the stairs to Ginny's room and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against it and closed her eyes, tears returning. She was completely mortified. Not only had she almost hexed Remus while he was holding little Teddy, she had then cried all over him. His wife had just died and _he_ was comforting _her_. She sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her knees.

The door bumped against her back a few minutes later. Hermione swiped violently at her tears and stood up, moving away from the door.

"Sorry, Ginny," she managed as the younger girl opened the door. Hermione kept her back to her, still wiping at her cheeks.

"Hermione?" Ginny questioned, moving towards her.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, turning so Ginny couldn't see her face.

"No, you're not," Ginny said, taking hold of Hermione's arm so she would stop moving. When she finally managed to get in front of Hermione, Ginny's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, it's stupid," Hermione said. The last thing she wanted to do was burden Ginny with her ridiculousness when they were burying Fred in a half hour. Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.

"Spill," she demanded. Hermione sighed.

"Remus and Mrs. Tonks just came through the Floo. I was in the living room and I got startled. I-" she trailed off as the tears returned.

"You what?" Ginny asked in concern.

"I nearly hexed Remus," Hermione whispered.

"You didn't, did you?" Ginny questioned.

"No, but," Hermione bit her lip. "He was holding Teddy."

"Oh," Ginny replied in understanding. "Was Remus upset?"

"No," Hermione said quickly. Hermione had heard him growl, but she knew why he'd done it and she didn't blame him. Ginny looked at her in confusion.

"Then why are you in here crying?"

"Ginny, I nearly hexed a _baby_!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny took Hermione's arm again and led her to the bed. She pulled Hermione down beside her.

"I understand why you're upset," she said. "But, Hermione, you didn't hex anyone."

"But I could have," Hermione said quietly. Ginny studied her for a few minutes.

"Yesterday, Mum sent me outside with a sandwich for George. When I got near Dad's shed, there was a noise. Without even thinking about it, I pulled my wand and sent a stunner towards the shed. When I calmed down enough to look, it was only a rabbit." She shook her head.

"Poor thing, took a good five minutes for it to recover once I reenervated it. George's sandwich didn't survive." Hermione snorted. Ginny smirked.

"The worst part was coming back inside and explaining to Mum what happened to his lunch," Ginny said.

"What did she say?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," Ginny replied. "She just patted my cheek and made another sandwich." Ginny paused for a moment. "All I'm saying is that you're not the only one that's jumpy these days."

"I suppose not," Hermione agreed. "I still feel horrible though."

"I understand," Ginny said. "But I'm sure that Remus forgives you." Hermione took a breath and nodded.

"Thanks, Gin." Ginny smiled.

"I came up here to tell you that we're leaving in just a few minutes." There was a small wizarding cemetery just past the orchard outside the Weasley's property. There had always been a small magical population around Ottery St. Catchpole. Bill had told Hermione that Luna's mother was buried there, as was Cedric Diggory.

"All right," Hermione said. "I'll be down in just a minute." Ginny gave her one last small smile before she left the room. Hermione slipped out behind her and into the loo to wash her face before joining the others downstairs.

* * *

Ron held tightly to Hermione's hand. She stood close to him, trying to offer him as much support as possible. George was in front of them, sitting between Mrs. Weasley and Bill. He stared blankly at the casket while Kingsley spoke. Hermione knew that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were grateful that Kingsley had been able to perform the ceremony, as busy as he was.

Hermione let her eyes wander over the crowd and her gaze settled on Remus. Mrs. Tonks was holding Teddy and Remus' hand rested on her shoulder. Hermione couldn't help but imagine how hard it was going to be for him the following day when they buried Tonks. Hermione turned her attention back to Kingsley, just as he finished the service. He walked towards Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand and kissing Mrs. Weasley on the cheek. He spoke softly to George and clapped him on the shoulder, before shaking hands with Bill.

Bill stood and motioned to his brothers and Harry. The six men drew their wands and pointed them at the casket. It rose from the ground and they directed it into the grave that had already been dug. Hermione moved closer to Ginny and grasped her friend's hand as Fred was lowered in. Hermione could see that George's hand was shaking and was glad that it was Bill and Charlie who were controlling the movements, that the rest of them were mostly there for ceremony. When the casket had settled, Mr. Weasley rose from his seat and held out a hand to his wife. Hermione, Ginny and Fleur stepped forward next to Mrs. Weasley, each holding a flower that they dropped down on top of the casket.

Bill pointed his wand toward the pile of dirt and began to direct it into the grave. The rest of his brothers followed suit, save George who sank to his knees, tears running down his face. Mr. Weasley hurried towards him even as Mrs. Weasley's knees buckled. Ginny and Fleur grasped her arms and Hermione quickly grabbed the chair the older woman had been sitting in earlier. After Ginny and Fleur had lowered her into it, Ginny knelt beside her mother and wrapped her arms around her.

The guests had begun walking away as George fell to the ground and Hermione was grateful that they had given the family some privacy. Even she, as close to the Weasleys as she was, felt a bit like an outsider during their show of grief. As soon as Bill had finished filling the grave, he wavered and Fleur was instantly at his side. She hugged him and Hermione could see that she was supporting most of his weight. Charlie and Percy were clinging to one another and Mr. Weasley was now sitting on the ground next to George, his arms around his son's shoulders. Hermione made her way towards Ron and Harry. When she reached them, she pulled them into her arms and the three of them cried together.

* * *

Remus and Andromeda had left with the rest of the guests just after Kingsley finished the ceremony. When they reached the Burrow, Andromeda handed Teddy to Remus. Without even being asked, Minerva, Pomona and Poppy followed Andromeda into the Burrow's kitchen and began bringing out the food that Molly had prepared.

"Hagrid, set up those tables, would you?" Minerva directed as the groundskeeper blew his nose noisily into the giant handkerchief he held.

"O' course, Perfesser," he said, wiping at his eyes before shoving the handkerchief in his pocket. He picked up the tables Minerva had indicated and began to place them around the garden. Remus drew his wand to help, but Hagrid shook his head.

"Don' yeh worry abou' it, Remus," Hagrid said. "Yeh jus' tend to the wee one there." Teddy chose that moment to begin to fuss and Remus just shook his head in amusement. He pulled a bottle from the bag in his pocket, warmed it and sat down to feed his son.

As the food was brought out, the guests began to mill about, filling plates and chatting quietly. Remus looked around for Kingsley, hoping to speak with him before he returned to the Ministry. He finally spotted the Minister talking with Xenophilius Lovegood. Shifting Teddy slightly, Remus rose to join the two men.

"Xeno," he greeted. "You're looking well." Truthfully, the man still looked gaunt, but much less haggard than he had when he was first released from Azkaban.

"Thank you," the man replied. He smiled at Teddy, then glanced around nervously. Once he saw Luna, he said his good-byes and hurried towards her.

"Is he all right?" Remus asked with a frown.

"Now that he's got his daughter back, I'm sure he will be," Kingsley replied. "How are you doing?" Remus hated this question. Of course he wasn't doing well, but no one really wanted to hear that, not even Kingsley.

"As well as I can be," he said instead. "I do appreciate that you agreed to perform Dora's service." Kingsley put a hand on Remus' shoulder.

"You don't need to thank me, Remus. I wouldn't have allowed anyone else to do it." Remus swallowed and took a breath. Teddy chose that moment to spit the bottle from his mouth and burp loudly. Kingsley laughed.

"Takes after his mother, I see." Remus chuckled and shifted his son to his shoulder.

"There was something I wanted to ask you," Remus said once Teddy had settled. Kingsley looked at him curiously. "What happened to Greyback?" A look of understanding crossed Kingsley's face.

"He was arrested and taken to Azkaban to await trial," Kingsley said. "There's little doubt he'll be convicted."

"What about-" Remus began but Kingsley held up a hand to stop him.

"He's in a reinforced cell and the guards are aware that he's a werewolf," Kingsley said. "They'll cast extra protective wards on the full moon."

"He's always dangerous, Kingsley, not just during the moon," Remus said in disgust. "Just ask Bill Weasley."

"I'm aware," Kingsley replied. "Which is why he's been put in a reinforced cell, as I said." Remus sighed.

"I'm sorry," he said. Kingsley shook his head.

"Do not apologize," he said. "I completely understand your concern." Remus shifted Teddy again and Kingsley gave the baby a smile. Teddy blinked at him, his hair choosing that moment to shift. Remus could see the slight crack in Kingsley's façade. He and Dora had been partners for a time just after Dora passed her Auror's exam. Remus sometimes forgot that.

"I should probably get back to the Ministry," Kingsley said. "Will you give Molly and Arthur my condolences once again?"

"Of course," Remus said. Before the Minister had taken more than three steps Remus stopped him. "Kingsley, wait." The other man turned around and looked at Remus quizzically.

"What about the Malfoys?" Kingsley glanced around at the crowd before walking back towards Remus.

"What about them?" he asked.

"I know that Lucius is in Azkaban," Remus said. "But what of Narcissa and Draco?" Kingsley sighed.

"They're in holding cells at the Ministry."

"What?" Remus exclaimed.

"They had Voldemort living in their bloody house, Remus," Kingsley said tersely.

"Not by choice, I'm sure," Remus insisted. "You don't think Narcissa actually _wanted_ him there, do you?"

"It doesn't matter what I think," Kingsley began, but Remus interrupted him.

"For Merlin's sake, Kingsley, she doesn't even have the Mark."

"Neither did Umbridge," he retorted. "Do you want me to let _her_ go free?"

"I hardly think Dolores Umbridge would need the Dark Mark on her arm to be convicted," Remus snapped.

"Neither do a dozen other collaborators we've arrested so far," Kingsley said. "Greyback included. The absence of the Mark doesn't prove innocence."

"But, Draco," Remus began but Kingsley interrupted him again.

" _Does_ have the Mark. I can't just release him, Remus."

"He's a boy," Remus said quietly.

"He's a man by every law that counts," Kingsley countered. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his bald head. "I have to do my job, Remus. I kept them out of Azkaban, but that was the best I could do. The conditions in the holding cells aren't anything like Azkaban. They're more than decent, I promise you. And I've fast-tracked their trials to the beginning of next week." Remus sighed.

"I understand." There was a small bit of commotion and Remus looked up to see that the Weasleys had returned from the cemetery.

"I'll just say good-bye to Arthur and Molly," Kingsley said.

"Please let me know when the trials are," Remus said. Kingsley studied him for a moment before nodding.

"I'll have my secretary send you an owl." With that the Minster turned and made his way toward the Weasley family. Remus shifted a now squirming Teddy. He wasn't sure why he was so concerned about the fate of the Malfoys, but something told him that Andromeda would want to know.

* * *

"Remember the time Fred convinced you that there was a mermaid that lived in our pond?" Charlie asked with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, hilarious," Ron said with a scowl.

"I've got to hear this one," Harry said.

"Traitor," Ron muttered to his best friend. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, but Hermione didn't think he was actually angry. They had all been sitting around reminiscing for the past hour and the stories had turned quite funny. Not that that was a surprise, given the twins were involved. George had been smiling for almost a half hour now and no one wanted to change that.

"That's right, I'd forgotten," George said with a laugh. "Fred told him that if he got up at dawn and sang to her she would appear." Hermione began to snicker. When Ron glared at her, she pressed her lips tightly together and patted his hand consolingly.

"He did it for an entire week before Mum finally caught him at it," Percy said with a grin. "He cried when she told him that there was no mermaid." Hermione lost her composure and laughed out loud.

"Some girlfriend you are," Ron pouted. Hermione leaned in and kissed his cheek, still grinning widely.

"What about the time that they put the hiccoughing sweets in Ron's Easter candy?" Ginny asked. She turned to her brother. "You never did figure out that's where they were did you?" The rest of the Weasley brothers began to laugh.

"All right, all right, can we discuss pranks they pulled on someone _other_ than me?" Ron said petulantly.

"But, Ronniekins, there were so many," George quipped. The rest of them laughed again and Hermione was pleased to see a small smile cross Ron's lips.

"I still think the swamp was the best thing the two of you ever did," Angelina said. There were murmurs of agreement amongst the group that had gathered around the Weasley siblings. Most of the older adults had gone home, although Hermione knew that Remus, Mrs. Tonks, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid still sat with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley on the other side of the garden. But their friends and classmates had stayed.

"I don't know, the fireworks were pretty amazing," Neville said. "I heard there was one flying around Umbridge's office for at least a week afterward." There was more laughter and Hermione looked around at everyone with a smile. This was how Fred would have wanted to be remembered, for his pranks and all the fun he had. The thought brought tears to her eyes once again. Ron gave her a concerned look, but she just shook her head and leaned against his shoulder, enjoying the laughter around her.

* * *

Remus smiled as another wave of laughter came from the group of young adults. Molly had been glancing their way every few minutes and now he heard her huff.

"They're getting awfully loud over there," she said.

"Let them be, Molly," Arthur said gently.

"I just don't think this is appropriate," she said quietly. "It's supposed to be a somber occasion."

"I never knew Fred to be somber," Remus said with a smile.

"There's certainly no arguing that point," Minerva agreed. Teddy lay asleep in her arms. Arthur chuckled and even Molly smiled slightly.

"Let them laugh, sweetheart," Arthur said. "It's what Fred would have wanted."

"Oh, you're right, of course, Arthur," she said. Arthur patted her hand and kissed her temple. Molly looked at the group again. "It _is_ nice to see Georgie smiling."

"I'm sure you have a few stories of your own, Molly," Andromeda said. Molly laughed.

"I likely have more stories about those two than the rest of the children combined." She looked over at George wistfully. "Merlin, what those two got up to."

"If it's anything like what they got up to at school, I can only imagine," Minerva said dryly and Remus and Hagrid laughed.

"Did you ever hear about the time they nearly got Ronald to make an Unbreakable Vow?" Molly began.

* * *

Remus tucked Teddy into his cot, looking down at the sleeping boy with a smile. The baby had been passed around amongst all his admirers for nearly the entire afternoon they had been at the Burrow. Remus was surprised that he hadn't been quite cranky by the end of it all, but Teddy seemed to enjoy the attention.

"We shouldn't be surprised," Andromeda had said once they returned home. "Given the spectacle his mother liked to make of herself at times." Remus chuckled remembering all the times Dora had entertained the younger set with her morphing after Order meetings.

Once Teddy was settled, Remus went down to the kitchen. Andromeda was setting down some of the leftovers that Molly had pressed on them before they left.

"I wasn't sure if you were hungry," she said as she cast a few quick warming charms on the food.

"I am a bit, thank you," Remus replied as he sat down and began to fill a plate. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Remus noticed the tears in Andromeda's eyes.

"Andromeda?" he said in concern.

"Oh, don't mind me," she said, dabbing at her eyes with a napkin. "I was just thinking of all the stories Molly and Arthur were telling us." She gave Remus a watery smile. "It is just difficult to realize that I don't have anyone left to share stories with." The food Remus had eaten now felt like a rock in his stomach. He had felt the same way after James and Lily died, as well as after Sirius. After James and Lily, Remus had been truly alone and after Sirius, he had been fighting his feelings for Dora so much, he'd refused any offer of comfort she might have been able to give him. He didn't want Andromeda to go through the same thing.

"I'd like to hear them," he said.

"That's kind of you to say," she said, patting his hand.

"I'm not just saying it. I think," he paused and took a breath. "I think it might help."

"All right," she agreed. "Just a moment." She rose from the table and came back a few minutes later with a photo album. Andromeda flipped through a few pages before she stopped and smiled, turning the album towards Remus. There was a picture of Dora covered in mud from head to toe. She held something in her hand, but Remus couldn't make out what it was. She had a huge grin on her face and her teeth looked startlingly white amidst all the mud.

"This was when she was three," Andromeda began with a fond smile.

* * *

Hermione sat up with a jolt. She quickly glanced at Ginny to see if she had awakened the redhead. Ginny still slept soundly and Hermione sighed in relief. She must not have cried out during her nightmare for once. Knowing she wouldn't get back to sleep right away, Hermione rose from her bed and walked carefully out into the corridor.

She made her way as quietly as possible to the kitchen. When she walked in, she was surprised to see another figure sitting at the table.

"Hermione?" a voice said and Hermione realized it was Charlie. There was a bottle of Firewhiskey in front of him. "Everything all right?"

"Yes, I was just coming down for a glass of water," she said walking closer to him. He studied her for a second.

"Nightmare again, huh?"

"Wh-what?" Charlie smirked.

"You're very easy to read, you know." Hermione huffed. She'd been told that more than once. Charlie picked up his wand from the table and summoned another glass. He poured Hermione a bit of Firewhiskey and she sat down next to him.

She coughed after her first sip. She hadn't had Firewhiskey more than a couple of times and wasn't overly fond of the taste. Charlie chuckled.

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked. Hermione sighed.

"Not really," she said. He nodded and sipped at his glass.

"What are you doing up?" Charlie shrugged.

"Too much on my mind, I suppose."

"Like what?" Hermione took another sip of her whiskey and managed not to cough this time. Charlie didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Wondering if things would have been different if I'd been here." Hermione cocked her head to the side in question. Charlie blew out a breath.

"Maybe I should have come home right after Voldemort came back," he said. "Helped more with the Order or something."

"Not to insult you Charlie, but what could you have done that would have changed the outcome?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"I thought you were recruiting foreign witches and wizards?"

"Well, yeah."

"That's something then, isn't it?"

"It is, Hermione, it's just," he shook his head and blew out a breath.

"Is this some kind of guilt thing?" she asked.

"Bill came back," he retorted. Hermione laughed.

"I think Bill coming back had more to do with a certain blonde than the Order." Charlie chuckled. "Honestly, Charlie, you arriving to the Battle when you did, we definitely wouldn't have won without you."

"That's just it, Hermione," he said with a sigh. "Maybe if I'd been there sooner, maybe then." He had trailed off again and Hermione realized what this was really about. She reached over and took his hand in hers.

"Charlie, even if you had been here, that doesn't mean you could have saved Fred."

"You don't know that," he said sullenly, snatching his hand back.

"No, I don't," she said. "But you don't know that you would have, either. It doesn't do anyone any good to wonder about 'what if'." Charlie picked up his glass and drained it in one go. He poured himself another healthy measure of Firewhiskey and drank that down too. When he reached for the bottle again, Hermione stopped him with a hand to his arm. He glared at her, but let go of the bottle.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hermione taking another small sip of her whiskey. She wasn't sure what made her say it. Maybe it was the fact that she knew Charlie the least of all the Weasley siblings. Maybe it was because she thought he likely already knew, given how close he and Bill were. Or maybe it was because she was just tired of keeping it inside.

"Bellatrix Lestrange tortured me when Harry, Ron and I were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor." She saw Charlie's eyes widen and knew that Bill hadn't told him or at least hadn't told him everything.

"The Cruciatus," Hermione continued. "Trying to get me to admit to something we didn't do."

"Gods, Hermione," Charlie whispered, taking hold of her hand.

"It's what the nightmares are about," she continued softly. She resisted the urge to pull her hand away from him and cover her left forearm. Only the fact that he would immediately question her about it kept her from doing it. She wasn't prepared to share everything.

"I know Mum has some Dreamless Sleep," Charlie said. "Do you want me to fetch it for you?" She shook her head.

"No. I've already taken it twice." She shrugged a shoulder. "You know you can't take it for more than a few nights in a row." Charlie stared at her for a moment and Hermione squirmed under his scrutiny.

"Have you talked to anyone else about this?"

"Just a little bit with Ron," she said. Charlie frowned. "Please, don't say anything to anyone else."

"Hermione, I-" but Hermione shook her head violently.

"I don't want anyone else to know."

"Why not?"

"I just," she sighed. "They all have plenty of other things to worry about than my nightmares." Charlie looked at her skeptically. "Please, Charlie." Charlie sighed and squeezed her hand.

"All right," he finally agreed.

"I should probably get back to bed," Hermione said pulling her hand from Charlie's and rising from her chair. She walked towards the stairs, turning back just before she reached them.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice.

"You're welcome, Hermione," Charlie replied.


	9. Sorrow

**A/N - Thank you for continuing to read, follow, favorite and most of all review! See you next week!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Sorrow**

 **6 May 1998**

Remus lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Teddy had woken a few minutes ago, but Remus had heard Andromeda go into his son's room. He wondered if his mother-in-law had gotten as little sleep as Remus had.

Nightmares, which had been plaguing him nightly since the Battle, weren't the reason for his restlessness the night before. He simply hadn't been able to drift off for more than a few minutes before he woke again, dreading the day ahead.

Today, he would bury his wife.

Even though he'd had no illusions that they would all make it through the war unscathed, there was nothing that could have prepared him for this. Even though she was already gone, had been for days now, he had no idea how he was going to say good-bye to her today.

Remus rolled to his side, staring at Dora's pillow. There was still a slight indentation from where her head had lain. Reaching out a hand, he ran his fingers lightly over it. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine it was her cheek he was stroking and she was smiling up at him.

Sighing, he rolled to his back once again. He could imagine all he wanted, but it wasn't going to change anything that had happened. The longer he laid in bed wishing for things he couldn't have, the worse the day was going to be. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his forearms on his thighs. This was the reality he was going to have to get used to and the sooner he did, the better off for everyone.

At a cry from Teddy, Remus rose and pulled on a shirt and trousers. He should see if Andromeda needed any help. Today was likely going to be worse for her than it was for him, given they were having a joint service for both Ted and Dora. Padding to the door, he purposely ignored the small mirror on the wall. He didn't need to see himself to know that he had dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept in a week. Which was somewhat accurate, if he thought about it.

Andromeda was already in the kitchen when he reached it. She was pulling a bottle from the ice box for Teddy who was squalling much louder than he normally did. Remus took it gently from her hand and warmed it while Andromeda attempted to console her crying grandson. Remus frowned after he had given the bottle to Andromeda and Teddy began to suck it down greedily. His son hadn't slept any longer than usual since his last feeding.

"Something's different this morning," Remus said. Andromeda nodded.

"Likely a growth spurt," she said as she sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. Remus moved into the kitchen to make tea. He was shocked when he brought it to the table and saw that Teddy had nearly finished the bottle. Andromeda chuckled at his expression.

"It's nothing to worry about," she added as Teddy finished. She raised him to her shoulder and began to pat his back. "We'll just need to be sure to have extra bottles around today. He's likely to be hungrier. Although he should sleep more as well."

As if her words had been some kind of spell, Remus saw Teddy's eyelids flutter and then close. Recently, the baby had been staying awake for a bit after a feed. At nearly a month old, Remus was surprised to see him reverting to his newborn behavior. Andromeda laughed again.

"What did I tell you?" she said with a smile. Teddy burped quietly in his sleep.

"I suppose this might work to our advantage today," Remus said. Andromeda's smile immediately slid from her face.

"You might be right about that." Remus, not knowing what to say, busied himself making them both a cup of tea. When he passed Andromeda's to her, he indicated his sleeping son.

"Would you like me to put him down?"

"No, he's fine here." Remus nodded.

"Breakfast?" Andromeda sighed.

"Perhaps just toast." Remus rose from the table to make the toast. When he brought it back to the table, marmalade for her and strawberry jam for him, there were tears in Andromeda's eyes. He reached over and gave her free hand a squeeze. The two of them sipped their tea and nibbled their toast, the only other noise in the room Teddy's steady breathing.

* * *

Hermione came downstairs to a rather quiet Burrow. After her talk with Charlie the night before, she had lain awake for some time and thus had gotten up rather late. George was the only one at the kitchen table when Hermione arrived.

"Good morning," Hermione said as she sat down and reached for the pot of tea on the table.

"Morning," George replied with a half-smile.

"Where is everyone?"

"Dad and Percy had to go in to the Ministry for a few hours. Bill and Fleur went back to Shell Cottage. Fleur says she needs more clothes, but I think they just wanted to be alone for a while." He winked and Hermione laughed. "Charlie, Harry, Ron and Ginny are out flying and Mum's upstairs."

"Didn't fancy a fly this morning?" Hermione asked as she prepared her tea. George shook his head.

"Bit tired," he said. Hermione nodded.

"I understand that."

"Mum's upstairs," he said again. "If you were wanting breakfast."

"Oh, that's all right," she said. "I can make it myself." They sat in somewhat awkward silence for a few minutes. Hermione tried to think of something else to say, but she wasn't sure just what. 'How are you doing' seemed ridiculous. Anyone with eyes could see how George was doing. She didn't want to ask about the shop either. It wouldn't be easy for him if he did decide to reopen it and she had no idea if he was even planning on it.

George didn't seem to know what to say either, simply sipped at his tea and avoided Hermione's eyes. As the silence grew, interrupted only by the noises of sipping tea, Hermione searched her brain for something, anything, to say.

"Are you going to the funeral with us today?" she finally blurted out, then mentally berated herself for bringing it up.

"Planning on it," he replied. She nodded and they fell into silence once more.

"Why do you ask?" he said after a few minutes.

"I don't know, I just thought, maybe," she trailed off unsure what to say.

"Maybe I wouldn't want to go because of Fred?"

"Well, yes." George nodded, but didn't say anything else. "I mean, I didn't know if it would be too difficult or maybe you weren't up to it or-"

"Hermione," George said interrupted her rambling. Her cheeks colored.

"Sorry." She looked down at her tea cup, too embarrassed to meet George's eyes.

"It's all right," he said. "You don't have to, to not talk about things because you're afraid of upsetting me." She glanced up at him. "I have to get used to it sometime, yeah?" Hermione said nothing, but reached out and laid a hand over his. They sat there in silence again, but this time it didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable.

* * *

Remus stepped out of the taxi after paying the driver, then turned to offer Andromeda a hand as she climbed out holding Teddy. Given there was no Floo connection and Teddy was with them, they had resorted to taking a Muggle cab to the cemetery where the service was to be held. The Muggle side of it was quite old and shabby looking. Remus doubted that any Muggles had been buried there for at least a century. There was a wizarding section, however, hidden from Muggle eyes, where he and Andromeda were heading now.

Kingsley was already present when Remus and Andromeda reached the site. Teddy began to protest shortly after Kingsley had greeted them and Remus hurriedly pulled a bottle from his robes and warmed it. Andromeda settled into one of the chairs next to the gravesite and began to feed the baby as quiet pops of Apparition began to echo around them.

Remus was a bit surprised by the size of the crowd. Besides the remaining members of the Order, professors from Hogwarts, the Weasley clan and Harry and Hermione, many of Dora's coworkers, Remus' former students and even a few old schoolmates of Ted's were in attendance. He tried to greet everyone before seating himself next to Andromeda when Kingsley was ready to begin the service.

Teddy fell asleep directly after finishing his latest bottle and remained so throughout the service. Remus could tell that holding Teddy was giving Andromeda a bit of comfort and so he left his boy in her arms, despite how much Remus wanted to hold him himself.

If asked later, Remus wouldn't have been able to say what exactly was said. He knew that Kingsley had spoken of both Dora and Ted and a few others had stepped forward to say a few words about both of them, but Remus' eyes and attention remained fixed on the matching caskets, one of them empty, throughout the service. It wasn't until Kingsley approached Remus and Andromeda that Remus realized everything was over.

The two of them rose and Andromeda passed Teddy off to Molly Weasley for the moment. Walking forward, they laid matching roses on the two caskets. They stepped back and Remus put an arm around Andromeda, then nodded to Kingsley. With the help of a few Order members, the caskets were levitated and lowered into the graves. Andromeda began to cry softly and Remus tightened his arm around her shoulders as the graves were refilled. Even when Andromeda turned her head into his shoulder, no longer able to watch, Remus couldn't pull his eyes away. It was only when the very last of the earth had been replaced that Remus blinked and looked up.

The guests had moved away a bit to give the two of them some privacy, but with no place to gather as there had been yesterday after Fred's funeral, they had lingered. Remus took a breath and squeezed Andromeda's shoulder. She looked up at him and nodded, wiping her tears away with a handkerchief edged in lace. They both turned and made their way toward the crowd that had come to say their own good-byes.

* * *

Hermione could tell that Remus was reaching the end of his tether. He had been walking amongst the guests, accepting condolences for more than half an hour now. While he maintained a small smile on his face, she could see the strain in his eyes. Mrs. Tonks had already abandoned any pretense of visiting with the guests and had retreated to the chair she had been seated in earlier. She was simply staring at the headstones which had already been inscribed and settled into place.

"Ginny," Hermione said. "Give me Teddy for a minute." Ginny, who had just convinced her mother to give the baby up moments before, furrowed her brow at Hermione.

"But I've only just gotten to hold him," she protested.

"I know, but Remus needs him more right now." Ginny glanced at their former teacher who was currently speaking with someone from the Ministry.

"All right," she agreed and passed the baby over. Hermione shifted him a bit, trying to get him to wake as she walked towards Remus. When Teddy remained steadfastly asleep, Hermione ran a finger down his cheek a few times. Teddy cooperated by turning his head towards her finger and searching for what he assumed would be his next meal. When nothing was put into his mouth, he opened it and let out a wail, just as Hermione reached his father.

"Excuse me, sorry," she said to the man Remus was speaking with. "But I think someone might be hungry."

"Of course," the man replied. "My deepest sympathies." With a little bow, the man walked off. Remus turned to Hermione, who was currently trying to comfort the fussing Teddy.

"I didn't expect him to be hungry again so soon," Remus said as he pulled another bottle from his robes. "What Andromeda said about the growth spurt must be true."

"About that," Hermione said sheepishly, her cheeks a bit pink. Remus looked at her quizzically as he warmed the bottle. "I may have, sort of, woken him up on purpose." The bottle warmed, Remus reached for his son and Hermione passed him over.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked once Teddy was happily eating.

"I just thought that you needed, erm, might want…a break." Remus stared at her for a few moments and she bit her lip hoping he wasn't angry with her.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said quietly a few moments later. She blushed deeper.

"You're welcome," she said. Remus looked over to where his mother-in-law was sitting.

"I think I'll go and join Andromeda." She nodded.

"Would you like us to let everyone that's still here know that you're grateful they came?"

"I would very much appreciate that."

"Will I see you at Hogwarts later this week?"

"It's entirely possible."

"I really am very sorry, Remus," Hermione said, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Tonks was a wonderful person."

"That she was," Remus agreed, his voice catching a little. He cleared his throat. "And thank you." She squeezed his arm and placed a kiss on Teddy's forehead before she walked back to the group of Weasleys. Remus watched her go before he made his way back to Andromeda.

* * *

Hermione arrived in yet another cemetery and sighed deeply. Ron appeared a few seconds later, followed shortly by Harry and Ginny. The four of them looked at each other sadly before Harry and Ginny moved forward towards the small crowd that had gathered a few dozen feet away. Hermione made to follow them but stopped when she realized that Ron wasn't next to her.

"Ron?" she questioned as she turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Should I even be here, Hermione?" he asked, looking down at the ground.

"Why wouldn't you be?"

"Lavender and I weren't exactly on the best of terms the last time I saw her. What if she said something to her mum?"

"I doubt her mother is going to be thinking about that right now," Hermione said quietly.

"No, I know, it's just," he ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I don't want to make things worse."

"I don't think that's going to happen." She took his hand and tugged it a little. "Come on." Ron dutifully followed her, even if he was still a bit reluctant. When they reached the rest of the guests, Hermione saw that all the Gryffindor seventh years, along with many of the D.A. members, were in attendance. She stepped towards Parvati.

"Parvati," she greeted. Her former roommate looked at her with red-rimmed eyes before she nearly threw herself into Hermione's arms. Hermione, though she had never been close to either Lavender or Parvati during their time at school, felt her eyes fill and hugged the other girl tightly. "I'm so sorry."

She wasn't sure how long they stood that way, but Parvati finally pulled away from her, wiping at her eyes. Hermione looked at her in worriedly. She kept a hand on Parvati's arm, concerned that the other woman would fall over otherwise. It wasn't until Padma stepped up beside her sister that Hermione let her go.

"Sorry, Hermione," Parvati whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"There's nothing to apologize for."

"Come on, Vati," Padma said. "Mrs. Brown wants you to sit by her." Padma gave Hermione a small smile and gently led her sister away. Hermione swiped at her cheeks before turning to look for Ron and Harry.

They were standing with Dean and Seamus, talking quietly. Neville, Luna and Ginny stood a couple of feet away having their own conversation. Hermione walked up next to Ron and took his hand. He looked down at her in concern.

"All right?" She nodded.

"I've just seen Parvati." Ron made a noise of understanding and gave Hermione's hand a squeeze.

The service was difficult for Hermione, although she couldn't really say why. Maybe it was all the funerals she had attended in the last few days or maybe it was guilt over the jealousy that had plagued her and Lavender sixth year. They'd never had a close relationship by any means, but once Lavender and Ron had started dating, it was nonexistent. Hermione was still ashamed of how petty she had been at times. Regardless of the reason, she found herself clinging to Ron's hand much more tightly than she had over the last couple of days.

When it was over, she gave her condolences to Lavender's parents, hugged Parvati one more time and then looked for Ron, Harry and Ginny. Hermione just wanted to go back to the Burrow and crawl into her bed.

"Miss Granger," a voice behind her said and Hermione turned to see Professor McGonagall. The professor had been to every funeral, as far as Hermione knew. She looked…worn out for lack of a better phrase.

"Where are Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley?" the professor continued.

"They're over there talking with Neville, Luna and Ginny."

"Ah, I need to speak with them as well." Hermione gave the older witch a questioning look, but the professor ignored her and made her way towards Harry and Ron. Hermione followed.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said. Professor McGonagall nodded in greeting.

"I was hoping to speak with all of you," she said to the small group. She looked around quickly and then cast a Muffliato around all of them. Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I would like to have a small service tomorrow afternoon," the professor began, "on the castle grounds."

"What kind of service?" Harry asked.

"For Professor Snape." Hermione saw Neville's hands immediately tighten into fists and Ginny's mouth narrow into a thin line. Professor McGonagall obviously noticed it too, for she held up a hand before either of them could protest.

"I am aware of how you feel and I do not blame you, but I do hope that the new information which Mr. Potter uncovered might help temper your anger." She looked at the six of them. "However, I do understand if you cannot bring yourselves to attend. I ask that you keep it to yourselves, regardless. I do not wish this to turn into a circus. Four o'clock." The professor turned away from them then and made her towards Mr. and Mrs. Brown.

"Well, I'll be there," Harry said and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, all right," Ron said.

"I don't know if I can," Neville said, his hands still fisted at his sides. "You don't, you weren't there, Harry."

"Ginny?" Harry questioned. She turned on him in a fury.

"He let a first year get chained up and when Michael Corner rescued him, Snape let the Carrows torture Michael! It was, it was bad, Harry."

"Professor Snape did let us go into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid," Luna said. "That was nice of him."

"It was detention, Luna," Ginny said in exasperation.

"Oh, I know, but it was still considerate of him, don't you think?" Neither Neville nor Ginny responded, but Hermione saw some of the tension leave Neville's face. He looked fondly at Luna before he spoke again.

"I don't know, Harry," Neville said with a sigh. "I mean, I understand he didn't actually kill Professor Dumbledore and he was on our side the whole time, but still." Neville shook his head.

"It's okay, Neville, I understand."

"Well, I'm not going," Ginny announced, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mum probably won't let me out of her sight again, anyway." Harry put a hand to the small of her back and Hermione saw Ginny shift closer to him. Hermione glanced at Ron from the corner of her eye, but he seemed oblivious. When the silence became a bit awkward, Hermione turned to Ron.

"Can we go home?" Ron smiled.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Andromeda?" Remus said quietly. His mother-in-law started for a moment, then looked at him with slightly glazed eyes. She had been sitting in the garden since they had returned from the funeral and seemed unaware that the sun was starting to go down.

"Come inside and eat something," Remus coaxed. He had put together a small supper after putting Teddy down.

"I'm fine," she said. Remus crouched down in front of her.

"You're not," he insisted gently. "You haven't eaten anything since the toast this morning."

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

"Neither am I, particularly, but we still need to eat." She stared at him for a few moments before she finally nodded. He stood and held a hand out to her. She rose from the chair she had been sitting in and wobbled slightly. Remus tucked her hand into his arm and led her to the house.

He settled her at the table and then turned back to the kitchen, bringing out the small salads he had put together with the leftover chicken from the night before. They ate in silence, but Remus watched to be sure that Andromeda did more than just move her food around on her plate. He had been quite worried about her this afternoon when she refused anything but a glass of water. She hadn't even seemed to want to hold Teddy, which was highly unusual.

"You don't have to watch me so closely, Remus," she said a few minutes later. "I promise you that I am not going to starve myself." Remus colored slightly, unaware his observation had been so evident. "I just needed a bit of time, this evening."

"I understand," Remus replied. Andromeda wiped at her mouth delicately with her napkin.

"I saw you speaking with Minerva today," she said. "I presume you're returning to Hogwarts tomorrow?"

"I will, for a short time in the afternoon at least," Remus replied. "I hadn't decided about the rest of the day." Andromeda looked at him questioningly.

"Minerva is having a small service for Severus in the late afternoon," Remus explained. "I told her I would attend, but I haven't decided about helping with the repairs just yet."

"Please don't feel as if you need to stay home because of me," she said. "Teddy and I will be fine."

Remus said nothing. He wasn't sure why he was hesitating. It would be better if he kept busy, but the castle brought up all kinds of memories that he didn't want to dwell on and not only of his wife. Sitting around the house, however, would likely be worse for him.

"I'll decide in the morning," he finally said. Andromeda nodded and stood to carry the plates to the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione rose from her bed and padded quietly to the door. Ginny had shifted and mumbled in her sleep when Hermione had awoken from another dream, but the redhead hadn't completely come awake. Hermione was going to have to start casting a Muffliato around herself or something if the dreams kept up.

She crept downstairs, intending to go into the kitchen to get something to drink, but a sound in the living room caught her attention. She pulled her wand from the pocket of her pajama pants and crept closer to the doorway. She saw a familiar head of messy hair.

"Harry?" she whispered so as not to startle him. Harry's head whipped up towards her, his wand rising at the same time. "It's me, Harry."

"Hermione," he said on a blown-out breath. "Sorry."

"It's all right. I'm the one that was sneaking up on you in the dark, after all," she said wryly as she sat down next to him. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, I," he shook his head, then turned away from her slightly.

"Harry," she said, laying a hand on his arm. She shifted to try and get him to look at her and noticed the tear tracks on his cheeks. "Oh, Harry."

"I'm fine," he insisted, trying to pull away from her.

"Don't be daft," she said and pulled her best friend towards her, hugging him tightly. She felt his shoulders begin to shake as he buried his face in her hair.

"Too many, Hermione," he mumbled as he cried. "Too many."

"Too many what, Harry?" she asked.

"Too many people," he whispered.

"I know, Harry, I know." She rubbed his back, feeling her own tears begin at the thought of everyone they had lost during the war.

"No, Hermione, that's not," he shook his head and pulled away from her, swiping at his eyes with his arm. He blew out a breath. "Too many people died for me." She stared at him incredulously for a minute. When she didn't respond, Harry continued to speak.

"I didn't want that, I didn't, I," he paused again. "I didn't want anyone else to die, not for me." He looked up at her, chin quivering a bit.

"Harry James Potter have you gone completely mental?" Hermione demanded. He looked at her in confusion. "You honestly think that all of those people died for _you_?"

"Well, I-" but Hermione spoke over him.

"Did you ever think that all of those people were fighting for what they believed it, for what was _right?_ "

"I know that, Hermione, but-"

"No, Harry, stop it right now. No one died for you, they died to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters. This isn't all about you."

"That's not what I meant, Hermione," Harry insisted.

"What did you mean then?"

"It's just, Voldemort went after me because of that prophecy, if he hadn't then," Harry trailed off obviously realizing the holes in his argument.

"If he hadn't, then there still would have been a war. There already was one before you were even born, Harry. Voldemort's beliefs about blood purity and Muggles didn't change because of a prophecy. They already existed."

"My mum and dad died for me," Harry muttered, somewhat petulantly. Hermione sighed.

"They did, you're right about that, but I think most parents would do that for their children. But everyone else that died, Harry, they didn't die for you directly. If someone else had been 'The Chosen One', they still would have fought." She paused and smirked slightly. "You're not as special as you think you are." Harry glanced at her, then snorted when he realized she was teasing him.

"Okay, so I sound like a complete tosser," he said, raking a hand through his hair. "That's not what I meant though."

"I know what you meant," Hermione said. "But what I said stands. People would have died, regardless. You have to stop blaming yourself." Harry was quiet for a minute, looking down at his hands which were clenched in his lap.

"How can I, Hermione?" he whispered. "How can I look Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the eye and not feel guilty? Or Remus and Mrs. Tonks. How can I talk to my godson someday about his mother and not feel guilty?"

"Because you're not the one that killed them," Hermione said firmly. "You didn't start this war, it began long before you were even born. You didn't ask Voldemort to try and kill you when you were a baby. You didn't force his Death Eaters to follow him. None of that is your fault, Harry."

"Sirius," Harry began, but Hermione shook her head violently.

"Kreacher tricked you and Sirius made his own choices." Harry sighed heavily.

"I know you're right, Hermione, I do, it's just," he trailed off.

"It's just that you have that responsibility thing," she said in amusement. Harry smiled sheepishly and shrugged. He leaned back against the couch and sighed. Hermione scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why are you down here?" Harry asked after a few minutes of silence. Hermione shrugged. Harry pulled away from her slightly and she looked up at him. "Nightmare again?"

"Yeah," she said quietly.

"How often has that been happening?" Harry asked in concern. She shrugged again. "Hermione."

"Almost every night since we came back to the Burrow," she finally mumbled. Harry's arm tightened around her shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"What could you have done?"

"I don't know," Harry muttered. "Something." Hermione laughed.

"Even you, oh Savior of the Wizarding World, cannot prevent my nightmares." Harry was quiet for a moment.

"What are they about?" he asked quietly.

"Bellatrix," Hermione whispered. Harry's arm tightened again. Hermione stared at the empty fireplace. "Sometimes it's me she's torturing and sometimes it's someone else."

"Hermione," Harry said, his voice pained.

"Don't start that, Harry," she said. "This wasn't your fault either." She rubbed her forearm absently.

"If I hadn't said his name," Harry protested.

"One of us was bound to say it at some point," she argued. "Besides, if everything hadn't happened the way it did, you wouldn't have disarmed Malfoy and you might not have defeated Voldemort in the end."

"Maybe," he sighed. Hermione didn't reply. She knew she wasn't likely to change Harry's mind about everything tonight. It was going to take time for him to come to terms with it all and stop blaming himself.

"I told Kingsley I want to speak at his trial," Harry said. "Malfoy's and his mother's." Hermione sat up.

"Really?"

"Mrs. Malfoy told Voldemort that I was dead," Harry said. "If she hadn't, who knows what would have happened. I know she did it because she wanted to try and get to Malfoy, er, Draco, but that doesn't really matter."

"And Draco?"

"He could have easily identified us at Malfoy Manor, but he didn't. I don't think he tried too hard to keep me from disarming him either."

"Have you told Ron this?" Harry snorted.

"What do you think?"

"He's going to be upset."

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Will you be upset?" Hermione thought about it for a moment.

"Malfoy was horrible to me our whole time at school," she said. "It's not as if there's any love lost between the two of us. But even I could see he was in over his head sixth year. I don't think that he wanted any of this anymore than the rest of us did. A war shouldn't be fought by children."

"And if my child was in the castle during a battle and I had no idea what had happened to him, I think I'd do just about anything to find out," Hermione continued. "So, no, I'm not upset. You have to do what you think is right, Harry."

"Think you can help me convince Ron of that?"

"Ron will come around," Hermione said. "He always does."

"Eventually."

"Eventually," Hermione agreed. She snuggled back into Harry's side and the two of them sat in companionable silence until they both fell asleep.


	10. Guilt

**A/N - Hello everyone! This chapter go away from me, I didn't get as far as I intended. Hermione and Ron apparently had a lot to say. So we're back to Hogwarts in the next chapter. Thanks so much for the reviews last chapter and to all that are reading, following and favoriting!**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Guilt**

 **7 May 1998**

Hermione burrowed closer to the warmth next to her, twitching her shoulder to try and get rid of whatever was poking her. Her nose wrinkled and her lips pursed as she was poked again.

"Hermione," a voice said. She opened her eyes reluctantly, yawning widely.

"What, Ron?" she mumbled once she realized who it was that had awoken her.

"What are you doing down here?"

"What?" she asked sleepily. She blinked a few times and looked up at Ron in confusion.

"What are the two of you doing down here, Hermione?"

"The two of us," she paused and looked next to her just as Harry opened his eyes. "Oh!"

"G'morning," Harry said around a yawn.

"Morning, Harry," Ron said. Harry's eyes widened and he sat bolt upright, jostling Hermione.

"Ron, this isn't, I mean, we didn't," he trailed off as Ron stood in front of the two of them with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, honestly," Hermione said rolling her eyes. She pushed herself off the couch and pecked Ron on the cheek. "Ron doesn't think anything happened between us, do you?" Hermione saw the amusement in his eyes, but she didn't think Harry noticed.

"I don't know, I find you sleeping on the couch with my girlfriend, Harry, looking awfully cozy." Harry's face turned bright red.

"Ron, I-"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," Hermione huffed. "Ron's taking the mickey, Harry. He knows nothing happened." Harry glanced up at Ron who couldn't help the twitch of his lips.

"Git," Harry muttered. He scrubbed his hand down his face before standing from the couch. "I need breakfast."

"You're so mean," Hermione said to Ron once Harry had left the room, but she was smiling when she said it.

"Why _were_ you both down here, anyway?" Ron asked.

"Harry was upset," she said. "Feeling guilty about everything. I stayed to talk to him and we must have fallen asleep."

"What about you though?"

"What about me?"

"You still haven't said how you ended up in the living room."

"Oh," Hermione said hesitating for a moment. "Well, I came down for some water and I heard Harry in here."

"You came all the way downstairs for water that you could have gotten from the loo or your wand?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes?" Ron sighed.

"Hermione."

"I did come down for water," she insisted. "But…it was because I had another nightmare." Ron swore under his breath.

"The same nightmare?"

"Yes." Hermione saw the muscle in his jaw clench.

"Did you talk to Harry about it?"

"Yes," Hermione replied unsure why he was asking. His hands balled into fists.

"Why didn't you come to me instead of Harry?"

"I didn't come to Harry, Ron," she said in exasperation. "I came downstairs and Harry was already here."

"But you still talked to him about it."

"He guessed," she said with a shrug. Ron sighed and she saw his hands relax. He moved towards her and gripped her upper arms lightly.

"Why didn't you come to me, Hermione?"

"Because you were asleep," she said. "I didn't want to wake you. I had no idea Harry would be down here."

"I don't care if I'm asleep," Ron said. "You should wake me."

"What good would it do?" Hermione asked, throwing her hands up in irritation. "It's not going to stop them coming."

"But I want to help you."

"Ron, you can't," she insisted. He let go of her arms.

"But Harry can, right?"

"You're being ridiculous."

"Am I, Hermione?" He crossed his arms again and stared at her. "Are you telling me that if you'd come down here and no one was here, you would have gotten your water and then gone back to sleep with no problem?"

"I don't know," she said a bit petulantly.

"Or was it that you talked to Harry and then fell asleep with him?"

"Nothing happened, Ron, we told you that!"

"I know that nothing like _that_ happened, Hermione, that's not the point!"

"Then what _is_ the point?"

"The point is that you can't tell me about your nightmares, but you can tell Harry."

"Harry is my _best friend_!"

"And I'm your _boyfriend_!" They both fell silent, glaring at each other. Hermione couldn't say who was angrier. Ron was being completely unreasonable. It wasn't her fault that Harry had been awake when she came downstairs. She hadn't offered up any information until Harry had figured it out. She crossed her arms in front of her.

"You're being ridiculous, Ron," she said. "This wasn't some purposeful attempt to keep you in the dark about my nightmares."

"Are you sure about that?" Ron demanded.

"You're impossible," Hermione snapped. "I'm going upstairs to get dressed."

* * *

Hermione slammed the door of Ginny's room behind her once she determined that the redhead was already up. Hermione threw herself down on her camp bed and huffed angrily. Ron could be so infuriating. Why did it matter who she talked to her nightmares about or if she talked to anyone at all? It's not as if that would prevent them from happening. Flopping over onto her stomach, Hermione buried her face in her pillow and screamed in frustration.

"Well, I was going to ask you if you were all right, but I guess you answered that question." Hermione quickly turned over and saw Ginny standing in the doorway. The younger girl came into the bedroom and shut the door. "I heard your row." Hermione groaned and fell back into her bed.

"Did everyone hear?"

"Well, Dad and Percy are already at the Ministry and Charlie was outside flying, so not _everyone_." Hermione threw an arm over her eyes as her face heated.

"Oh, wonderful." Ginny laughed. Hermione grabbed her pillow and threw it at her friend.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Ginny said as she picked the pillow up off the floor. Hermione was a terrible shot. "It's not like we haven't heard our share of shouting around here." She sat down on the edge of her bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Hermione replied. "But since you heard everything, I suppose we might as well." Ginny waited for Hermione to continue. "Your brother is a complete prat sometimes."

"No argument here," Ginny said with a laugh. She fell silent and Hermione looked up at her. She could tell by the look on the younger witch's face that there was more she wanted to say.

"But," Hermione prompted.

"Well, I sort of understand where he's coming from." Hermione looked at her quizzically. Ginny sighed.

"Look, Hermione, you know that Ron's always been a bit insecure. He doesn't feel like he stands out amongst the rest of us for whatever reasons he dreams up in his head."

"Well, yes, but I'm not sure what that has to do with this situation."

"Ron likes to be needed," Ginny continued. "It makes him feel like he has, I don't know, a purpose I guess. You know how strategic he is; he likes to solve problems."

"This isn't a problem he can solve, Ginny," Hermione said with a shake of her head.

"I know that," Ginny replied. "And he probably does too. But that doesn't mean you can't talk to him about it." Hermione picked at a loose thread on the blanket that covered her bed. "Unless you don't _want_ to talk to him about it." Hermione's silence was enough of an answer.

"You don't want to talk about the nightmares at all or you don't want to talk to Ron about them?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione mumbled.

"If it's the former, I completely understand, but if it's the latter, Hermione, you've got a different kind of problem all together."

"It's not that I don't want to talk to Ron about them, it's just," she trailed off looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Just what?"

"I'm not sure, Gin, I just get the feeling that he doesn't really want to know."

"What makes you think that?"

"He gets really angry whenever he finds out I've had a nightmare," Hermione began.

"You can't think he's angry with you," Ginny protested.

"No, but, he can't bring himself to even look at-" Hermione stopped short, realizing she had never told Ginny about what Bellatrix had done to her. Ginny's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Look at what?" Hermione bit her lip. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep the word carved into her arm a secret forever. It was getting warmer every day and soon long sleeves wouldn't be practical. Glamour charms, while effective, didn't always go unnoticed. Hermione took a deep breath.

"I need to show you something, but you have to swear to me that you won't tell anyone else," Hermione said.

"I promise," Ginny said. Hermione pulled up her left sleeve. She heard Ginny gasp, but couldn't look at her friend.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered. Hermione flinched as she felt Ginny's fingertips run over the letters carved into her skin. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore," Hermione said.

"When did this happen?" Ginny's voice was laced with anger.

"At Malfoy Manor," Hermione said pulling her sleeve back down. "It was Bellatrix. She tortured me when she found out we had the sword of Gryffindor. It was supposed to be in her vault." Hermione wasn't sure how much Harry had told Ginny about the Horcrux hunt and what had happened to them those months on the run.

"And Dobby saved you," Ginny said. Well, she clearly knew quite a bit. Hermione nodded.

"Bellatrix did this with a cursed blade," Hermione said. "Bill and Fleur tried everything they could think of, but nothing worked. I asked Madame Pomfrey about it as well and she said that it might fade a bit as it healed, but it will never completely go away."

"Who else knows about this?"

"Just Harry and Ron," Hermione said. "Well and the Malfoys, I guess." Ginny's mouth hardened into a thin line.

"So this is what your nightmares are about?"

"Mostly," Hermione confirmed. "Sometimes she's torturing someone else."

"I think you need to talk to Ron."

"Like I said, Ginny, he can't even bring himself to look at my arm, let alone talk about it. He always just makes some vague reference to 'what happened at the Manor'. How am I supposed to talk to him about it?"

"Did you ever think that he has a hard time talking about it because he feels guilty?" Hermione huffed and stood, beginning to pace about the small room.

"Of course, I have!" she exclaimed throwing her hands up in frustration. "But there was nothing he could have done. They locked him and Harry in the dungeons!"

"I'm sure that he knows in his head that he couldn't have done anything, but Hermione, he loves you. He's going to-" but Hermione interrupted.

"Wait, what?"

"I said I'm sure he knows that he couldn't have done-"

"No, not that part." Ginny looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened.

"Um, nothing, I didn't say, I mean, nothing."

"No, you said, you said," Hermione paused and swallowed. "You said, he loves me."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I," Ginny dropped her head into her hands and groaned. Hermione, who had stopped her pacing as soon as she heard Ginny's words, sat down wordlessly on her bed.

"He told you that?" Hermione whispered. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No, but it's not all that hard to figure out. He's been in love with you since fourth year."

"He has not!"

"Of course, he has," Ginny said matter-of-factly. "He might not have admitted it, but it was obvious to everyone else." Hermione sat in silent shock. Ginny frowned.

"Listen, Hermione, please don't say anything to him about this," Ginny begged. "He should tell you in his own time, when he's ready."

"Of course," Hermione said. "I won't say anything."

"I still think you should talk to him about the nightmares, though." Hermione nodded absently and Ginny stared at her for a few more seconds before standing from her bed. "I'm going to get breakfast. You coming?"

"In a minute," Hermione said. She waited until Ginny had left the room and then let a secret smile play about her lips.

* * *

Remus stood in the kitchen looking out the window over the sink. It faced the street and there was a woman pushing a pram down the pavement, while a small child rode a tricycle in front of her. She called out to the little boy every so often when he got too far ahead of her. He would stop and wait patiently until his mother caught up and then pedal away as fast as he could. Remus couldn't stop the twitch of his lips as he saw the exasperated look on the young woman's face. At least the child listened to her when she bade him to stop.

The smile turned slowly to a frown as he imagined Dora in the woman's place and Teddy as the boy on the tricycle. Sighing, he turned from the window, going back to tidying up the kitchen. He had decided that he would go to Hogwarts this morning and stay until the service for Severus. Minerva likely needed all the help she could get.

Remus, while definitely preoccupied during Dora's funeral, had not failed to notice the hint of fatigue that hung over the acting Headmistress. He had no doubt that she was running herself into the ground. He hoped that he could convince her to rest today or at least delegate more than she had been. It would do none of them any good if she collapsed in sheer exhaustion.

"Say good morning to your father, Teddy," Andromeda said and Remus looked up with a smile. Teddy was wide awake, his small arms waving about in the air. Remus chuckled at Teddy's look of surprise after he accidentally hit himself on the chin with his own fist.

"Well, good morning, little man," Remus said as he gently took his son from his grandmother's arms. "Had your breakfast already then, have you?"

"Yes, he has," Andromeda replied as she made herself a cup of tea. "I thought I'd let you have a bit of time with him before you left. Then he'll have a bath and likely be ready for a nap after."

"Sounds like a busy morning you've got for yourself," Remus said to Teddy. Remus sat down at the table and propped Teddy's bum on the table's edge. Remus' arms were behind the boy, his hands cradling Teddy's head while the baby still remained a bit upright. Teddy had gotten quite a bit stronger in the last week or so and could nearly hold his head up on his own.

"A month old tomorrow, can you believe it?" Andromeda asked as she sipped her tea.

"No, actually," Remus said. It took quite a bit of effort to keep the melancholy at bay.

"Soon he'll be smiling and babbling away at us, won't you sweetheart?" She fell silent and the two adults exchanged a glance, likely thinking the same thing. Remus pulled in a breath, giving Teddy a deliberate smile. Andromeda put a hand on Remus' shoulder and gave it a squeeze before she turned back to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.

"I think we're going to go for a walk in the garden," Remus said.

"There's a blanket on the table there by the door," Andromeda said from the kitchen. Remus rose and settled Teddy into the crook of his arm before picking up the blanket and draping it over his son. He cast a warming charm for good measure.

They walked through the garden, Remus naming things as they went. Teddy, while he couldn't see anything clearly just yet, still blinked in the morning sun and would flail his arms every so often. They ended up near the old oak tree in the back of the garden and Remus sat down on the swing, moving Teddy so he rested on Remus' legs. Remus looked down at him and smiled. Teddy seemed to focus on his face for a few seconds and his body stilled. It was almost as if he was contemplating his father's face. Remus chuckled and began pushing the swing back and forth gently with his foot. He kept up a running stream of one-sided conversation with the boy, until Teddy's eyelids began to droop.

"Your grandmother might be cross with me if I put you to sleep," Remus said. "She wanted to give you a bath." Teddy's response was a sleepy blink and a yawn. Remus smiled and watched him settle into slumber, completely trusting that his father would keep him safe. A sudden wave of emotion came over Remus and he gently shifted Teddy to his shoulder. Teddy burrowed into his neck and Remus had to stop himself from hugging the boy too hard. Remus cupped the back of Teddy's head with his hand and a strangled sob managed to escape.

"I will protect you, always," Remus whispered fiercely as he let his little boy's even breaths soothe him.

* * *

Hermione made her way to the kitchen, her stomach protesting at the long wait. Ginny and Harry were still at the table when she came in, but Ron was nowhere to be seen.

"Good morning, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she bustled to the table with a platter of eggs and bacon.

"Good morning, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied, her cheeks pinkening as she remembered that Ron's mother had heard their row earlier. For her part, the older witch didn't even mention it, just levitated a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a bowl of fruit to the table.

"Tuck in, all of you," she said before she returned to the kitchen. Hermione slid into the seat across from Harry and put a spoonful of fruit on her plate.

"All right, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Fine, Harry," she said as Harry passed her the eggs. "Where's Ron?"

"He's in his room," Ginny said. "He'd already eaten before he woke you and Harry." Hermione nodded and ate a few bites of her breakfast.

"When are we leaving for Hogwarts?" she asked.

"'Bout an hour," Harry said.

"Are you coming with us today, Ginny?" Ginny brightened at the question.

"Yes, actually. Charlie told Mum he'd stay with George so she's letting me go with you lot. Reluctantly, of course," Ginny snorted. "But at least she didn't say no."

They spent the next few minutes eating and discussing the plans of the rest of the family. Mr. Weasley and Percy were spending the day at the Ministry again.

"Bill and Fleur are coming to Hogwarts later," Ginny said. The couple had gone back to Shell Cottage the night before over Mrs. Weasley's protests. Charlie had moved out of the living room and back into his old room. "Charlie said he's going to try and get George to go and check out the shop, since it's been shut down since Easter when we all moved to Aunt Muriel's."

"Do you think he will?" Hermione asked. "George, I mean." Ginny shrugged.

"I hope so." They all fell silent. Hermione looked down at her mostly empty plate and realized that she shouldn't delay talking to Ron any longer. She stood and carried her plate to the kitchen where she was shooed away by Mrs. Weasley when Hermione tried to wash her dishes.

"No, you just go and get yourself ready for the day, dear. I'll talk care of those." Hermione sighed and made her way up the stairs to Ron's room.

"Ron?" she called as she knocked quietly on his door. "May I come in?"

"Yeah," he called back, somewhat sullenly it sounded to her. She opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Ron was lying on his bed, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. Hermione bit her lip and sat down on the edge of Harry's camp bed.

"We should talk."

"About what?" Hermione sighed.

"Please don't be like this, Ron. You know what about." He blinked at the ceiling.

"Fine, talk," he said. Hermione took a breath, remembering what Ginny had said.

"I'm sorry that I didn't wake you when I had a nightmare," she said. "I honestly was just coming downstairs to get some water and calm down. I didn't expect anyone to be up." Ron said nothing and Hermione sighed again. If he was just going to pout, she shouldn't even bother. Before she could stand, however, Ron spoke quietly.

"I want to help you, Hermione."

"I know that you do and if there was a way you could, I'd let you."

"Would you?" he challenged.

"Of course I would, why would you ask that?" He sat up and stared at her.

"Because you're very good at not needing anyone's help."

"Ron, that's ridiculous, I-" but he held up a hand to stop her.

"You are." She glared at him, but he didn't break eye contact with her.

"You are, Hermione," he said again. "You'd rather do everything yourself than rely on anyone else." She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. He wasn't _wrong,_ exactly.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing and we all know you're wicked smart and probably _can_ do most things better than anyone else." She colored slightly at his words. "But the point is, Hermione, you don't _have_ to."

"I know that I don't," she insisted.

"Do you though?"

"Yes."

"All right, let me ask you this then. If Harry hadn't been in the living room and hadn't forced you to talk about the nightmares, would you have told anyone?"

"I-" Hermione bit her lip and looked down at her lap.

"Thought so."

"But, Ron, there isn't anything you can do to stop me from having a nightmare."

"You're probably right about that, but I can at least try and comfort you _after_ you have one." He shrugged. "Maybe that will help them not happen so often."

"Maybe," Hermione hedged. Ron took one of her hands in his.

"Look, I know I'm going through my own stuff with, with Fred and everything, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to help you."

"I never thought that," she insisted. "But-"

"But what?" he prodded when she didn't continue.

"Why can't you talk about what happened to me?" He leaned away from her a bit.

"What do you mean? I've talked about it." Hermione shook her head.

"No, you've alluded to it and hinted at it, but you can't even say Malfoy Manor." He flinched. "Let alone talk about Bellatrix." Ron rose abruptly, dropping her hand in the process. He began to pace. "See, this is what I mean. If you can't talk about it, Ron, how do you expect me to confide in you? It's what the nightmares are about." He stopped and turned towards her. His face was red with anger and his hands were clenched into fists. Hermione bit her lip again.

"Are you," she swallowed thickly, "are you angry with me?" Ron's mouth dropped open in shock.

"No!" he exclaimed. "Why would you think that?"

"Look at you!"

"I'm not angry with _you_ , Hermione." He forced his fists open and raked a hand through his hair. "Gods, of course I'm not angry with you. It's her and them and, and me."

"You? Why are you angry with yourself?"

"Because I couldn't stop it!" he yelled. "I had to listen to you screaming and crying and begging and there was nothing I could do! I, I let you get hurt and, and, I," Hermione stood and walked towards him, pulling him into her arms.

"It wasn't your fault, Ron," she said in a whisper. "There wasn't anything you could have done. They locked you in a dungeon and you didn't have a wand. You couldn't-" but Ron was shaking his head and pulling away from her.

"No, Harry, Harry got Dobby there and instead of having Dobby get us out so we could get to you, we let him take everyone else first. We should have sent him to you first, Hermione."

"Ron, that wouldn't have worked. If Dobby had taken you and Harry upstairs, you would have been bound in seconds. Or worse, killed. There's no guarantee Dobby could have gotten me away from Bellatrix if you'd sent him alone. The way it all happened is the only way it would have worked." Ron was still shaking his head. Hermione put a hand on either side of his face and forced him to look at her. She then dropped her hands and yanked up her sleeve.

"This was not your fault," she said pointing to the slur on her arm. "It wasn't Harry's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but Bellatrix's. You have to stop blaming yourself." Ron tried to close his eyes and look away from her. "No, look at it. This is not going to go away, it's going to be here forever. Can you handle that?" Ron stared at her for a few moments. Then he gently grasped her arm and traced his fingers over the scar. There were tears in his eyes when he looked back at her.

"Can you?" he asked hoarsely. At her questioning look, he continued. "Can you handle having this here forever, knowing that I couldn't help you? Can you forgive me for that Hermione?" She stepped closer to him and wrapped her free arm around his waist.

"No," she said and Ron's face fell. "I won't forgive you because there is nothing, _absolutely nothing_ , to forgive you for. I don't blame you for anything that happened to me at Malfoy Manor, Ron. Please, please believe that." He let go of her arm and pulled her more tightly to him.

"I do, Hermione."

"Then can you forgive yourself?" He blew out a breath and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'll try."

"I suppose that's all I can ask for now."

"But I need you to do something for me too." Ron stepped back slightly from her and took hold of her upper arms.

"What?"

"I need you to lean on me, just a little bit," he pleaded. "I want to help you, Hermione." It was Hermione's turn to exhale.

"All right," she agreed. "I'll try." Ron smiled and bent down to softly kiss her. When he released her, he hugged her tightly once more.

"Suppose we should get ready to head to Hogwarts."

"We should," she agreed, but neither of them made any attempt to move. Hermione could feel Ron's heart beating under her cheek. After a few moments of silence, Hermione cleared her throat. "Last night, I dreamed Bellatrix was torturing you." She felt Ron's arms tighten around her. "She kept casting the Cruciatus even though I begged her to stop. She just laughed and cursed you again." She could hear Ron's heart start to speed up. "You were screaming, but then you stopped making noise. And I," she paused and took in a shaky breath. "And I knew you were gone. I-" she stopped speaking as the tears came.

"It's all right, Hermione, it was just a dream." Ron rubbed small circles on her back. "I'm here and I'm fine." Hermione buried her face in his chest and sobbed. Ron walked them back towards the bed and sat down, pulling her with him. He kept his arms around her and let her cry. When she finally quieted, he pulled back slightly.

"Is this what you dream about every night?" Hermione shook her head.

"Sometimes it's just reliving what happened to me," she said, fiddling with the cuff of her shirt. "Other times it's someone else in my place." Ron tucked her back into his side and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Thank you for telling me." She said nothing, just wrapped her arms around his waist. She did feel a little better having told him, although she wasn't so naïve as to think that she wouldn't have another nightmare tonight, regardless.

"If you have another dream and you want to talk, just come and wake me up," he said.

"All right," she agreed, unsure if she really would.

"I mean it, Hermione," Ron said pulling back from her again.

"I know, Ron." He studied her face for a few moments and she was quite sure he didn't believe her. "We should get ready to go."

"Right," he said. Hermione rose from the bed, then leaned back down and kissed him.

"I'll see you in a bit." As she left his room, Hermione could feel Ron's eyes boring into her back. It wasn't that she didn't want to confide in him, not really. In fact, she wasn't sure just _what_ it was, exactly. She would try, that was all she could promise. She closed the door and made her way to Ginny's room to dress for the day at Hogwarts.


	11. Rebuilding

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! Just a heads up, this is the last chapter I currently have written. I'm out of town this weekend and have a crazy, busy week next week, so I am not promising that chapter 12 will be up next Thursday as usual. I will do my best, but if I don't get it posted Thursday, I will post it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Rebuilding**

 **7 May 1998**

Remus slowly made the trek from the gates to the castle, observing the grounds as he did so. Although the work on the school had all but stopped over the last few days while the funerals were going on, it was clear that the staff had still been doing something. All the greenhouses had been repaired, although Remus was sure there was still damage inside. At least none of the plants were in danger of escaping any longer. While there was still work to be done on the grounds themselves, the large craters and impressions had been filled in and most of the debris had been cleared.

Remus reached the castle and climbed the stone steps to the Entrance Hall. He wasn't sure exactly where he would find Minerva. A pass by the Great Hall showed that breakfast was over. The room was nearly empty save a few students who were apparently still staying in the castle. Remus decided to try Minerva's office.

He had gotten half-way up the main staircase when he heard a small commotion below. Turning around, he saw Minerva striding from the direction of the Transfiguration classroom. She was being followed closely by Poppy, who looked none too pleased with the acting Headmistress.

"Minerva," Poppy said sharply. Minerva stopped abruptly and spun to face the matron.

"Poppy, I am perfectly fine," Minerva insisted. Poppy put her hands on her hips.

"Is that why you nearly fainted a few minutes ago? Because you're perfectly fine?"

"I did not 'nearly faint'," Minerva said in exasperation. "I merely felt lightheaded for a moment." Poppy snorted derisively. Remus began to descend the stairs, his brow furrowed in concern. Both women looked up at his footsteps.

"Remus," Poppy said. "Perhaps you can talk some sense into her."

"You almost fainted?" he questioned. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"No, Poppy is merely overreacting."

"Don't listen to her, Remus," Poppy said. "She's been running herself into the ground this past week and it's finally caught up with her."

"Oh, for the love of Merlin," Minerva snapped. "There is nothing wrong with me!" Poppy made a noise of disbelief even as Minerva began to sway. Remus darted forward and grasped her arms. He gently steered her towards the staircase and lowered her down onto the steps.

"Nothing wrong, eh?" Poppy said, crossing her arms in front of her. Minerva made to stand, but Remus put light pressure on her shoulder to keep her seated. Minerva scowled at Poppy.

"I have work to do."

"It sounds to me as if you should rest," Remus said. Minerva turned her glare on him, but he ignored it. "When is the last time you slept?"

"Last night."

"When last night?" Poppy asked. "Because if you recall I found you still working in the Head's office at two o'clock in the morning."

"And what were _you_ doing up at that time?" Minerva demanded.

"I told you, I had gotten up to give Mr. Bellamy his dose of potions. I had forgotten to drop off my daily reports earlier, so I decided to Floo them over before I went back to bed. You, on the other hand, had been working since returning from Miss Brown's funeral and you weren't in the Great Hall for dinner."

"I ordered up from the kitchens," Minerva said petulantly. Poppy gave her a skeptical look.

"Regardless, you were up yesterday at five, worked for a few hours in the morning, then attended funerals all day and worked well into the night. And do not even _try_ to tell me that you went to bed after I left. I know you, Minerva McGonagall."

"Are you having me watched?" Poppy shrugged.

"If that's what I have to do to get you to take care of yourself."

"Damn House-elves," Minerva muttered. Remus pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Minerva caught his mirth and gave him another glare. Then she turned her ire back to Poppy. "You are still just as irritating as you were when we were in school."

"And I believe you have me to thank for not accidentally blowing yourself up during your Potions practical," Poppy said, her voice clipped. Remus' eyes widened. Minerva had been a top student, receiving O's in all her O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. To hear that she might have made a grievous error during one of the tests was a bit hard to believe. Minerva's eyes narrowed.

"I will thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, Poppy." Poppy rolled her eyes.

"Oh, honestly, Minerva, you know as well as I do that had I not slipped you that sleeping draught the night before there is no way that you would have been able to keep your eyes open long enough to brew the Draught of Living Death, let alone do it properly." Minerva's lips hardened into a thin line and she stood. Remus moved closer to her in case she once again lost her balance, but she glared at him and looked back to Poppy.

"While this has been a _delightful_ trip down memory lane, I have things to do." She made to move past Poppy, but the mediwitch moved into her path.

"Don't make me force you, Minerva." The professor seemed to deflate before their eyes.

"Why are you doing this, Poppy?"

"Because I do not want to see you end up in St. Mungo's due to exhaustion," Poppy replied. Her eyes softened and she placed a hand on her friend's arm. "Please, Minerva." Minerva sighed heavily and looked between Poppy and Remus.

"Fine," she ground out. "One hour."

"Four," Poppy countered.

"Two."

"Three." The two women stared at each other for a few moments before Minerva threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Three, then." Poppy smiled and turned to Remus.

"Remus, if you would be so kind as to accompany Minerva to her chambers, I will meet you there with the sleeping draught."

"I already told you I would rest," Minerva snapped. "I don't need a potion to do it. And I _certainly_ do not need a chaperone!" Poppy gave Minerva what Remus considered 'the look'. The mediwitch hadn't turned it on him all that often as a student, but James and Sirius had been the recipient of it on more than one occasion. Remus cleared his throat.

"Consider it a precaution," Remus began, then faltered when Minerva turned her gaze on him. Merlin, she could still make him feel like a first year.

"Oh, stop your complaining and get going," Poppy said with a huff. She then hurried up the stairs towards the hospital wing. Remus politely held out his arm to Minerva.

"I'll deal with you later," she said, refusing his arm and striding ahead of him up the stairs. Remus followed quickly behind, wanting to ensure that she didn't stumble. They walked side by side towards her quarters, Minerva still with a scowl on her face.

"I didn't realize that you and Poppy had been at school together," Remus said.

"Yes."

"Was she a Gryffindor then?" Minerva snorted.

"No, that woman is a Hufflepuff if there ever was one. She never could leave well enough alone."

"I think she's merely concerned about you," Remus said carefully.

"Well, she certainly doesn't need to strong arm me as she has been," Minerva said with a huff, although there was no heat behind her words.

"Doesn't she?" Minerva stopped and whirled on him, but Remus stood his ground. "We're all worried about you."

"I am fine." Remus looked at her skeptically and she sighed.

"All right, I have not been sleeping as much as I should, but there is much to do."

"And plenty of us around to help you do it." He studied her for a moment. "Is there more to it?"

"I'm sure I do not know what you mean," Minerva replied with a sniff.

"The nightmares." She startled and looked at him in surprise. Remus shrugged. "We've all been having them, I'm sure." Minerva sighed and looked very, very old for a moment.

"Yes, well," she trailed off, looking pained. Despite her stern demeanor, Remus was well aware that Minerva considered every student that came through Hogwarts one of her own. To have lost so many of them over the course of two wars, and so young, had to weigh heavily on her. Not to mention all the colleagues and friends she had lost. Remus moved to tuck her hand under his elbow and began to lead her toward her quarters. He felt her lean against him just slightly. When they reached her door, Minerva gave her portrait her password just as Poppy came around the corner with a vial in her hand.

"Thank you, Remus," Minerva said. "If you look for Filius, I'm sure he can direct you to a task for the day."

"Of course," Remus said. As he turned to go, he saw Poppy put a hand on Minerva's arm and give it a squeeze. Minerva scowled at her for a moment, before she shook her head with a slight smile. She took the vial from Poppy and the two disappeared into her rooms.

* * *

Hermione walked beside Ron from the gates towards the castle. He hadn't said much since she had left his room after their discussion about her nightmares. He didn't _seem_ angry, but there was a strange look in his eyes that Hermione really couldn't place. They had almost reached the castle steps when Hermione finally spoke.

"Ron?" she said tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right?" Ron looked over at her in confusion.

"I'm fine, Hermione. Why?"

"I don't know, you've been awfully quiet."

"Just thinking, I guess."

"About what?" He shrugged.

"Just…stuff."

"Oh," she said in a small voice. As they started to climb the steps, Ron reached out and took hold of her hand.

"Everything's fine," he assured her as he gave her a small smile. Hermione let out a breath and smiled back.

"All right." They entered the castle, Harry and Ginny a few feet behind them. When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione looked around for Professor McGonagall, but she was nowhere to be seen. Hermione saw Remus speaking with Professor Flitwick and she led their group towards the two men.

"Good morning, Professor, Remus," she greeted.

"Ah, Miss Granger," Professor Flitwick replied as Remus nodded. They greeted Harry, Ron and Ginny and then the professor looked down at the parchment he held in his hand.

"Mr. Potter, you and Mr. Weasley were working in the courtyard when you were last here, correct?"

"Yes, Professor."

"If you would continue there, I would appreciate it. Take Miss Weasley with you as well, if you please. Miss Granger, would you join Remus with the repairs he's working on?"

"Of course, Professor." She glanced at Ron and saw that he looked a bit disappointed that Hermione hadn't been sent with his group. She squeezed his hand. "I'll see you at lunch?" He nodded, then leaned in and kissed her cheek before he followed Harry and Ginny toward the courtyard.

"Shall we?" Remus asked. Hermione smiled and followed him from the Hall.

"What are we repairing?" she questioned.

"One of the towers was almost completely destroyed by the giants," he explained. "Unfortunately, because of the size and the inherent magic in the castle itself, a simple 'Reparo' will not work. We'll have to replace the stones individually."

"By _hand_?" Hermione exclaimed. Remus chuckled.

"No, thankfully. But we will have to levitate each one into place and repair the mortar as we go."

"Oh," she replied, coloring a bit at her outburst. "That's something, at least." The two made their way through the castle.

"Do you know where Professor McGonagall was this morning?" Hermione asked.

"She's resting," Remus replied.

"Is she all right?"

"Yes, just a bit overworked."

"I thought she looked quite tired at Lavender's funeral yesterday."

"She is that," Remus agreed. "Although, I suppose most of us are."

"Yes, I suppose we are." The two fell silent and Hermione's gaze flicked towards Remus. She wondered if he was having nightmares too.

They reached a small door that Hermione had never seen before and when Remus opened it, she found herself on the grounds near the rear corner of the castle. Hermione stepped outside and Remus turned to the left. The remains of the tower lay in front of them.

"What was housed here?" Hermione asked, realizing she had never had cause to enter this particular part of the castle.

"Storage mostly, but there were also quite a few suites of rooms. They were rarely used anymore, but they used to be guest suites as well as small apartments for married staff." Hermione looked at him in surprise. He smiled at her expression. "Yes, in more recent years there haven't been any married staff members. But that wasn't always the case."

"I guess I never really thought about it before," Hermione admitted. "I just assumed."

"Not to worry," Remus replied. "Most students feel the same. They don't really want think about their professors' private lives."

"That is definitely true," Hermione said with a small laugh. Remus smiled and moved closer to the largest pile of stones.

"What about everything that was inside?" Hermione asked as she joined him.

"Everything that was salvageable has been moved elsewhere in the last few days," Remus explained. "For now, we're to repair the outside of the tower. Filius and Minerva will work in the internal repairs once the outside is done." Hermione nodded and drew her wand. Thankfully, four or five rows of stone remained at what was the base of the tower, so they would have a template to work from.

They worked in tandem, one casting the spell to create the mortar and the other levitating the stones into place. It didn't take Hermione long to master the spell for the mortar and then they switched off periodically. They worked in silence at first, both concentrating at the task at hand. It wasn't until they had replaced two entire rows of stone that Remus spoke again.

"How are things at the Burrow?" he asked. Hermione settled the stone she was levitating before she answered.

"Bill and Fleur have gone back to Shell Cottage, so it's a bit less crowded," she replied with a laugh. Remus smiled.

"What about George?"

"Charlie was going to try and get him to go to the shop today." Hermione frowned. "None of us are sure that he'll go, though." Remus nodded in understanding.

"Have you spoken to your parents?" Hermione's smile slid from her face. Remus looked at her in concern. The Order had put up basic protective wards around the Granger's house before Hermione's fifth year, Remus himself had helped cast them. But they could have been easily broken by some of Voldemort's better Death Eaters. Remus chastised himself for not suggesting they be moved into a safe house once the Muggle-born Registration law was enacted. "Are they all right?"

"As far as I know," Hermione said in a small voice. She turned away from Remus and sniffled.

"Hermione?" Remus placed a hand on her shoulder. "What is it?" She shook her head. "Hermione." He turned her towards him and Hermione looked at the ground, not wanting him to see the tears on her cheeks.

"I, I sent them away," she said, the tears coming faster now.

"Sent them away?"

"I m-modified their memories," she whispered. "I m-made them for-forget they had a d-daughter."

"Where did you send them?" Remus asked, his hands now resting on her upper arms.

"Australia." She broke down in sobs and Remus pulled her towards him. She cried into his robes as she had the morning he had arrived at the Burrow for Fred's funeral. He smoothed a hand down her hair and made soothing noises. Hermione relaxed against him for a minute. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling away as soon as the thought crossed her mind. She turned her back to him and Remus handed her a handkerchief over her shoulder. She took it gratefully and wiped at her face, trying to force herself to calm. Then Remus stepped in front of her and Hermione broke down once more. He whispered something under his breath and then gently led her to a chair he must have transfigured from one of the stones. He settled into one next to her and put a hand back on her shoulder, rubbing her back gently.

Hermione took a deep breath and wiped at her face again. After a few minutes, she had finally calmed, although she was sure that she looked like a complete disaster. She looked up at Remus and gave him a watery smile, shifting slightly so that his hand fell from her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I upset you," he said quietly.

"It wasn't your fault," she insisted. She sighed and twisted the handkerchief in her hands. "After Professor Dumbledore died, I knew the war was going to get much worse. Harry, Ron and I decided to hunt for the Horcruxes and the wards on my parents' house wouldn't protect them for long if someone was determined to get in."

"I had to keep them safe. They didn't know much about the war, I hadn't really told them anything. I knew if I did, they would refuse to leave and probably try to keep me at home with them. So, I modified their memories and made them think they were a childless Monica and Wendell Wilkins and that they very much wanted to move to Australia." She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears once again.

"And did they?"

"Yes, I went to a hotel for a couple of days and made sure they had gone before I left for the Burrow."

"Hermione, I'm so sorry." She shrugged.

"It's better that they're alive, even if they don't know who I am anymore." Remus hesitated, and Hermione was sure that he was trying to decide if he should ask his next question.

"Is it reversible?"

"Theoretically." He looked at her quizzically. "It's a less common spell. I should be able to reverse it, but there wasn't a lot of information about results, successful or not."

"Do you plan to try?" She got abruptly to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. She took a few steps away from him, knowing that she was about to start crying again.

"I want to," she said softly.

"But," he prompted. She laughed, but it sounded more like a strangled sob.

"They're going to hate me."

"Somehow, I doubt that."

"They're going to be angry, in any case." Hermione heard Remus rise from his chair and walk towards her.

"That's likely true," he said stopping next to her. "But I don't think they'll be angry forever." They stood in silence for a few minutes, Hermione sniffling a bit and trying to get her tears under control.

"I don't know where they are," she said a few moments later.

"You didn't give them a suggestion as to where to settle?" Remus asked. She shook her head.

"I didn't want that to be in my head in case, in case I was captured or something." She shrugged. "They could have found out their names, but Australia is a big place. Finding two Muggles with just their names would have likely been more of a chore than the Death Eaters would have wanted." She snorted at herself a moment later.

"I know that it's ridiculous to think that Voldemort would have even cared, had he gotten the information. I'm sure he wouldn't have wasted resources on tracking them down, I just." She shook her head. "I couldn't take the chance.

"I understand, Hermione," Remus said. He paused for a moment. "Are you planning to find them?" She nodded, the tears returning.

"I want to," she said. "So much. But it will likely take me a while."

"If you need any help," he said. "I'd be happy to volunteer." She smiled.

"Thank you, Remus." She wiped at her face once more and blew her nose. Pulling in a breath, she let it out. "We should get back to work." Remus cancelled the spell on the chairs, turning them back into stones and joined Hermione at the wall again. She gave him a small smile and cast the mortar charm as he levitated another stone.

* * *

"We should probably stop for today," Remus said, glancing at his watch. "It's nearly time for Severus' service." Hermione nodded, settling one last stone into place. Remus looked up at their progress. They had gotten quite a bit more done that he had expected they would, working quickly together once they got the hang of it.

Hermione had been quiet for the rest of the morning after her revelation about her parents and Remus hadn't pressed her to talk. The companionable silence was actually somewhat welcome over the sheer emotion they had been going through the last few days. When neither of them could ignore the rumbling in their stomachs any longer, they had taken a short break for lunch.

They joined Harry, Ron and Ginny who were already half-way through their meal. Although he spoke with Harry and Ginny for most of the meal, Remus still noticed that Ron seemed rather quiet. Hermione had sat next to him and besides the smile Ron had given her when she sat down, the two didn't really seem to be interacting much at all.

When they had returned to the tower after lunch, Hermione had seemed upset, although whether from their conversation that morning or Ron's behavior, Remus had no idea. Nor did he feel it his business to ask. And so, they had simply worked on replacing the stones, occasionally chatting but mostly working in silence. Remus didn't mind it, exactly, he was just concerned about Hermione.

Now, the woman in question was brushing her hands off on her jeans and then grimacing at the state of her clothes. Remus raised his wand and cast a gentle 'Scourgify' on himself.

"May I?" he asked Hermione.

"Please." Casting the same charm on her, the dust and grime disappeared. "Much better, thank you."

As they began to walk towards the castle, Hermione turned to Remus.

"I'm sorry I've been so quiet this afternoon."

"Not at all," he replied. "You have a lot on your mind, I'm sure."

"That's an understatement," she said with a snort. Remus got the feeling she was talking about more than just her parents.

"As I said before, Hermione, if you need any help in locating your parents, please ask."

"I will, Remus, thanks." They had reached the door and Remus opened it for her, ushering her inside before him.

"Remus, Miss Granger," a voice said as they passed the staircase.

"Professor," Hermione replied. Remus could see her studying Minerva, but wisely didn't mention not seeing the woman earlier in the day.

"Minerva," Remus greeted. He was glad to see she looked as if she had actually rested. She still looked tired, but then again, they all did. But, she was vastly improved from when Remus had seen her this morning. The three of them walked towards the Entrance Hall and out onto the grounds, heading for Hagrid's hut, where they would all meet before the service.

As they got closer, Remus could see that there were a fair number of people already waiting. He was a bit surprised that it was more than just the staff and a few students. Most of the remaining Order seemed to be there as well as a few former students that had already graduated before Severus was made Headmaster.

"Ginny," Hermione said in surprise as they reached the group. Ginny shrugged and nodded toward Harry who smiled and squeezed her hand. Hermione chuckled and approached Ron, almost tentatively in Remus' opinion. Ron looked at her for a moment, then put an arm around her and pulled her into his side. Remus saw Hermione release a breath before she wrapped her arms around Ron's waist and hugged him. Ron smiled down at her. Whatever had been going on between them was apparently settled.

"Shall we?" Kingsley's rumbling voice said behind him. Remus turned and greeted the Minister just as Luna and Neville walked up. Neville didn't look all that happy about being there, but turned to follow the rest of the group.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Hermione asked Minerva.

"There is a small cemetery just on the edge of the Forest," Minerva explained. "Some members of the staff have been buried there over the years." She did not add that it was always staff with no families and nowhere else to go.

"I never knew that," Hermione said with a frown of concentration on her face. "It wasn't mentioned in _Hogwarts, A History_."

"That is because it is hidden from students and the public alike," Minerva explained. "It is usually warded so only staff may enter. We have dropped the wards for the afternoon, so you all may attend." Hermione looked almost betrayed that her most beloved book wouldn't have given her this information. Remus stifled a chuckle. Truly, he had been just as surprised when he learned about the cemetery the year he taught Defense.

They all entered the small graveyard and stood in front of the headstone that had already been erected. The four Heads of House, along with Poppy and Hagrid, had already buried Severus two days prior. This would simply be a memorial service.

Kingsley led the service, but Minerva spoke at length about Severus' time as a spy for the Order and the sacrifices the man made. There were few tears here, although Remus did see Poppy dab at her eyes a few times. But Remus thought that most, if not all, were affected by what Kingsley and Minerva said. It was true that more likely would have died without Severus' inside knowledge. Remus knew that there were raids and attacks had been thwarted due to that information.

The service was short and when it was over, it was Harry that conjured a wreath of flowers and set it at the base of Severus' headstone. They all stood in silence for a few moments before the crowd began to break apart and leave. Remus said good-bye to Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys and greeted a few others from the Order. When he turned back, Minerva was still standing by Severus' grave. Most everyone else had left and so Remus walked towards her. He knew the wards would need to be reset over the cemetery and wanted to make sure she didn't need any help.

"Minerva," he said quietly when she didn't seem to notice his approach.

"I should have known," she said. "I knew him nearly all his life. I should have known."

"The fact that you didn't means he did his job."

"Still," she protested.

"And if you had known?" Remus questioned. "Would you have been able to act the part?"

"Of course, I would have, I," Minerva trailed off, looking uncertain.

"I likely wouldn't have been able to," Remus said. "And Severus and I were definitely not friends. This is the only way it could have gone, Minerva."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed with a sigh. They stood quietly for a minute.

"Do you need assistance with the wards?" Remus finally asked.

"No, I'll be fine, Remus. Go home to that boy of yours." She gave him a smile. Remus nodded once and turned and left the cemetery. He saw Kingsley standing with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville and wondered briefly what Kingsley was talking with them about. Turning towards the gates, Remus hurried toward the Apparition point, realizing just how much he had missed Teddy.

* * *

Hermione and Ron turned to follow Harry and Ginny from the cemetery when Kingsley walked up to them. The Minister, Hermione admonished herself. She needed to get used to calling him that, especially in public.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, might I have a moment?" The three of them looked at each other in confusion, then back at the Minister.

"Sure, Kingsley, er, Minister," Harry said sheepishly. Kingsley chuckled.

"Is Neville around? I thought I saw him earlier." Hermione was even more confused. At first, she'd thought Kingsley wanted to talk to them about what they'd been doing that year on the run, but if he wanted to speak to Neville, that didn't make any sense.

"He's right up there," Ron pointed. Neville and Luna were one of the first ones to leave the service. Hermione thought Neville had looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Luna must have convinced him to come. "I'll go get him." Ron jogged off and caught up to the pair. A few moments later, Neville was walking back with Ron while Luna meandered over to where Ginny was standing, waiting for Harry.

Luna and her father were still staying at the school as their house had been destroyed when Mr. Lovegood had tried to turn the three of them over to the Death Eaters. They were in the process of repairing it and Luna expected they would be able to move back in a week or so.

"As you all know, the Ministry is in a bit of disarray right now," Kingsley began once Ron and Neville had reached them. "The Aurors have been hit particularly hard, both by the war itself and the fact that they were particularly infiltrated by Death Eaters. I need people I can trust." Hermione was still confused.

"I would like to offer the four of you a place in the Auror corps." There was dead silence after this announcement.

"But, we haven't taken our N.E.W.T.S.," Neville said in confusion. "And I wasn't even in all the N.E.W.T. courses required for Aurors."

"We weren't at school at all last year," Hermione added, indicating Harry and Ron as well as herself.

"I realize this, but I think that the hands-on experience that all of you have had more than makes up for that."

"Maybe the three of them, but I haven't done anything," Neville said.

"Did you or did you not run Dumbledore's Army at Hogwarts this year?" Kingsley asked.

"Not by myself," Neville protested. "Ginny and Luna helped."

"And if Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood were of age, I would be making the same offer to them."

"Wow, Kingsley, this is," Harry trailed off running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I mean, blimey." Ron was equally eloquent. Kingsley chuckled.

"I realize this is a shock and I don't expect an immediate answer. Given the state of things, we likely wouldn't even be able to start training until the beginning of June. And this will be an accelerated training program, so it will be a lot of work in a short time. I hope to have you almost completely trained by September."

"September!" Hermione explained. "Isn't the normal training program two years?"

"Yes, but as I said this will be an accelerated program, tailored to the four of you. I expect that most of the training you'll need will be on the law side of things. You're all more than accomplished duelers and tacticians."

"I won't lie to you," Kingsley continued. "This will be an intensive program. You'll be spending a lot of hours every day at the Ministry." He looked amongst the four of them. "Think about it and let me know what you decide." Then he turned on his heel and made his way to the gates to Disapparate.

"Holy hell," Ron whispered after Kingsley had gone. Ginny and Luna walked back towards them.

"What's going on?" Ginny demanded.

"Kingsley, er the Minister, just asked the four of us to be Aurors," Harry said.

"But you haven't taken your N.E.W.T.S.," Ginny said in confusion.

"He said that we don't need them," Harry explained. "Said that our war experience was enough."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I dunno," Harry admitted.

"Me," Neville said quietly. Hermione turned towards him. "Me."

"Neville?" Hermione said in concern.

"Me?" he squeaked. "He wants me?"

"Why wouldn't he, mate?" Ron asked. "Gin says you did loads this year. And you got old Voldy's snake."

"Yeah, but…me?"

"Of course you, Neville," Luna said, coming to stand beside him and take his hand. He looked at her questioningly and she smiled. Hermione watched as Neville returned the smile and his entire face relaxed, his anxiety completely gone. She hadn't realized just how much Neville fancied Luna until now, or that the feeling was quite obviously returned. She felt a pang of something that she couldn't identify.

Hermione looked at Ron and Harry who seemed to be having their own silent conversation. She had a distinct feeling that the two of them would be accepting Kingsley's offer. Hermione just wondered how Ron was going to take it when she told him she wouldn't be joining them.


	12. Disagreement

**A/N - I found a bit of time to write this week after all. :) Thanks so much for reading and continuing to review!**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Disagreement**

 **7 May 1998**

"So, what do you think?" Ron asked. They were all sitting in Ron's room, having finished dinner a few minutes ago.

"I dunno, I mean, it's always what I wanted to do," Harry said. "Never thought Kingsley would take us on now though."

"Me either," Ron agreed. "And without taking N.E.W.T.S. too!" The two of them grinned at each other.

"What about you, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, Hermione," Ron echoed. Hermione bit her bottom lip.

"I, erm, hadn't really thought about it."

"Well, you're thinking about it now, aren't you?" Ron asked.

"I suppose so."

"Just think, you, me and Harry, the three of us, Aurors together," Ron said, grin still on his face. "It will be great." Hermione tried to smile, but it was forced. Why Ron thought she wanted to be an Auror when she had never voiced any kind of interest before was beyond her. Harry's brow furrowed.

"Hermione?" he questioned.

"It's just," she paused. "I'm not really sure being an Auror is for me."

"Why not?" Ron said. "You're wicked with a wand, you know you are. And you're brilliant too. You'd be great at it."

"I don't know," Hermione hedged.

"The training sounds a little brutal, but it would only be for three months, yeah? We've endured worse." Ron was still grinning like a little boy that had come across his stash of Christmas gifts early. Hermione really didn't want to disappoint him, but being an Auror was just about the last thing she wanted to do.

"I just thought that I might go back to school next year," she said. Ron looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we missed our seventh year, didn't we? I thought I'd ask Professor McGonagall if I could come back next year and you know, finish."

"Why would you want to do that?" Ron asked. Hermione glanced at Harry, who looked like he understood. Ron was clearly still clueless.

"If I want to take my N.E.W.T.S., I need some instruction, don't I?"

"Blimey, Hermione, you could probably take your N.E.W.T.S. today and get all O's," Ron said, nudging Harry with a grin. "Besides, Kingsley said we don't need test scores." Hermione huffed out a breath.

"I don't want to be an Auror, all right?" she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. The grin slipped from Ron's face.

"You don't?"

"Honestly, Ron, when have I ever shown _any_ interest in becoming an Auror?"

"Well, you haven't, really, but you've never said anything that you wanted to be," Ron said with a shrug.

"I've always said I wanted to help people and do some good in the world."

"That's the _definition_ of an Auror, Hermione." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, I want to do something else."

"But, Hermione, Harry and I-" but Hermione interrupted before he could finish.

"And I'm happy for you, I really am, Neville too if he decides to join you. But it's not what I want to do, Ron."

"But, we'd all still be together." Hermione sighed. Harry had been looking back and forth between the two of them for the last few minutes. He got to his feet.

"I think I'll just, erm, let you two talk about this," he said. Before Hermione could stop him, he hurried out the door. Ron looked at her for a moment after Harry left.

"You really don't want to?"

"I wouldn't be happy being an Auror," Hermione said.

"If you go back to school next year, we'll never see each other," Ron said.

"You could come with me." Ron scoffed.

"I'd hate it." He gave her a wry smile, realizing he had just proved her point. Hermione sighed again and sat down next to him on his bed.

"There's Hogsmeade weekends and school holidays," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"And we still have this summer."

"Sounds like I'll be pretty busy come June."

"Kingsley will have to let you come home to eat and sleep," Hermione said. "It's not slavery." Ron chuckled. Hermione smiled.

"It would have been nice, to have that time together," Ron said wistfully.

"Can you really picture me being an Auror?" she asked. Ron laughed softly.

"No, I guess not."

"Besides, it sounds like Kingsley's going to have you so busy, it really wouldn't be time together anyway."

"Suppose so." Hermione laid her head on his shoulder and Ron wrapped an arm around her.

"Everything will work out how it's supposed to." Ron's arm tightened around her for a moment.

"Yeah," he finally said. Hermione thought he sounded a bit odd, but chose not to ask him about it.

"What do you think your mum's going to say?" Ron groaned.

"Did you _have_ to bring that up?" Hermione laughed.

"She did sound a bit perturbed at dinner."

"A bit?" Ron repeated. "What part of 'absolutely not in my lifetime' sounded just a _bit_ perturbed?"

"She's just worried about you," Hermione said. Ron rolled his eyes.

"I'm eighteen, not ten. She has to stop treating me like a kid."

"Well, it's understandable, Ron. I think she just wants to keep all of you as close to her as possible, you know, because of Fred." Ron sighed and gathered Hermione into his arms.

"I know she does. But we can't all stop living our lives because of it."

"No," Hermione agreed, snuggling closer to him. "Your dad will talk to her, won't he?"

"Yes," Ron said. "Then she'll be in a snit for a few days, but she'll come around eventually. Maybe I'll just wait to tell her until June. She'll probably have accepted it by then." Hermione laughed. Ron smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her.

"You know," he said conversationally. "We're all alone up here."

"So we are," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Not likely to happen again anytime soon," he pointed out.

"You're probably right."

"Suppose we should take advantage of it then?"

"I suppose we should." Ron grinned and then leaned down to kiss her again. Neither one of them heard the door open, but Hermione heard the noise of surprise and disgust Harry made just before he closed the door again. She chuckled into Ron's mouth. He broke the kiss and looked at her quizzically, but she just shook her head and pulled him back down again.

* * *

 **8 May 1998**

Remus was a bit surprised to see Kingsley in the Great Hall when he arrived that morning. The Minister was speaking with Minerva and Remus waited until they were finished before he approached.

"Good morning," Remus greeted.

"Remus," Kingsley said. "I was hoping to run into you before I left. Trial dates are being set for next week. The Malfoys are up on Monday." Remus frowned. Kingsley lowered his voice. "I realize it's the moon, but I promised I would fast-track their trials." Remus nodded. He would be fidgety and agitated the day of the moon, but it would have been worse the day or two after.

"Thank you, Kingsley or Minister, I suppose I should say." Kingsley snorted.

"Kingsley is just fine, unless you're on official business at the Ministry." Remus chuckled as Kingsley turned back to Minerva.

"If there's anything else you need, let me know."

"I will, thank you, Minister," Minerva said primly. Kingsley rolled his eyes.

"Not you too." Minerva's eyes danced with amusement.

"Just employing proper protocol."

"Good day then, _Headmistress_." Kingsley winked and left the Hall to Apparate back to the Ministry.

"It's official then?" Remus asked once Kingsley had gone.

"Yes, this morning," Minerva replied.

"I believe I told you there wasn't any doubt." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well, I assume it helped that three of our more vocal board members are currently sitting in cells either in Azkaban or the Ministry."

"Replacements?" Remus asked.

"Kingsley is working on it." She paused a moment, her lips pursed. "Would Andromeda be interested?" Remus' eyes widened in surprise. "Lucius Malfoy will be removed, regardless of the results of his trial. I will not have a Death Eater on my Board and Kingsley agrees."

"I honestly have no idea," Remus said.

"She has a grandson that will be a student here sooner than either of you would like to think about."

"He's a month old, Minerva."

"And yesterday, you were eleven and walking through those doors for the first time." Remus shook his head, but didn't argue.

"Well, I see no harm in asking Andromeda." Minerva nodded.

"I have a proposition for you as well." Remus looked at her expectantly. "I have suggested, and the Minister has agreed, that we will offer O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. to eligible students at the end of June. As long as we can get the castle up to par, we will be holding revision sessions for the two weeks prior to the tests. The staff will be teaching, of course, but I will also need tutors. I would like to hire you in that capacity."

"Hire me?" Remus questioned. "Do you really think the Board will go along with that? Everyone is aware of what I am, Minerva."

"Kingsley has given me full authority over teachers and tutors. The Board will have nothing to say about it."

"Parents then."

"I do not foresee any problems on that front." Remus snorted in disbelief. "Remus, you were the best Defense teacher any of these students have had."

"Severus-," Remus began, but she shook her head.

"Severus was a good teacher, yes, but his personality and his behavior toward any student who was not a Slytherin left much to be desired. And while I am aware of the reasons he thought his behavior necessary, you were never anything but fair."

"Whether the students liked me or not is really neither here nor there. The fact remains that some parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children."

"Which is why I am hiring you as a tutor and not a teacher. If there are parents that refuse to allow you contact with their children, then I will simply assign them another tutor if they require one. And do not forget that the seventh years are all of age and can make their own decisions regarding their education."

Remus fell silent, thinking about her offer. He had loved teaching the year he had spent as the Defense professor. And Merlin knew he could always use the money.

"If you truly think that the parents won't protest, I would like to accept." Minerva smiled. "Under the condition that I speak with Andromeda first to make sure she has no objection."

"Excellent," Minerva replied. "We will discuss details in a few weeks." Minerva looked around the Great Hall which had become much noisier since Remus had first arrived. A quick glance himself proved that was because many of the volunteers had arrived.

"Excuse me, Remus, I have an announcement to make." Remus nodded and took a few steps back.

"Attention, attention please," Minerva called. The noise level slowly diminished until it disappeared altogether.

"Thank you. I have a few announcements I would like to make before we begin work for the day. I have spoken with the Minister and we have decided that O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams will be held the last week of June." There was a murmuring that spread across the Hall. Minerva held her hands up for quiet and everyone fell silent once more. "As your studies have been interrupted, we will be holding review sessions for the two weeks prior, here at the castle. The professors will be teaching classes and there will also be tutors available." The murmuring rose again and Remus saw Minerva draw her wand and point it at her throat.

"Quiet, please!" A few of the students jumped at the increase in volume and Minerva gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but please let me finish and then I will take any questions that you have. In addition, any student that has missed the entirety of the previous year or feels they will need more than the two-week revision before taking their exams is invited to repeat the school year. To this end, we will be adding an eighth-year class in the fall for those that are interested. All students, regardless of year, will be getting a letter with the pertinent information in the next two weeks. Now, questions. Mr. Macmillan?"

"What if we feel that we need more than the two weeks of revision before exams, but we don't want to repeat the entire year?

"You may see me or your Head of House and we will discuss tutoring possibilities. I have also been in discussion with the Minister about possibly offering another exam date at the end of August if you would prefer the summer to study, but that has not been decided. Mr. Potter?"

"Have you been made Headmistress, Professor?" Remus smirked at the vexed look on Minerva's face. Clearly this was not the kind of question she had in mind.

"I have, Mr. Potter." There was a small cheer that went up from the students. Minerva shook her head, but Remus could tell she was pleased.

"Who's going to take over as Head of Gryffindor?" Seamus called out.

"That has not been decided, Mr. Finnegan. If there are no more _pertinent_ questions, we will get work started for the day." Minerva looked around once more, but it seemed that no one else wanted to ask anything about exams. "The professors will be coming around to hand out your assignments." The Hall completely devolved into talking and laughing as the professors moved through the crowd. Minerva turned back to Remus.

"If you'd continue with the wall you were working on yesterday," she said.

"Of course, Headmistress," Remus said cheekily.

"Do not test me, Remus," she said with a sigh. He saw a small smile playing about her lips, however.

"Will you be sending Hermione to join me?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"I will see you at lunch then." Remus patted her on the shoulder before he left the Hall to head outside.

* * *

"Well, it looks like I won't have to ask Professor McGonagall about coming back to school after all," Hermione said to Ron.

"You're coming back?" Ginny asked excitedly. "Really?"

"Yes, I think so," Hermione replied with a smile. Ginny squealed in delight.

"What if they offer N.E.W.T.S. in August?" Ron asked.

"What if they do?" Hermione replied.

"Well, we all know how brilliant you are, Hermione. I'm sure Professor McGonagall could give you an outline of what you need to study. You wouldn't even need someone else to teach you." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"I thought we talked about this last night," she said.

"We did, but we didn't have this information last night."

"Professor McGonagall said they were discussing it. Nothing's been decided."

"That's true," Ron agreed. "But maybe just think about it, yeah?" Hermione forced herself not to roll her eyes.

"Fine, Ron, I'll think about it." Ron grinned widely and put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"Miss Granger, if you would join Remus again, I would appreciate it," Professor McGonagall said as she approached them.

"All right, Professor."

"And you three, back to the courtyard if you please."

"Again?" Ron complained.

"If you'd rather help Mr. Filch, I'm sure there is more cleaning to be done, Mr. Weasley."

"No, no, the courtyard's fine," he said quickly. Hermione stifled a giggle behind her hand.

"Thank you." The professor walked towards Seamus and Dean.

"Well, I guess I'll see you all at lunch," Hermione said. She gave the three of them a little wave and left the Great Hall to resume her work with Remus.

* * *

"Good morning, Hermione."

"Hi, Remus," Hermione said with a smile. He was squinting up at the wall, brow furrowed. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's just that we'll likely only be able to do two or three more rows before it's too high to be able to apply the mortar properly from the ground. It will get more difficult to fit the stones in as well."

"Oh," Hermione replied. "What do you suggest?"

"Brooms would work," Remus said. Hermione fell silent and when he looked at her, she had paled considerably. "Hermione? Are you all right?" He moved towards her in concern.

"I'm, I'm fine," she said, but she looked anything _but_ fine.

"Are you feeling faint? Do you need some water?" Remus conjured a chair and gently pushed her into it.

"No, it's," she shook her head. "It's silly."

"What is?"

"It's just, I'm not a very good flyer."

"Oh, well, we won't be doing any flying, really, just hovering mostly." Hermione looked up at the wall, her gaze traveling up the sides of the castle. She gulped audibly and Remus could see her hands shaking slightly. He studied her in confusion for a moment. He knew she had flown before. All first years had to take flying class and she'd been on a Thestral twice. Not to mention the dragon she, Ron and Harry had freed from Gringotts. Sirius had told him about the flight on Buckbeak as well.

"Hermione," he said gently. "Are you afraid to fly?"

"I'm not afraid…exactly." She paused and Remus waited patiently for her to continue. "I've flown on airplanes plenty of times and that doesn't bother me at all."

"Is it the open-air aspect?"

"That's part of it, but it's more the magic aspect."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow." Hermione sighed.

"The dragon and Buckbeak, those weren't as bad because they were creatures that were _supposed_ to fly. The Thestral was harder because it was invisible, but I still knew it was supposed to fly. I didn't like any of it, mind you, but I was able to deal with it. Mostly because I had little choice."

"Brooms are supposed to fly," Remus said.

"No. No, they're not. Brooms are meant to _sweep_ the _floor_ , Remus." Remus laughed.

"I suggest you do not let Harry or Ron hear you say that." Hermione huffed in frustration. "But you know that brooms are perfectly safe, don't you?" Hermione's mouth fell open.

"Safe? Are you joking?"

"All right, safe as long as you operate them properly, how about that?" Remus said.

"It's a thin piece of wood between you and the ground. The very, very _hard_ ground." Remus chuckled.

"What if I promise that you will not fall?" Hermione looked at him for a moment before she shuddered.

"I just, I don't think I can do it." She was wringing her hands in her lap and Remus squatted down in front of her, placing a hand over hers to still her movements. She looked up at him and he smiled, giving her hands a squeeze.

"How about a ladder?" She glanced at the wall again.

"A ladder would work for now, but eventually we'll get too high."

"Let's worry about that when we get to that point, all right?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. Remus glanced around and spotted a pile of debris a few yards from them. He walked towards it, pulling a small sapling that had obviously been pulled from the ground at some point during the battle. Waving his wand, he transfigured it into a wooden ladder and directed it to rest against the wall of the castle. Hermione rose from her chair and moved towards the ladder, but Remus held up a hand to stop her.

"Let me test it first." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure your Transfiguration skills are more than up to par, Remus."

"Indulge me," he said with a smile. She sighed and shook her head but waited all the same. Remus climbed a few rungs of the ladder, bouncing on one a bit to be sure it was stable. When he descended, he turned to Hermione. "Seems sound."

"What about your broom?" she asked.

"Pippen," he said quietly and the House-elf arrived with a pop. He looked at Remus expectantly. "Would you be so kind as to fetch me a broom from the broom shed, please?"

"Yes, sir," the elf replied and disappeared again. When Remus turned around, Hermione had a slight scowl on her face. Remus swore silently under his breath. He was aware of her House-elf crusade during her fourth year.

"I'm sorry, I thought it would save time," he said.

"At least you were polite to him," Hermione muttered. The way Sirius had treated Kreacher at Grimmauld Place had been a huge bone of contention between Hermione and Sirius, Remus knew. She crossed her arms over her chest. "How did you know who to call?"

"A House-elf is assigned to each professor when they begin teaching," Remus explained. Hermione looked horrified. He stifled a chuckle. Before he could continue, Pippen returned, a broom in hand.

"Pippen is getting the best broom of the lot, Professor," the elf exclaimed.

"Thank you, Pippen. I appreciate that." Remus took the offered broom.

"Can Pippen be helping with anything else?"

"Not right now, Pippen. Thank you." The elf bowed again and popped away. Remus looked back at Hermione who looked more thoughtful than angry now.

"Pippen was assigned to my quarters," Remus explained. "He used to scold me because I cleaned up my own things." Hermione looked interested. "I don't know if you've met many of them, but some elves can be quite bossy." Hermione nodded.

"Actually, Kreacher became a bit like that while we were staying at Grimmauld Place last year."

"Yes, well, Pippen was most put out that I did not give him enough work to do, so he began to help me after the moon."

"But I thought the Wolfsbane-" Hermione began.

"It helps, yes, but I am still quite tired and sore afterward. Pippen was a great help."

"He does seem to like you."

"I like him, as well," Remus said. "He was quite a good caretaker." Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, but in thought this time.

"I just want them to be treated fairly," she said quietly. "Not everyone does, you know."

"I am aware of that and I think it is an admirable goal," Remus said.

"But you don't think they should be freed, do you?" Remus shrugged.

"I think that each case is unique. The elves here at Hogwarts, for example. Would you agree that they are treated fairly?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. Remus gave her a disbelieving look and she sighed. "All right, yes, I suppose."

"I can assure you that they are," Remus said. "Their needs are tended to immediately if one of them gets sick or hurt, they always know that they can speak to the Headmaster or Headmistress if there is anything that is bothering them and they are given time off if it is needed for one reason or another. In fact, Albus met with the Head elf every w-"

"There's a _Head elf_?" Hermione interrupted incredulously.

"Of Hogwarts, yes. She's a liaison of sorts between the House elves and the Headmaster or Headmistress. Her name is Liddy."

"Why did I never know this?"

"Did you ever ask?" Hermione looked away, her face coloring.

"No," she nearly whispered. She was staring at the ground now, looking very unsure of herself. Remus stepped closer and put a hand on her arm. She glanced up at him for a moment, then back at the ground.

"I didn't either, until I became a professor." That didn't seem to make her feel any better. "Hermione, there is nothing wrong with wanting to be sure that House-elves are treated fairly. All wizards and witches should want the same. Your only mistake was not talking with the House-elves and finding out what _they_ wanted." She sighed heavily.

"Hagrid told me the same thing." Remus smiled.

"You've done nothing wrong, Hermione. You were just a bit, overzealous." She gave him a wry smile. "Now, shall we make sure that Pippen's contribution doesn't go to waste?" He picked up the broom. Hermione nodded in agreement and the two of them went back to work on the tower.

* * *

"How's the courtyard coming?" Hermione asked Ron as she sat down beside him for lunch. Remus had gone to sit with some of the professors. Ron groaned.

"Don't even ask, Hermione." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You are such a drama queen. It's not _that_ bad."

"Sure, it's not that bad for _you_ ," Ron retorted. "You're not dragging huge pieces of armor all over the place, trying to match it up. Tell her, Harry." Harry looked between Ron and Ginny. Hermione saw Ginny's eyes narrow. Harry cleared his throat and reached for a platter of roast beef.

"Merlin, am I hungry." Ginny beamed at him and went back to her own lunch.

"Traitor," Ron muttered. Harry shrugged and took hold of Ginny's hand. Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. Ron scowled at her. Hermione finally took pity on him and leaned over and kissed his cheek. He seemed to relax a bit and dug into his food.

"Hey, Neville," Harry said as their fellow Gryffindor joined them. "How are the greenhouses?"

"Slowly coming along," Neville said. "We're just about finished with Greenhouse Five. Professor Sprout wanted to finish it first, since it has most of the dangerous plants." Harry nodded.

"Thought more about the Aurors, Nev?" Ron asked. Neville nodded while spooning potatoes onto his plate.

"I talked to Gran about it last night," he replied. "She thinks it's a great idea, although she was concerned that we didn't have to take our N.E.W.T.S. first."

"So, are you going to do it?" Ron questioned.

"Maybe," Neville said. "I'm still thinking about it."

"Your parents were Aurors, weren't they?" Ginny asked. Neville nodded.

"During the first war, yeah." He moved some of his vegetables around on his plate. "I kind of get the feeling that's why Gran's so enthusiastic about it."

"Wish Mum felt that way," Ron grumbled. Hermione patted his arm sympathetically.

"What about you, Harry?" Neville said.

"I'm leaning towards it."

"Hermione?"

"Hermione's coming back to school with Luna and me," Ginny interjected.

"She might not," Ron said. "If they give N.E.W.T.S. in August, she might do that instead." Hermione frowned.

"I said I'd think about it, Ron. And even if I decide not to come back to school, that doesn't mean I'm going to be an Auror."

"But you said," Ron began, but Hermione interrupted him.

"I never said, you assumed."

"But - ow!" Ron reached down and rubbed at his shin while glaring at Ginny. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Nothing," she said innocently. "Just a reminder not to be a git." Harry and Neville quickly shoveled food into their mouths to keep from laughing.

"We'll talk about this later," Hermione said, her voice clipped.

"Fine." Ron returned to his food with one more glower for his sister. The rest of their lunch was spent discussing less volatile topics. When Hermione saw Remus rise from his seat, she did the same. She said good-bye to her friends and turned to walk towards Remus, but he approached them instead. Neville was already on his way out of the Great Hall and Ginny and Ron had started for the door as well.

"Harry, can I have a word?" Remus asked when he reached them. Ginny and Ron paused, but Harry waved them on.

"I'll catch up," he said. "What's up, Remus?" Remus led the two of them away from the table a bit.

"I don't know if you're aware, but the full moon is on Monday." Harry nodded in understanding. "I wonder if you would be opposed to me using Grimmauld Place for my transformation." Harry frowned as Remus continued. "There is already a space set up for me in the cellar. I used it when, well, when Sirius was living there." There was silence for a moment and Harry looked at the ground before taking in a breath.

"I don't have any problem with you transforming there, but don't you have a place at home to do that?"

"I do, but this will be the first moon since," he paused and cleared his throat. "Since Dora." They were all quiet for a few moments. Remus finally pulled in a breath and continued.

"I am not sure how my wolf will react to the fact that she's…gone." They all fell silent again, a look of extreme sorrow on Remus' face. Hermione took a step towards him, wanting to comfort him somehow, but when he looked up, the grief had disappeared from his face.

"I am not sure what will happen, so I would rather transform away from Andromeda and Teddy the first time. Especially since Dora's scent is still all over the house and gardens."

"I understand," Harry said. "I don't mind if you use Grimmauld Place."

"I'll need someone to lock me in," Remus said.

"No problem," Harry replied.

"Thank you." Harry nodded.

"Well, I suppose I should get back to work. See you later, Hermione, Remus."

"We should go as well," Remus said. Hermione nodded and followed him. When they reached the door to the tower, Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm. Remus looked at her questioningly.

"If you need anything, anything at all," she said. He swallowed thickly and nodded.

"Thank you, Hermione." She smiled and the two of them walked outside to finish the work on the tower.

* * *

"How are things going at the Ministry, Mr. Weasley?" Hermione asked that night at supper. She was sitting between Harry and Charlie, still irritated with Ron.

"Incredibly busy," Mr. Weasley said with a sigh.

"How're you figuring out who was working with Voldemort, Dad?" Ron asked.

"Kingsley authorized questioning everyone under Veritaserum," Mr. Weasley explained. He frowned. "There were far more that were complicit than I expected."

"Some of them were threatened, of course," Percy put in.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley agreed. "We've been taking those on a case by case basis. What charges are filed will depend on the threat as well as the harm done by that employee. On top of all that, the trials start Monday."

"Which ones?" Charlie asked.

"The Malfoys." Hermione glanced around the table. Nearly everyone wore a scowl. She glanced at Harry, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

"Are they trying them together?" Harry asked. Mr. Weasley shook his head.

"No, separately." Harry nodded, giving Hermione a sidelong glance. He didn't say anything else and Hermione figured he must be waiting to speak to Mr. Weasley in private. Harry still hadn't told anyone else that he planned to speak at the trials.

Mrs. Weasley stood and began to clear the dishes away. Bill and Fleur got up almost immediately, having stopped for dinner after the day at Hogwarts. They bade everyone good-bye despite Mrs. Weasley's plea for them to stay for just a bit longer and walked outside to Disapparate.

Everyone else started to get up from the table as well and Harry walked towards Mr. Weasley. Hermione, knowing they needed to talk anyway and wanting to distract Ron from Harry's conversation with his father, crossed the room to where Ron still sat.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"Sure," Ron said, nearly jumping to his feet. Hermione grabbed her jacket from the coat stand by the door and walked outside. Ron followed and the two of them made their way to the pond in silence.

"Are you upset with me?" Ron asked quietly after a few minutes. Hermione sighed and turned to face him.

"Ron, I'm not going to be an Auror," she said flatly. "Even if they offer N.E.W.T.S. in August and I decide to take them instead of going back to school, I'm still not going to be an Auror." Ron had shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and was looking at the ground.

"I know, Hermione," he finally said.

"Do you?" she asked. "Because you seem to keep bringing it up as if I'm going to change my mind." He shrugged.

"Just wishful thinking, I guess."

"Why, Ron? Why are you fixated on this?"

"I don't know."

"For someone who doesn't know, you've been awfully vocal about it." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. Ron looked up and raked a hand through his hair.

"It's just," he sighed. "I like spending time with you."

"We can still spend time together, even if we're not working together."

"I know, but," he trailed off and shook his head.

"But what?" Hermione pressed.

"Look, you go back to school, I'm working at the Ministry, we're never going to see each other."

"It's only for a year, Ron."

"A lot can happen in a year, Hermione." Her brow furrowed and she studied him for a moment.

"Are you saying that you're going to find someone else?"

"What? No! Of course, not!"

"Then I don't understand the problem," she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. He muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch. "What?"

"I said, maybe _you_ will." Hermione's jaw dropped open in shock.

"Why would you even think that?"

"Don't play daft."

"I'm not playing anything, Ron. I have no idea what you're talking about." Ron scoffed.

"Sure, you don't."

"If you don't stop being cryptic right this _second_ , I'm going back in the house." Ron looked at her skeptically.

"You really have no idea?"

"That's what I've been saying for the last five minutes."

"You've never noticed all the blokes looking at you?"

"What blokes?"

"At least half the people we went to school with for starters."

"Don't be ridiculous." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm not!" Ron stared at her for a few seconds. "I can't believe you never noticed."

"Maybe I never noticed because you're _imagining_ things."

"No, I'm not," Ron insisted. "Ask Harry." Hermione went silent. If Ron was bringing Harry into it, there must have been some truth to what he was saying. Although, she still thought he was barmy. _She'd_ never noticed anyone looking at her, except maybe Cormac McLaggen and he was a complete tosser.

"You don't even realize, Hermione. I think Neville's been half in love with you since third year."

"Neville fancies Luna," Hermione said immediately.

"Now, maybe," Ron replied.

"Even if that is true, what does it have to do with us?" Ron looked at her, then glanced away quickly, the tips of his ears turning red. He shrugged a shoulder. Hermione sighed in frustration, but was beginning to think she understood.

"Ron, you can't worry about what other people might or might not think about me. I have no plans to find someone else."

"No one _plans_ it, Hermione."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Of course, I do. It's all those other people I don't trust."

"Now you're just being ridiculous." Ron's eyes narrowed.

"I'm ridiculous for being concerned about my girlfriend?"

"No, it's ridiculous to think that just because someone else might pay me a bit of attention, I'll fall at their feet and forget all about you. What does that say about me?"

"That's not what I meant," Ron protested.

"Well, that's sure what it sounded like." Hermione had her hands on her hips, getting more irritated by the second.

"I didn't," Ron sighed and shook his head, scrubbing a hand down his face. "That isn't what I meant, damn it!"

"Well, when you figured out what you _did_ mean, let me know, won't you?" Hermione spun on her heel and began walking back towards the house.

"Hermione, wait!" She ignored him and kept walking, muttering under her breath about idiotic, insecure boys. "Hermione!" She heard him behind her and when he grabbed her elbow, she shook him off.

"Leave me alone, Ron," she snapped and kept walking. She was tired from working all day and she really didn't want to deal with all of this right now.

"Hermione, I love you!" Hermione froze. She knew this already, Ginny had let it slip, but hearing Ron say it was a completely different thing altogether. She turned around slowly to face him.

"What did you say?" she asked quietly.

"I love you," he said again. She stared at him for a minute before she flew forward and flung herself into his arms, kissing him. Ron returned the kiss enthusiastically.

"I'm sorry," he said when she finally pulled away, needing to breathe. "I know I completely bolloxed up what I was trying to say. I-" Hermione put a finger over his lips.

"It doesn't matter," she said, kissing him again. "I love you too." Ron's grin was so wide, Hermione thought it might split his face. He laughed and spun her around and then kissed her until Mrs. Weasley called outside, looking for them.


	13. Arguments

**A/N - Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you all for continuing to read and review! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Arguments**

 **9 May 1998**

"No," Andromeda said flatly, rising from the table and turning her back to him.

"Andromeda," Remus began, but his mother-in-law spun around, fury on her face.

"I cannot fathom why, in Merlin's name, you would think that I would be at all interested in attending their trials. They killed Ted and Nymphadora!"

"Snatchers killed Ted and Bellatrix killed Dora, not your sister or her family."

"She is _not_ my sister," Andromeda snapped. "She made that perfectly clear years ago, when she cut off all contact with me. And they may not have wielded the wand, but they certainly agreed with the principles!"

"All right," Remus said, holding up his hands in an attempt to placate her.

"Why would you want to defend them, after everything that has happened?"

"I don't," Remus assured her. "There is no doubt in my mind that your sister is a Pureblood supremacist and I know from being his professor, that she taught her son the same."

"Then why?"

"I want to be sure they are given a fair trial, that's all. Draco is a child."

"He's an adult," Andromeda retorted.

"He is a _child_ ," Remus repeated. "I'm not saying that Draco is innocent, far from it, but he was Marked when he was only sixteen in retaliation for his father's failures." She sighed.

"Be that as it may, that does not excuse my sister's actions."

"Did you know that she lied to Voldemort during the Battle and as a result, Harry is still alive?" Andromeda looked up at him sharply. "Neither she nor Lucius had a wand that night."

"So, that just absolves them of all guilt, does it?" Andromeda demanded.

"No, that's not what I'm saying and I honestly couldn't care less if Lucius Malfoy rots in Azkaban for the rest of his miserable life. But, I do think that _all_ their actions should be taken into consideration. I don't want either Draco or Narcissa to be given the same sentence as Lucius simply because they are his family."

"My sister made her own choices," Andromeda said tiredly.

"Did you ever stop to consider that perhaps Narcissa made the choices she did to protect Draco as much as possible? Especially after Voldemort's return."

"She could have taken him and left," Andromeda said.

"You know that's not how Pureblood marriages work," Remus reminded her. "And you know as well as I do, that if she had, she would have been found and punished for trying to run away." Andromeda looked up at him sharply.

"Regardless of what else he was, Lucius Malfoy loves Narcissa and, I assume, his son. He would not have killed them," she said.

"I wasn't talking about Lucius." Andromeda stared at him for moment before she sighed.

"I don't know why you are pushing this so hard, Remus."

"I just want you to be sure," Remus said. He paused for a moment, before continuing quietly. "I saw your face, that day at Hogwarts when you saw her. And I remember what you told me later about how close the two of you were." Andromeda shook her head.

"Someone needs to take care of Teddy."

"I'm sure Molly Weasley would love to." Andromeda fell silent as Remus continued. "I am fine with whatever decision you make. I just want you to have the chance to go if you wish."

"I will think about it," she finally said.

"All right," Remus replied. "I do have other news."

"I'm not sure I can take any more news today," she said dryly. Remus chuckled.

"Minerva has offered me a job."

"Remus, that's wonderful! What kind of job?"

"It's only temporary, mind you, but she would like me to be a tutor. They are offering O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams at the end of June and will be holding revision sessions for two weeks beforehand," he explained.

"You told her yes, I hope."

"I told her I would speak to you about it first and then let her know."

"Well, of course, it's fine with me," Andromeda replied. "Nymphadora always told me how much you loved teaching."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I expect I will be spending longer hours at the castle than I am now."

"We will be fine," Andromeda assured him with a smile. There was a wail from upstairs.

"I'll get him" Remus said. He rose from the table and walked toward the stairs. He had decided to stay home from Hogwarts to spend some time with Teddy today.

Walking into his son's room, Remus couldn't help the smile that formed. Teddy's arms were flailing about and his hair was cycling through colors more quickly than Remus could even keep track of. Andromeda had assured him that it was perfectly normal, as Dora's had done the same thing whenever she was upset as a baby. Remus reached into the cot and lifted Teddy to his shoulder, patting his back gently.

"It's all right, Daddy's here," Remus said soothingly as Teddy's cries diminished in volume. Remus changed the boy's nappy before carrying him downstairs for the waiting bottle Andromeda had no doubt prepared. Teddy was gnawing on his own fist by the time they reached the kitchen.

"Bit hungry then, are we?" Remus said with a laugh as Andromeda handed him the bottle. She gave them both a fond smile before she turned back to the kitchen, putting away the dishes that had just finished washing.

* * *

"You're doing _what_?" Ron exclaimed.

"I'm going to testify at their trials," Harry repeated.

"Are you _completely_ mental?" Ron demanded. "They tortured Hermione!"

"Bellatrix tortured me," Hermione said.

"And the three of them just stood there and watched, probably ecstatic!"

"It wasn't like that, Ron," Hermione said. Ron rounded on her.

"I can't believe you're all right with this," he snapped. "After everything that happened to you in that house!" Hermione sighed. She had known this wasn't going to go well, but she had hoped that Ron might at least listen before flying off the handle.

"Look, Ron, I hate Malfoy as much as you do," Harry said. "But his mother did save me in the forest. If she hadn't lied, I'd be dead. And if Voldemort had found out she lied, _she'd_ be dead."

"That doesn't give the ferret a free pass," Ron said. "He almost killed _me_ or have you conveniently forgotten that little fact?"

"Of course, I haven't," Harry retorted. "If you'll remember, I nearly killed him too and you don't see me on trial for anything."

"So, that makes it okay, then?" Ron demanded.

"No!" Harry shouted. He raked a hand through his hair in frustration and they both glowered at each other. Hermione was glad she had cast a Muffliato around them, even though they were in Ron's room.

"Can we all just calm down a bit and discuss this like adults?" Hermione asked. She saw Harry visibly force himself to relax, but Ron's face was nearly as red as his hair. "Ron?"

"Nothing you can say to me, Hermione, _nothing_ will make me think this is a good idea."

"Harry isn't trying to get them off the hook," she said. "He just wants to make sure the Wizengamot has all the information." Ron looked back and forth between the two of them, disgust clearly evident on his face.

"All of sixth year, you insisted Malfoy was a Death Eater," Ron said to Harry. "You were convinced he was up to something, convinced that Voldemort had given him some kind of mission. Even when Hermione and I tried to convince you otherwise, you didn't budge. Then, he almost killed Katie and me, he let Death Eaters into Hogwarts and Dumbledore died."

"And now, now you're defending him. I don't understand you, Harry." Ron turned to Hermione. "And I don't know why you would go along with it." Ron's voice had been rising as he was talking and now he was yelling. "He stood there and watched while she tortured you, Hermione! Watched while she carved that word into your arm!" Hermione flinched.

"Ron, calm down," Harry said, looking at Hermione in concern.

"Calm down? Calm down! No, I bloody well won't calm down, Harry!"

"You think that I don't care about what happened to Hermione? To Katie? To you? You think I don't see what happened at Malfoy Manor every single night in my nightmares? That I don't blame myself every fucking day for being the one that said his name and brought the Snatchers down on us?" Harry snapped.

"Then why are you doing this, Harry?" Ron demanded.

"Because I have to!" Harry thundered. "I can't let anyone else suffer because of what Voldemort did!"

"Malfoy made his own choices!"

"Maybe he did! And if he did, then he'll suffer the same consequences as any other Death Eater. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to provide the information that I have!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's the right thing to do!" Harry and Ron stood staring at each other. Harry was breathing heavily and Ron was still as angry as he had been when Harry first started the conversation.

"And perfect Harry Potter always does the right thing, doesn't he?" Ron nearly spat.

"Ron!" Hermione said in shock.

"Oh, of course you're taking his side again," Ron said. "Why should I be surprised?"

"That's not-" but Ron held up a hand to silence her.

"Don't bother, Hermione." Ron glanced at the two of them for a few more seconds. "I'm going to Hogwarts." He turned and wrenched the bedroom door open and then slammed it behind him.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry said, running a hand through his hair again.

"It's not your fault," Hermione said.

"It sort of is," Harry argued. "You're not planning on testifying." Hermione shrugged.

"Only because I don't really have anything to say." There was a knock on the door before Harry could say anything else.

"Come in," Harry called out.

"What's going on?" Ginny demanded. "Ron ran out of here looking angry enough to spit fire."

"Where is he?" Hermione asked.

"Said he was going to Hogwarts," Ginny said. "Mum's upset." Hermione turned to Harry.

"What if he splinches?"

"Go," Harry said. "I'll explain here." Hermione nodded and ran out of the room. She passed Mrs. Weasley on the stairs, but ignored the woman's questions and hurried to the Apparition point. Taking a deep breath, she tried to center herself. It wouldn't do either of them any good if she splinched herself too.

* * *

"Ron!" the word was out of her mouth, even as she was landing. She looked up and saw him already through the gates and on his way to the castle. "Ron!" He slowed, but didn't turn and it was then that Hermione saw he was clutching his right forearm. She started to run.

"Ron, let me see," she said as she caught up to him.

"No," he said petulantly, yanking his arm away from her.

"Did you splinch yourself?"

"Oh, right because I can't do anything properly, can I?"

"That's not," she began then shook her head, nearly jogging to keep up with his long strides.

"Go home, Hermione."

"I won't," she said stubbornly. She ran a few steps and stopped directly in front of him.

"Let me see."

"No."

"Please." He stared at her for a moment and then sighed and uncovered his arm. There was a long scrape that was only oozing a bit of blood, but it didn't look like it was from a splinching. She looked up at him in question.

"I fell when I landed," he finally said. "There was a branch lying there and I scraped my arm on it."

"Ron, I-"

"Just leave it, Hermione."

"We need to talk."

"Why?" he asked. "You and Harry seemed to have made your decision." Hermione opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. He was right in that sense. Hermione knew that Harry wouldn't change his mind about speaking at the trials and Hermione wanted to go with him for moral support.

"Thought so," Ron said, pushing past her and resuming his walk towards the castle. Hermione hurried after him.

"Can't you try to understand why Harry is doing this?" Ron rounded on her, anger back in his eyes.

"I understand that my girlfriend was _tortured_ in their house. And now, my best friend, who professes to love you like a sister, is going to speak up for people that stood by and did nothing about it. _Nothing_ , Hermione! That's what I understand."

"What Harry is going to say at Mrs. Malfoy's trial has nothing to do with that!"

"Oh no? And what is he going to say about the ferret?"

"He's just planning on telling them that Draco didn't identify him at the Manor."

"And what about us? Good old Draco didn't seem to have a problem identifying us." Hermione said nothing. Draco had identified them, but only after his parents had recognized them first and only very reluctantly. "If he hadn't, you wouldn't have been tortured."

"You know that's not true, Ron. They were going to call Voldemort until Bellatrix saw the sword. _That's_ why I was tortured."

"Maybe."

"Not maybe, _yes_."

"Even if you're right, Hermione, I still can't believe that Harry is going to speak for them."

"Despite the fact that your delivery left much to be desired, you were right about what you said, that Harry always wants to do the right thing," she reminded him.

"And if I don't think this is the right thing?"

"You're entitled to your opinion, just like Harry is." Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Hermione took a step closer to him. "I know you don't agree with this and I'm not asking you to change your mind about that. I'm just asking you to understand why Harry feels the need to do it."

"And what about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" Hermione returned.

"Why do you feel the need to do it?" It was her turn to sigh.

"Everyone deserves a fair trial," she said. "Even the bad guys." Ron stared at her for a minute before looking off into the distance. She stepped towards him again and wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his chest. His good arm came around her and squeezed her gently. They stood there in silence for a few minutes until Hermione pulled back slightly.

"Let's find Madame Pomfrey and get your arm healed." Ron gave her a half-smile and followed her into the castle.

* * *

Remus had spent the day entertaining Teddy when he was awake. While his son was napping, Remus had pulled out his old trunk and looked through the books he had used when he taught Defense. Andromeda had offered the use of her small library as well. As Minerva had asked Remus to tutor, not teach, he assumed he would be helping with a wide range of subjects and so had selected a few books on Charms, Transfiguration and Magical Creatures from Andromeda's bookshelves. He wondered if Harry would mind if he looked through the library at Grimmauld Place as well.

He sat down in the armchair in the living room and opened one of the Charms books. He idly paged through it, while trying to remember what had been on his own Charms O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. Likely things had changed a bit in twenty years, but the theory was still the same.

Closing the book, he opened one of the Transfiguration texts. Flipping through the pages, a small scribble in one of the margins caught his eye. Stopping, he found he was on the chapter about human Transfiguration. In the margin, next to a paragraph that discussed how difficult human Transfiguration was, someone had written ' _unless you're a Metamorphmagus_ ', in very familiar script.

Remus' chest felt tight and there was a lump in his throat. Marking the page with his finger, he flipped back to the inside front cover. ' _Property of Nymphadora Tonks'_ had been written in the same familiar script, although Nymphadora had been crossed out. He traced a finger over the name.

"Remus, I thought I would," Andromeda trailed off. "Are you all right?" Remus nodded, unable to speak over the lump in his throat. He heard Andromeda step closer to him and inhale sharply.

"I'd forgotten," she whispered. He looked up at her in question. "I'd forgotten that she'd left some of her books here after she got her own flat when she started her job at the Ministry. I think Ted just shelved them in with the rest." Andromeda's hand came to rest on Remus' shoulder. He reached up a hand of his own and gave hers a small squeeze as they both stared at the name in the book.

It had only been a week, he realized. Only seven days since she had been here in this room with him. It seemed like so much longer and just yesterday all at the same time. A quiet sniff alerted him to the fact that he was not the only one affected. His hand tightened on Andromeda's.

"I'm sorry, I should have remembered," she said, but Remus was already shaking his head.

"No," he said. "Don't apologize for this." He rose from his chair and turned to look at her. "This is not something you need to be sorry for. I want these little reminders, no matter how painful they are. I don't want to just shut her things away and pretend she didn't exist."

"Of course not," Andromeda said, taken aback. "I don't want that at all."

"I know you don't," Remus said. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that." His voice was gruffer than usual, the lump in his throat affecting his ability to speak. He looked down at the book again. "I'll just…excuse me." He hurried from the room and out the back door to the garden.

He stopped in front of Andromeda's flower garden and sank down onto the bench there. He still held the book tightly in his hand and he drew in a shaky breath before opening the cover once more. He didn't realize he was crying until a tear dropped down onto the book. Remus closed the cover and clutched it to his chest, letting the tears continue to fall.

* * *

Madame Pomfrey had healed Ron's arm in a trice. She had rubbed some salve on it afterward to prevent infection and sent him on his way. Harry and Ginny still hadn't arrived by the time Ron had been healed and so after discovering that Remus was not going to be working today, Hermione had convinced Professor McGonagall to allow Ron to help her continue the repairs on the tower. Hermione thought it prudent to keep Ron and Harry away from each for the time being. Despite Ron's grudging acceptance that he wasn't going to be able to change Harry's mind, Hermione knew that Ron's temper would flare again with the slightest provocation.

Hermione climbed the ladder Remus had transfigured as Ron mounted the broom that Remus had left behind. Instead of teaching Ron the spell to set the mortar, she had him levitate the stones after she had cast the mortar spell herself. They worked in relative silence, purposely ignoring the argument from earlier, until the wall grew too high for Hermione to reach it from the ladder. She climbed down and looked up at the wall with a sigh as Ron landed next to her.

"Should I get you a broom from the broom shed?" Ron asked.

"I'm not getting on a broom," Hermione scoffed. Ron's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Well, how are we going to finish then?" Hermione didn't respond, simply squinted up at the tower. The battlements on either side of where the tower stood were still higher than the height of the rebuilt tower, but it was possible that Hermione could stand on the walkway behind and still set the mortar. If not, she could surely levitate the stone and teach Ron the mortar spell. There had to be an entrance to the battlements somewhere.

"If I can get up there to the walkway behind the battlements, I think I can levitate the stones from there. You'll have to set the mortar though," she said.

"No problem," Ron replied. "I can fly you up."

"I'm sure there's a door somewhere in the castle, Ron. It's almost lunch. We can ask Professor McGonagall then." Ron looked at her quizzically.

"Why don't you want to just fly up?" She turned to him, incredulous look on her face.

"I hate to fly."

"Well, sure, but it's not that far. It would only take a minute to get you up there and it's not like you've never done it before." He mounted his broom. "Come on, I'll take you up there now and we can make sure it's safe." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.

"Go ahead, fly up and look at it. If it's safe, I'll find out how to get up there from _inside_ the castle."

"Hermione, it's not even that high. Don't be daft, just come on."

"I said _no_ , Ron." Ron sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He kicked off from the ground and flew up to the battlements Hermione had indicated. Hermione watched as he landed and moved as far to the end as the walkway would allow. It would be a bit of a stretch for the next two of three rows, but she could do it. Ron landed next to her a few minutes later.

"Everything looks all right," he said. "Stable anyway." Hermione nodded.

"Let's eat then and I'll talk to the professor."

"I still think you should just let me fly you up there," Ron said as he rested his broom against the side of the castle and followed Hermione towards the Great Hall. "Who knows what crazy passageway you're going to have to take to get there from inside the castle."

"I'm sure it won't be that difficult."

"I didn't see any doors anywhere."

"Well, there's got to be, doesn't there?" she huffed. "You must have just missed it."

"Doubt it," Ron muttered. Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from saying something she knew she would regret. Ron could be so infuriating sometimes.

They walked in silence, Ron not seeming to want to continue arguing with her either. As they neared the Great Hall, Hermione couldn't help but compare Ron's reaction to her not wanting to fly to Remus'. Remus had been concerned and had asked questions to try and understand her fear. When he realized that she really didn't want to fly, he had come up with a different solution without making her feel like an idiot. Ron, even though he was well aware of her fear of flying, had ignored it and just insisted she do it.

Hermione shook her head. She had no idea why she was comparing the two of them. It's not as if Remus was any kind of competition for Ron. She snorted thinking of the idea that Remus would see her as a possible romantic prospect, even if he hadn't just lost his wife.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione replied. Ron's eyes narrowed, likely thinking she was laughing at him for something. "I promise, it's nothing." Ron didn't look convinced, but didn't ask any other questions.

When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione looked around for Professor McGonagall. When she spotted her, Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him with her.

"Professor," Hermione said as they reached the older witch.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, how is your project coming?"

"Very well, Professor, but we have a bit of a problem," Hermione said. The professor looked at her expectantly. "The wall of the tower has gotten too high for me to reach it from a ladder." Before the professor could suggest a broom, Hermione continued. "I was wondering where the entrance is to the walkway that runs next to the tower." The professor frowned, brows furrowed.

"I have not been in that part of the castle for quite some time," she said. "I admit that I've forgotten. I will need to consult the portraits about it. I will have an answer for you after lunch."

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione turned to Ron but he was already walking towards the Gryffindor table.

"Let's eat, I'm hungry." Hermione shook her head, but followed after him.

* * *

Lunch had been uneventful, thankfully. Harry and Ginny had joined them, but it seemed that everyone had silently agreed not to discuss the trials. Hermione wondered if Ginny knew about their row and if she did, what the other girl thought about Harry's plan.

"Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall's voice interrupted Hermione's thoughts.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I have checked with the portraits and the entrance to the battlements was in the tower itself." Hermione's face fell. "Do not worry, we will be able to cut a door from the stone once the tower is finished," the professor continued, misinterpreting the reason for Hermione's expression.

"Is there no other way to get to the battlements from inside the castle?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid not," the professor said. "However, the school brooms are available for your use."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said with a sigh.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Hermione isn't happy that she has to fly," Ron said around the food in his mouth. Hermione scowled at him.

"Fly where?" Ginny asked.

"The tower has gotten too high to reach from the ground or the ladder I was using," Hermione explained. "There's a walkway that connects to the tower that I could stand on, but no way to get there from inside the castle."

"I told her I could fly her up," Ron said with a shrug.

"Hermione doesn't like to fly," Harry reminded him.

"I know that, Harry, but it wouldn't take more than thirty seconds to get her up there. It's not that big of a deal," Ron said with a bit of exasperation in his voice.

"It is to Hermione," Harry said.

"Honestly, why? I mean, it's not like she has to go on an hour-long broom ride or something," Ron said throwing his hands into the air.

"Ron, you know-" Harry began, but Hermione interrupted him.

"I'll thank you both to stop talking about me as if I'm not sitting right here!" Harry had the sense to look sheepish, but Ron just rolled his eyes. Hermione huffed and got up from the bench. "I'll be outside." She stomped off, not caring that she looked like a petulant child.

* * *

She was still staring at the tower, arms crossed in front of her, when Ron appeared.

"Glaring at it, isn't going to make a door appear," Ron said.

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione snapped. Ron sighed.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said. "I'm just trying to lighten things up."

"By making fun of me?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"I'm not making fun of you," Ron protested. Hermione snorted.

"Could have fooled me." Ron sighed again.

"Okay," he said, stepping towards her and holding his hands up in front of him in a surrendering gesture. "Can we start over?" Hermione crossed her arms again.

"Fine."

"Would you like me to fly you up to the battlements?"

"No," she said flatly.

"All right, I know you won't _like_ it if I fly you up there, but do you want to do it anyway?" Hermione looked up at the walkway again and then at Ron's broom. When she didn't answer for a few moments, Ron seemed to lose patience.

"Look, Hermione, the only way you're going to get over your fear of flying is just to do it."

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"It's what Mum always says and she's right," Ron defended.

"Oh really?" Hermione said. "So, should I go into the forest and bring back an Acromantula so you can pet it?" Ron blanched. "It's the only way you'll get over your fear of spiders after all."

"That's, that's not the same thing at all!"

"Why not?" Hermione challenged. "You're afraid of spiders and if the only way to get over your fear of something is just to do it, then why not pet one?"

"Lots of people are afraid of spiders!" Ron insisted.

"And lots of people are afraid of flying!" Hermione retorted. They glared at each other for a few minutes before Ron threw up his hands.

"You're impossible!"

"It's a wonder that you're dating me then," Hermione snapped.

"I didn't say that," Ron insisted. Hermione opened her mouth to say something else, but Ron had moved forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let me go, Ron!"

"No," he said. "Don't say anything else." She looked up at him. "We just, we have to cool off for a minute." All the fight went out of her. She sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. Ron ran his hands up and down her arms as they both calmed.

"We have to stop fighting so much," he finally said.

"I know," Hermione replied.

"Why do we do it all the time, do you think?"

"Years of practice," Hermione said dryly. Ron laughed and looked down at her.

"I am sorry," he said.

"Me too." He put an arm around her and looked back at the tower.

"So, I reckon we've got two choices."

"And what are those?" Hermione asked.

"Either I can fly you up there," he said pointing at the battlements. "Or we can ask Professor McGonagall for a different job." Hermione bit her bottom lip. She really didn't want to the professor to have to find someone else to take over for them. Ron turned her gently so she faced him.

"You know that I won't let you fall, right?" he said.

"I know," she replied.

"I'll go slow and have a hold of you the whole time. I'll even use a sticking charm if you want." He gave her a lopsided grin as she chuckled.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Truly, she was overreacting a bit. It wasn't _that_ far and she _had_ flown before.

"Would you rather Harry flew you up there?" Ron asked. She looked up at him in surprise. He looked at her solemnly. "If it's because you don't trust me, I'm sure Harry would do it."

"No, Ron, it's not that," she assured him, although there was something niggling in the back of her mind. Hermione shoved it away and looked at the tower one more time. "All right."

"All right?" Ron repeated.

"Fly me up there," Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yes." Ron smiled and picked up his broom. He straddled it and then motioned for her to sit in front of him. Hermione took a breath and held onto the handle as tightly as she could. Ron wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her snug against him. Hermione closed her eyes as he kicked off from the ground.

As the ground fell away, she felt the familiar swooping in her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut tighter and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart. For his part, Ron climbed slower than she knew he would have had she not been on the broom with him. She was grateful, but a part of her just wanted it to be over.

"We're here," Ron said in her ear a few moments later. Hermione opened one eye a crack and saw that they were indeed behind the battlements. She let out the breath she had been holding as Ron climbed off the broom, then held out a hand to her to help her off.

"All right?" he asked. She nodded. He leaned the broom up against the wall and walked towards the tower. Hermione followed and peered over the edge of the battlements.

"I'm sure I can levitate the stones from here, but you'll have to do the mortar."

"Suppose you'd better teach me the spell then," he said. Hermione demonstrated the wand movements and made Ron practice until she was sure he had it right. He smiled as he mounted the broom once again and flew out in front of the tower. Hermione watched as he cast the spell for the mortar and then she levitated a stone to fit it into place. It was harder to do from this distance, but she managed. They fell into a comfortable rhythm and spent the rest of the afternoon rebuilding the tower.


	14. Trials

**A/N - Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts about the story. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Trials**

 **10 May 1998**

"You sure about this?" Ron asked George as they all left the Leaky Cauldron and walked into Diagon Alley. George had announced at dinner the night before that he wanted to go to the shop the next day. Not wanting him to go alone, Mrs. Weasley had taken her other children aside to make sure that at least some of them would accompany George. Charlie had immediately volunteered and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, deciding they'd like a short break from Hogwarts, elected to go as well.

"Yeah," George said quietly, his hands in his pockets as he walked towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes between his two brothers.

The small group stopped in front of the shop and Hermione was glad to see that there didn't seem to be any real damage. Someone had obviously tried to get past the wards, Death Eaters most likely when the Weasleys had all gone into hiding, but besides a few scorch marks and a cracked window, they hadn't been successful. They had either not tried all that hard or had been lower level Death Eaters, incapable of breaking them. Hermione suspected the latter.

After a few minutes of staring at the building, George finally pulled his wand from his pocket and began to mutter under his breath, dropping the wards he and Fred had set when they fled. When he was finished, he took a breath and opened the front door.

They all followed him inside, George waving his wand to light the lamps. There was a layer of dust over everything, but other than that all was in its proper place. If not for the dust, they could have just left the shop the day before.

George walked slowly around the room, touching a box here and there. The rest of them watched him for a few moments, before Hermione raised her wand and began to siphon the dust away from everything. Charlie, Ron and Harry followed suit, while Ginny continued to watch George closely.

"Thanks," George said to everyone once the dust had disappeared. "I'm going to check the back room." He walked towards a curtain in the back and Ginny made to follow before Charlie grabbed her arm to hold her back.

"Just let him go, Gin."

"But-" Ginny protested.

"He needs some time alone," Charlie said, his tone brokering no argument.

"All right," she finally agreed. They all fanned out across the shop, checking the inventory. Things were still a bit tense between Harry and Ron and despite their work together the previous day, Hermione knew that Ron hadn't completely forgiven her either. Ginny hadn't said much about the trials, even though Hermione knew that Harry had told her his plans. When the two witches ended up next to each other near the Wonder Witch products, Hermione couldn't help but bring it up.

"Harry has to do what he thinks is right," Ginny said.

"Yes, but what do you think?" Hermione pressed.

"I think Malfoy's a right bastard," Ginny replied with a shrug.

"You don't seem too upset about the fact that Harry's testifying," Hermione said. Ginny sighed.

"Look Hermione, we all know about Harry's 'saving people' thing."

"I don't think he's trying to save Malfoy," Hermione interjected.

"No," Ginny agreed. "But, he will do whatever he can to make sure that everything is as fair as possible." She shrugged again. "That's just Harry. How can I be upset about that?"

"Ron still is," Hermione said. Ginny snorted.

"Ron has Mum's temper." Hermione smiled slightly and Ginny sighed. "I know you and Harry aren't going to change your minds. Ron isn't either. The question is, can you live with that?"

"I don't expect Ron to change his mind," Hermione said. "So, the real question is, can _he_ live with it?" Ginny cocked her head and gave Hermione a skeptical look.

"Are you sure you don't want him to change his mind?"

"No, of course not," Hermione began, then paused, worrying her lip between her teeth. "I mean, would it be nice if we agreed about this? Yes. But I understand why he's angry." Ginny studied her for a moment before finally nodding.

"I doubt he's going to get any less angry about it," Ginny said. "Especially after what happened to you."

"I know," Hermione said with a sigh. There was a small explosion and then a loud clang from the back of the shop. Ginny and Hermione looked up quickly and there was another, followed by the clatter of something falling. The two of them took off for the back room, following Charlie who had already reached the curtain.

"George!" he shouted as he stepped through. When Hermione and Ginny reached the doorway, they saw George standing amongst a group of overturned cauldrons and boxes. There was some kind of liquid on the floor that was smoking. Charlie was already grabbing George and moving him away from the mess as Hermione drew her wand and cast a quick 'Evanesco' on the potion.

"What happened?" Ron asked as he and Harry reached Hermione and Ginny. Hermione shook her head and shrugged as Charlie spoke lowly to George.

"We must have forgotten about it," George was saying.

"Forgotten about what?" Ginny asked.

"The potion we were working on. I thought we'd cleaned everything up, but this one was in stasis and, and," George stopped and cleared his throat. "F-Fred must have forgotten about it." They all fell silent and Hermione saw Ginny swipe hastily at her eyes.

"What was it?" Charlie demanded. "Did any of it spill on you?" He was searching his brother for injuries even as he spoke.

"No, no, it was harmless," George said waving Charlie off. "Just destabilized after being under stasis so long." He sat down heavily on a nearby stool, staring at the cauldron still lying on the floor on its side. Ginny glanced at Ron who was watching George warily.

"Okay, mate?" Ron finally asked. George nodded, looking at the ground.

"Why don't we help you clean all this up," Hermione said stepping into the back room and beginning to levitate the boxes that had fallen. The rest of them followed suit as George continued to sit on the stool and stare at the floor. When Ginny bent to pick up the cauldron that the potion had been in, George grabbed her arm.

"Don't," he said. She looked at him in confusion. "Just, I'll…I'll do it." Ginny nodded and took a step back. George pulled in a breath as he stood, letting it out as he bent to pick up the cauldron. He settled it into its place on the table in front of them, knuckles white with how hard he was gripping it. They all stood in silence and watched as he wrestled with his emotions, running a hand along the cauldron's edge.

"I'm fine," he said a few seconds later. "Really." Ginny and Ron didn't look convinced, but Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him from the room.

"All right, then," Hermione heard Charlie say along with the unmistakable sound of him clapping George on the back. "Come on Gin, Ron." Charlie pulled a reluctant Ron and Ginny from the back room.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea, Charlie?" Ron asked.

"He wanted to come," Charlie reminded his brother.

"Yeah, but, maybe it's too soon." Ron glanced over his shoulder where George could still be seen standing and staring at the cauldron in front of him.

"Don't coddle him, Ron. He gets enough of that from Mum and he hates it," Charlie said.

"I'm just worried," Ron retorted.

"I know you are, but," Charlie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, it's never going to be the same for George again, for any of us for that matter, but especially for him. He's got to figure out how he fits back into his life now. And us hovering isn't going to help." Ron stared at Charlie for a minute before his shoulders slumped.

"Yeah, all right." They wandered around the shop a bit more until George finally emerged from the back room.

"I'm going up to the flat," he said. Hermione saw Ron open his mouth to say something, but Charlie spoke first.

"How about you show me around?" Charlie asked. "I only saw it the once and that was just the kitchen." George stared at Charlie, blinking a few times before he answered.

"Sure," he finally said and Charlie followed him upstairs to the flat.

"Impressive," Hermione said once the two men were gone.

"What?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Charlie getting George to let him go with him up to the flat without making George feel like he was being babied." Ron looked at her blankly.

"You got all that from ' _How about you show me around'_?"

"Of course, Ron, what do you _think_ Charlie was doing?" Ginny said.

"I thought he was asking to be shown the flat," Ron retorted. Ginny snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Boys," she said.

"Hey," Harry protested.

"Did _you_ know what Charlie was doing?" Ginny asked pointedly.

"Erm, of course I did," Harry said lamely.

"Right," Ginny laughed. At Harry's pout, she walked over to him and kissed him lightly. Harry's look of surprise confirmed Hermione's guess that the two of them weren't officially back together yet. Although not for lack of trying on Ginny's part, Hermione knew.

"Must you?" Ron said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Ginny rolled her eyes again. Hermione, feeling some of the tension leave the room, moved closer to Ron and took hold of his hand. He looked down at her for a moment before he finally smiled. She smiled back and leaned her head against his shoulder as they waited for Charlie and George to return.

* * *

"I don't understand," Andromeda said with a frown on her face. "You've been transforming here for nearly a year and we've never had any problems."

"I was also usually taking Wolfsbane," Remus said.

"I am so sorry about that," Andromeda replied, looking guilty. Andromeda had taken over brewing the Wolfsbane for Remus once he had returned to Dora. With the Battle and the funeral, however, it had been the last thing on either of their minds and it was too late to begin brewing it now.

"Please don't apologize," Remus said. "I don't blame you."

"Well, you didn't have Wolfsbane the first month you were here," Andromeda reminded him. "You moved in only three days before the moon. And all was well."

"I'm afraid that it will be different this time," Remus admitted.

"Different how?"

"With Dora," Remus stopped and swallowed down the lump in his throat. "With Dora gone, I'm not sure how the wolf will react. Especially if he can still smell her."

"And you think that might make you, the wolf, violent?" Andromeda asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But I would rather err on the side of caution than have anything happen to you or Teddy."

"If you think it's best."

"I do," Remus said.

"I will come with you to set the wards," she said.

"Harry will be there," Remus replied. "I'm sure he can set them."

"With all due respect to Harry, I think it would be best if someone experienced set them. Especially if you react the way you suspect you will," Andromeda said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Perhaps you're right."

"Of course, I am," she said with a smile. Remus chuckled. There was a cry from upstairs. "You check on our boy and I'll get some lunch together."

"Thank you, Andromeda." She gave him a smile as Remus left the room.

* * *

"So, what'd he say?" Ron asked his sister. George had gone outside to sit by the pond after dinner and Ginny had joined him. They were all curious as to whether he was planning on reopening the shop and if so, when.

"He said it was hard, going back there, but not as hard as he thought it would be. The flat was the worst," Ginny replied. Ron nodded. Charlie had hinted as much when they had left the shop to walk back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"He's not planning on moving back in there yet, but he is going to reopen the shop."

"When?" Hermione asked.

"In a few weeks," Ginny continued. "He has to talk to Verity and then see if he can find someone else to help out."

"We can help," Ron said.

"I thought you were going into Auror training?" Ginny reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but not until June and we don't know when in June yet."

"Well, it will likely take almost that long anyway. George wants to do a full inventory and have enough stock before he opens, since it will be just," Ginny's breath caught for a moment. "Just him making the products now." Harry rubbed his hand gently across Ginny's back. "He said he doesn't want to be stuck in the back room brewing all the time."

"How did they handle it before?" Hermione asked, more to fill the silence than anything else.

"They switched off," Ron said. "Then when it was slow, they worked on developing new products."

"I expect he'll be pretty busy when he first reopens," Harry said, his hand still on Ginny's back. "Especially if other stores in the Alley join him." Diagon Alley hadn't been as deserted as it had been when the three of them had broken into Gringotts, but there were still plenty of shuttered store fronts when they'd been there.

"Does anyone know how Mr. Ollivander is doing?" Hermione asked.

"Mum talked to Aunt Muriel yesterday," Ginny said. "He's doing better, but he's still rather weak. Dad says St. Mungo's has settled down a bit since the Battle, so Mum's going to take Mr. Ollivander there tomorrow."

"Dad's going to the trials too, I assume," Ron said. He had a slight scowl on his face, but he didn't look nearly as upset about it as he had the day before.

"Has to, doesn't he?" Ginny said. "Since Kingsley appointed him acting head of the DMLE."

"Do you think he'll stay there?" Harry asked. Mr. Weasley had just received the promotion three days prior. "He'd be our boss then you know." Ron's eyes widened comically. Ginny and Hermione laughed.

"No, Dad doesn't really like it. Kingsley promised he could go to whatever Department he wanted to once the Ministry is cleaned out and the trials over."

"Knowing Dad, he'll probably go back to the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office," Ron scoffed.

"If he enjoys it, isn't that the most important thing?" Hermione asked. Ron looked at her for a few moments before he replied.

"Suppose so." He gave her a small smile.

"Well, I'm heading to bed," Ginny said. "You coming, Hermione?"

"Yes, I'll be there in just a minute." Ginny leaned over to Harry and kissed him quickly, just as she had in George's shop. Harry responded with the same surprise and Hermione could hear Ginny chuckling under her breath as she left the room.

"Harry, what time are we leaving in the morning?" she asked, glancing at Ron from the corner of her eye. The redhead immediately stood and mumbling something about the loo, left the room. Hermione sighed once he was gone.

"At least he's not yelling anymore," Harry said conversationally.

"There is that," Hermione agreed.

"A little after eight, I think," Harry said. "Trials start at nine and I'm not sure who is up first. Plus, Mr. Weasley said it will likely take longer to get past the security wizard." Hermione nodded.

"So, when are you going to admit it?" she questioned.

"Admit what?" Harry asked in confusion.

"That you and Ginny are a couple again." Harry's cheeks colored.

"We're not," he insisted.

"Could have fooled me," Hermione said, trying to hold back a laugh. Harry glared at her. "And obviously, Ginny wants you to be."

"She hasn't said," Harry began, but Hermione interrupted him with her snort of laughter.

"She's kissed you twice today alone."

"That's just, that's," he fell silent, his face reddening further.

"What's holding you back?" Hermione asked taking pity on him.

"My life is a mess right now, Hermione."

"No more than the rest of us," she reasoned. "And at least you've decided on your career path."

"She's going back to Hogwarts in the fall."

"And?" Hermione asked, confused.

"She shouldn't be tied down by me her last year in school. Especially, since it's likely to be a sight better than any of the previous ones." Hermione broke into peals of laughter. "What?"

"You're such an idiot, Harry Potter," Hermione said fondly.

"Gee, thanks, Hermione."

"I just meant that Ginny certainly isn't going to see it that way. I mean, honestly, you make it seem like it's a chore to date you."

"It sort of is," he said.

"Not anymore, Harry," Hermione said softly.

"No, no one's trying to kill me every other minute anymore, but that still doesn't mean I'm not going to be hounded all the time." Hermione sighed. The press would always want a piece of Harry. He had received no less that twenty requests for interviews in the last week alone, she and Ron had gotten ten. Bill had reported that he'd had to chase two photographers away from the Burrow the last time he'd Apparated in. Professor McGonagall kept the media away from Hogwarts except for the daily updates she gave them on the rebuilding efforts, which were done after the volunteers had gone home for the day. Charlie's notice-me-not charm had kept the reporters away from them in Diagon Alley earlier that day and Hermione had seen at least two. She knew once Harry started Auror training it would be worse.

"I don't think Ginny cares about that," she said.

"I don't want to subject anyone to that," Harry replied, looking downcast.

"So, you're just going to spend your life alone?" Hermione scoffed.

"Maybe it would be better that way," Harry muttered. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Harry have you even _talked_ to Ginny about all of this?"

"No," he said a bit petulantly.

"Well, don't you think you ought to before you decide how she's going to live her life?"

"That's not what I was doing!" Harry protested.

"Isn't it?" Hermione challenged.

"I'm trying to protect her, Hermione."

"By not giving her a choice?" Harry opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again. Hermione looked at him smugly.

"Fine, I'll talk to her."

"Good choice," Hermione said as she got to her feet. "I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

 **11 May 1998**

"No, Remus," Andromeda said as he asked her one last time if she was certain she didn't want to come with him to the Ministry. "Teddy and I are going to take a walk today, aren't we darling?" Teddy was lying on a blanket on the sitting room floor and waved his tiny fists in response.

"I'm not sure how long I will be," Remus said, smiling at his son.

"We will be fine, won't we Teddy?" Andromeda's voice was just a touch too bright and if it hadn't been the day of the full moon, Remus might not even have noticed.

"I'll be sure to give you a full report when I return," Remus said.

"That's not necessary," Andromeda replied, smiling widely at Teddy and completely avoiding Remus' eye. Remus wasn't fooled for a moment.

"Still," he said then bent down and kissed Teddy's forehead, then turned to his mother-in-law. "I will see you later." Andromeda simply nodded once and Remus walked into the back garden to Apparate.

* * *

Harry and Hermione Flooed to the Ministry with the visitor's badges that Mr. Weasley had obtained for them the day before. The line to check their wands with the security wizard took longer than usual, according to Harry, so Hermione was glad they had arrived as early as they did. Once finished, they made their way to the lifts.

"Isn't that?" Harry began, even as Hermione called out to him.

"Remus!" Remus stopped and turned to face them.

"Harry, Hermione," Remus greeted. "Here for the Malfoy trials, I assume?"

"Yes," Harry acknowledged. "But why are you here?"

"The same," Remus replied. Harry and Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Although she will not admit it, Andromeda has an interest." Hermione understood, remembering the looks that had passed between Tonks' mother and Mrs. Malfoy at Hogwarts after the Battle. Harry simply nodded as the three of them walked into a waiting lift.

The lift was quite crowded, otherwise Hermione would have immediately asked Remus how he was feeling. He seemed agitated, shifting slightly from foot to foot and tapping two fingers against his thigh repeatedly. It was reminiscent of how he had acted in their third year every month on the day of the full moon. It was another clue that had led Hermione to conclude that Remus was, indeed, a werewolf once she had done her research for her essay. Feeling for him, Hermione reached out and grasped his arm just above his wrist, squeezing gently before letting go. Remus smiled slightly at her and forced his fingers to still.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked lowly once they had exited the lift and begun to make their way towards the courtrooms.

"Just restless," Remus replied. "It's always this way." She gave him a sympathetic look and continued following Harry.

"It's not as crowded as I thought it would be," Hermione said as they reached courtroom ten.

"That's because Kingsley is limiting who is allowed inside," Remus explained. "The Death Eater trials could easily become a spectacle and he doesn't want that. He's also keeping the press away until the trials are underway."

"I don't blame him," Hermione said. The three of them stopped outside the door where an Auror was standing. After showing him their badges, the Auror checked the piece of parchment he was holding and Harry was pulled aside.

"Mr. Potter, as you're testifying, you'll have to remain in the witness room until they call for you," the Auror said.

"He's not allowed in?" Hermione asked. The Auror shook his head.

"Once he finishes his testimony he can remain, but not until then. Policy, Miss."

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"I'll be fine, Hermione. You go on."

"You're sure?" Harry laughed.

"Yes, Hermione, I'm sure. Go in with Remus. I'll join you once I've finished."

"All right," she agreed. "Don't be nervous."

"I've nothing to be nervous about," Harry said with a smile. "I'm just going to tell them what happened." Hermione nodded and gave him a quick hug, then followed Remus into the courtroom.

They had just settled themselves onto a bench a few rows up from the dais when the Wizengamot started to file in. Percy and Mr. Weasley entered from a side door, followed by a few other employees from the DMLE and then the Minister himself. Remus shifted beside her as the Wizengamot members took their seats. A solicitor was already at the table next to the defendant's chair.

"Order," Kingsley called to quiet the murmuring of voices behind him. He looked at the Auror stationed near a door in the back of the room. "Bring him in."

Lucius Malfoy was led into the room, magical restraints around his wrists and ankles. As he was put into the chair in the front of the room and the chains moved up to bind him to the seat, Hermione couldn't help but notice how haggard he looked. He'd looked similarly when they had been brought to Malfoy Manor, but he had at least been clean-shaven then.

"Mr. Fawley, is your client prepared to proceed?" Kingsley asked the solicitor.

"Yes, Minister."

"And he understands fully the terms of the deal he has been offered?"

"Yes, Minister." Hermione glanced at Remus and he shrugged, looking just as surprised. What kind of deal had they given Lucius Malfoy? Remus shifted again in his seat, his knee bumping hers. He smiled apologetically.

"And the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is also in agreement with the terms of this deal?" Kingsley asked Mr. Weasley. Hermione saw the muscle in Mr. Weasley's jaw twitch and his eyes flash in anger, but he answered in an even tone.

"Yes, Minister."

"Mr. Weasley, please distribute the copy of the prisoner's plea agreement to the Wizengamot," Kingsley said. Percy stood and with a few flicks of his wand, pieces of parchment flew amongst the Wizengamot members. As they began to read, a low murmuring began. It quickly escalated into noises of outrage from some of the members. The Minister called for silence more than once until he finally had to cast a 'Sonorus' charm to quiet the buzzing in the courtroom.

"Mr. Malfoy," the Minister addressed Lucius. "You have agreed to provide testimony and information about your fellow Death Eaters as well as others associated with the Dark Lord Voldemort, including any knowledge you have of any fugitive's whereabouts. In exchange, you agree to pay reparations to the Ministry and your sentence will be limited to a two-year probationary period in which you are to be confined to your home, known as Malfoy Manor. You agree to hand over your wand and not perform magic for a period of one year which will be monitored by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Are you satisfied with these terms?" Both Hermione and Remus had frozen in their seats.

"Yes," Malfoy rasped, then cleared his throat and answered again in a much clearer tone. "Yes, Minister."

"Then you will be released to the Auror department who will accompany you to your home to set the appropriate monitoring charms." Kingsley pointed his wand at the chains which unwound themselves from Lucius Malfoy's arms. He was pulled to his feet by two Aurors and taken out the same door he had entered through. As soon as he was gone, a few members of the Wizengamot began to protest. Kingsley nodded to one of the Aurors near the courtroom doors who raised his wand and cast some kind of charm which immediately cut off all sound from the Wizengamot, although Hermione could see that they were still talking, some yelling by the looks of it.

"What's going on?" she asked Remus.

"Cloaking spell," Remus said. "It allows the Wizengamot and the Minister to discuss or deliberate without the gallery being able to hear."

"What just happened?" she said and Remus sighed and shook his head.

"The same thing happened after the first war," he said. "The DMLE was so desperate for information they made all kinds of deals with known Death Eaters to get it. It's how Igor Karkaroff got released. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised it's happening this time."

"But Voldemort's dead," Hermione protested.

"They thought he was dead the last time," Remus reminded her. "But all of his followers aren't and some of them fled after the Battle before they could be captured. Not to mention all those that we don't know about. If Severus had survived we wouldn't need Lucius Malfoy, but as he didn't." Remus shrugged.

"You can't tell me you're okay with this," Hermione said in shock.

"Of course, I'm not," Remus snapped. At Hermione's look, he sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione I don't mean to snap."

"No, it's all right," she replied. "I don't expect this is how any of us thought his trial would go."

"Definitely not," Remus agreed. He was once again shifting restlessly and Hermione wondered if he normally just paced the day of the full moon. He certainly looked like he would like to. Sound returned and Hermione looked up to see that the Wizengamot had settled down although a few of them were still glaring at the Minister.

"We will proceed with the next trial." The door in the back of the courtroom opened again and Narcissa Malfoy stepped through. She was bound, just as her husband had been, but not nearly as disheveled. The solicitor had remained, clearly representing the entire Malfoy family.

"Narcissa Malfoy, you have been accused of colluding with the Dark Lord Voldemort. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty," Narcissa replied. Kingsley nodded at the solicitor, who stepped forward.

"Minister, esteemed members of the Wizengamot, as has been proved by a physical examination, Narcissa Malfoy does not bear the Dark Mark. She has also never participated in any Death Eater activities."

"The Battle of Hogwarts doesn't qualify as Death Eater activity?" a Wizengamot member asked.

"Mrs. Malfoy did not have a wand for the entirety of the Battle. She cast no spells and participated in no duels."

"Then why was she there?"

"She was concerned for the welfare of her son, who was a student at the time," Mr. Fawley replied. "In addition, when Harry Potter confronted He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the Forbidden Forest, Mrs. Malfoy lied to You-Know-Who and told him Mr. Potter was dead. This ultimately allowed Mr. Potter to later vanquish You-Know-Who and win the war."

"Do you have proof of this?" another Wizengamot member asked.

"I have the testimony of the Boy-Who-Lived himself." Hermione scowled at the appellation. She knew Harry hated it. Remus made a noise of irritation under his breath. A moment later, Harry was shown into the courtroom and directed to a chair on the other side of the dais.

"Mr. Potter, can you please describe what happened after you confronted You-Know-Who in the Forbidden Forest," Mr. Fawley said.

"Voldemort attacked me and I passed out for a few seconds. When I woke, Mrs. Malfoy was sent to check on me. She told Voldemort I was dead."

"Why would she do that?" someone from the Wizengamot called out.

"She was worried about her son and asked if I knew if he was still alive. When I said yes, she told Voldemort I was dead."

"At great personal risk to herself, I'm sure," Mr. Fawley said. Harry shrugged.

"Voldemort wouldn't have been very happy if he'd found out, no."

"So, Mrs. Malfoy essentially saved your life," Mr. Fawley questioned.

"I suppose so," Harry said.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, you may go." Harry stood and was escorted from the room.

There were more questions from the Wizengamot and more discussion amongst the members, specifically about Voldemort living at Malfoy Manor and Bellatrix's activities, but ultimately Narcissa was freed. She was given three months' house arrest, but did not have to relinquish her wand, although it would be monitored for dark spells for a period of one year.

"Will Andromeda be relieved?" Hermione was asked as Mrs. Malfoy was led from the room.

"I'm honestly can't say for sure," Remus said. "But I think she will be." Hermione nodded as Draco was led in.

Hermione had seen Draco stressed in sixth year and again when she, Harry and Ron had been brought to Malfoy Manor, pale and wan with dark circles under his eyes. He looked much the same now, even a bit worse if that were possible. His eyes darted about the courtroom, not settling on any one person for more than a second and his typical sneer was completely absent. He visibly flinched as the chains moved up to encircle his arms and made no eye contact as the Minister spoke to him. He seemed, for lack of a better word, broken.

The questions began and Draco seemed to draw more into himself as time went on. His answers were little more than one or two word mutters and more than once Kingsley had to ask him to speak up. His solicitor argued that not only had he been underage when given the Mark, that he had been forced to do so under threat of harm to his mother. While the Wizengamot seemed inclined to believe the coercion, they had less sympathy for his activities sixth year.

Harry was again brought into the courtroom to discuss what had happened at Malfoy Manor. Hermione reflexively grasped her forearm when Harry began to describe their capture.

"Are you all right?" Remus asked and it was only then that she realized her fingers were trembling.

"I'm fine," she assured him, but Remus didn't look convinced. He put a hand on her arm and although he could have had no idea how it would soothe her, he effectively anchored Hermione to the present instead of letting her get lost in her own memories. She gave him a grateful smile and relaxed marginally.

"They asked him if I was Harry Potter," Harry was saying. "Hermione had cast a stinging jinx at me to disguise my appearance so my face was all swollen up, but you could still see my scar a bit."

"And what did Mr. Malfoy do?" Mr. Fawley asked.

"I was sure that he recognized me, but he told them that he couldn't be sure it was me."

"And is it your opinion that this saved you from being killed?" Mr. Fawley questioned.

"I think it delayed them enough from calling Voldemort that Bellatrix was distracted by…other things."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," the solicitor said and Harry rose before anyone could question him about what the 'other things' were. Hermione doubted Kingsley would have allowed it anyway. They had decided to keep the knowledge of the Horcruxes away from the public. Harry joined Hermione and Remus. There were more questions from the Wizengamot for Draco and then the cloaking spell was cast again so they could discuss his fate.

"What happened with Malfoy's dad?" Harry asked. "His trial didn't last long."

"He got off," Hermione said with a twist of her lips.

"What!" Harry exclaimed. "How?"

"He agreed to provide testimony against his fellow Death Eaters in exchange for fines and two years' house arrest," Remus explained.

"And only one year without magic," Hermione added. Harry snorted in disgust.

"So, after everything he's done, he's gotten no punishment. Not after the first war or now."

"Well there was the year he spent in Azkaban after the Department of Mysteries, but otherwise, no," Hermione said. "Although I'm sure he'll be a social pariah for years to come, so there's that." Harry snorted again.

"The wheels of justice don't always run smoothly," Remus reminded them.

"What about Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Three months' house arrest and one year monitoring of her magic," Hermione said. "No Dark spells." Harry nodded, seeming to expect this.

The cloaking spell was dropped and the three of them directed their attention to the front of the room.

"Draco Malfoy, you have been found guilty of being a Death Eater and participating in Death Eater activity," the Minister said. Draco visibly flinched again. "Your sentence is as follows - house arrest and the surrender of your wand until September the first, nineteen ninety-eight. You will then return to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry where you will repeat your seventh year. Your wand will be returned to you on the first day of class. Your magic will be monitored for the casting of Dark spells unrelated to school work. Once you have completed your N.E.W.T. exams, your monitoring will end so long as there have been no infractions. Do you understand the terms of your sentence?" Draco nodded mutely, although looked less than pleased about his ordered return to school. "You will need to verbally address the court."

"Yes, Minister," Draco said. As soon as the chains released, he was pulled from the chair by an Auror and escorted from the courtroom.

"Guess you won't be the only eighth year student," Harry said grimly.

"Guess not," Hermione replied, still a little surprised by the ruling. She supposed they were going for rehabilitation and hoped, for all their sakes, that it worked.


	15. Moon

**A/N - Hello all! Continued thanks to everyone who is reading and to those who are reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Moon**

 **11 May 1998**

Kingsley adjourned the Wizengamot for the day, likely to gather more information from Lucius Malfoy before beginning the rest of the trials. Remus, Harry and Hermione stood to leave.

"Shall we get a bite to eat?" Remus asked. He glanced at his watch and realized it was nearly two o'clock. The Wizengamot had worked through lunch to finish Draco's trial.

"Sounds good to me," Harry said.

"All right," Hermione agreed. They made their way down the stone steps to the door of the courtroom.

"What time should I be at Grimmauld tonight?" Harry asked Remus as he pushed the door open. They were immediately assaulted by flashes of light and a cacophony of sound. Harry and Hermione instantly pulled their wands and Remus stepped in front of them as he reached for his own wand. His hand had just settled on it when a voice rang out.

"Mr. Potter, is it true you testified on behalf of the Malfoy family?" Remus frowned. The press had apparently arrived.

"Miss Granger, how do you justify Mr. Potter's testimony for a family that wanted to exterminate all Muggle-borns?"

"Mr. Lupin, is it true your wife died trying to save your life?" Remus faltered for a moment.

"Mr. Potter, is it true you faked your own death?

"Miss Granger, have you and Mr. Potter rekindled your romantic relationship?"

"Mr. Lupin, what is your relationship with Miss Granger?" Remus glared at the reporter and kept walking. "The two of you seem rather…close." Remus growled low in his throat, holding back a snarl by the briefest of margins. The flashes from the cameras continued going off and he could feel Harry flinch each time. Remus moved back slightly, slipping Hermione's hand through his arm and putting his other hand on Harry's shoulder.

"We won't be answering any questions today, excuse me," Remus said as he began to propel Harry and Hermione through the crowd. The questions, getting even more ludicrous, if that were possible, continued to be shouted at them until two Aurors arrived. They shoved through the crowd and Remus followed in their wake, shielding Harry and Hermione as much as he could. Hermione still held her wand in front of her and her left hand gripped his elbow tightly. Harry had closed his eyes, counting on Remus to get him through the crowd safely. One of the Aurors directed them into a small conference room, the other holding the press at bay until they were safely inside.

"I'm sorry about that," the deep voice of the Minister said. Remus looked up sharply at Kingsley who was still dressed in his Wizengamot robes.

"What the hell, Kingsley?" Remus snapped. Harry blew out a breath and sunk down into a chair, putting his face in his hands. Hermione was still clinging to Remus' arm. Remus managed to get her into a chair next to Harry's, but he kept a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her shaking.

"I'm sorry," Kingsley said again, taking off his cap and running a hand over his bald head with a sigh. "I left instructions to keep the press in the Atrium, but someone obviously did not follow my directive. The Aurors were coming to bring you to my office so you could use my Floo. Are you all right?"

"Fine," Remus said shortly. "Harry?"

"It was just a bit surprising, but yeah, I'm all right." Remus looked down at Hermione who still hadn't said anything. He crouched down beside her. "Hermione?" Her hands were still shaking, but Remus could tell by the look on her face that she was angry. Extremely angry as a matter of fact.

"Those, those, vultures!" she finally exclaimed. "How could they ask you those things?"

"It's the press, Hermione, they ask a lot of stupid things."

"But to assume, to insinuate," she trailed off as she rose from the chair and began to pace. Remus was a bit surprised there wasn't steam coming out of her ears.

"Insinuate what?" Kingsley demanded. Remus shook his head.

"It doesn't matter," he said.

"Yes, it does!" Hermione shouted and they all jumped. "To think that you would, do, do _that_ only a week after Tonks died. It's disgusting!"

"What am I missing?" Kingsley asked. Harry sighed.

"First, one of the reporters asked if Hermione and I had rekindled our nonexistent romantic relationship. Then, another," Harry's eyes flicked to Remus. "He asked if Remus and Hermione were in a relationship."

"He implied that we were sleeping together!" Hermione snapped.

"Hermione, I'm sorry he brought you into it," Remus said, misunderstanding her anger.

"Me?" she exclaimed. "What about you? They can't slander you like that!"

"They slandered you too, Hermione," Harry pointed out. Hermione waved a hand as if it didn't matter.

"They've said worse about me," she said. Remus stared at her incredulously. She was angry, not because of what the reporter had implied about her, but what was implied about _him_.

"Hermione, I," Remus faltered. "Thank you, but it doesn't matter what they say about me. It's your reputation I'm worried about." Hermione snorted.

"Don't bother," she said. "The press has always had a field day speculating about my 'relationships' and whose heart I'm breaking. I don't even pay attention to it, honestly." She shrugged. Remus stared at her for a moment. She was truly remarkable.

"Regardless, I do apologize again," Kingsley said. "I did not mean for the three of you to have to deal with that. Come with me, you can use the Floo in my office." Kingsley pulled his wand and muttered a spell. Moments later, there was a door at the back of the conference room. When he opened it, it led straight to his office.

"Perk of the job," Kingsley said with a grin as he saw the surprised looks on their faces. "I can always make a quick getaway." He waggled his eyebrows a bit and they all laughed.

"Where to?" Harry asked picking up the pot of Floo powder once inside the office.

"If we go to the Leaky, we can eat in Muggle London," Hermione suggested.

"If we can get _out_ of the Leaky," Harry said grimly. Hermione drew her wand and grinned.

"Come here, Harry."

* * *

A few minutes later, the three of them, looking nothing like themselves, emerged into Muggle London.

"I'd forgotten how good you were at this," Harry said. "This beard itches though." His fingers rubbed at the blonde stubble on his chin.

"Do you want me to switch you back?" Hermione asked. She hadn't done much to herself, just pulled her hair into a twist on the back of her head and changed her nose and chin a bit. It was always her hair that made her recognizable.

Remus was wearing a copy of Harry's glasses, although Hermione had spelled the lens clear and changed their shape. She had made his hair longer and nearly black. He didn't look like himself at all and Hermione wasn't fond of the change.

"No," Harry said in answer to her question. "Then you'd just have to change me back before we went home. I'll deal with it." Hermione led them towards a small pub where she and her parents had eaten the first time they'd come to Diagon Alley. Her mother had been afraid that wizarding food would be odd or something and had wanted a 'regular' lunch before they shopped. Hermione felt a pang at the thought of her parents. She really needed to start working on finding them.

They were seated at the pub and after they had ordered, Harry got up to use the loo. Hermione turned to Remus in concern. He had been awfully quiet since they'd left Kingsley's office.

"Remus, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Hermione," he assured her.

"You don't seem fine." He sighed.

"I suppose what the reporter said bothered me more than I let on," he said.

"I'm so sorry about that," Hermione began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"Not what he said about us," he said quietly. "The other question, about, about Dora." Hermione's brow furrowed as she tried to recall the other question. When she did, her eyes widened.

"Oh, Remus." She reached out and took his hand.

"The worst part is, it's somewhat true."

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked. Remus took in a breath.

"Dora was supposed to stay home with Teddy, but she came anyway. She wanted to know what was going on and she was, was worried about me."

"Well, of course she was," Hermione said. Remus shook his head.

"But if it hadn't been for me, she wouldn't have come," he insisted. Hermione cocked her head and studied him for a second.

"I don't think I believe that." He glanced up at her.

"What do you mean?"

"If it weren't for you, then you wouldn't have Teddy and so Tonks wouldn't have had a reason to stay home in the first place." Remus opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. "She was an Order member. She would have been there." Remus said nothing, but Hermione could tell that he couldn't find anything to refute what she'd said. Instead he squeezed her hand as Harry came back to the table.

"Everything all right?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"It's fine, Harry," Remus replied with a smile.

* * *

"Two years?" Andromeda repeated. "That's all?"

"Yes," Remus replied. "A year without magic and he's confined to the Manor." Andromeda snorted.

"Such a punishment."

"While I agree with you, I'm sure Kingsley had his reasons," Remus said. Although, at the moment, Remus was having a hard time justifying those reasons.

"And, and Draco?" Andromeda asked quietly. Remus informed her of his sentence, as well as Narcissa's. Andromeda nodded.

"I suppose having Draco finish his schooling is the best thing for him."

"I do believe that he was forced to take the Mark," Remus said. "I don't think anyone was lying about that."

"No, I'm sure they weren't," Andromeda agreed. She fell silent. She hadn't asked any questions about her sister and Remus didn't press her about it. If she wanted to renew their relationship, it would have to be on her terms, he knew.

"We were accosted by the press on our way out," Remus said. Andromeda looked up sharply. Remus explained what they had asked, not wanting her to find out somewhere else if the ridiculousness did end up in print.

"Is Hermione all right?" she asked. Remus smiled.

"Besides being angry on my behalf, she is fine."

"Your behalf?" Andromeda questioned. "Isn't she upset about what they suggested about her?"

"According to Hermione, no," Remus said. "She has been insulted by the Prophet before and said it doesn't bother her. She was incensed that I would be treated that way, however." Andromeda smiled and shook her head.

"Well, with everything I've heard about her from you and Dora and Harry, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"And yet she continues to surprise," Remus said and Andromeda laughed.

"Yes, I suppose she does."

* * *

"But why, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley said again. "I just don't understand why Kingsley would do it." Mr. Weasley sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Believe me, Molly, I'm not any happier about it than you are."

"Then why would you sign off on it?" she demanded.

"We need information," Mr. Weasley said. "The younger Lestrange brother escaped as did Mulciber and a few others. We have no idea where they are. There are many at the Ministry claiming the Imperius curse, just as during the first war. While some of them no doubt _were_ Imperiused, Kingsley wants to be sure and he believes Lucius Malfoy has that information. Not to mention that the Ministry needs money badly and Malfoy has plenty of it."

"So, he bought his way out?" Ron demanded. He had been incensed when he learned of the Malfoys' punishment, or lack thereof in his opinion.

"In a sense, yes," Mr. Weasley said with a sigh. "But if we can get rid of all of Voldemort's supporters with his help, it will have been worth it."

"Will it?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her mouth in a thin line.

"I have to believe so, yes," Mr. Weasley replied, taking his wife's hand. They stared at each other for a few minutes, silently communicating as long-married couples seemed able to do, before Mrs. Weasley sighed and nodded, squeezing his hand. There was silence at the table for a few minutes before Ron shoved his chair back. He stood and stomped outside, anger fairly radiating off him. Hermione got up to follow.

"Ron?" she said as she approached.

"I can't believe the Ferret is going to be at school with you again."

"I'm sure he won't bother me."

"He'd better not," Ron said darkly.

"I have a feeling Draco Malfoy is just going to keep his head down, go to his classes and take his N.E.W.T.S.," Hermione said. "You didn't see him today, Ron."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"He was terrified," Hermione said. "He's not the arrogant prat he used to be. He's seen too much."

"We all have," Ron said quietly.

"That's certainly true," Hermione agreed. She moved closer to his side and he put his arm around her. They stood in silence for a few minutes before Hermione looked up at him again.

"I told Harry I'd go to Grimmauld with him tonight," she said. "Do you want to join us?"

"I do, but Ginny, Charlie and I promised George we'd help him with inventory at the shop. Want to come with us instead?"

"I would, but then Harry would be alone," Hermione said, biting her bottom lip. "I don't, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Because of Sirius," Ron said with a nod.

"Yeah."

"But you're coming back to Hogwarts with us tomorrow, right?"

"Definitely," Hermione said with a smile. Ron leaned down and kissed her until his mother called them in for supper.

* * *

Harry and Hermione arrived on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place with a pop. While they hadn't been back themselves since the war ended, Remus had, to be sure it would still be suitable for him to transform there. He had warned them that the place had definitely been searched by Death Eaters after Hermione had unwittingly brought Yaxley along with them from the Ministry. Neither had been entirely prepared for the mess that awaited them, though.

The entry looked the same as always, although the troll leg umbrella stand lay on its side. Hermione was immediately reminded of Tonks and hurriedly set the thing upright. As they stepped forward towards the dining room, however, Hermione gasped.

As Harry came up beside her, his eyes widened as he took in the state of the room. Broken china and glassware covered almost every inch of the floor. Chairs had been overturned and one of the chandeliers was broken.

"What the hell did they do in here?" Harry demanded.

"Took out their frustrations about our escape, I suspect," Hermione said. Harry stepped forward and picked up half a plate that lay on the floor. Turning it over in his hand, he sighed in disgust and dropped it. The noise woke Mrs. Black's portrait.

"Mudbloods and blood traitors, bringing shame to my house!" The portrait continued to shriek as Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes at each other.

"They trash the place and couldn't figure out how to shut that one up?" Harry asked dryly as he stepped forward and yanked the curtains closed. Hermione stifled a laugh behind her hand.

"We should probably check out the rest of the place." Harry nodded and followed her to the kitchen.

The kitchen seemed relatively unscathed, given the state of the dining room. Drawers and cupboards had clearly been rifled through, but there were only a couple of broken glasses and a scattering of old newspapers around the room. Hermione put it to rights with a few waves of her wand.

The drawing room on the first floor had taken more damage, but still not as much as the dining room. Apparently breaking dishes was more satisfying than throwing books and papers around. The library next door had been gone through thoroughly, as most of the books had been removed from the shelves, but at least they had been stacked in neat piles on the floor.

The bedrooms on the first three floors didn't look much different than they had when the trio had stayed there, except the beds had been stripped of linens and the wardrobe doors hung open. Sirius' and Regulus' rooms, however, were a different story.

After Harry had given Kreacher the fake locket the previous summer, the House elf had cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. While still dark and dingy, it had at least been relatively clean and Kreacher had restored Regulus' room to its former glory. The wood had gleamed, there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere and Kreacher had arranged all of Regulus' Hogwarts achievements proudly. Sirius' room had not gotten the same treatment by any stretch of the imagination, but it had at least been clean. Now, both rooms were worse than the dining room.

Hermione could tell that Harry was holding in his rage at the state of Sirius' room. All the furniture, save the bed, had been upended, the linens ripped, the mattress slashed. Photographs had been torn to shreds as had other bits of parchment and papers. Books looked as if each individual page had been ripped out, their covers lying forlornly on the floor. Clothing was strewn everywhere and they had somehow even managed to get the Gryffindor pennant off the wall. Regulus' room was no better.

"Harry," Hermione said quietly, putting a hand on her friends' arm. "We'll clean it up."

"Why did they do this?" Harry asked through clenched teeth. "What was the point?"

"Looking for information at first, I'm sure," Hermione said, worrying her lip with her teeth. "After that, it was likely just spite, revenge, hatred." She shrugged helplessly. They both stared at the wreckage for a few more minutes before Harry sighed and spun on his heel, his feet pounding down the stairs waking Mrs. Black again.

Hermione followed more slowly and Harry had gotten the curtains shut over the portrait once more by the time she reached the entry. She glanced in the dining room again, wondering if they should even bother trying to repair the dishes or just vanish them all together. Before she could ask, Harry came up beside her and shut the door to the dining room.

"I don't want to deal with that right now," he said in explanation. Hermione nodded.

"We should probably go back to the kitchen and wait for Remus," she said. As they reached the bottom of the kitchen stairs, the Floo flared green and Remus stepped out, then turned and held out a hand as Mrs. Tonks arrived holding Teddy.

"Hello, Remus, Mrs. Tonks," Hermione said, moving forward to get a better look at the baby, followed closely by Harry.

"Hermione, Harry," Remus greeted. He siphoned the soot from Teddy's blanket wrapped form.

"Hermione, please, call me Andromeda," Mrs. Tonks said with a smile, pulling Teddy's blanket back from his face.

"I didn't know you would be here tonight," Harry said.

"Andromeda wanted to be sure the wards were set properly," Remus explained. His was tapping his fingers against his thigh again, as he had been this morning in the lift. The more Hermione watched him, the more she realized that Remus was in constant motion. He shifted from foot to foot and his hands never stopped moving.

"Not that I don't think you're capable, Harry," Andromeda was quick to add.

"No worries," Harry said. "I'm glad for the instruction. Hermione and I know most of the basic wards, but I'm not completely sure if the ones you use are different."

"I'm happy to teach them to you," Andromeda said. "They're quite similar to what you likely know already with just a few differences."

"Can we just get on with it?" Remus asked flatly. Andromeda gave him a knowing look then turned to Harry and Hermione.

"You must excuse, Remus," she said, smirking. "He gets quite snappish sometimes." Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's not any of you."

"It's the moon," Hermione said with a nod. "We understand."

"Shall we?" Andromeda asked. Remus had already reached the door to the cellar and started down, lighting the lamps as he went. Andromeda picked her way carefully down the stairs, still holding Teddy, Harry in front of her and Hermione behind. When they reached the bottom, Hermione frowned at the large cage that took up a third of the cellar. Andromeda, seeing her expression, patted her hand.

"Next month he will have the Wolfsbane again and things will be different," the older witch said.

"Andromeda, please," Remus said, his voice strained.

"Of course," she said. "Hermione, do you mind?" Andromeda held Teddy towards her and Hermione gladly took the sleeping boy. Remus stepped inside the cage and paced as Harry shut the door and snapped the heavy Muggle lock shut.

"All right, Harry," Andromeda said raising her wand. Hermione watched intently as the wards were cast, one after the other. Her brow furrowed as Andromeda cast a silencing charm at the cellar door, then glanced at Remus and once realizing he wasn't paying attention, dropped it. Once the wards were cast, Remus looked up at them.

"Harry, you and Hermione should leave with Andromeda. If you come back after sunrise and let me out, I would appreciate it."

"We're not leaving you here on your own," Harry said.

"It's for your own protection," Remus argued.

"You're locked in an iron cage, behind a four-foot-thick, bolted oak door, both of which are warded," Harry said. "I think we'll be fine."

"Harry," Remus began again, but Harry held up a hand.

"Don't argue," he said. "We're staying." Remus shook his head and then grimaced, a low whine escaping him.

"You all need to go. Now."

"We'll see you in the morning then," Andromeda said and gestured for Harry and Hermione to go up the stairs. They all reemerged in the kitchen and Harry closed and bolted the heavy door and Andromeda warded it as well.

"Why did you take down the silencing charm?" Hermione asked. Andromeda chuckled.

"You are quite observant, aren't you?" She sighed. "Please, don't let Remus know I did that. He hates when we can hear the transformation."

"But why?" Hermione asked again.

"I'm worried about him this month," Andromeda admitted. "He is convinced that the wolf is going to react badly to Dora being gone and without the Wolfsbane, I wanted you to be able to hear so you can," she paused and swallowed thickly, "so you can let me know." Harry and Hermione glanced at each other. Hermione wasn't sure she _wanted_ to hear anything.

"I know there's nothing we can do during the full moon," Andromeda continued. "But I want to be able to help him, later."

"We'll take care of him," Hermione said quietly to the older witch. "I promise." Andromeda gave her a small smile.

"I will be back at sunrise," she said.

"There's no need for that," Harry said. "We can let him out and help him upstairs."

"Do you know how to heal his wounds?" Andromeda demanded.

"Yes," Hermione said. Andromeda looked at her in surprise. Hermione colored slightly. "I've been reading and I spoke to Madame Pomfrey. She gave me the potions we'd need." After another few seconds Andromeda shook her head, a small smile on her face.

"I don't know why I'm surprised," she said. "After everything Remus and Dora said about you." Hermione's blush deepened. Andromeda reached out for Teddy and Hermione placed the baby in her arms.

"You will help Remus home, even if he insists he doesn't need you to," Andromeda said. It wasn't a question.

"Of course," Harry replied.

"Thank you for doing this," Andromeda said. "Good night, Harry, Hermione."

"Good night," the chorused together as she stepped into the Floo and disappeared. Hermione turned to Harry.

"I'm not sure about the silencing charm, Harry. I don't think Remus would like that she took it down."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But, she's worried about him." Hermione sighed.

"I guess."

"What do you want to-" before Harry could finish, there was a cry of pain. Hermione moved closer to Harry, who reached out and took her hand. They stood rigid, listening to the pained noises coming from the cellar. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand and bit her lip, wishing there was something, anything, she could do to help Remus. A tear slipped down her cheek as a loud howl echoed up the stairs.

There was silence for a few minutes and Hermione figured that the transformation itself was over and the werewolf below was trying to orient himself. Hermione still hadn't let go of Harry's hand when they heard the first crash. They both jumped. Another crash came followed by a howl.

"He's throwing himself into the bars," Hermione whispered, her lip trembling.

"Now I know why he wanted the silencing charm," Harry muttered.

"Harry, what are we going to do?" she asked tremulously. Harry put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"There's nothing we can do, Hermione, except wait it out." Harry led her to the kitchen table and they sat down side by side, both staring at the door to the cellar. The howls and crashes continued, followed by small yips of pain and growls and snarls.

"This is horrible," Hermione said after a few minutes.

"I know." The noises slowly tapered off and there was silence for a bit.

"Maybe he finally realized he can't get out," Harry said, after it seemed as if Remus had quieted down, at least for the moment. "We could go upstairs," Harry suggested. "Maybe clean things up a little?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. They rose and had made it to the staircase when another howl pierced the quiet. This one, though, was different than the others. It was full of pure anguish and made Hermione clutch Harry's arm. Another, just at mournful as the first, followed closely behind.

"Oh, god, Harry," Hermione said, tears flowing down her cheeks. The howls continued, full of suffering and torment. "Andromeda was right."

"Right about what?" Harry asked.

"The wolf, he's, he's mourning. Mourning for Tonks." Harry put an arm around her again and hugged her tightly. They stood in the kitchen for another few minutes, listening to the werewolf's sorrow before Harry gently pulled Hermione up the stairs.

* * *

 **12 May 1998**

Remus panted as he finished transforming. He hadn't been in this much pain the morning after the full moon for quite some time. Moving from all fours to his side, he hissed in pain and continued to his back. He looked down and saw a rather nasty bruise on his ribs. Pushing gently with his fingers, he decided that they weren't broken, just rather bruised. He must have thrown himself into the bars of the cage the night before. Not an unusual reaction to being locked in.

There were claw marks on his chest and arms, just adding to the myriad of scars already there. He also had a large bruise on his upper right arm and right thigh. More evidence he'd tried to get out of the cage by running into the bars. He was glad that Andromeda wasn't here to see it. It would only fuel her guilt at not making the Wolfsbane for him this month.

Remus scooted toward the side of the cage and reached through the bars for the cloak he'd left there the night before. He draped it over his waist, just as the door to the cellar opened.

"Remus?" Harry called.

"I'm awake, Harry," Remus replied, then shook his head. Harry wouldn't be able to hear him with the silencing charm in place.

"All right, I'm coming down then." Remus frowned. Had Harry already lowered the wards in the cellar? When the younger man reached the bottom of the stairs, he raised his wand and lowered the wards.

"Harry," Remus said sharply before Harry could say anything. "Did you or Hermione come down here last night?"

"Not once we locked you in," Harry said in confusion.

"Then how is it that you were able to hear me before you lowered the wards? The silencing charm should have still been in place." Harry's eyes widened just a fraction before he schooled his features.

"I dunno," he said. Remus' eyes narrowed.

"I think you do," he said.

"I guess Andromeda forgot to set it," Harry said with a shrug. Remus wasn't stupid. His mother-in-law always remembered the silencing charm.

"Here are your clothes," Harry continued. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I can manage," Remus said. Harry nodded and flicked his wand at the lock on the cage door.

"I'll just wait over here then." Harry turned and stood at the base of the stairs, his back to Remus. Remus paused for a moment before deciding to deal with the silencing charm issue later. He was tired. Remus managed to pull on the shirt, but his fingers wouldn't cooperate on buttoning it. He groaned as he stood and he saw Harry start to turn around.

"I'm fine, Harry," Remus said tiredly as he pulled on his trousers. He ignored the shoes and socks. They would take more energy than he had right now.

Remus slowly made his way toward the door of the cage and swung it opened. Harry turned and hurried towards him, putting an arm around Remus and leading him towards the stairs. Remus tried not to lean against the boy too much, but it was difficult.

The trip up the stairs to the kitchen was slow and Remus was out of breath when they reached it. Harry eased him into a chair and it was only then that Remus noticed the camp bed in the corner of the room. Hermione was asleep on it, books strewn around the floor beneath her.

"She snuck down here after I fell asleep in the library," Harry said quietly. "I found her asleep at the table. I transfigured the bed and managed to get her into it without waking her." A small smile tugged at Remus' lips when he saw that most of the books Hermione had been reading were about werewolves.

Harry slid a cup of tea in front of him and Remus smiled gratefully. Then Harry pulled out a bar of Honeydukes chocolate. Remus raised a brow.

"Madame Pomfrey," Harry said with a grin. "Hermione spoke with her the other day. I also have a few pain potions here, but I'm not sure which one you need." Harry set three vials in front of him and Remus selected one, drinking it down before taking a sip of his tea and a bite of the chocolate.

"Are you hurt?" Harry asked, then shook his head. "Stupid question, of course you are."

"Nothing's broken," Remus assured him. "Just bruised."

"I knew I forgot something," Harry said. "I've got bruise paste upstairs too. You'll be all right for a minute?"

"Yes, Harry, I'll be fine," Remus said.

"I'll be right back." Harry trotted up the stairs from the kitchen. Remus sighed and took another sip of tea, wanting nothing more than to sink into his bed at home. A small murmuring drew his attention and he looked over at Hermione. She had begun to shift and fidget on the camp bed, obviously dreaming. Remus watched in concern for a few seconds, but the muttering got louder. He forced himself to his feet and shuffled towards Hermione, just as she started to whimper.

"No, no please," she said as he reached her. "Please, we found it. It's a fake, it's a fake."

"Hermione," Remus said quietly, not wanting to startle her from what was clearly a nightmare. Hermione shook her head violently.

"No," she said. "Stop, please. No!" Tears were running down her cheeks and Remus sat down on the edge of the camp bed.

"Hermione," he said again. "Hermione, wake up." Hermione continued to shake her head, twisting and shifting on the bed. He put a hand on her arm and she went rigid and then opened her mouth and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Hermione!" Remus shouted even as she thrashed. Her hand flailed out and hit the bruise on his side, causing him to hiss in pain. He could hear Harry's pounding footsteps above, obviously having heard Hermione's scream. "Hermione, wake up!"

Hermione's eyes flew open and she stared at Remus for a moment before sitting up and throwing herself into his arms, sobbing.

Remus grunted at the impact against the bruise on his ribs, then wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly just as Harry thundered down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Shh, it's all right," Remus said, rubbing Hermione's back and trying to soothe her. "It was just a dream." Hermione clung to him and he wondered just what in Merlin's name could have scared her this badly. Harry hurried towards them.

"Hermione," he whispered, adding his hand to Remus' on Hermione's back. "It's okay, Hermione, it's over. She's not here." Remus' brow furrowed as to who 'she' was, but he didn't ask.

Hermione finally seemed to quiet somewhat, her sobs diminishing to small hiccoughs. She finally pulled away from Remus.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her face bright red, though whether from embarrassment or her upset, Remus had no idea.

"No need to apologize," he said.

"Hermione?" Harry said in concern. She turned to face her best friend and the tears began anew. Harry gathered her into his arms, kneeling on the floor next to the camp bed. Remus felt a twinge as Hermione clung to Harry as she had just been doing to Remus, but shook the feeling away the second it began. He was tired and Hermione was overwrought. Remus rose from the bed and got back to his chair at the table, rewarming his tea and taking a sip.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Hermione said again as Harry helped her to her feet.

"It's quite all right, Hermione," he replied.

"No, you're tired and hurt and we're supposed to be taking care of you."

"Harry has been," he assured the witch.

"Oh, right, the bruise paste," Harry said, picking up the small pot from the floor where he had dropped it. He held it out towards Remus, but Hermione took it from him.

"I'll do it," she said. She walked towards Remus. His shirt was still unbuttoned, the large bruise on his ribs clearly visible. Hermione sat down next to him and motioned to the bruise paste. Remus nodded and she spread a liberal amount on his ribs, rubbing it in as gently as possible. Remus still grimaced.

"Sorry," she said. He waved off her apology. "Anywhere else?"

"My arm," Remus said. He gingerly pulled his right arm out of the sleeve of his shirt. Hermione bit her lip as she rubbed the bruise paste into his arm. It turned out there was another bruise on his back below his right shoulder. After she had finished with that one, Hermione pulled out her wand and healed the claw marks on his chest, using the spell Poppy always had. Hermione had definitely done her homework.

"Anywhere else?" she asked.

"There's another bruise on my, erm, thigh," Remus said feeling himself blush. "I'll, erm, I'll take care of that one myself."

"Right," Hermione said with a nod, handing him the pot of bruise paste. "I'll just, put these books away." She turned and rushed over to the camp bed, gathering up as many of the books as she could carry and then hurrying up the stairs.

"Need any help?" Harry asked. Remus, remembering that he was bare beneath his trousers, shook his head.

"I'll take care of this one at home," he said, tucking the bruise paste into his pocket.

"All right then," Harry said. Remus pulled his shirt back on and managed to put on his shoes and socks. Hermione came back into the kitchen, still looking a little pink in the face.

"Thank you both for staying last night," Remus said. "I should probably get home before Andromeda starts to worry."

"I'll go with you," Harry said.

"That's not necessary," Remus replied.

"It's fine," Harry assured him. "This way I can say good morning to Teddy." Remus' eyes narrowed, but Harry simply smiled at him, reminding Remus very much of James when he was trying to act innocent. He shook his head and gestured toward the Floo.

"Bye, Remus," Hermione said. Remus gave her a smile.

"Good bye, Hermione." He then turned and followed Harry through the Floo.


	16. Recovering

**A/N - Thanks for all the reviews last chapter! In this chapter, we are going to start jumping ahead in time a bit, so be mindful of the dates.**

 **Also, I just want to clarify something about the Malfoys' sentencing. Normally, I don't do this in an author's note, however, I've gotten more than one anonymous review about this now and since I can't reply to those, I'm going to do it here.**

 **Law enforcement makes deals with criminals, in order to catch other criminals, all the time. I don't think that Kingsley would be any different in that regard. And per the Harry Potter Wiki, JKR has said that none of the Malfoys were punished because of Narcissa's lie to Voldemort and because Lucius provided information to the Ministry that helped capture his fellow Death Eaters. So, I am following canon on that point. Also, it is possible for characters to feel compassion or empathy for other characters, even if they're not on the same side. That doesn't mean they condone the other character's actions.**

 **I hope that clears things up. If you have further questions and don't want to leave a review, feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to try and explain my reasoning. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Recovering**

 **12 May 1998**

As soon as the two men were gone, Hermione sank down into a chair at the table and groaned, putting her head in her hands. The nightmare, precipitated by the trial yesterday, she was sure, had been much worse than usual. Besides the usual reliving of the torture she had suffered under Bellatrix, the woman had also followed through on her threat and given Hermione to Greyback. When Hermione had opened her eyes, and saw Remus sitting in front of her, she was so relieved she hadn't even thought about it before she threw herself into his arms.

Her face reddened again as she thought about the fact that Remus' shirt had been open and Hermione had been cradled against his bare chest. He was more muscular than she would have suspected, given how tall and thin he was. She shook that thought from her head.

"Get a grip, Hermione," she whispered to herself. Rising from the chair, she began to clear the tea things by hand. Washing dishes the Muggle way had always been soothing to her for some reason.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when she heard the Floo activate. Spinning around, groping for her wand where it lay on the countertop, Hermione barely registered Harry's surprised expression as she brought her wand up level with his face.

"It's just me, Hermione," Harry said, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry," Hermione said, dropping her wand immediately.

"It's okay," Harry said. He took a step towards her and gently took her wand out of her hand, laying it on the table. Hermione turned back to the sink to finish the dishes.

"You didn't sleep much last night," Harry said, leaning back against the counter.

"Couldn't," Hermione said.

"Why not?"

"I was worried about Remus."

"Is that why I found you with all those books on werewolves this morning?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "Did you find anything?" Hermione shook her head, looking annoyed.

"Of course not," she said. "Werewolves are just horrible monsters, aren't they? No one's ever bothered to treat them like the human beings they are. Of course, no one would ever ask what it was like for them if they lost someone they loved." Hermione threw her hands up in disgust. "Some of those books are horrible, Harry."

"Knowing they came from the Black library, I don't doubt it," Harry said dryly. Hermione sighed.

"How was Remus when you left?" she asked.

"Sleeping," Harry said. "Andromeda will take care of him, don't worry."

"I know she will." Harry studied her for a moment and looked as if he wanted to ask her something, but thought better of it. Hermione's brow furrowed, but she didn't question him.

"You ready to go home?" Harry asked instead. "I'm sure Mrs. Weasley is starting to worry."

"Let me just put the rest of these books away," Hermione said, gathering them up. Harry took half the stack and they walked upstairs towards the library.

"Have you ever thought about living here?" Hermione asked once they had passed Mrs. Black's portrait. Harry looked at her incredulously.

"Here?"

"Not as it is, of course," Hermione said. "But you could fix it up, repaint, change the wallpaper. It could be really nice." Harry gave her a look as if he thought she was mental.

"What about the screaming banshee in the entry? Every house has one of those, does it?" he asked. Hermione huffed.

"Well, we'd have to figure something out about the portrait," she said. "The House Elf heads too. But, it's close to the Ministry and it's already got all kinds of charms on it. I bet Bill or Mr. Weasley would even recast the Fidelius charm if you wanted." They had now reached the library and Harry looked around.

"You know, you can use the library any time you want," he said with a smirk. "I don't have to live here." Hermione slapped his shoulder.

"It's not about that, you prat. I just thought if you wanted your own place or something." She shrugged. Harry glanced around the room again, thoughtful look on his face.

"Maybe," he replied. He turned to look at her again and Hermione frowned at the serious look on his face. "Is all this talk about me moving in here your way of avoiding talking about what happened this morning?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hermione said, turning her back to him to replace the books on one of the shelves.

"The nightmare, Hermione."

"I'm sure it happened because of the trial yesterday," she said. "It's nothing to worry about, Harry."

"You woke up screaming. I think that's something to worry about."

"I told you I was having nightmares," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"But you haven't woken up screaming since that first night," Harry pointed out.

"I told you, it's probably because of the trials," she said. "It brought everything to the forefront of my mind again." Harry was silent, studying her. "I'm fine, Harry."

"I don't think you are." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You were sobbing, Hermione."

"I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly.

"Talk to Ron about it, then," Harry said. Hermione looked up at him.

"What?"

"Just do it, Hermione." He turned towards the door. "Come on, let's go back to the Burrow." Hermione stared at Harry's back for a moment before she followed him from the room.

* * *

"Hey," Ron said as she and Harry came into the kitchen.

"What are you doing up already?" Hermione asked as she slid into the seat beside him.

"Waiting for you, of course," he said with a smile. He took her hand where it lay on the table. "How did it go?"

"It was…difficult."

"Remus didn't get out or something, did he?" Ron asked in concern.

"No, no, nothing like that. He was just," Hermione trailed off, feeling like she was betraying Remus somehow if she explained what had happened. "He was restless. Throwing himself against the bars of cage, howling, things like that."

"Oh, well, he's okay though, right?"

"Some bruises and cuts this morning, but otherwise, fine, yes."

"That's good," Ron said. Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room, levitating platters and bowls in front of her.

"Morning, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said as the woman settled the food on the table.

"Good morning, Hermione, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said. "And enough of this Mrs. Weasley nonsense. You and Harry are family. Call us Molly and Arthur."

"Erm, all right," Hermione said. She hid a yawn behind her hand.

"Didn't get much sleep?" Ron asked in concern.

"No," Hermione replied. He put an arm around her and rubbed her back. Hermione glanced at Harry across the table, who simply stared at her pointedly. Hermione resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She turned back to Ron.

"Can we talk after breakfast?"

"Course," he said immediately, looking at her in concern. "Everything all right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. She glanced at Harry again who wore a tiny smile on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes and went back to her breakfast.

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Ron asked. They had gone outside, walking towards the pond. Hermione didn't say anything until they reached the edge of the water, then turned and looked at him.

"I had another nightmare last night, well, this morning actually," she said quietly. Ron took hold of her hand.

"The same as before?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione replied, choosing to omit both that she woke screaming and the addition of Greyback to the dream. She felt Ron stiffen and his mouth narrowed.

"It was because of the trials, wasn't it?" he asked. Hermione shrugged.

"I suppose so," she said. She let go of his hand and crossed her arms in front of her. "Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?" Ron asked.

"I told you so." He stared at her for moment and then shook his head.

"I wasn't going to." Hermione snorted.

"You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not," he insisted. She looked at him skeptically.

"You had to be thinking it," she said.

"Even if I was, I wouldn't have said it." They stood in silence for a few minutes, Ron stone-faced and staring at the pond. Hermione bit back a sigh. She wasn't being very fair.

"I'm sorry, I'm tired and I'm probably not thinking straight," she said. "The truth is, yes, the trials likely did cause the nightmare last night. But I still don't regret that I went."

"I know," Ron said. His posture relaxed somewhat and he took her hand again. "How bad was it?"

"Not that bad," Hermione said immediately. "Remus was there." She felt Ron's arm go rigid.

"Remus?" he questioned. Hermione nodded.

"I felt bad about it, I mean he was hurt and tired and there he was comforting me."

"Where was Harry?" Ron asked.

"He had gone upstairs to get the bruise paste for Remus," she said. Ron's brow furrowed.

"Wait, where were _you_ , Hermione?"

"Oh, right, I forgot about that part. I was in the kitchen."

"You were sleeping in the kitchen?" She nodded.

"After Harry fell asleep in the library, I took some books and went down to the kitchen so I wouldn't bother him. I fell asleep at the table I guess. Harry found me before sunrise and transfigured a bed for me."

"Why the kitchen?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if Harry fell asleep in the library, why didn't you go to the drawing room or a bedroom or something? Why the kitchen?" Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know, I just went to the kitchen." Ron stared at her for a few moments.

"What?" she asked. Ron shook his head.

"Nothing," he replied. He took a breath and let it out, then gave her a forced smile.

"I'm glad you told me." Hermione smiled faintly.

"Me too," she said. They stood there for a few minutes, the silence growing awkward.

"Maybe you should stay home from Hogwarts today. Get some sleep instead," Ron suggested. Hermione contemplated this for a few minutes. She _was_ exhausted.

"Maybe I'll just take a nap and come over after lunch," she finally said. Ron nodded.

"That sounds good." He stuck his hands in his pockets and they began to walk back towards the Burrow. Hermione glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and wondered why their conversation had felt so stilted and uncomfortable. She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. She was just tired, that was all. They could talk again when she'd gotten some sleep and felt more coherent.

* * *

Remus sat up in bed, scrubbing a hand down his face. He was still tired and sore, but hunger had forced him awake. Glancing out the window, he figured it was mid-afternoon and a look at his watch confirmed his guess. He winced as she stood, the bruise on his ribs still painful, not to mention the normal aches and pains after the full moon. Fumbling in the pocket of the trousers he'd worn earlier, he found the jar of bruise paste and spread some more on his side. He hissed as his fingers found a particularly sore spot. Hermione had been much gentler about it when she had applied it this morning.

When he was finished, and had pulled on some clothes, Remus made his way downstairs, hoping that Teddy was awake and he could spend some time with his son.

"Remus, how are you feeling?" Andromeda asked as Remus came into the kitchen. She was feeding Teddy who looked nearly finished with his bottle.

"Tired, sore, the usual," Remus replied with a yawn.

"Well, next month you will definitely have the Wolfsbane," she said as Teddy finished the bottle. She shifted him to her shoulder, patting his back.

"I'll take him," Remus said, feeling the need to be sure his son was all right. He knew it was the wolf, still so near the surface. He trusted Andromeda would never let anything happen to Teddy, but Remus couldn't ignore the feeling.

"Of course," Andromeda said with a smile as she handed the baby over. "I'll just get you something to eat."

Remus cradled Teddy to his chest, breathing in the baby's scent and letting it calm him. Teddy squirmed slightly and Remus forced himself to loosen his grip, cradling the boy's head and bringing him around in front of Remus.

"How was your night, then?" Remus asked Teddy. "Were you a good boy for your grandmother?" Teddy blinked solemnly as he stared at his father. Remus chuckled.

"He was an angel as always," Andromeda said as she came back into the room with a plate of eggs and fruit. "Do you want me to take him while you eat?"

"No, it's fine," Remus said, shifting Teddy to his left arm, so he could eat and hold his son at the same time. When he finished, Andromeda made to take his plate, but Remus put a hand on her arm. "Sit down for a moment, please."

"Is something wrong?" Andromeda asked, brow furrowed.

"Why didn't you set the silencing charm last night?" he asked. Andromeda faltered for a moment, opened her mouth to say something, then closed it with a sigh.

"I suppose it will do me no good to deny it," she said.

"Why, Andromeda? Why did you subject them to that?"

"I wanted to know," she said quietly. "I wanted to make sure that you didn't hurt yourself too much."

"And if I had?" he said. "They couldn't have done anything about it."

"Still, I wanted to know, Remus," she said. "I only want to help." Remus looked at the tabletop, having Teddy in his arms the only thing keeping him calm. He wanted to lash out at her for going against his wishes, for forcing Hermione and Harry to hear whatever they'd heard. Instead, he took a breath and forced himself to relax.

"What did they hear?" he asked. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know. The only positive of being without the Wolfsbane that month was that he wouldn't remember anything about the transformation or how the wolf reacted to their loss. He had more bruises and cuts than usual, sure, but that could have happened even if Dora hadn't died.

"It was as you suspected," Andromeda said quietly. "Harry said it sounded as if you were…mourning." Remus closed his eyes, his jaw clenched. He hadn't wanted anyone to hear that, not Andromeda and certainly not Harry and Hermione. His grief was private.

"Remus, I'm sorry, I just thought," Andromeda began, but Remus held up a hand to stop her.

"Did you think about what I would want?" he asked flatly.

"I only wanted to help."

"There's nothing you can do, Andromeda," he said, his voice rising. "Dora is dead and there's nothing that will change that."

"I know that, but-"

"No!" Remus nearly shouted. Teddy startled in his arms and Remus forced himself to lower his voice. "No, you forced Hermione and Harry to hear something they should never have had to hear. And you knew how I would feel about it, but you did it anyway."

"I only wanted to help you, Remus," she protested.

"How? How are you going to help me now that you know the wolf mourned for Dora as much as I do?"

"I don't, I don't know," she whispered. She looked up at him, her eyes full of tears. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Remus said as he rose from his chair. He left the kitchen without another word.

* * *

Remus sat in the rocking chair in Teddy's room, slowly rocking the boy to sleep. He had retreated to Teddy's room after he left the kitchen, entertaining his son by making his stuffed animals dance until Teddy had grown sleepy. Remus had calmed considerably since his conversation with Andromeda, although he was still hurt by what she had done. He wasn't sure how he was going to face Harry and Hermione knowing they had heard his secret grief.

Looking down, he saw that Teddy was asleep and Remus slowly stood and transferred the baby to his cot. He stood looking down at Teddy for a few minutes, before he quietly left the room. Remus had made it back to his own room and had a hand on the door knob when he heard Andromeda behind him.

"Remus?" she said tentatively. Remus sighed and turned around to face her. "I want to apologize again for not setting the silencing charm. I know I invaded your privacy and I am sorry."

"I know you are," Remus said. She watched him for a few moments, but when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything else, she turned and began to walk down the corridor.

"Andromeda," Remus called quietly once she had reached the top of the stairs. "I accept your apology."

"Thank you," she said before she continued down the stairs.

Remus sighed again and walked into his bedroom. He closed the door behind him and sat down in the armchair in the corner, letting his head fall back. He was emotionally wrung out. He wondered again what Harry and Hermione had thought about what they'd heard after his transformation.

To be fair, neither of them had treated him any differently this morning. They were both a bit tentative, but Remus figured that had more to do with the fact that he was injured than whatever he'd done in werewolf form. Hermione had certainly had no problem clinging to him after her nightmare, although he was quite sure that she hadn't been completely aware when she had first thrown her arms around his neck. He wondered again, just what the dream had been about.

There were plenty of possibilities, given all that Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone through in their years at Hogwarts. Remus didn't know everything that had gone on this past year while the three of them were on the run, but he knew enough. He suspected there was much more to their break-out at Gringotts than anyone knew. The goblins hadn't been too forthcoming with information about it, given their pride in making their bank impenetrable. And Remus wasn't so naïve as to think it didn't have to do with the Horcruxes somehow.

Sighing, Remus rose and stripped off his shirt and trousers, climbing back into bed with a yawn. He would likely sleep until morning, unless his stomach got the better of him in the middle of the night. Just before he drifted off, he realized he had forgotten to ask Harry about access to the library at Grimmauld Place. Making a mental note to send an owl in the morning, Remus closed his eyes and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

 **28 May 1998**

Hermione walked into the Great Hall for lunch. Work had continued on the castle over the last couple of weeks and Hermione and Remus had finished the tower the week before. She had been helping Neville and Professor Sprout in the greenhouses, as the professor had received a large shipment of plants to replace those that had been used in the battle.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall called as Hermione was about to sit down beside Ron.

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione replied, turning towards the Headmistress who was walking briskly towards her.

"I have something for you," the professor said, holding out an envelope. Hermione's brow furrowed. Why would she be getting post at the school and in a Muggle envelope to boot?

"I am not sure why they did not just send it on to the Burrow, but it was in a delivery from the Ministry yesterday," Professor McGonagall continued. Hermione continued to eye the envelope dubiously. "I have checked it for any kind of hex, jinx or Dark Magic. It is clean."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, finally taking the envelope from her hand. Hermione's name was scrawled across the front, but there was no return address or postmark. She slit the envelope open as she sat down next to Ron.

"What is it, 'Mione?" he asked around his mouthful of food. Hermione pulled the sheet of notebook paper from the envelope and opened it.

"It's from Claire," she said in surprise. Hermione had been so busy in the last few weeks, she hadn't had the time to call and see how the girl was faring.

"One of the little Muggle-born firsties?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded as she began to read.

"What's she say then?" Ron asked. Hermione summarized the letter as she read.

"She's settled in at home and David is still living with them. Annie stayed with them for a few days, but then her sister came and got her." Hermione's brow furrowed as she continued to read.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"Claire's mother isn't sure if she wants to let Claire and David come to Hogwarts next fall," Hermione said.

"Honestly, that's not all that surprising, Hermione," Harry said sadly. "I mean if it had been your child or sister that was thrown in prison for months just because of their blood status, would _you_ let them come back here?" Hermione sighed.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "And from the sounds of it, Claire isn't sure if she wants to, anyway. David seems to though." Hermione paused in her reading, lips pursed in thought.

"What are you thinking?" Ron asked.

"If Claire's parents don't have formal guardianship of David, then he's considered an orphan. If that's the case, then technically, he's a ward of the Ministry since he's a wizard. Claire's parents wouldn't have any say in his returning to Hogwarts. It would be up to him."

"I don't know, Hermione," Harry said. "Wouldn't that cause issues if Claire doesn't enroll here?" Hermione nodded.

"Yes, he'd have to get a magical guardian and move, most likely."

"And that might not be the best thing for him," Ginny said. "I saw how attached he was to Claire and Annie."

"I know," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Is there anything else?" Ron asked, indicating the letter with his fork." Hermione read a bit more.

"Claire is worried about Annie," Hermione said. "The last time Claire called her, Annie told Claire that her sister wouldn't let her visit Claire anymore."

"Why not?" Ginny demanded.

"From what Claire says, it's because Annie always wants to be at Claire's house. She begs to stay whenever her sister comes to pick her up and she's caused a few scenes." Hermione glanced up at her friends. "Accidental magic scenes."

"Annie's sister decided it would be better if Annie just stayed away altogether," Hermione continued. "But Annie managed to call Claire the other day and Claire said Annie didn't sound like herself."

"That poor kid," Ginny said sadly. Hermione turned the paper over to continue reading.

"Sarah, Claire's mother, has tried talking to Annie's sister about it, but her sister hasn't been interested in Sarah's help."

"Why is she telling you all this?" Ron asked.

"She wants me to talk to Annie's sister," Hermione said, lowering the letter to the table.

"Do you want to?" Harry asked.

"I don't think that's my place, Harry," Hermione said quietly.

"That's not what I asked," Harry said.

"Of course, I want to talk to her," Hermione said. "Annie needs support and help after everything she's been through and isolating her from her friends is not the way to go about it." She huffed in frustration.

"Maybe you should pay them a visit," Ginny said, popping a grape into her mouth.

"You said you'd visit them this summer," Ron reminded her.

"I don't even know where Annie lives," Hermione said.

"No, but you've got Claire's phone number and her mother said you were welcome to visit them," Harry pointed out. "I'm sure Sarah knows where Annie is."

"I can't just show up out of the blue, Harry," Hermione protested.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because. Because, it's not, you don't just, I," Hermione trailed off and Harry smiled smugly at her. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him. Harry looked at Ron.

"Is there a telephone box in the village?" Harry asked.

"Ottery St. Catchpole, you mean?" Ron replied. Harry nodded. "Dunno, but I'm sure there must be. It's a Muggle village, isn't it?"

"There is one," Ginny said. "I saw it when I was there with Mum once."

"There you go," Harry said to Hermione with a smile. "You can call Sarah tonight after we get home and set it up." Hermione scowled at Harry, but the truth was she did want to see the three children again. She had thought of them quite often in the last few weeks. And what Claire had said about Annie worried Hermione. She didn't want it to be another situation like the one Harry had grown up in.

"All right, fine," she finally said. "I'll go down to the village after dinner." Harry grinned and Hermione just rolled her eyes before going back to her lunch.

* * *

Remus sat in the sitting room, flipping through a book on Transfiguration. He had elected not to go to Hogwarts today. Instead, he had made another foray into the library at Grimmauld Place, collecting a few more books for his tutoring assignment that would start in a little over two weeks.

Things since the last full moon had been a bit strained. Although Remus had forgiven Andromeda, they were still tentative around each other. It reminded him of the first few weeks he'd lived here, once he'd come back to Dora after trying to run away. Andromeda had been polite and cordial, but he knew she had been expecting him to leave again at any moment. Remus felt like their positions were reversed now and Andromeda was the one trying to get back into his good graces.

"Remus!" Andromeda's shout startled Remus from his reading and he was instantly on his feet, wand in hand as he rushed up the stairs and into Teddy's room.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, frantically searching the room for whatever the threat was.

"Oh, no, it's fine, Remus," Andromeda said quickly. "Everything is fine." Remus turned to look at her and saw the tears in her eyes.

"Clearly, it's not," he said, not lowering his wand.

"No, it is," she said again. "I'm sorry I shouted. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Andromeda, _what_ is going on?" Remus demanded.

"It's Teddy," she began, but Remus interrupted before she could finish.

"What's wrong with him?" Remus said in concern as he hurried to the cot where his son currently lay.

"Nothing is wrong with him," Andromeda said. "I came in to get him up from his nap and he-" but Remus was no longer listening. He had been looking his son over for any signs of an injury or illness. When he found none, he had smiled at the baby and Teddy, Teddy had smiled back.

"He's smiling," Remus whispered.

"Yes," Andromeda said with a laugh that sounded a bit like she was trying to cover a sob. "That's why I called you. He smiled at me as well." Remus reached down and lifted Teddy from his cot. He cradled Teddy's head in his hand and held the boy out in front of him.

"Hey, little man," Remus said. "Can you give Daddy another smile?" Remus smiled widely and Teddy stared at him for a moment before mirroring the action. The grin on Remus' face grew wider and Andromeda laughed again.

"Oh, you clever, clever boy," she said, bringing a hand to her mouth, laughing even as the tears ran down her cheeks. Remus simply stared at his son, unable to keep the wide smile off his own face. Teddy smiled one more time before he began to squirm, likely hungry after his nap. Remus brought the baby up to his shoulder and looked back at Andromeda. Her laughter was gone and she was simply crying now. Remus wrapped his free arm around her shoulders and he felt the tension that she had been under these last two weeks, leave her.

"She should be here," he said, his voice shaky. "She should see this." Andromeda leaned into him slightly, but said nothing. It wasn't until Teddy began to voice his displeasure at being made to wait for his lunch that they moved.

"I'll get his bottle," she said quietly. She moved to the doorway and then stopped. "And Remus?" Remus looked up at her from the changing table where he had laid Teddy. "She sees him." With a small smile, Andromeda left the room. Remus pulled in a shaky breath as he turned back to his son. He quickly changed Teddy's nappy and then picked the baby up to cradle him close.

"You keep smiling for her, all right?" Remus said into the boy's hair. Teddy flailed his arms in response and Remus forced himself to calm, before carrying Teddy downstairs for his lunch.

* * *

 **29 May 1998**

Hermione made her way quietly down the stairs to the kitchen. Another nightmare had woken her and even though it was early, just after dawn, she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep again. She was surprised, therefore, when she saw that the kitchen wasn't empty.

"Mrs. Weas-, er, Molly," Hermione said, having trouble remembering to call Ron's mother by her first name since the woman had insisted on it a few weeks ago.

"Hermione," Molly said in surprise. "What are you doing up?"

"Just couldn't sleep," Hermione replied, sliding into the chair next to Molly's. Molly had a cup of tea in front of her and something else. Hermione turned her head slightly to get a better look at it and realized it was Fred's hand from the clock.

"I've kept it in my pocket, ever since," Molly said quietly when she noticed Hermione's stare. "It makes me feel closer to him, somehow." Hermione was unsure what to say. Molly looked up and gave her a sad smile. "I suppose that makes me sound quite mad."

"No, not at all," Hermione said.

"You're sweet to say so, but I think my sons would have a different view."

"It's no different than keeping a picture of him with you," Hermione said with a smile.

"Perhaps you're right," Molly said after a few moments. "Tea?"

"Don't go to any trouble," Hermione said, but Molly had already waved her wand and the tea tray floated to the table. Molly poured Hermione a cup and added cream before passing it to her.

"Was Mr. We-, erm, Arthur, able to get the morning off today?" Hermione asked after a few moments of silence. George was reopening the shop and Molly wanted the entire family to be there.

"Yes, thankfully," she said. "Kingsley rescheduled the trials for this afternoon." Hermione nodded. The Death Eater trials had been going on for the last two weeks, but were nearing their conclusion. Rabastan Lestrange and a few others had been captured due to information given by Lucius Malfoy. Mulciber was still missing, although the Aurors had a lead on him in France and the Minister had sent a team over to work with the French Ministry in his capture. The British Ministry suspected he was trying to get to Belgium where he had relatives.

There were some in the Ministry that had actively worked with Voldemort although they had never taken the Mark. Dolores Umbridge was one, of course, and Hermione had attended her trial personally, just for the satisfaction of seeing the cow sent to Azkaban for the rest of her life. It was the only time Hermione regretted that the Dementors were no longer the guards of Azkaban, though she would never admit it to anyone.

She glanced at Molly again, who was now looking down at Fred's hand from the clock. Hermione could see the emotion on the older woman's face and she reached over and put her hand over Molly's, giving it a squeeze.

"I never told them how proud I was of them," Molly said quietly and Hermione stilled. Molly rarely spoke of Fred, nor had she shown this kind of emotion in front of any of them since the funeral.

"That shop of theirs," Molly trailed off and shook her head, but she was smiling. "It's the most brilliant thing I've ever seen." Hermione smiled. She'd had the same thought the first time she'd walked into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"They only got three O.W.L.S. each and I thought they'd never get decent jobs. I was always so worried about their grades and all the trouble they got up to at school, I never stopped to look and see what they were really _doing_." Hermione wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't a mother, but she imagined if she were, she would feel similarly, wanting her children to excel and succeed. Molly was quiet for a few moments, staring across the room, lost in thought. There was a brightness in her eyes and Hermione was just about to say something when Molly spoke again.

"Oh, look at me, carrying on like this," she said, rising from the table and beginning to clear the tea things away. Hermione saw her put Fred's hand from the clock back into her pocket. "I had better start breakfast, everyone will be waking up soon."

"Molly?" Hermione said as the other woman moved into the kitchen.

"Yes, dear?" Molly said absently as she pulled eggs and bacon from the ice box.

"I think that Fred knew that you were proud of him," Hermione said quietly. "Even if you didn't say it." Molly blinked rapidly a few times and then managed a smile.

"Thank you, Hermione." Hermione nodded and turned to head upstairs to shower before everyone else woke up. She glanced back one last time and saw Molly standing in front of the sink, her head bowed, holding the hand from the clock once again. Hermione watched for a few moments more, before she hurried upstairs, not wanting to intrude any longer.


	17. Cracks

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! You all are amazing. Thanks also for all the new favorites and follows. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Cracks**

 **29 May 1998**

They Flooed into the flat above the shop. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand as soon as she had come through and pulled her towards the stairs to the shop, obviously wanting to spend as little time in the flat as possible. Hermione glanced behind her and saw Percy come through, his eyes never looking anywhere but in front of him as he followed behind Ron. As she turned back, she wondered if everyone else had reacted the same way to being in the flat that Fred and George had shared.

When they reached the shop, Ron let out a breath and Hermione squeezed his hand. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Hermione let herself relax in his embrace. She hadn't told him about her most recent nightmares, nor had they discussed the one she'd had after the full moon again. But as things had been more comfortable between them, Hermione had decided not to rock the boat. They hadn't even argued in over a week. Hermione shoved away the voice in the back of her head that said that wasn't the healthiest of ways to handle a relationship. The nightmares wouldn't last forever and then it wouldn't be an issue at all.

"Everything looks wonderful, dear," Molly said to George as she looked around the shop. George looked a bit surprised before he smiled.

"Thanks, Mum." She hugged him and kissed his cheek. George looked around the room. "Looks like everyone's here." Besides the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione, most of George's friends from Hogwarts were at the shop as well. Everyone had pitched in with inventory and making products in the last weeks, which was why George was opening a week sooner than he'd expected.

"I just want to say thanks to all of you for helping out these past few weeks," George said. "I never would have been able to do it without you." He paused and took a breath and let it out.

"Fred and I, this place was our dream and," George swallowed thickly. "He likely would have found a way to come back and beat me about the head if I let it die." There was a smattering of light laughter and Hermione saw plenty of people swiping at their eyes or blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "So, I guess the only thing left to do is open this place up again."

George moved toward the front door, his parents flanking him on either side. Arthur put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as George waved his wand to raise the blinds on the windows and open the door to the shop. He stepped outside as flashbulbs went off and reporters shouted questions. George ignored all of them and instead turned toward a group of children that stood waiting for the shop to open.

"Is your shop _finally_ open?" a boy of about eight asked. "Because we've been waiting for _ages_."

"You've been out here for twenty minutes," George said with a smirk.

"Like I said, _ages_ ," the boy replied. George laughed.

"All right, mate, that is a pretty long time." He ruffled the boy's hair. "Go on in, find something you like." The children all rushed past him, even as their parents admonished them to be polite and gave George apologetic looks as they followed their sons and daughters inside.

"Mr. Weasley, don't you think it's a bit too soon to be reopening your shop after your brother's death?" a reporter called out. Molly opened her mouth to say something, but George put a hand on her arm and turned slowly towards the reporter.

"I think my brother would agree that we've all had more than our fair share of horror and heartbreak," George said quietly, but his voice seemed to carry over the crowd of reporters all the same. "He probably would have asked what took me so long." Many of the reporters chuckled.

"I'd love to have the lot of you as customers in my shop," George continued. "But I won't be answering any more questions. Neither will my family and friends and no cameras are allowed inside. If you think you can abide by that, by all means, come on in. Otherwise, meet my security team." Charlie and Bill came to stand on either side of the doorway, their arms crossed over their chests. Hermione covered her mouth to stifle a laugh at the menacing looks they tried to give the press.

Some of the reporters stowed their cameras and their quills and came inside, enjoying the shop as much as the regular customers were. Others scowled at Charlie and Bill and moved away from the door a bit and shouted questions at people as they left the shop. After about an hour, they started to leave, obviously realizing that no one that they really wanted to interview was going to come outside anytime soon.

Hermione, along with the rest of the family, helped customers and restocked shelves. When she went into the back room to get more Skiving Snackboxes, she realized it was a good thing George had had so much help making inventory in the last two weeks. They were selling things much faster than she had thought they would.

George seemed comfortable and completely in his element, but Hermione didn't fail the notice the wistful looks he wore throughout the day. And at one point, he had disappeared up into the flat. When he came back, his eyes looked redder than they had before, but he had a smile on his face and proceeded to show a few kids how some of the Muggle magic tricks worked.

"We need more WonderWitch stuff," Ron said later that afternoon.

"I thought Ginny was going to get that," Hermione replied with a frown.

"I thought so too, but she must have gotten distracted by a customer or something."

"I'll go get them," Hermione said and made her way to the stockroom. Pushing the curtain aside, she took a few steps into the room before she stopped with a gasp. Ginny had indeed gotten distracted, but it wasn't by a customer. Harry had her up against the wall, snogging her as if his life depended on it. Hermione cleared her throat.

"Don't mind me," she said as the two of them jumped apart, Harry going beet red. Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing as she walked towards the shelves that held the WonderWitch line.

"Hermione, erm, this isn't, this isn't what it looks like," Harry said rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Ginny snorted.

"You mean you weren't snogging Ginny to within an inch of her life?" Hermione said innocently. Harry got redder if that were even possible. Hermione could see that Ginny was trying not to laugh.

"Okay, fine, it's what it looks like," Harry muttered. Hermione began to laugh and Ginny joined in moment later. They were still laughing a few minutes later when they were interrupted by Ron.

"Hermione, did you get the-" he stopped short at the scene in front of him. Harry, still red in the face, was glaring at the two witches who were doubled-over with laughter.

"What are you two doing back here?" he asked, indicating Harry and Ginny.

"I came back for more WonderWitch products," Ginny said, finally getting her laughter under control. "Harry on the other hand, had more nefarious ideas in mind."

"Ginny," Harry hissed.

"Poor Ginny, wanting to do nothing more than help her brother with his joke shop. Instead she gets accosted by Harry in the dark, deserted stockroom," Hermione said dramatically. Harry glared at Hermione as Ron glanced between the three of them, Hermione and Ginny still giggling every few seconds.

"Your girlfriend's a real smartarse," Harry said to Ron. Ron shrugged.

"Maybe you shouldn't defile my sister in the stockroom, then." Hermione and Ginny burst into laughter again. Harry gaped at Ron, who grinned.

"You're all mental," Harry muttered, shaking his head as he left the stockroom.

"Does this mean things are official again, then?" Hermione asked Ginny once Harry had gone.

"Yes," Ginny replied with a smile.

"Merlin, finally," Ron said. " _I_ was about ready to give Harry a swift kick in the arse."

"Well, I'm glad he finally figured things out," Hermione said.

"Did you know the daft prat thought I would rather be 'free' my last year at Hogwarts?" Ginny asked in exasperation. Hermione hid a smile.

"I did have an inkling, yes," Hermione said. Ginny shook her head.

"Idiot," Ginny said, but with fondness in her tone. The two of them began pulling WonderWitch products from the shelf and handing them to Ron to carry out into the shop.

"Maybe I should give Harry the 'talk' again," Ron said as Hermione set another carton on the stack he already held. "Messing with my sister in the stockroom." Ginny spun around, her wand in hand.

"Go ahead," she warned. "I'm sure Hermione would still snog you if you had bat bogeys coming out your nose." Ron scowled.

"You're a right menace, you know," Ron said. Ginny smiled sweetly as she sheathed her wand back in her sleeve.

"Yes, I do, thank you." Ron rolled his eyes as he left to carry the boxes into the shop.

* * *

"Remus?" Andromeda said, her voice still tentative. Despite their shared celebration over Teddy's smile the day before, things still weren't back to normal between them. They had both been trying, but Remus suspected that it would still take a bit of time.

"Yes," he replied, looking at her expectantly.

"I need to go to the apothecary to get a few things for the Wolfsbane," she said. "I'll be leaving in about ten minutes."

"All right," Remus said. She gave him a small smile and turned to the leave the room when Teddy began to cry.

"Did you want me to get him?" Andromeda asked.

"No, that's all right," Remus replied setting his book on the table next to him. He glanced out the window across the room. "In fact, it's rather a nice day today. Perhaps Teddy and I will go with you. Get a bit of fresh air."

"Oh," she said in surprise.

"Unless you'd rather go alone?"

"No, no, it's not that," Andromeda assured him. "It's just, after what happened at the trial with the reporters I didn't know if you were ready to be out in public just yet."

"Unfortunately, I cannot avoid the press forever," he said. "And there is a book I'm looking for. I'd like to check Flourish and Blotts."

"All right, then," Andromeda said with a smile. "I'll get a bottle ready for Teddy if you want to pack his bag."

"Of course," Remus said, then climbed the stairs to his son's room.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were finally ready to Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. Remus pulled the pram he had Transfigured from one of the garden chairs from his pocket and enlarged it as Andromeda stepped out with Teddy.

"Perhaps we should look for a pram today as well," she said as she settled Teddy into it. The baby was awake and waved his arms as his hair shifted colors every few minutes. Remus smiled down at his son as Andromeda pushed the pram through the opening to Diagon Alley. He was rewarded with a return smile. Remus didn't think he'd ever tire of seeing it.

They made their way down the Alley, Andromeda stopping at the apothecary to get the necessary ingredients she needed for Remus' potion. Remus stayed outside with Teddy and the pram. There was a fair few people in the Alley this morning, but few of them paid Remus any mind, save to smile at Teddy as they walked past.

They strolled to Flourish and Blotts once Andromeda had made her purchases. Remus lifted Teddy from the pram and shrunk it again before they went inside. Andromeda took her grandson while Remus went to the counter to inquire about the book he was looking for.

"Yes, I believe we do have it," the clerk behind the counter said. "And if we don't, I can order it for you. Let's take a look." Remus followed the man through the rows of books, stopping when they reached the Defense section. The clerk scanned the stacks for a few seconds.

"Yes, here we are," he said, pulling the book Remus had been looking for from the shelf.

"Wonderful, I'll take it," Remus said and followed him back to the counter to pay.

"Teaching again then, Mr. Lupin?" the clerk asked. Remus had purchased quite a few Defense books before his year as Defense professor.

"Just tutoring, actually," Remus replied. "Hogwarts is offering O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. at the end of June."

"Ah yes, I had read about that," the clerk said. "Well, good luck to you."

"Thank you," Remus said taking his book with a smile. He wandered into the children's section to find Andromeda with Teddy on her lap, reading to him from a book of Wizarding fairy tales. Teddy looked to be staring at the book rather intently and Remus chuckled.

"It seems your son has inherited your love of books," Andromeda said, closing the book. "I think perhaps we should pick up a few things for him." Remus shrunk his book and tucked it in his pocket before taking his son from his grandmother's lap. "It's never too early to start bedtime stories."

Andromeda turned to the shelves and began to pull books from them. Teddy already had a small collection at home, books that had been Dora's as a child, but it looked as if Andromeda was intent on giving him an entire library.

"Are you sure we need all of these right now?" Remus asked, concerned a bit with the cost. Besides, some of the books she was collecting were clearly meant for older children.

"Aren't grandmothers supposed to spoil their grandchildren?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose, but I don't think Teddy necessarily needs chaptered books just yet," Remus said dryly. Andromeda looked down at the books in her arms and gave him a sheepish smile.

"I suppose you're right about that," she said, reshelving about the half the books she held. "These can wait until he's at least two." Remus chuckled and shook his head, following Andromeda to the counter so she could purchase Teddy's new books.

They stepped back out into the Alley, Remus electing to carry Teddy for a bit instead of enlarging the pram again. Teddy's attention seemed to be taken by all the sights and sounds around him and Remus smiled down at his son. After a stop in the nearby children's store, new pram and a few more toys in tow, Andromeda turned to Remus.

"Are you ready to go home?" she asked.

"I'd like to walk a bit, if you don't mind," Remus said. Andromeda nodded with a smile and they window shopped as they made their way down Diagon Alley.

"Isn't that Molly's boys' shop?" Andromeda asked a few minutes later.

"Yes," Remus said. "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Harry said they would be opening again soon, but I hadn't realized it was today."

"Shall we stop in?" Andromeda questioned.

"Yes, I think we should." Remus had only been in the twins' shop once, but it had truly been a sight to behold. James and Sirius would have likely had fits of rapture, had they ever seen it. A bit of melancholy stole over Remus at the thought of his friends.

They stepped into the shop and Remus was a bit surprised to see the entirety of the Weasley family, as well as many of his former Hogwarts students.

"Oh my," Andromeda breathed looking around in awe.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Remus asked.

"Quite."

"Remus," a voice called out and Remus looked up to see Harry walking towards him. The younger man smiled widely at Teddy. "What are you doing here?"

"Andromeda and I were doing a bit of shopping and saw that George had reopened," Remus said. "We decided to stop in and say hello."

"Well, I think that means I need to give Teddy the grand tour," Harry said. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Remus replied, handing his son off to his godfather. Harry had become much more comfortable with the baby since the first time he'd held him at Hogwarts. He smiled as Harry walked towards Ginny, pointing things out to Teddy as he went.

"Andromeda, how lovely to see you," Molly said as she stepped up to the pair.

"You, as well," Andromeda returned.

"And Remus, I'm so glad you stopped by."

"How is George doing?" Remus asked. Molly glanced back at her son, who was explaining how the Extendable Ears worked to a customer.

"He seems to be holding up all right," she said. "There have been a few moments here and there, but that's to be expected."

"What about you?" Andromeda asked quietly. Molly gave her a small smile.

"I am enjoying seeing my son in his element," she said. "And I wish I had done the same with Fred." Andromeda put her hand on Molly's arm and gave it a slight squeeze. Molly smiled gratefully and patted Andromeda's hand with her own.

"And you, how are you doing?" Molly asked.

"I'm surviving," Andromeda said. Molly nodded knowingly. "Teddy and Remus help immensely." Deciding that this was a conversation that the two women needed to have alone, Remus excused himself quietly and began to stroll through the shop.

"Remus," a voice behind him said. "I didn't know you would be here today." Remus turned to Hermione's wide smile.

"Andromeda and I decided to stop in after we finished our other shopping," Remus explained. "How have things been going here?"

"Very well," Hermione said. "It was quite busy this morning."

"I'm surprised the press hasn't camped out on George's doorstep," he said. Hermione laughed.

"Oh, they were here in force this morning, but George refused to answer any questions and told them they weren't welcome in the shop unless they were here as customers. Then he set Bill and Charlie as security guards." Remus chuckled. The two eldest Weasley brothers could definitely be intimidating when they wanted to. The scars they both bore likely helped.

"Did it work?" he asked.

"Mostly," Hermione said. "One reporter managed to sneak his camera out of his pocket and snapped a picture of Harry before Charlie escorted him out. Harry told Charlie not to worry about it, but I think Charlie might have 'accidentally' broken his camera." Remus smiled again.

"Where's Teddy?" Hermione asked.

"Harry took him the moment we walked in," Remus explained. "Said he wanted to give him the grand tour." Hermione shook her head fondly.

"How have you been doing?" Remus asked, his voice turning more serious. They hadn't spoken much since her nightmare at Grimmauld Place.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"No more nightmares?"

"Oh, well, not so many," she said, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"Not so many?" Remus asked. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," Hermione said quickly. Remus gave her a disbelieving look. Hermione glanced around the shop, seeming to be searching for someone before she sighed and looked back at Remus. "I haven't been having them every night anymore."

"Every night?" Remus repeated incredulously. "You've been having nightmares every night?"

"Only at the beginning," she said quickly. "It's only been every few nights these last couple of weeks."

"Hermione," Remus chastised gently. "Have you spoken to someone about this?"

"I'm talking to you," she said with a shrug.

"I meant a professional," he said.

"What is a Healer going to tell me, Remus?" she questioned. "They'll just give me Dreamless Sleep which will work while I'm taking it, but once I stop, the dreams will come back. And you can't take that forever."

"Still," Remus began, but she interrupted him with a shake of her head.

"They'll go away eventually," she said. "It hasn't been that long." She looked up at him. "I think most of us are having dreams, at least some of the time." Remus remained silent. He couldn't argue that point.

"Hey, Remus," Ron said as he walked up to the two of them. It was only then that Remus realized they were standing quite close together. He took a step backwards as Ron slung his arm around Hermione's waist.

"Ron," Remus greeted. Before any of them could say anything else, a loud cry came from across the shop. Remus looked up to see Harry trying to comfort a crying Teddy, who was likely hungry. "I suppose that's my cue. It was good to see the two of you." He turned and made his way toward Harry, pulling Teddy's bottle from his pocket and warming it as he went.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Ron asked once Remus had left.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"The two of you looked pretty intense there for a few minutes," Ron said.

"Oh." Ron continued to look at her expectantly. "We were just talking about how things are going."

"What things?"

"Just, you know, how Teddy's doing, how everyone is coping." Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"It looked a bit more serious than that," Ron said.

"Well, Remus isn't exactly having an easy time of it, is he?" Ron studied her face for a few moments.

"I suppose not," he finally said. Hermione wasn't sure if Ron believed her or not. She turned back to the shelves they were standing in front of. With all the children that had been in the shop today, they had sold quite a few trick wands.

"I'm going to go get some more of these," Hermione said indicating the display with the wands. Ron simply nodded, although he was looking at her quite intently. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek and smiled. She was aware of his eyes on her back as she made her way to the stockroom.

* * *

 **30 May 1998**

"Are you sure you can't stay for just a bit longer, Charlie?" Molly asked.

"Mum, you know I can't," he said. "We've got two nests about to hatch. Everyone has gotten called back." Molly sighed and nodded. Charlie wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. "I'll be back in a couple of weeks for a visit. I promise."

"Well, you can at least have supper before you go," Molly said turning to move into the kitchen. Charlie opened his mouth to protest, but a shake of Arthur's head caused the younger man's mouth to snap shut.

"Sure, Mum," he said instead, taking his seat at the table.

"Is George going to be here for supper?" Ron asked.

"No, he said he and Lee were working on a few things and they'd just grab a bite in Diagon Alley," Molly called from the kitchen.

"Is Lee going to keep working with him, then?" Harry asked.

"Just for now," Ron replied. "Angelina and Alicia said they'd help out too."

"So did I," Ginny said. Harry looked at her in surprise. "What, I've got to have something to keep myself occupied while you lot are out training. The work at Hogwarts should be done in a couple of weeks."

"What about Hermione?" Ron said.

"What about me?" Hermione returned.

"You and Gin are both going to be here all summer. Won't you be bored too?" Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling. She had never been bored during the summer. Ginny snorted.

"Hermione with access to the library at Grimmauld Place?" Ginny said. "I don't think she's going to be bored, Ron." Ron wrinkled his nose.

"Why do you want to hang out in that creepy, old house anyway?" he asked.

"For said creepy, old library, I suppose," Hermione said wryly.

"Honestly, Ron, are you that thick?" Ginny demanded.

"Shut it," he snapped.

"All right, that's enough," Arthur said, turning from his conversation with Charlie and Percy. "Why don't you two set the table?" Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron as they both got up from the table and moved to the cabinet that held the dishes.

"You can bring the books here you know," Harry said as Ron directed the plates to the table. "If you'd rather not stay there to read."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said. "But it's quieter at Grimmauld Place. I don't mind that it's a bit creepy."

"Please don't tell me you're going to waste your entire summer shut away in that dingy place, _reading_ ," Ron said as he sat back down.

"Of course not," Hermione shot back. "I've got plenty of other things to do."

"Like what?" Ron asked as Molly began to direct the platters and bowls of food to the table.

"Like finding my parents for one," Hermione said in a huff. Everyone around the table fell silent. Hermione's cheeks colored. She hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. She wasn't even sure if all the Weasleys knew about her parents. A glance at Molly's concerned face told her that Molly and Arthur knew, at the very least.

"What happened to your parents, Hermione?" Percy asked missing the look his mother shot him.

"They, erm, I, well," Hermione trailed off, unable to explain.

"That's enough of that, now," Molly said, her tone letting her son know he shouldn't ask any more questions.

"No, Molly, it's all right," Hermione said recovering herself. She took a deep breath and looked at Percy. "I modified their memories last summer and made them forget about me. They moved to Australia." Percy's mouth had dropped open. "I don't know where in Australia, but I want to start searching for them to see if I can reverse the spell." Percy had, thankfully, closed his mouth, but still looked shocked. Charlie did as well.

"Whatever we can do to help you, Hermione, don't hesitate to ask," Arthur said kindly.

"Thank you," Hermione managed. She blinked quickly to keep from bursting into tears. Ron took her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. She smiled at him gratefully.

"Of course, we'll help in any way we can," Molly agreed. "And you know that you always have a home with us."

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione smiled tremulously.

"Now, everyone tuck in before it gets cold," Molly said. Hermione managed to eat a few bites of her dinner, then excused herself.

"Are you all right, dear?" Molly asked in concern.

"Fine, I'm just a bit tired," Hermione said as she left the table and made her way up to the room she shared with Ginny. She collapsed onto her camp bed and hugged her pillow to her chest.

It was only a few minutes before there was a light knock on the door.

"Come in, "Hermione called, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Hey," Ron said as he came into the room closing the door quietly behind him.

"You didn't have to leave your supper to come up here," Hermione said. Ron shrugged.

"Mum can reheat it for me if I'm hungry later." Hermione snorted. There was no doubt Ron would be hungry later. He smiled in response. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said, sitting up cross-legged and putting the pillow on her lap. Ron sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning on looking for your parents?" She shrugged.

"I figured you would assume," she said. "I never intended for them to stay there forever."

"So, you can reverse the spell then?" he asked.

"Hopefully," Hermione replied. "I have to find them first, though." Ron nodded.

"I could help, if you want," he said. Hermione shook her head.

"You're going to be too busy," she said. "You start Auror training Monday."

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Besides," she told him. "Your parents said they would help and I'm sure I can recruit Ginny if I need to. And Remus told me he'd help, too."

"Remus?" Ron questioned. Hermione nodded. "When did you talk to Remus about this?"

"One of the days we were working together at Hogwarts." Ron frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Ron said, a bit petulantly in Hermione's opinion.

"It doesn't seem like nothing." Ron sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He studied Hermione for a moment before casting a Muffliato around them.

"You're doing it again," Ron said.

"Doing what?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"I had no clue you wanted to find your parents, Hermione, but apparently, Remus knew all about it!" Ron said in exasperation.

"It's not like I set out to tell him," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How did he find out then?" Ron demanded.

"He asked about them and I, I got upset."

"You were crying, you mean."

"Yes," Hermione said, in confusion.

"And Remus comforted you, I bet," Ron said, jaw set.

"Of course, Ron." Ron nodded, his face reddening. "I don't understand why you're upset about this."

"You don't?" Ron asked incredulously.

"No," Hermione snapped. "I was upset and Remus is my friend, so he comforted me. What did you expect him to do?"

"That's not the point, Hermione."

"Then what is?"

"The fact that, yet again, you were upset about something and someone else consoled you!" Ron nearly shouted, throwing up his hands in frustration.

"Ron, this is so ridiculous," Hermione said. "What was I supposed to do, leave and run to find you?"

"Of course not!"

"Then, I don't understand why you're so angry!"

"Because you didn't tell me about it later!" Ron shouted. "You never do. You're upset about your parents and Remus comforts you. You have a nightmare and Harry comforts you or Remus does."

"I told you about that!" Hermione insisted.

"Yeah, you did, but I didn't miss the looks between you and Harry at breakfast that day. He told you to tell me, didn't he?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have anyway."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. Ron looked at her skeptically.

"How many nightmares have you had since the one on the full moon?" he asked. Hermione opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again. Ron shook his head. "How many, Hermione?"

"Not many," she mumbled.

"How many?" Ron demanded. Hermione sighed.

"I don't know for sure. Every three or four days, I guess." Ron laughed mirthlessly.

"Funny, you didn't mention any of those."

"Ron, it's just, they weren't that bad."

"Why does that matter?"

"Because I don't want to dwell on it, all right?" she said. She sighed. "I just want to forget about them." Ron shook his head. He didn't look angry, just sad or maybe a little disappointed.

"They're getting better," Hermione insisted. "If I talk about them all the time, they'll probably get worse, like they did after the trials." Ron said nothing. He was staring over her head, across the room, but Hermione didn't think he was actually seeing anything.

"I'm sorry," she continued. "I know that you want me to tell you about the nightmares, but I honestly just don't want to."

"It's not just about the nightmares, Hermione," Ron said.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about my parents," she said. "I meant to, it just never came up."

"You could have brought it up."

"I know." They were silent for a few minutes. "Ron, I-" but Ron held up a hand to stop her.

"I can't talk about this anymore," he said. He cancelled the Muffliato.

"All right," Hermione said in a small voice.

"I'm going to say good-bye to Charlie." Ron turned abruptly and left the bedroom. Hermione stared after him before she sank down on the edge of her bed. She lay down on her side and pulled her pillow towards her, hugging it to her chest. She pretended to be asleep when Ginny came in to check on her a few minutes later. At the soft click of the door after Ginny left, Hermione buried her face in her pillow and cried.


	18. Visits

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! Not a lot of Remus in this chapter, I'm afraid, but we do revisit the little muggle-born first years.**

 **Also, just a heads up, it's May and for my family that means the winding down of the school year, which, in turn, means lots of projects, concerts, recitals, etc. I'm going to have family visiting for a week to attend said events and my oldest gets home from college in two weeks. Needless to say, my writing time is going to be limited. I've been posting weekly, as you all know, but I may have to stretch that out a bit this month and into the first part of June. Rest assured, I fully intend to finish this story, so don't worry if I am longer than a week between updates. :) Thanks so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Visits**

 **1 June 1998**

"So, how was it?" Ginny asked as Harry and Ron flopped down at the table. Ron immediately put his head down on his arms and groaned. "That good, huh?"

"It was…a lot," Harry said tiredly.

"A lot?" Ron repeated, his head still resting on his arms. "Kingsley's completely mental."

"Kingsley is doing the training himself?" Hermione asked in surprise. It was Harry that answered her.

"No, but he's the one that set up the program and he met with us this morning."

"Is it just the three of you?" Hermione asked. Neville had, indeed, decided to follow in his parents' footsteps.

"Two others, one bloke that was a Ravenclaw a year older than us and a woman who's transferring from the Auror core in France. She doesn't have to go through the entire training program though, mostly just the law classes and some dueling," Harry said.

"Why's she transferring here?" Ginny asked.

"Her family is from Wales," Harry explained. "I guess she moved to France after she finished Hogwarts. Came back a month or so ago. I dunno, we didn't really talk about it."

"Something about a girlfriend," Ron mumbled.

"What?" Harry said.

"Followed her girlfriend to France or something," Ron said.

"How do you know that?" Ginny asked

"Heard her talking to Kingsley," Ron said. "Guess they must've broken up." He finally raised his head off his arms. He glanced at Hermione, then looked back at his sister. Hermione bit back a sigh. They had barely spoken since their row two days ago.

"Anyway, doesn't really matter," Ron said, beginning to pull things from his pockets and lay them on the table. Hermione realized they were shrunken books. He waved his wand to enlarge them. "But, we've got to read all these by next week. There are going to be _exams_." He sounded so offended, Hermione couldn't help but chuckle. Ron scowled at her.

"You honestly can't tell me you're surprised by that," Hermione said. "You have to learn the law after all."

"I can learn the law without taking a test," Ron said irritably.

"Cheer up, Ron," Harry said, clapping him on the shoulder. "We can study together. It will be like old times."

"I don't know," Ginny said thoughtfully. "Are you sure the two of you can do this without Hermione nagging you every second?" She winked at Hermione to let her know she was teasing.

"I can study without Hermione," Ron groused. Harry glanced between Hermione and Ron, looking concerned.

"I'm sure you can," Hermione said. "I'm going to see if Molly needs any help with dinner." Hermione rose from the table and walked into the kitchen. Molly was busy at the stove, making stew it looked like.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Hermione asked.

"Oh no, dear, I'm fine," Molly assured her. "I'm sure you want to spend some time with Ron before supper." Molly gave her a smile and turned back to the stew. When Hermione didn't move, Molly looked back at her, brow furrowed. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said quickly. Molly studied her for a few moments.

"You know," she said conversationally. "While I'd like to think my children are perfect, I'm aware that they're not. Ron tends to speak without thinking." Hermione said nothing, just looked down at her hands which were clasped in front of her. "But he's also very sensitive. Sometimes he takes things to heart that he shouldn't."

"I know," Hermione said softly. Molly patted her arm.

"You just need to talk to him. I'm sure the two you can work out whatever it is." Hermione managed a small smile. "There's plenty of time before we eat."

"Thanks, Molly."

"Of course, dear."

Hermione walked back towards the table, but Ron was no longer there.

"He went to take a shower," Harry said at Hermione's confused look.

"Oh," Hermione said. "Can you let me know when supper is ready? I'm just going to go outside for a bit."

"Sure, Hermione," Ginny said. Hermione didn't miss the sympathetic look Ginny gave her. Unable to muster up another false smile, Hermione quietly let herself out the back door.

* * *

 **2 June 1998**

Remus lay in bed contemplating the ceiling. A month. A month now since they'd won the war, but he'd lost more than he could have ever imagined. He had thought quite a bit about the fact that he might not survive the war, but he'd never anticipated that it would be his wife that didn't.

Teddy was nearly two months old now, growing like crazy and starting to gurgle and coo at them when they spoke to him. Both Remus and Andromeda read to him quite often. He seemed calmed by the sound of their voices more than anything else. Now that it was consistently warmer, they often took him for walks in the pram. The fact that it should have been he and Dora talking their son for a walk, made Remus' chest tight whenever he thought of it. Dora had barely gotten a chance to be a mother, but Remus knew she would have been amazing at it.

He sighed and sat up in bed. Dwelling on it wouldn't change the fact that his wife was gone, and he had promised Minerva that he would be at Hogwarts today. The castle was nearing completion, but with students beginning to arrive on the seventh for study sessions which began on the eighth, there were still a few things that remained to be done and Minerva needed all the help she could get.

When he had finished readying himself for the day and checked on Teddy, Remus came downstairs. He found Andromeda sitting at the kitchen table with an unfinished cup of tea in front of her. She was absently stirring it, staring off across the room.

"Good morning," he said. She glanced up and gave him a sad smile. Remus squeezed her shoulder before he moved into the kitchen to prepare his breakfast.

"I thought I would visit the cemetery today," she said quietly when Remus had returned to the table with his toast and eggs. He swallowed thickly.

"I was thinking the same," he said.

"Shall we go later this afternoon?" she asked. "When you've gotten back from Hogwarts?" Remus nodded, unable to speak for the moment. She patted his free hand where it lay on the table and took a sip of her tea. Neither spoke as Remus ate and Andromeda sipped. He was sure that Andromeda was lost in her memories as he was. When Remus finished eating, he sent his dishes to the kitchen and cleared his throat.

"I'll be home around four then," he said. Andromeda nodded.

"Have a good day." Remus nodded but wondered just how, exactly, he was supposed to do that.

* * *

"Molly," Arthur said quietly. Molly was standing at the kitchen sink, hands braced against the edge. He put a hand on her shoulder. She sniffed.

"Oh, I'm fine, Arthur, don't fuss," she said, flapping a hand at him. He took hold of it and gently pulled his wife into his arms. Molly's shoulders shook and Hermione stepped out of the kitchen, hoping they hadn't seen her. She hurried back upstairs to Ginny's room, almost running into the other girl as Hermione came through the doorway.

"I thought you went down for breakfast?" Ginny questioned in confusion. Hermione glanced at her.

"Your mum and dad, they were, erm," Hermione trailed off with a shake of her head.

"Don't tell me you walked in on them snogging," Ginny said with a groan. "We've told them to stop doing that in the kitchen." Hermione couldn't help but laugh, but it came out as a bit of a strangled cry. Ginny's eyes narrowed in concern.

"What is it Hermione?"

"They weren't snogging," she said. "I just, it was private." Ginny looked confused. "It's, it's been a month, Gin." Hermione looked at her friend with watery eyes. Ginny's face immediately fell.

"Of course, it has," Ginny nearly whispered. She sank down on her bed, her hands in her lap. "I knew it was, I just, I didn't want to think about it."

"I know," Hermione replied, sitting down next to her and putting an arm around her shoulders. "I didn't want to interrupt your parents." Ginny nodded, leaning her head against Hermione's shoulder. She looked up when they heard the footsteps of the boys on the stairs. Harry skidded to a stop when he saw the two of them sitting on Ginny's bed.

"What is it? What's happened?" he demanded as he came into the room, followed by Ron.

"Nothing," Ginny assured him as she stood. "It's all right, Harry."

"Why are you crying, then?" Harry asked. Ginny just shook her head and threw her arms around him. Harry pulled her close and rubbed her back, whispering into her ear.

"It's the second," Ron said quietly, looking at Hermione. She nodded before she stood as well. She hesitated, they hadn't spoken at all the night before and Hermione wasn't sure he would want comfort from her. One looked at his face, however, had her crossing the room and wrapping her arms around him. He buried his face in her hair and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said, although whether she was apologizing for the loss of Fred or their most recent argument, she wasn't sure. Ron simply held her tighter. They stood there for a few minutes before Hermione heard Ginny sigh.

"We can probably go down now," Ginny said. "You two need to be at the Ministry soon." Harry moved a lock of hair behind her ear.

"We can stay today," he said. "I'm sure Kingsley would understand." Ginny gave him a smile.

"No, we'll be fine," she said. "But maybe you can get home earlier than yesterday? I'm sure Mum is going to want to go to the cemetery."

"Of course, we will," Harry said, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. Ron nodded in agreement as he pulled away from Hermione. Ginny glanced at the two of them before she took Harry's hand and pulled him from the room.

"Will you be all right?" Hermione asked Ron once they were gone. He shrugged.

"I'll have to, won't I?"

"I suppose," she agreed. He stared at her for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her. Hermione felt some of the tension leave her. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers for a few seconds and then took a step away from her.

"We should go down for breakfast," he said. She took his hand and walked downstairs with him. They still needed to talk, she knew that, but it could wait.

* * *

 **3 June 1998**

Hermione glanced at her directions again as she made her way down the tree-lined street. While she was looking forward to seeing Claire and David again, she wished that she had waited until next week.

The day before had been extremely emotional for everyone. Breakfast at the Burrow had, not surprisingly, been a quiet, somber affair. When she and Ginny had arrived at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall had held a moment of silence to remember the fallen and Hermione didn't think there were dry eyes anywhere in the Great Hall. She and Ginny had returned to the Burrow in the mid-afternoon and Kingsley had allowed all Ministry employees to leave early to spend time with their families on the one-month anniversary of the Final Battle. Harry and Hermione had then accompanied the Weasleys to the cemetery, which had been nearly as emotionally devastating as the funeral itself.

When they had returned home, no one had felt much like eating and Hermione and Ron spent the evening cuddled up together on the couch. They hadn't spoken about their argument, but Hermione knew that Ron simply needed her to be with him and she hadn't pushed anything. Truthfully, she was glad for the respite, as she wasn't sure that Ron was going to like her reasoning any better now than he had when they'd had the row.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Hermione stopped in front of Claire's house. Taking a breath and putting a smile on her face, she climbed the steps to the porch and rang the bell.

"Hermione!" Claire said in excitement once she had wrenched open the door. "You're here!" Hermione laughed as the younger girl took her hand and pulled her inside the house. "Mum! Hermione's here!"

"Yes, I heard," Sarah said as she came into the entry. "And so did half the neighborhood, I'd wager." She gave her daughter an indulgent smile, then turned to Hermione. "Welcome, Hermione, I'm glad you could come."

"Thank you for having me," Hermione replied. Claire took her hand again and pulled her into the living room, where David was sitting on the couch.

"Hi, Hermione," David said as she came into the room.

"Hi, David. How are you doing?" He shrugged.

"Okay." Hermione sat down beside him and gave him a smile. The boy returned it, but Hermione could tell it was with some effort.

Both the children looked much better physically than the last time Hermione had seen them. They had lost the gauntness in their faces and their thin frames had filled out. David still had a haunted look about him, however, and Hermione could see the dark circles under his eyes.

Claire, on the other hand, looked almost _too_ happy and bright-eyed, given all she had been through in the last year. Hermione was sure that being reunited with her family had done her a world of good, but something seemed off.

"What have the two of you been up to since I saw you last?" Hermione asked. Claire began to immediately chatter away about their activities in the past month. Hermione felt David shift slightly closer to her on the couch, but he didn't contribute to the conversation. Hermione glanced at Sarah who gave her a sad look. The two women would need to have a conversation later.

"And Mum's been making us do school work," Claire complained with a roll of her eyes.

"Really?" Hermione asked, a bit surprised. "What kind?"

"Everything," Claire groaned. "Even Maths!"

"Well, you've missed a whole year, haven't you?" Sarah said. "You'll never be able to keep up next year if I don't tutor you now."

"But what about Hogwarts?" David said and Sarah stiffened.

"Remember I said we'd talk about that later?" Sarah said, kindly enough, but Hermione could sense an underlying hint of irritation in her tone. What Claire had said in her letter made more sense now. Deciding that right now wasn't the best time to discuss school plans, Hermione changed the subject.

"Is Annie coming over today?" she asked. Claire frowned.

"Her sister won't let her," Claire said.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Amy doesn't like magic," David said.

"That's not exactly true," Sarah said quickly. "She's just concerned that Annie was getting too attached to us." Hermione bit her lip. Her change of topic hadn't been the best choice, apparently.

"Annie always wanted to stay here when Amy came to pick her up," David said. He was picking at a loose thread on his trousers. "Annie says she can't sleep at home." Sarah shifted in her chair and looked uncomfortable. Hermione looked at David and then Claire. Neither child offered any other information. Sarah cleared her throat.

"Claire, come help me in the kitchen for a minute," she said. Claire looked as if she was going to protest, but her mother gave her a look and the girl followed dutifully behind.

"How are things going with Claire's parents?" Hermione asked once Claire and Sarah were out of earshot.

"They're really nice to me," David said. "Sarah hugs me all the time and Claire's dad, John, he plays football and cricket with me and Matthew. That's Claire's brother. He's at his friend's house today."

"It sounds like they treat you like family," Hermione said.

"Yeah," David said with a shrug. He looked down at his lap again.

"What did you mean about Annie not being able to sleep?" Hermione asked.

"She misses us," David replied. "And she has nightmares. Before when we had nightmares, we helped each other not be scared." Hermione remembered finding the three children in the same four-poster bed the night they had been released from Azkaban.

"What about Claire? Does she still have nightmares?" Hermione questioned.

"Sometimes," he said. "But her mum's here now."

"What about you?" David seemed to shrink in on himself. Hermione put an arm around his shoulders and he moved closer to her side. "What is it, David?"

"I miss my mum," he whispered. Hermione's heart broke.

"I know you do," she said. "I'm so sorry, David." For a moment, she thought he was going to cry, but then he straightened up and cleared his throat.

"It's okay," he said and gave her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Claire and Sarah came out of the kitchen with a tray of biscuits and lemonade. They sat down and began to chat, but Hermione continued to look at David in concern. She would definitely need to talk to Sarah in private, later.

"What have you been doing, Hermione?" Claire asked.

"Well, I've been helping repair the castle," Hermione said. David seemed to perk up at this.

"Really?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "Is it all fixed now?"

"Mostly," she said. "There are a few things left to do, but it will definitely be ready to open in the fall. In fact, some of the older students will be coming back next week."

"How come?" David asked.

"Fifth years and seventh years have to sit special exams, so they're going to have classes for a couple of weeks to review before they take their exams," Hermione explained.

"Do you have to take them?" David said.

"Well, I could, but I missed the last year of school," Hermione said. Sarah flinched in her seat and the smile fell from Claire's face again. Hermione silently berated herself. She shouldn't have brought that up. She continued quickly. "I'm going to return in the fall to take my seventh year."

"So, you'll be there next year with us?" David said, a smile finally breaking out over his face.

"Yes," Hermione answered. Hermione glanced at Sarah who frowned. Perhaps it was time Hermione had a talk with the woman. Sarah rose from her seat and began to gather the plates.

"Let me help you with that," Hermione said, picking up the glasses.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Sarah said.

"It's no trouble," Hermione replied with a smile. She looked back to the children. "I almost forgot, I have something for the two of you." She set down the glasses and then reached into her beaded bag and pulled out two books. One was _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and the other was _Hogwarts, A History_. David's eyes bulged and Claire's mouth dropped open in shock when the two books, one rather large, come out of the tiny bag. Hermione chuckled.

"It's charmed," she said, indicating her bag. "To be a lot bigger than it looks. I once carried a tent in here." Both children were speechless and Hermione chuckled again. "I thought you might want to look at these." She handed over the books, David grabbing for the Quidditch one right away. Hermione gathered up the glasses again and followed Sarah into the kitchen.

"That was quite the trick," Sarah said lightly as she set the plates in the sink.

"No trick," Hermione replied. "It's an extension charm." Sarah didn't look overly excited. "I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"No, it's fine, it's just," Sarah shook her head and turned from the sink. "I can't let them go back."

"I understand, I honestly do," Hermione replied. "But it's where they're meant to be."

"And prison?" Sarah demanded. "Were they meant to be there too?" Hermione pulled her wand from her sleeve and cast a quick Muffliato. She didn't want the children eavesdropping.

"Sorry, habit," she said at Sarah's incredulous look. "But it's a privacy charm. We can still hear them, but they can't hear us."

"And of course they weren't meant to be in prison," Hermione continued. "But things aren't like that anymore."

"How can you be sure?" Sarah asked.

"Because I watched my best friend kill the madman that allowed them to be put there," Hermione said. Sarah's eyes widened. "Maybe we should sit down." The two women sat down at the kitchen table and Hermione gave Sarah a quick overview of the war and its outcome.

"Why didn't anyone tell us this?" Sarah demanded. "I never would have let Claire go if that man that came here had told me _any_ of this!"

"Voldemort hadn't taken control of the Ministry at that point," Hermione said, knowing that Sarah was talking about their visit from a Ministry official when Claire got her letter. The professors usually only made visits in the summer, the Ministry took care of it during the school year.

"And what about those that supported this Voldemort?" Sarah asked. "You can't tell me he did this all on his own."

"No, he didn't. And the majority of his supporters are already in prison, more being arrested every day. The new Minister is a good man, he will not allow anything like this to happen again."

"I don't know, Hermione," Sarah said tiredly.

"I won't lie to you," Hermione said. "There are still those who hold those beliefs that Muggle-borns are lesser because of who they are. And I can't promise that Claire and David won't hear about it. But I can promise that our Headmistress will not allow that to go unpunished."

"This is their world, Sarah. They need to learn to control their magic and use it properly. I cannot even imagine how you must be feeling about it, given what happened to them, but I swear to you that I will watch over them next year." Sarah looked almost resigned.

"My husband and I will have to talk about it," she said.

"I'm happy to answer any questions you have," Hermione said. Sarah nodded. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Sarah said.

"How is David, really?" Sarah sighed.

"He's having a hard time," she replied. "He doesn't sleep well and has nightmares most nights. At the beginning, when Annie was still with us, I'd find the three of them in the same bed more often than not."

"That happened the night they spent at Hogwarts too," Hermione explained.

"Claire seems to be getting a bit better, but sometimes I worry about her more than David."

"How so?" Hermione asked. Sarah sighed again.

"Have you noticed how happy she seems to be?" Hermione nodded.

"I wondered a bit about that, actually."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop," Sarah said. "I realize that she didn't lose us like David and Annie lost their parents, but she still went through a horrific ordeal." Sarah paused and looked up at Hermione. "I'm a bit scared of what might happen, to be honest."

"Maybe our Healer should have a look at them," Hermione said. "Madame Pomfrey is the school's Mediwitch. I know she checked them over when they were brought from Azkaban, but that was likely for any injury or physical issue that needed immediate attention. I'm sure she wouldn't mind stopping by." Sarah looked relieved.

"I would appreciate that," she said. "It's not like I can take them to a psychiatrist here or anything. They'd be locked up in a moment." Hermione gave her a sad smile.

"It's hard," she agreed. "To be a part of two such different worlds. And with everything they've been through and not being able to really tell anyone about it." Hermione paused and shook her head. "That's why I think it's really important for them to go to Hogwarts. There will be lots of people there that understand. They would at least be able to talk about what happened without anyone thinking they've gone mad."

"I've just got her back," Sarah whispered. "I don't know if I can let her go again." Hermione put a hand on the other woman's arm.

"Just think about what's best for Claire in the long run," Hermione said. "David too." Sarah nodded and patted Hermione's hand.

"We should probably go back in," Sarah said. "Claire will be wondering what's taking so long with the dishes." Hermione smiled and stood from the table, cancelling the Muffliato.

"I did have one more question," she said. "I'd like to talk to Annie's sister. Can you tell me where they live?"

"Maybe you should call her first," Sarah hedged.

"That would just give her a chance to refuse me," Hermione replied.

"I don't know, Hermione," Sarah said clearly uncomfortable with giving out the information.

"Sarah, my best friend grew up with his aunt and uncle who hated magic. He slept in a cupboard until he was eleven and they treated him like a slave. I won't let that happen to another child."

"Amy would never!" Sarah insisted, looking horrified. "I know she's wary of Annie's magic, but she wouldn't treat her that way, I promise you. She loves her sister."

"I can get the information from the Aurors, but I'd rather not involve them," Hermione said, although she doubted they would just tell her with no proof of any wrongdoing on Amy's part. Sarah looked at her for a moment before she sighed.

"All right, but please don't assume the worst," Sarah said.

"I promise I won't."

* * *

Hermione stood in front of the building and looked up at the second floor where Annie's flat was. She still wasn't sure this was a good idea. Maybe she should have waited and brought Ron or Harry with her or called first like Sarah had suggested. Still, she was here now. With one more glance at the piece of paper that held Annie's address, Hermione squared her shoulders and went into the building.

As she climbed the stairs to the second floor, Hermione wrinkled her nose at the smell of mildew. The building was definitely old and a bit shabby, although it was apparent that someone was at least trying to maintain it. The carpet on the stairs was threadbare, but it looked relatively clean. There were nicks and scratches on the bannister and walls, but nothing was dirty.

She stopped in front of Annie's door and took a breath before she knocked. There was movement inside, before the door was opened slightly. A woman about Hermione's age looked out at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes?" the woman, who must be Amy, said.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Gran-" but before she could finish there was a squeal from inside.

"Hermione!" Annie barreled into her sister and knocked her aside, pulled open the door and flung herself at Hermione.

"Annie!" Amy said sharply.

"It's all right," Hermione assured her. She looked down at Annie with a smile. "How are you?"

"Excuse me, but who _are_ you, exactly?" Amy put a hand on Annie's shoulder and pulled her away from Hermione.

"I'm sorry, my name is Hermione Granger," Hermione said again. "I met your sister last month at Hogwarts." At the mention of the school, Amy's confused expression twisted into a frown. She moved Annie slightly behind her, despite the younger girl's protests.

"What are you doing here?" Amy demanded.

"I just wanted to check up on Annie and see how she was doing," Hermione explained.

"She's fine," Amy said flatly.

"Amy," Annie protested, trying to wriggle out of her sister's grasp.

"If I could just come in and talk to you both for a moment," Hermione said.

"No," Amy replied.

"Amy, I want to talk to Hermione," Annie protested.

"Annie, go to your room, please," Amy said.

"No!" Annie shouted.

"Annie!" Amy said sternly. Annie stared up at her sister, burst into tears and fled the room. Hermione heard the slam of the door a few seconds later.

"I think you should leave now," Amy said to Hermione.

"Please, I just want to know she's all right," Hermione said.

"All right?" Amy repeated. "You want to know if she's all right? She has nightmares every night thanks to your people."

"I didn't-" Hermione tried to explain, but Amy cut her off.

"She jumps at her own shadow, throws ungodly tantrums and makes things explode, and won't let anyone near her but me and sometimes, not even that," Amy continued, her voice hard and her mouth set. "She cries for our parents all the time and she lashes out at me whenever I try to talk to her about going back to school. Real school, not that other place. I can't work anymore because I'm afraid to leave her alone. My husband's had to take a second job to make ends meet." Hermione felt tears prick her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, but I can help, if you'll just let me explain," Hermione began but Amy just snorted in disbelief and shook her head.

"If you think that I'm going to let any of you people near her after everything you've put her through, you're mad," she said. "Leave and don't come back." She then slammed the door in Hermione's face and Hermione heard the slide of the bolt. She stood in the corridor for a few moments before she turned dejectedly and slowly made her way down the stairs and out of the building.

* * *

"Can't you do something?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron later that night when she had recounted her visit to Annie's flat.

"I don't know what, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh. "Amy's her legal guardian and if she doesn't want to talk to you, she doesn't have to."

"What about someone from the Ministry?" Ginny asked. "Or the school?"

"I doubt it," Ron said. "Obviously, we don't know all the law yet and we'll ask Proudfoot tomorrow in class, but you don't _have_ to send your kid to Hogwarts." Hermione sighed.

"I'm really worried about her," she said.

"You don't think she's being abused or anything, do you?" Harry asked. "Because if she is, that's different."

"No," Hermione said. "The flat, the little I could see of it, seemed old, but well-kept. She obviously has her own room, because Amy sent her there while we were talking. Annie didn't have any marks on her and she definitely wasn't afraid of her sister. Annie's just been cut off from her two best friends, which were her whole emotional support over the last year, and her sister can't possibly understand what they went through. She wouldn't even let me explain about the war and who I was. Just kept referring to me as 'you and your people'. She lumped me in with the Death Eaters." Ron put an arm around her and Hermione sighed before she relaxed into him.

"What about Claire's mum?" Ginny asked. "Do you think she'd talk to Amy?"

"She has," Hermione said tiredly. "Amy doesn't even want Annie going to Claire's anymore because Annie never wants to leave."

"It sounds like Amy's in over her head," Ginny said. Hermione nodded.

"Sarah has offered to let Annie stay with them full-time, but Amy refuses."

"Well, you can't exactly blame her," Ron said. "I mean, she lost her parents and she thought her sister was dead for almost a year. I'd want Gin with me too, if we were in that situation."

"Who says I'd want to live you with, you big git," Ginny said, but there was fondness in her tone. Ron pulled her hair teasingly and she smiled.

"I don't blame her, Ron," Hermione said with a smile for the siblings. "But she's not doing Annie any good, keeping her away from everyone either."

"I don't know what the answer is, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh. "Like Ron said, we'll ask tomorrow during training, but I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"I know, Harry, thanks," Hermione replied. Ron tried to stifle his yawn, but wasn't successful.

"Sorry, I'm knackered," Ron said. Hermione rose from the Ron's bed where she had been sitting.

"We should let you both get some sleep," she said. Hermione and Ginny said their good nights, then walked down the stairs to Ginny's room.

"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Hermione replied, honestly. "But I'm not giving up."


	19. Fixes

**A/N - PLEASE READ - Just so everyone is aware, I posted Chapter 18 during FFN's glitch where no one was getting notification emails of new chapters. So if you have not read that chapter, be sure you do before you read this one. There is a also an explanation in that author's note as to why this chapter is posted a little late and why that might continue for the next month or so. Thanks so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 19**

 **Fixes**

 **12 June 1998**

Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the destruction in front of her. She doubted that much of it could be salvaged, even with the strongest repair charm she knew. Some of the dishes had been ground to dust, under Death Eater boots, no doubt. Looking at the twining snakes that swam around the edges of the plates, Hermione doubted very much if Harry would want to save it anyway.

She had intended to talk to him about it before she had come over here today, but both Harry and Ron had been coming home every night exhausted. They did little but eat supper and then fall into bed. Kingsley had even had them come in on Saturday. And even though Sunday was their day off, they'd done little but catch up on sleep and study. Hermione had to admit, that she was proud of the two of them. If only they had been half as studious at Hogwarts.

Ginny was getting a bit cranky about the entire situation, rarely getting to spend any time with Harry. Hermione wondered why she didn't feel the same. It wasn't that she didn't miss Ron, she did, but she just didn't seem to miss him as much as Ginny did Harry.

Crouching down, Hermione sifted through the detritus on the floor with the tip of her wand. Finally deciding that repaired plates and glasses never looked the same anyway, she conjured a box and directed the entire lot into it. She would put it in one of the spare rooms and Harry could decide later what he wanted to do with it.

Once the floor had been cleared of broken crockery, Hermione fixed the chairs that were broken and righted them. The chandelier was repaired in a moment and a strong cleaning charm that she had learned from Molly swept through the room. Overall, it looked much better than it had even before the Death Eaters had vandalized the place. She still planned to do some deep cleaning the Muggle way, but it would do for now.

As she worked, her mind wandered back to Claire, David and Annie. Hermione had spoken to Sarah again and knew that Annie still had not been allowed to visit. Harry and Ron had told her that there was nothing the Ministry could do. Hermione had expected as much, but she had been disappointed all the same. Hermione had wanted to visit Amy again, but Harry had talked her out of it. He had suggested that she give it time and much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew Harry was right.

The situation was almost as frustrating as her initial search for her parents. Since Ginny had been busy at the shop this week, Hermione had been going into Muggle London and using the computers at the library. She wasn't completely unfamiliar with the internet; her father had gotten it installed just before she came home at the end of her sixth year. Despite everything that she knew was coming, Hermione had allowed herself a weekend of just enjoying being home with them and a good chunk of that time had been her father showing her how to use his newest obsession.

Still, she hadn't been able to find the information she was looking for, even with the help of one of the librarians. If her parents had moved anywhere in England, she likely would have found them in an afternoon. As it was, searching the whole of Australia was proving rather daunting, especially when she only had their names to go by. Names which had turned out to be much more common than she'd expected.

Sighing, Hermione turned her attention back to the dining room and crossed to the two windows that faced the street. She pulled back the thick, green velvet curtains. The windows were filthy, of course, but a quick spell had them sparkling. Furrowing her brow, Hermione banished the curtains altogether. The thin sheers that were left behind had seen better days, but they would do for the moment. The room was much brighter and inviting now. Hermione smiled and turned to make her way to the library. She had a book to find.

* * *

"Excellent, Mr. Coote," Remus said as Ritchie Coote held his shield against the onslaught of hexes and jinxes being cast at him from Devlin Summerby. Remus glanced at his watch. "That's enough for today." The two boys lowered their wands and the other four students looked up at him expectantly.

"I believe it is time for your Transfiguration class," Remus said and the students began to pack up their notes. "I will see all of you tomorrow." The group of six left the room, chatting to each other as they made their way down the corridor. Remus smiled as they left, feeling that his tutoring sessions had been going rather well. He remembered all the students, although they had only been first years when he had been a professor. Realizing he didn't have another tutoring session until just before dinner, Remus decided to take a short walk on the grounds.

The full moon had been two days prior and Remus had transformed at home, since Andromeda was able to make the Wolfsbane. Things had been near to normal this time, although the wolf had been more agitated than usual, something Remus attributed to the fact that Dora's scent still lingered. He hadn't taught yesterday, choosing to rest at home instead. Today he felt much closer to normal and he thought a walk would do him a bit of good.

It was a lovely day; the sun was out and there was a slight breeze as Remus made his way down the steps of the castle toward the Black Lake. As he neared the water, he noticed another figure walking towards the school from the gates. He shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted, trying to determine who it was. He smiled when he she got a bit closer.

"Hermione," he called as she waved, having recognized him almost at the same time. She smiled as she reached his side.

"Hello, Remus. How's the tutoring going?"

"Very well," he said. "The students are catching on rather quickly." Hermione smiled.

"I'm sure that has more to do with the teacher, than the students," she said. He blushed slightly, but smiled at her compliment.

"What are you doing at the castle today?" he asked. "I didn't know Minerva had anyone working on anything today."

"She doesn't," Hermione said. "I was hoping she'd let me check the library for something."

"Ah," Remus said in understanding. "Well, I'm sure she wouldn't mind. She's in class right now, but I'm fairly certain Madame Pince is in the library." Hermione grimaced a bit and Remus chuckled remembering their encounter with the librarian a few days after the Battle.

"Maybe I'll wait until Professor McGonagall is done with class," Hermione said. "It is a beautiful day today."

"That it is," Remus agreed. "I decided to walk around the grounds a bit. Would you like to join me?"

"Yes, thanks," Hermione said with a smile. They fell into step together. "How's Teddy?"

"Growing way too fast," Remus said. "He was two months old this past Monday."

"That's right, I'd forgotten," Hermione said. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I," Remus admitted. "But he's doing quite well and Andromeda adores being able to take care of him. It helps her, I think." Hermione nodded. "What have you been doing?"

"I went and visited the three Muggle-born first years last week," Hermione said.

"How are they doing?" Remus asked in concern.

"Claire and David are all right, considering, but it's Annie that I'm worried about. Her sister is keeping her isolated from the other two and when I tried to visit to see how Annie was doing, her sister refused to let me talk to her and told me not to come back before she slammed the door in my face."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Remus said, putting a hand on her arm.

"I just want to help her," Hermione said quietly. "I understand why her sister is upset, but she wouldn't even listen to what I had to say."

"Sometimes, we can't help everyone, no matter how much we would like to," Remus said.

"I know," Hermione replied with a sigh. "Harry told me I should just give it some time."

"Sound advice," Remus said. They walked in silence for a few moments, enjoying the quiet of the afternoon.

"What about the search for your parents?" Remus asked after a few minutes. "Have you looked into that?" Hermione sighed again.

"I'm starting to wish I had given them a specific city in Australia, instead of just the whole of the country," she said.

"No luck then?"

"I thought that the internet might help," she said and Remus gave her a quizzical look. Hermione tried to explain it to him, but he wasn't completely sure that he understood. He was aware of what a computer was, but the internet was unfamiliar. It sounded quite fascinating, however.

"But even with all the information I can access," Hermione continued, "it's still been difficult. I don't know where to start looking."

"Perhaps the Australian Ministry could help," Remus suggested.

"Maybe, but I don't have any idea who to contact," Hermione said.

"Have you spoken to Kingsley?" Remus asked.

"Kingsley is much too busy to worry about finding my parents," Hermione said with a shake of her head.

"Perhaps Percy Weasley then," Remus said. "I've no doubt he would at least have the name of someone you could contact or if not, he would be able to find out." Hermione's brow furrowed in thought.

"You might be right," she said. "I'll talk to him tonight at dinner." They stopped near the beech tree that the Marauders had often sat under to study during their Hogwarts years. Well, Remus had studied. James and Sirius had tried to impress girls.

"Ron and Harry and I used to sit out here and study," Hermione said, wistful smile on her face. "Well, I studied at any rate." Remus chuckled.

"That sounds familiar," he said.

"Yes, I always guessed that you were the more bookish one of the group," she said with a grin. Remus nodded fondly.

"If they weren't planning pranks, they were trying to impress girls," he said. "One particular girl in James' case, of course." He fell silent, looking out over the water.

"You still miss them," Hermione said quietly. Remus simply nodded. Hermione shifted closer to him, so that their arms were brushing against one another and Remus was grateful for her simple attempt at comfort. They stood without speaking for a few minutes, Remus paying silent homage to his friends, before he pulled in a breath and turned towards her once again.

"What book are you looking for?" he asked. "Perhaps I can help." They took to walking again, this time back towards the castle.

"Harry and Ron have been so busy with Auror training and Ginny has been helping George at the shop this week," Hermione explained. "When I get frustrated with the search for my parents, I've been going to Grimmauld Place. I've been doing a bit of cleaning and organizing, trying to fix the damage that the Death Eaters did. I thought maybe Harry might like to live there some day." Remus looked at her in surprise. Hermione caught his expression because she continued quickly.

"I know, the place is horrid, but it's also Sirius' house," she said. "It's where Harry got to have a family, at least for a little while. If it was cleaned and redecorated, it might actually be nice." She bit her lip and looked at Remus hesitantly. He knew that she was unsure if she was doing the right thing. To be honest, he didn't know just how Harry would react to it.

"Have you talked to Harry about this?" Remus asked. She nodded.

"He didn't seem overly excited about it, but he didn't dismiss the idea either," she said. "That's what I've been trying to find. I want to figure out how to get the House-Elf heads and Mrs. Black's portrait off the walls." Remus looked skeptical.

"If even Dumbledore couldn't get rid of the portrait, I'm not sure what help you hope to find in the library." Hermione sighed.

"That's why I searched Grimmauld's library first," she said. "I thought that maybe the charm might have been in one of the books there, but I didn't find anything."

"We went through the library before the Weasleys moved in," Remus said. "There were plenty of books that we didn't want sitting around for teenagers to find." Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Do you know what happened to them?" she asked.

"I believe Dumbledore took them to store in his office," Remus said. "Minerva might know where they are." He glanced at his watch. "She should be just about finished with class now."

"Thanks, Remus," Hermione said with a wide smile before she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. She turned and hurried up the steps into the castle. Remus, feeling a bit disconcerted by her reaction, stood frozen for a moment, before he slowly followed her.

* * *

Hermione stepped off the stairs that led to the Headmistress' office with a sigh. The books from Grimmauld Place that Professor McGonagall had given Hermione had done nothing but make Hermione nauseous. They hadn't yielded the counter-spell she had been looking for and Hermione was beginning to think that the sticking charm had been Sirius' mother's own invention. If that were the case, Hermione would never find the solution in a book.

Of course, Hermione knew that the professor hadn't handed over _all_ the books. There were more that Professor McGonagall had deemed absolutely unsafe for Hermione to even think about looking at. A few years ago, Hermione likely would have been incensed by this, however, she was well aware that there were books that would kill a Muggle-born just for touching them and she held no illusions that the Blacks wouldn't have had a few in their possession.

"Any luck?" Hermione turned to see Remus walking towards her.

"No," she said. "I spent an hour going through those vile books and nothing. I think one was covered in House-Elf skin." Remus grimaced.

"Yes, I think I remember that one. I'm sorry you didn't find what you were looking for."

"Madame Pince set aside a few books for me, but I'm not holding out much hope," Hermione said. Remus' brow furrowed in thought.

"You know, you might want to speak to Andromeda," he said. Hermione cocked her head in question. "I know she spent quite a bit of time in that house as a child. She was well aware of the House-Elf beheading tradition at any rate." Hermione's eyes lit up.

"I never even thought of that," she said with a grin. "Thank you, Remus!" For the second time that day, she threw her arms around him and hugged him. This time, he was a bit less shocked and patted her back lightly before she pulled away from him.

"I'm actually on my way home now, if you'd like to come with me," he said.

"Andromeda won't mind?" Hermione questioned.

"Not at all."

"All right then," Hermione said brightly, following Remus from the castle.

* * *

"I have no idea about the portrait, I'm afraid," Andromeda said. "That was after I'd been disowned. The House-Elf heads though," she paused with a shudder. "While I was never present for a ceremony, Kreacher had been the House-elf since before I was born you see, I heard all about it, in detail."

"Who on earth would tell you something like that?" Remus asked, horrified. Andromeda gave him a pointed look.

"Bellatrix," Hermione said grimly.

"Yes," Andromeda replied. "My sister often found joy in terrorizing Narcissa and myself when we were young."

"Do you know how I can remove them?" Hermione asked.

"You need House-elf magic," Andromeda said. "A House-elf directly attached to the Black line."

"So, Kreacher," Hermione said with a sigh. She knew the old House-elf was still working at Hogwarts and while his attitude towards her had changed somewhat, she doubted she could get him to do what she asked. He had wanted to have his own head on the wall at one point, after all.

"Yes," Andromeda replied. "Besides the wonderful practice of mounting the heads to the wall, a current House-elf was the one that was forced to do it."

"That's horrible!" Hermione exclaimed. Andromeda nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Bella said it promoted obedience or some such rot."

"So, Kreacher would know how to remove them?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Andromeda replied.

"I know he wouldn't listen to me if I asked," Hermione said. "But do you think he might obey you, since you're a Black?"

"I'm sure I could get Kreacher to do any number of things, regardless of my status on the family tapestry, but this isn't one of them." Hermione's heart sunk.

"Why not?" Remus asked.

"Only the head of the family can give this particular order," Andromeda said.

"Harry," Remus said.

"Possibly," Andromeda replied. "Although, in this case, since Aunt Walburga's portrait is still around, Kreacher might defer to her."

"And there's no way that she would order him to do it," Hermione said with a sigh. "So, we're back to removing the portrait."

"It wouldn't hurt to have Harry try," Remus suggested.

"I really wanted this to be a surprise," Hermione said, looking dejected. Remus' brow furrowed. He understood about wanting to surprise Harry, but he wasn't sure why this was so important to her. Before he could ask, there was a cry from upstairs.

"I'll get him," Remus said as Andromeda made to rise from the table.

"I should go, Molly will be expecting me for dinner," Hermione said. "Thank you for your help, both of you."

"Of course, Hermione," Andromeda said.

"Good luck with the tutoring, Remus," Hermione said. "I'll see you later."

"Good bye, Hermione." Remus gave her a smile and then turned to the stairs to tend to Teddy.

* * *

Hermione lay in her bed that night, contemplating her problem, long after everyone else was asleep. She suspected Andromeda was right in that even if Harry ordered Kreacher to remove the House-elf heads from the wall, he wouldn't do so as long as Mrs. Black's portrait would object. And Hermione knew she would object. Vehemently.

While Hermione had been looking for a charm that would remove the portrait from the wall, she had also been researching if there were ways to destroy it where it hung. Turpentine had been her first thought, but as the painting was magical, there were charms in place to prevent such a mishap. She had actually gotten a pocketknife and attempted to cut the thing from its frame, all while Mrs. Black shrieked in indignation, but apparently, it was warded against that too. She'd asked Bill about it and he had told her it was common with the old families to weave protection spells into the canvas to prevent younger generations from just slashing any relatives they hadn't liked. Attempting to burn it likely wouldn't work either, not to mention she risked setting the entire place ablaze in the process. Hermione sighed and turned on her side. The curtains certainly worked to quiet the portrait after an outburst, but they needed a way to keep it covered all the time.

Hermione suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. Why couldn't they just cover the portrait up permanently? Because of the portrait's placement on the wall in the entrance hall, Hermione could simply brick it over. The only thing she wasn't sure of was how it would affect the overall structure of the house. She knew it was magically enlarged. She would have to ask Mr. Weasley about it.

Hermione lay back down with a smile, thinking of the irony that she would might get rid of the magical menace with a simple Muggle solution. Sirius would have loved it. She would have to speak to Harry about it now, though. Cleaning and doing repairs was one thing. She wasn't going to make major structural changes without his approval. Sighing in contentment, Hermione closed her eyes and let sleep finally claim her.

* * *

 **14 June 1998**

"You want to what?" Ron asked.

"Brick over it," Hermione repeated. "I talked to your dad and he didn't think it would cause any problems with the structure of the house." It wasn't until Sunday, when Harry and Ron had the day off, that Hermione had finally found time to talk to Harry about her idea.

"It would definitely be an improvement," Harry said.

"Why do you want to, though?" Ron asked.

"I just thought Harry might like to live there someday," Hermione said.

"In that depressing old place?" Ron said incredulously. "Why would anyone want to live _there_?"

"Well, obviously, part of the plan is to fix it up so it's _not_ depressing," Hermione said with an eye roll.

"Well, yeah, but why bother?" Ron continued. "I mean, Harry could buy a flat anywhere." Hermione caught Harry's slight grimace at the casual mention of his wealth and elbowed Ron in the ribs. Ron scowled at her as he rubbed his side. "That hurt."

"It was meant to, you prat," Ginny said from across the room. So far, she had been quiet about the matter of the house. She turned to Harry. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "I mean, I always thought I'd get a place of my own, sometime, but I never really thought of where." He sighed. "I don't know if I could, I mean, Sirius hated it there."

"Sirius had horrible history there," Hermione pointed out. "It really could be a nice house if it was redecorated."

"It is closer to the Ministry," Ron said, looking contemplative now.

"We can Floo and Apparate, mate," Harry said. "I really don't think distance makes a lot of difference." Ron shrugged as if he wasn't sure he agreed. "Besides, I kind of like staying here." He glanced at Ginny and gave her a smile.

"Sure you do, because you can snog your girlfriend whenever you want," Ron said with a snort. "What about in September when Ginny and Hermione go back to school? Will you like it as much then?"

"Your mum is an excellent cook," Harry pointed out.

"True," Ron agreed. "But there's nothing that says we can't come here for meals. In fact, Mum would probably insist on it."

"What makes you think I'm going to ask you to live with me?" Harry asked. Hermione bit back a laugh, knowing he was kidding. The amusement on Ginny's face showed that she did as well. Ron however, looked shocked.

"Oh, well, er, right, I mean, of course you'd want to live by yourself," he stuttered out as he turned red.

"I'm kidding, you git," Harry said with a laugh, throwing a pillow at Ron's head.

"Tosser," Ron scowled as he threw the pillow back.

"So, you want me to go ahead with it then?" Hermione asked before things to devolve into a full-on pillow fight.

"Sure, Hermione, give it a go," Harry said. "Even if I don't live there, it will be a vast improvement."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, rising and giving him a hug.

"Whatever you need, let me know and you can take it out of my vault," Harry said, hugging her back. "I'll set it up with the goblins." Hermione stepped back from him.

"Are you sure that's wise?" she asked. The goblins were still furious about the destruction of the bank and the disappearance of their dragon, even after Harry had offered to pay for the damages. The last time he'd gone to the bank to try and get money from his vault, he'd been barred from entering. Thankfully, Bill was still able to use Harry's key as he had after Voldemort's return. Unfortunately, it meant that Harry hadn't been able to get into the Black or the Potter vaults, the latter of which had come into his possession once he came of age. While he still had plenty of gold in his personal vault, he had wanted to do an inventory of the contents of the other vaults, especially the Potter one.

"Right," he said. "Maybe I'll just have Bill take care of it for now."

"Good idea," Ginny said.

"Dinner!" Molly called up the stairs. Ron jumped up immediately and almost ran out the door.

"And he wants to move out on his own?" Ginny scoffed. Hermione and Harry chuckled as they followed their friend.

* * *

 **16 June 1998**

Remus stepped into the house after Apparating into the back garden. Tutoring had again gone well that day and he felt quite confident that the students he had been helping would do well on their exams next week. He only had four days left to teach and he had to admit he would miss it quite a lot.

"Hello, Remus," Andromeda said as Remus walked into the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"Just fine," Remus replied, bending down to smile at Teddy who was in the infant seat sitting on the table. His son rewarded him with a return smile, then waved his hands in the air, hitting one of the toys Andromeda had floating in the air above him. Teddy blinked in surprise and Remus chuckled as he unbuckled the straps and lifted him out.

"There's a letter for you from the Ministry," Andromeda said as she stirred something on the stove. "Just arrived a few minutes ago." Remus frowned as he picked up the thick envelope with the Ministry's seal. He opened it and pulled out the parchment inside. When he reached the end of the letter, he sunk down into his chair and read it again.

"What is it?" Andromeda said, her brow furrowed in concern.

"I, I," Remus trailed off and shook his head, then handed her the letter, while grasping tighter to Teddy. Andromeda read it, her eyes widening. She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, then lowered the letter moment later.

"Remus," she whispered. He looked up at her, still in shock. Teddy squirmed and finally brought Remus from his stupor.

"An Order of Merlin?" he questioned. "That is what it said, isn't it?" Andromeda nodded, tears in her eyes.

"First Class," she said.

"I don't, I don't understand," he said.

"Your role in the war, Remus," she said.

"But, I didn't do anything more than anyone else," he continued, still mystified.

"Of course, you did," Andromeda replied. "All those times you went to the werewolves and risked your life doing so."

"But, they still joined Voldemort," Remus said.

"You know that not all of them did," Andromeda said. "Those under Greyback's thrall did, yes, but there were plenty you convinced to remain neutral." Remus looked down at the letter in his hand again.

"I don't deserve this," he said.

"You do," Andromeda insisted. "And I won't hear another thing about it."

"But there were so many others," Remus protested.

"And they likely got the award as well," she said. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Please, accept this, Remus. You do deserve it." Remus pulled Teddy closer to him and leaned down and kissed the top of the baby's head as he stared at the letter on the table. Before he could say anything else, an owl flew in the window.

"It's another one," Andromeda said in surprise. She took the letter from the owl's leg and gave him a treat. Hooting gratefully, the owl flew back the way it had come. "It's addressed to both of us."

Remus knew, without Andromeda even opening it, what it would say. He breathed in Teddy's scent to try and calm himself as Andromeda opened the envelope. She pulled the letter out and opened it with shaking hands. Sinking into the chair next to Remus, she began to read, covering her mouth with her hand and tearing up again.

"Nymphadora," Andromeda finally said. "They've awarded her one as well." Bowing his head, Remus began to weep silently. "For her service to the Aurors and the Order and for giving her life in battle." When Remus finally looked up, there were tears running down Andromeda's cheeks. She reached out and took his free hand, grasping it tightly. She managed a watery smile.

"I am so proud," she said. "Of both of you." Remus couldn't respond, only grip her hand harder. They sat that way for a few minutes until Teddy began to fuss.

"He's likely hungry," Andromeda said, giving Remus' hand one last squeeze before she rose to ready Teddy's bottle. Remus wiped at his eyes, regaining his composure before he looked at the letter again. The ceremony was in just over two weeks, on the second of July, the two-month anniversary of the Final Battle. Remus sighed heavily into Teddy's hair, before shifting his son and accepting the bottle Andromeda held out to him.

* * *

The Floo flared green and Hermione looked up from the book she was reading as Ron and then Harry stepped from the fireplace. She glanced at the clock in the corner and realized they were home early today. It wasn't even half past four.

"You're early," Hermione said as she rose to greet the two of them.

"Yeah, feels good," Harry said glancing around the room.

"Ginny's still at the shop," Hermione told him and smirked as she saw his shoulders slump just a little. "She should be home soon, though."

"So why are you early?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno," Ron said. "Kingsley came by and said we deserved a break. Then he gave me these letters and told us to go home." Ron pulled a stack from inside his robes. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"What are they?" she asked.

"I don't know, but Neville got one too," Harry explained. "There's one for almost everyone. Kingsley said we should wait and open them together."

"It's not some kind of victory celebration, is it?" Hermione asked, her nose wrinkling.

"I hope not," Harry said with a scowl. "If it is, I'm not going."

"That's something Fudge would do," Ron said. "I don't think Kingsley would." Ron shifted through the pile, glancing at the names on the envelopes. "It's something official though."

"Maybe you should tell your mother," Hermione said.

"Yeah, there's one in here for her," Ron said. "Dad and George too. Oh, and another one addressed to Mum _and_ Dad. Plus, one for each of the three of us."

"Why is there one for both your parents and then one for each of them individually?" Hermione asked. "That's strange."

"Who knows," Ron said with a shrug. "The Ministry has done stranger things."

"I suppose," Hermione said looking at the letters suspiciously. The Floo flared again and Ginny stepped through.

"You're home," she said in surprise when she saw Harry. "Why are you home?"

"Good to see you too," Harry said wryly.

"That's not what I mean," she said slapping him lightly on the arm. "I mean, what happened? Did someone get hurt?"

"No," Harry said. "Kingsley just sent us home early." He stepped towards her and took her hand. "Want a walk before dinner?" Ginny smiled.

"Sure, just let me tell Mum I'm home." She kissed him lightly before she left the room. Harry smiled after her.

"I'm going to go change out of my robes," he said. "Tell Gin, yeah?"

"Sure, Harry," Hermione said as he left the room. She turned to Ron.

"I'd ask you if you fancied a walk, but I don't want to run into the two of them doing Merlin knows what," Ron said with a grimace. Hermione chuckled and sat down on the couch next to him. He put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him.

"This is nice too," she said. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"How's it going at Grimmauld?" Ron asked.

"I haven't started yet, actually," she said. "I've been going through telephone listings for Australia."

"Sounds…fun," Ron said. Hermione laughed again.

"It's dead boring, is what it is," she said. "But at least I feel like I'm doing something."

"Did that woman from the Ministry have anything to help?" Ron asked. Percy had been able to help Hermione get in touch with someone from the Australian Ministry and Hermione had spoken to her last week. The Australian Ministry didn't have any more contact with Muggles than the British Ministry did, however.

"She's one that gave me the telephone listings," Hermione said. "So far there's no Monica or Wendell Wilkins listed anywhere."

"I don't understand," Ron said, brow furrowed. "I thought that's where you sent them."

"I did," Hermione said. "There are plenty of Wilkins' listed, just with no first name or initial. There are also a few W. Wilkins. And then there's the possibility that the name was altered slightly to Wilkens or Wilkinson or something or that they changed their first names. Or maybe they didn't list their number at all."

"I thought everyone did," Ron said. "That's why they have those big books you can look it up in." Hermione smiled. At least she knew Ron had been listening when she explained to him how telephone books worked.

"You can have an unlisted number, if you request it with the telephone company," she explained. "Then your name isn't in the book."

"How will you find them, then?" Ron asked in concern.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. Ron's arm tightened around her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. "I'm probably going to have to make a trip there."

"I figured," Ron said. "When?"

"Not for a while yet," Hermione said. "I've still got some research to do to at least try and narrow it down. And it will take a while to get an International Portkey." Ron nodded.

"I should go have a shower," he said. "We were dueling all afternoon."

"Do you want me to give the letters to your mum?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Ron said as he stood. He held a hand out to her and pulled her to stand. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her quite thoroughly. Hermione had a bit of a dazed expression on her face when he pulled away. He chuckled before he kissed her quickly once more. "I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

"What are they, Arthur?" Molly asked, nervously wringing her hands.

"Only one way to find out, isn't there?" Arthur replied, as he slit open his letter. The rest of those that had the letters did the same. Hermione, who read a bit more quickly than everyone else, gasped first. Molly wasn't far behind.

"Sweet, Circe," she said, bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Blimey," George said. Harry was silent. Ginny, who was reading over Harry's shoulder, gripped his arm.

"First Class?" Ron questioned. Hermione nodded, dumbfounded. She would have expected this for Harry, he had killed Voldemort after all, but for her and Ron? She wasn't sure what to think.

"Mum?" Ginny said.

"For service to the Order and actions during the Final Battle," Molly nearly whispered. "Second Class."

"Mine is the same," Arthur said, looking shocked.

"Mine too except there's also a bit in there about the products we developed for the Order," George said. "Second Class."

"Open the other one, Mum," Ginny said. Molly picked up the other envelope with shaking hands. She pulled out the parchment inside and began to read, starting to cry only halfway through. Arthur squatted down beside her and took her in his arms. Percy picked up the letter.

"It's for Fred," he said, lips trembling. "For service to the Order and giving his life for the cause." Percy paused. "First Class." Molly began to sob. Ginny, who was between George and Harry, put her arms around her brother's shoulders and George hid his face in her hair. Ron had gone white and Hermione gripped his hand. Harry, had remained silent staring at the letter on the table in front of him.

"Harry?" Hermione said quietly. She put her free hand on his shoulder in concern.

"I don't want it," Harry whispered.

"What do you mean?" Hermione said.

"I don't want it, Hermione."

"But, Harry, you," Hermione began. Harry shook his head.

"This isn't what I want," he said. Ginny looked up at him.

"But, Harry, you defeated Voldemort," she said. Everyone else at the table had turned to look at Harry. Even Molly's sobs had subsided. Harry looked around at all of them for a moment before he stood, shoving his chair back from the table.

"I don't want it," he insisted before he fled out the back door.


	20. Awards

**A/N - Hello everyone! My daughter is home from college, my visitors have all gone home and most of my kids' activities are finished for the year. Once we get through Memorial Day weekend, I should be able to get back on a more consistent posting schedule. Thanks so much for being patient with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 20**

 **Awards**

 **16 June 1998**

Hermione and Ginny stood at the same time. They both looked at each other for a few moments before Ginny nodded to Hermione. Hermione gave Ginny a small smile before quickly following Harry. He was at the edge of the pond when she found him, hands shoved into his pockets, staring morosely at the water.

"Harry?" she said tentatively. He looked up resignedly.

"Figured it would be you or Gin," he said. Hermione looked at him quizzically. "You've come to 'talk me round', right?"

"No," Hermione said. Harry snorted in disbelief. "I'm not, Harry. I just want to know what's wrong."

"Everything, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"That's rather broad," Hermione replied with a smirk. "Care to narrow it down?" Harry glared for a moment before shaking his head with a small laugh.

"Suppose that did sound a bit dramatic."

"A bit," Hermione agreed. Harry sighed again and sat down on the grass. Hermione followed suit.

"It's just, the war's over, you know?" Harry said. "I want it to stay over." Hermione nodded. She had suspected as much. She knew the press had been bothering Harry every chance they got. Kingsley kept them out of the Ministry proper, but he couldn't keep them from the Atrium and Harry and Ron were often accosted on their way to and from training. There had been articles when they first started training, of course, but nothing recently. Not for lack of trying on the reporters' parts, though.

"I know," she replied. She shifted closer to him so their shoulders bumped against one another.

"I just want to get on with my life," Harry said quietly as Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "I want to do my job and be with Ginny and maybe get married and have some kids. I want to be able to go to a Quidditch match or shopping in Diagon Alley without a million flashbulbs going off in my face. I don't want to just be the Boy-Who-Lived my whole life."

"You're not just the Boy-Who-Lived," Hermione protested. "Don't ever think that."

"To you and the Weasleys maybe," Harry said. "But to everyone else I am."

"It's still fresh, Harry," Hermione said. "Things won't be like this forever."

"Won't they?" Harry said. "I survived the Killing Curse twice, Hermione. And because we decided not to discuss the Horcruxes with the public, and I don't disagree with that, that's not what I'm saying, but no one knows why I did the second time." Hermione took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I don't fancy going to this ceremony either," she said. "But you won't be alone. We'll all be with you."

"There's always going to be something though, isn't there?" Harry asked quietly. "There's always going to be a ceremony or a dedication or a celebration. Even though it's over, it's not really."

"I don't know, Harry," she said. "But we'll deal with that if it happens." Harry titled his head so it rested against Hermione's. "You just have to remember that we're here for you. All of us."

"I know." After a few minutes of silent comfort, Hermione stood and held a hand out to Harry.

"Come on," she said. "I'm sure Ginny's worried." Harry took her hand and let her help pull him to his feet. Before she could turn, Harry pulled her into a hug.

"Thanks, Hermione." She smiled and hugged him tighter.

"Anything for you, Harry," she said. "You know that." He let her go and smiled, taking her hand to lead her back into the Burrow.

* * *

 **2 July 1998**

Remus made sure Teddy's face was covered with the blanket before he stepped into the Floo. He had suggested they get a sitter for Teddy for the ceremony, since Andromeda was going to accept Dora's award, but Andromeda wouldn't hear of it. She insisted that Teddy be present to witness his parents' achievements and hadn't budged even when Remus reminded her that the boy wouldn't even remember it. When Ginny had agreed to mind Teddy while Remus and Andromeda accepted the medals, Remus had finally given in.

He exited into the Atrium of the Ministry into a blinding light. Blinking to try and regain his sight, he realized that it was the flash of multiple cameras. Ducking his head slightly, he joined Andromeda and the two of them walked towards the dais that had been set up for the ceremony, ignoring the questions that were shouted at them as they passed.

"Merlin," Andromeda said once they were admitted to the area where the ceremony would take place. The press was being kept in one area in the Atrium and would be allowed into the ceremony just before it started. It was the best Kingsley could do to try and avoid the honorees being hounded.

Teddy was squirming and protesting the blanket still over his face. Remus shifted him and removed it and was rewarded with a brilliant smile as soon as his son caught sight of him. Grinning back, Remus kissed the top of Teddy's head, never tiring of seeing how happy his son always was to see him.

As soon as the blanket was removed, Teddy began looking around the room at everything, as he always did when they took him somewhere new. Remus and Andromeda made their way towards the dais, having been told that there would be seats reserved for them.

"Remus." Remus turned and smiled at Minerva. "Good day, Andromeda." Minerva smiled at Teddy who flailed an arm in response.

"Hello, Minerva," Andromeda replied. "Congratulations are in order, I hear." Minerva's mouth twisted slightly. Remus knew that, like him, she wasn't entirely comfortable with being honored for her part in the war.

"Thank you," Minerva said. "And to you as well. Nymphadora was an asset to the Order." Andromeda nodded her thanks, unable to speak for the moment.

"How did exams go?" Remus asked. He hadn't spoken to Minerva since exams had started.

"Very well," Minerva said. "I heard glowing reports from all the examiners. I thank you again for your help."

"You're very welcome," Remus replied. "I enjoyed it."

"That's good to hear as I will likely need your services again in August," Minerva said. Remus gave her a questioning look. "The Minister has agreed to hold another round of N.E.W.T.S. for those students that wanted more time to revise, but don't wish to repeat their entire seventh year."

"Only N.E.W.T.S.?" Remus asked.

"Yes, there were only a handful of students that elected not to take their O.W.L.S. last week and all but one were Muggle-borns that never attended their fifth year in the first place." Remus nodded in understanding.

"Well, I'd be happy to help," Remus said. "Just let me know when." Minerva nodded in acknowledgement and then left the two of them to speak to Hestia Jones.

Before Remus and Andromeda could take their seats, Remus heard familiar voices behind them and turned to see the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry arriving. They all greeted one another and Hermione ended up standing next to Remus. She was making faces at Teddy and grinning at his answering smiles.

"May I?" she asked, reaching out for the baby.

"Of course," Remus said as he passed his son off to her.

"Teddy, you've gotten so big," Hermione exclaimed. Teddy reached a hand out to her face and Hermione laughed when it landed on her nose. Teddy grinned in response to her laugh and Remus couldn't help but chuckle. The noise made Teddy's head turn towards his father and give him another wide smile.

"I don't know how you get anything done," Hermione said. "I think I would just sit and smile at him all day."

"We do a fair bit of that," Remus admitted. "Don't let that smile fool you though, he's got quite the set of lungs on him when he wants something."

"Oh, I don't believe that for a second, do I?" Hermione said, her voice rising an octave, as people were wont to do when talking to an infant. "I bet you're just a perfect angel all the time, aren't you?" She was rewarded with another smile from Teddy.

"I'll be sure to Floo you the next time he's up at three in the morning, demanding to be fed," Remus said dryly. Hermione laughed.

"If everyone could please take their seats!" They looked up to see a Ministry employee standing on the dais.

"All right, Granger, give over," Ginny said, reaching out her hands to Teddy. Hermione pouted for a moment before she relinquished Teddy into Ginny's arms. Andromeda handed Ginny Teddy's bag and explained how long to heat his bottle as they all moved into their seats.

Once everyone was seated, the press was allowed in. Many took seats in the back, some standing to get better photographs Remus assumed. Kingsley and a few members of the Wizengamot stepped onto the dais and settled into chairs. The same Ministry official that had directed them to their seats, spoke briefly before introducing the Minister.

Kingsley gave a short speech about the war and the efforts of the Order of the Phoenix. The mood became somber as he read out the names of those that had died fighting in both the first and second wars and then the list of victims of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Remus became lost in his thoughts at the names of so many of his friends and colleagues were read aloud. Andromeda gripped his hand as Kingsley read Dora's and then Ted's name. Remus could hear Molly weeping quietly when her brothers' names and then Fred's were read. He drew in a breath and let it out slowly as Kingsley finished the lists.

The awarding of the Orders of Merlin began and Remus helped Andromeda up the steps to accept Dora's award as he accepted his own. Ginny waved Teddy's hand at them and Remus gave her a grateful smile at lightening the solemn moment a bit. He took another breath as the medal was placed around his neck, still not quite believing that he deserved any of this. Andromeda accepted Dora's medal tearfully.

When all the awards had been given out, they were dismissed to their seats, except for Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville. They all looked a bit confused as to why they had been kept on stage, except for Harry.

"Before I begin, I would like Ginevra Weasley and Luna Lovegood to come to the dais," Kingsley said. Ginny looked at her mother in confusion before handing Teddy off to her. She joined Luna, who looked wholly unaffected by Kingsley's announcement, in the aisle and the two of them made their way to the stage to stand next to Neville.

"I would like to acknowledge another group that I have been remiss in mentioning, as I was reminded of a couple of weeks ago," Kingsley continued. He glanced at Harry as he said this, who hid a smirk. "A student organization, calling themselves Dumbledore's Army, was started in 1995 by Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. This group trained students in defense and was taken over by Neville Longbottom, Ginevra Weasley and Luna Lovegood in 1997. Many of these students fought bravely in the Battle of Hogwarts, some giving their lives for the cause. While it pains me that students had to fight in a war that should have been left to adults, I am grateful that they did as we may not have won without them."

"I would like to invite those members of Dumbledore's Army to join us on the stage to receive the recognition for their assistance that they so deserve in helping rid our world of the darkest wizard it has ever known." Kingsley paused and Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville began to applaud and the rest of the audience joined in. Remus watched as his former students stood in the crowd and began to walk towards the stage. Most of them looked completely shocked.

Once the students were assembled, Minerva stood and Remus quickly joined her. The rest of the onlookers followed suit and soon the applause was thunderous for the young people gracing the stage. Remus saw Minerva shed a few tears and she was not the only one who did. Cameras flashed as Kingsley passed out the awards to the students, shaking each one's hand and thanking them for their service as he had with the Order of Merlin honorees.

"Thank you all for coming," Kingsley said once he had finished. "I am truly honored to serve as your Minister and I hope that this is the beginning of many years of peace for all of us. Please join us for the reception that will take place in the press briefing room on the second floor." Kingsley bowed to the crowd and then swept off the dais towards a door in the back of the room that Remus suspected would lead to his office. Remus offered Andromeda his arm and they followed the crowd to the reception room.

* * *

"Harry, why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked as they walked towards the lifts.

"Wanted it to be a surprise," Harry said with a smile.

"It definitely was that," Ginny said.

"Everyone that fought deserved recognition," Harry said simply.

"It's a very nice award," Luna said as she looked again at the pin they all had been given. Neville smiled and took her hand, kissing the back of it. Luna smiled up at him. Hermione glanced sideways at Ginny who grinned. It appeared that Neville and Luna had made things official as well.

They stepped onto one of the lifts with the rest of the Weasleys. Molly was still holding Teddy who was looking curiously at the memos that hovered above their heads. She chuckled when he startled as more flew in when the lift door opened.

"I do miss having a baby around," Molly said. She looked at Bill and Fleur. "You've been married nearly a year now, you know."

"Subtle, Mum," Bill said, rolling his eyes. Hermione bit back a laugh as Ginny snorted.

"Well, I'm just saying," Molly began, but stopped when Arthur put a hand on her arm. She huffed, but kept quiet until they reached the second floor. "None of us are getting any younger. I don't want to be too old to enjoy my grandchildren," she said as they stepped off the lift. Bill shook his head.

"Mum, you're forty-eight," Bill said flatly. Ron snickered and Molly gave him a glare.

"Per'aps we should just go to zee reception?" Fleur suggested, taking Bill's arm and leading him away from his mother.

"Excellent idea," Arthur said, putting a hand on Molly's back and directing her toward the room. Molly began speaking earnestly to her husband, about the topic of grandchildren, no doubt. The rest of them broke into quiet laughter as they followed behind.

* * *

Remus looked around the room for the Weasleys, intending to relieve Molly from having to tend to Teddy. Andromeda had stopped to speak to an old classmate of hers as Remus made his way toward the cluster of redheads in one corner. Harry had taken Teddy and was feeding him his bottle. Remus smiled as he approached Molly and Arthur.

"Thank you for watching Teddy," he said. Molly smiled.

"He was no trouble at all, Remus," she said. "He's such a sweet boy."

"Thank you," Remus said again, his cheeks pinking slightly at the praise of his son. Remus turned to Harry. "Would you like me to take him?"

"No, we're good here," Harry said with a smile. Teddy's eyes were beginning to droop.

"If you'd like to put him down once he's asleep, I've got the pram in my pocket," Remus said. Harry looked surprised for a moment before he grinned sheepishly and shook his head.

"Shrunk, right," he said with a laugh. Remus chuckled.

"Looks like someone's sleepy," Hermione said as she and Ron stepped up next to Remus. She gave Teddy a fond smile as the bottle slipped from his mouth, his eyes completely closed now. Remus took the bottle from Harry and put it in his pocket as Harry shifted Teddy to rest on his shoulder. The baby let out a small burp and nuzzled into Harry's chest.

"Good work on the recognition for the D.A., Harry," Remus said.

"Thanks," Harry replied. "I told Kingsley it was the only way I'd accept my Order of Merlin." Ginny walked up with a plate filled with food and Harry took a small sandwich.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What?" Harry questioned. "They all deserved some kind of acknowledgement, as much as the rest of us."

"Good on you, mate," Ron said. Hermione glared at him for a moment before she turned back to Harry.

"I know they did, but I doubt you had to threaten Kingsley to get it," Hermione said.

"Well, turns out you're right about that," Harry admitted. "Kingsley told me as much, but I'm still not sorry I did it." He shrugged. Hermione sighed and shook her head as Seamus and Dean walked up and began talking to Harry and Ron. Ginny was in conversation with Neville and Luna and Remus turned to Hermione.

"How are your projects going?" he asked. Hermione explained that she had spoken with someone in the Australian Ministry and gotten telephone listings, but hadn't found the exact names she had given her parents. As such, she had been making lists from the information and trying to narrow it down.

"I was thinking about starting to make some telephone calls to see if I recognize their voices," she said. Remus nodded. She twisted her hands in front of her and bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked.

"I just keep thinking about what will happen if I don't find them," she said quietly.

"What if you do?" he replied.

"That too," she said. Remus put a comforting hand on her arm.

"Hermione, they're your parents," he said. "They love you."

"I know, but I'm afraid they're going to be angry about what I've done."

"That well may be," he said. "But I'm sure they'll forgive you."

"I hope so," she almost whispered. Remus squeezed her arm in support. She gave him a grateful smile.

"What about Grimmauld Place?" he asked, hoping to change the subject to something a bit less upsetting.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you about that actually," she said, her mood brightening. He looked at her expectantly. "Now that you're finished with your tutoring, I was wondering if you would be able to help me."

"If I can," he said.

"Well, I'm planning on bricking over Mrs. Black's portrait," she explained. Remus' eyes widened. It was such a simple solution, but it had never occurred to him or Sirius while Sirius had been living there.

"Hermione, that's genius," he said. She blushed.

"Thanks," she said. "I figured that it would likely be the same spells we used to rebuild the wall at Hogwarts, so I wondered if you would be willing to help me."

"Of course," Remus said. "When?"

"I still need to get the materials, so I was thinking Saturday?" she said.

"I'll be there," Remus said. Hermione smiled widely.

"Be where?" Ron asked as he came up next to her, putting an arm around her waist.

"Remus is going to help me brick over the portrait," Hermione explained. "Since it's the same spells as the tower we worked on at Hogwarts."

"I know those spells too," Ron reminded her, a little possessively in Remus' opinion.

"I know, but you're busy with training," Hermione said, apparently not catching his tone. "And I know you like to relax on Sundays."

"I don't mind helping you on Sunday," Ron said.

"It's fine, Ron," Hermione said. "Remus can help me." Ron glanced at Remus, something flashing in his eyes before he looked back at Hermione. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion.

"Sure, Hermione, whatever you want," Ron finally said. "I'm going to get some food. Come with me?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. "I'll see you Saturday, Remus, around ten?"

"I'll be there," Remus assured her. Ron glanced at him once more before he led Hermione away. Remus got the distinct impression that the redhead was angry with him, but he couldn't, for the life of him, fathom why.

* * *

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked Ron once they reached the buffet tables.

"Fine," he said shortly.

"You don't seem fine," she replied. Ron sighed.

"I just wish you would have asked me to help you with the portrait," he said. Hermione looked perplexed.

"But, you're in training every day except Sunday," she said. "And I don't want you to have to work on your one day off."

"Maybe I want to," he said, a bit petulantly.

"But, why?" she asked, truly puzzled.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Hermione?" he sighed.

"Yes, I think you do, because obviously, I have no idea why you're upset."

"You're doing it again," Ron accused.

"Doing what?" she demanded.

"Letting everyone else help you but me." Hermione closed her eyes, trying not to lash out at him. They hadn't ever had a discussion after their last row about this subject, mostly because of Ron's schedule. Truthfully, though, Hermione hadn't been all that upset to avoid it.

"Ron, this has nothing to do with that," she said. "And you know it."

"I heard you talking to Remus about the search for your parents, too," he said.

"You were eavesdropping?" she snapped. He rolled his eyes.

"You were standing five feet from me," he said. "It's not like I was hiding in the corner spying on you."

"I've told you all about the search for my parents," she said instead of arguing with him about listening in on her conversation. "Remus doesn't know anything you don't."

"Why is he so interested, anyway?" Ron asked.

"He's my friend," Hermione said, speaking slowly as if to a small child. "Friends are interested in what's going in each other's lives." Ron stared at her for a moment and she could tell he wanted to say something else, but wasn't sure he should. Finally, his mouth got the best of him.

"He just lost his wife, you know." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ron opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"Nothing, forget I said anything," he said. Hermione stared at him for a few moments, her mind working furiously.

"Are you accusing me of something?" she asked lowly.

"No," Ron said.

"Are you accusing Remus of something?"

"Course not," Ron said, too quickly in Hermione's opinion. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Ronald Weasley, how _dare_ you," she hissed, looking around the room to be sure that no one was listening in on their conversation. Ron looked nervous now.

"Like I said, just forget I said anything." Hermione glanced to her right as a couple approached the table they were standing at.

"This isn't the place," she said under her breath. "But you can be sure we're going to talk about this later." With that she turned on her heel and stalked back to where Harry and Ginny were standing.

"All right, Hermione?" Harry asked, seeing the expression on her face. He had finally put Teddy in the pram that Remus had brought along, but he was standing next to it protectively.

"I'm just a bit tired," she said, not looking at him. "I think I'm going to go home."

"Hermione," he said again, taking her arm and gently pulling her towards him. "What's the matter?" Hermione saw Ginny glance toward Ron.

"Yes, what's my prat of a brother done now?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Hermione said.

"I don't believe you," Ginny said.

"Now's not the time. I-" but before she could continue, there was a commotion at the door. They all looked up to see two Aurors trying to keep the press at bay and failing miserably. Before anyone could recover from the shock enough to do anything, they were streaming through the door and into the reception room.

"Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter!" one shouted, while another called Hermione's name and a third, Ron's. Harry moved Teddy's pram protectively behind him as the Aurors moved into the room to try and remove the reporters. Moments later, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were surrounded.

"Mr. Potter, how does it feel to be awarded the Ministry's highest honor?"

"Miss Granger, do you feel you and Mr. Weasley were as deserving as Mr. Potter of a First Class award?"

"Miss Weasley, is it true you and the Boy-Who-Lived are an item?"

"Mr. Potter, is that your child? Who is his mother?" Harry glared at the reporter.

"All right, all right, that's enough!" Kingsley's booming voice echoed throughout the room. He pushed through the crowd of reporters and stood in front of Harry.

"Minister, why did you ban the press from this reception? Do you have something to hide?"

"I banned the press for this very reason," Kingsley said. "You are harassing my guests."

"The public has a right to know," one reporter began but Kingsley cut him off.

"The public has a right to know what happened at the ceremony, which you were allowed access to," the Minister said. "The public has no right to stick their noses into anyone's private lives." Harry had wrapped an arm around Ginny and taken hold of Hermione's hand. One of the reporters saw this and raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Perhaps Mr. Potter doesn't want anyone prying into his private life because there are things there he doesn't wish the public to know." Harry stepped forward with a growl, but Ginny pulled him back. Hermione drew herself up to her full height, not letting go of Harry's hand and sent the reporter a look of utter disdain.

"That's enough," Kingsley said. "Either you will all leave on your own or the Aurors will escort you from the premises and you can spend the night in the Ministry's holding cells." Hermione looked up to see a line of Aurors standing behind the group of reporters. Apparently, the two at the door had called for reinforcements.

The Aurors stepped into the crowd and began to lead the reporters to the door, some not so gently. Questions continued to be shouted at all of them as the press was ushered out.

"I'm sorry about that," Kingsley said as he turned around. "I should have posted more Aurors outside.

"It's fine," Harry said, raking a hand through his hair. Ginny wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. Harry turned to check on Teddy, even as Remus reached the pram.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Harry said, but Remus waved off his apology. Teddy was, miraculously, still asleep.

"It's fine, Harry," Remus assured him. "It wasn't your fault." He ran a hand gently over Teddy's head.

"Hermione," Ron said. Hermione turned and saw him looking at her in concern.

"I'm fine, Ron," she said tiredly. She just wanted to go home and put this whole day behind her. "Harry, I'm going to go." She looked up at Kingsley. "Any chance I can use that secret door of yours?" Kingsley smiled at her.

"I think I can arrange that," he said.

"I'll go with you," Ron said.

"No," Hermione said sharply. They all looked at her in surprise. "Sorry, I mean, don't feel you have to leave on my account."

"I want to," he said. Hermione stared at him before she sighed and nodded. She didn't have the energy to argue with him right now.

"Fine, then," she said. "Remus, I'll see you on Saturday?"

"Absolutely," Remus said.

"I'll see you guys at home," Hermione said to Harry and Ginny. She looked up expectantly at Kingsley.

"This way," he said and ushered the two of them towards the back of the room.

* * *

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ron asked in concern once they stepped into the living room of the Burrow.

"Yes," Hermione said. Then she sighed and sank down onto the couch. "Actually, no, I'm really not all right."

"Which one was it?" Ron demanded. "I'll have them arrested."

"It wasn't the reporters, Ron," Hermione said tiredly. She rested her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands. She heard Ron move and felt the couch dip next to her.

"I'm sorry," he said. Hermione dropped her hands.

"I can't believe you would say that about Remus," she said.

"I know, I don't know why I did." Ron looked down at his lap.

"Tonks has only been dead for two months," Hermione said.

"I know," Ron said.

"Remus loved her so much," Hermione continued. "To insinuate that he's talking to me because he fancies me is utterly ridiculous.

"I know!" Ron shouted as he stood from the couch. "I'm an idiot, okay! I never should have said anything."

"No, you shouldn't have," Hermione snapped, standing herself. She stared at Ron for a moment. "Is this how it's going to be?"

"How what's going to be?" Ron asked.

"Anytime I talk to anyone else about what's going on in my life or ask someone besides you to help me with a project, are you going to act this way?"

"What? No!" Ron said.

"So, it's just Remus then?" she questioned.

"Of course not."

"Then why are you acting like this Ron?" she demanded.

"I don't know!" he said in exasperation, throwing up his hands.

"Well I suggest you figure it out," Hermione said crossing her arms over her chest. "And quickly too because I can't deal with this anymore."

"What are you saying, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I'm saying that we're both under enough stress as it is. We don't need to be fighting all the time on top of it. It's exhausting."

"So, what, you think we should call things off?"

"That's _not_ what I said." She sighed. "But we can't keep this up either." He stared at her for a moment, before his expression hardened.

"Fine," he said and turned on his heel to leave the room.

"Ron! Where are you going?"

"Leaving," he said flatly. "That's what you want isn't it?"

"I never said that," Hermione insisted.

"You didn't have to," Ron said. He strode from the room and a few moments later, Hermione heard the back-door slam and the crack of Apparition. She sank down onto the couch and put her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she began to cry.


	21. Alone

**A/N - Hello everyone! My crazy month is over and I'm back to my regular posting day, so things should be back on track for now. Thanks for being patient waiting for updates and thanks so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 21**

 **Alone**

 **2 July 1998**

Someone was screaming. It took Hermione a moment to realize it was her. Ear-splitting shrieks that didn't even come close to expressing how much pain she was in. Even as she begged, swore, pleaded, the pain continued. The moments it stopped, she gulped air and wished for death.

"You won't get anything else out of her," a gruff voice said. "You said I could have her when you were finished." Hermione shuddered violently. She couldn't see him, but she knew who that voice belonged to. She'd rather suffer the pain than be given to him.

"Quiet, wolf," Bellatrix snapped. "You'll get her when I say you do." She stared down at Hermione. "I think she needs a bit more incentive. Draco, bring up the blood traitor."

"No," Hermione moaned. "Please, no."

"Tell me what I want to know," Bellatrix demanded.

"I don't know," Hermione cried. "We found it." With a snarl, the pain began again. As much as she tried to hold them in, Hermione screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed.

"Hermione!"

"Hermione, wake up!" A hand came down on her shoulder and Hermione jumped, scrambling into the corner of the couch. She threw her hands up in front of her face in defense.

"Hermione, it's me," a soft voice said. Hermione looked up into green eyes she knew as well as her own.

"Harry?" she questioned quietly, slowly lowering her hands.

"It's all right," he said. He sat down carefully on the couch next to her. Hermione watched him warily, still half in the throes of her nightmare. "It was just a dream." She stared at him for a few moments longer, before throwing herself into his arms. Harry held her tightly, murmuring words of comfort in her ear.

"Ginny's here too," Harry said, so as not to startle her. The redhead sat down on Hermione's other side, putting a hand on her back in comfort. "You're all right." When Hermione had finally calmed, she pulled back from Harry, looking at Ginny sheepishly.

"Sorry," she said. "I must have fallen asleep."

"Don't apologize," Ginny said. "Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione shook her head. Harry put a hand on her knee.

"Hermione," he said, slightly chastising. Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out.

"It was the same nightmare. Bellatrix was torturing me. Except," she trailed off and shook her head.

"Except what?" Harry asked.

"Except she thought I needed more incentive to tell the truth about the sword, so she sent Malfoy to get Ron. She was going to, to," Hermione's voice hitched and the tears began to run down her cheeks again. Harry pulled her into his arms once more.

"That didn't happen, Hermione, you know that. She's dead. She can't hurt any of us ever again." Hermione nodded against his shoulder. Harry kissed the top of her head before pulled away again. She swiped at her eyes.

"Is everyone here?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. She would be mortified if everyone had heard her screams.

"No, just me and Gin," Harry said. "We wanted to make sure you and Ron were okay."

"Speaking of my brother, where is he?" Ginny asked. Hermione looked down at her lap, trying to will her tears away.

"I don't know," she said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"We had a row and he left," Hermione said. "Apparated. I don't know where he went." She saw Ginny and Harry look at each other in concern. "Thanks for helping me, with the nightmare I mean."

"Of course," Harry said. "Hermione, what's going on with you and Ron?" Hermione looked at her best friend and wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to pour out her heart to him and let Harry comfort her as he always did. But she couldn't. Ron was his best friend too and she wouldn't put Harry in the middle again. She wouldn't.

"I can't, I just can't talk about it right now, Harry," she said. She looked at Ginny who smiled in understanding. Hermione realized that she couldn't stay here. No matter how supportive the Weasleys were, Ron was still their family and she had driven him from his own home. She stood from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked.

"I need to get some things," she said. "I just, I need to go, right now."

"Go where?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Just, somewhere else," Hermione said.

"Hermione," Harry said as he stood. He took her upper arms in his hands. "Tell me what's going on."

"I think, I think we broke up," Hermione said, tears beginning anew.

"You think?" Harry said in confusion.

"Ron was really angry and he said, he said that I wanted him to leave, but I didn't, I," Hermione shook her head. "I just, I need to go, Harry. Before everyone gets back. I don't want, I can't explain, I, please."

"Hermione, you don't have to leave," Ginny said.

"This is Ron's house," Hermione said.

"Mum and Dad would never turn you out," Ginny said.

"I know they wouldn't. That's why I should go," Hermione replied. Ginny opened her mouth to protest once more, but Harry shook his head.

"You can go to Grimmauld," Harry offered. "I'll come with you."

"No, Harry," Hermione said. "I just need to be by myself. And I'm not going to Grimmauld."

"Where then?"

"I want to go home," Hermione said softly.

"I don't understand," Harry said.

"My parents never sold their house when they left for Australia," Hermione explained. "There wasn't time, so I just had them close it up."

"Hermione, are you sure that's safe?" Ginny asked.

"There were wards," Hermione said. "And even if Death Eaters did get inside, I doubt there are any there now. It's not a place any pureblood would likely be able to hide."

"I'm going with you," Harry said firmly.

"Harry, I," but he held up a hand to interrupt her.

"Not to stay, just to make sure everything's okay," he said.

"Harry, I can take care of myself," Hermione said tiredly.

"I know you can, but just let me do this, Hermione." He gave her his best puppy-dog look. "Please, for me." She rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"All right, fine." She turned to go upstairs to Ginny's room to pack a few things. Ginny followed and sat on her bed watching Hermione for a few minutes.

"You don't have to tell me what happened, but do you think the two of you can work this out?" Ginny asked after a few minutes.

"I want to, but, I'm not sure," Hermione said.

"I know that Ron can be a prat," Ginny began, but Hermione interrupted her.

"It's not all Ron's fault. It's not all my fault either," Hermione said. "Maybe we're just too different." Ginny said nothing as Hermione tucked her things into her beaded bag. When she finished, Ginny rose from the bed and gave her a hug.

"If you want to talk," she said. "You know I'm always here for you."

"I know, thanks Gin." The two women walked back downstairs where Harry was waiting.

"Ready?" he asked. Hermione nodded, just as they heard the sound of the Floo. She looked at Harry, panicked.

"Just go," Ginny said. "I'll tell them." Harry and Hermione hurried out the door to the Apparition point. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and the two of them disappeared with a crack.

* * *

They landed in Hermione's back garden and Harry immediately drew his wand. Hermione rolled her eyes, feeling that Harry was being just a bit paranoid. Although when she realized that the wards were down, she followed suit. She sent an unlocking spell at the door and opened it slightly, listening intently.

"I don't hear anything," she said. She cast a revealing charm which showed only her and Harry. "No one's here." They stepped inside, Hermione's nose wrinkling at the musty smell from the house being uninhabited for so long. She cast an air-freshening charm.

Most of the furniture was covered with sheets and she felt her eyes fill as she looked around at the familiar room. It was all as she'd left it, minus the personal items her parents had taken along. Harry flicked the light switch on the wall, but nothing happened.

"There's no electricity," he said.

"Of course not," Hermione replied. "I'm sure they had it disconnected before they left."

"That means there's no water either," Harry pointed out. Hermione shrugged.

"I can fill the toilet and the tub with my wand."

"But it will be cold," Harry said.

"Warming charm," Hermione reminded him. "And before you say it, I can go to the market and get bottled water to drink and cook with."

"No electricity."

"Witch, remember." Harry chuckled.

"Let's check the place over anyway," he said. Hermione nodded and they inspected the main floor, then climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. Hermione waved her wand and another door appeared in the corridor.

"I hid my room," she explained. "My parents wouldn't have understood why they had a girl's bedroom in their house once I changed their memories." Harry nodded as Hermione opened the door. Besides the layer of dust that lay over everything, it was exactly the same as she'd left it, down to the pile of discarded books in the corner. Harry quickly waved his wand to clear the dust away from everything.

"I can sleep here," Hermione said, sounding too chipper even to herself. "Bed's still made and everything."

"Are you okay being back here?" Harry asked. "I know it's got to be hard."

"I'll be all right," she said. "Thanks, Harry." Hermione set her bag down on her bed. "You should get back."

"I can still stay if you want," Harry said. "Kingsley won't mind if I'm a little late tomorrow."

"No, I need some time to myself," Hermione replied. "Please tell Molly that I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For just running out like that and not talking to them about it," Hermione said. "I just, I couldn't."

"Are you sure you're going to be all right here by yourself?"

"Yes, Harry, I," Hermione stopped, her brow furrowed as she heard a noise from downstairs. Harry turned and pulled his wand, putting her behind him. Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped up next to him, her own wand drawn. They crept quietly towards the stairs, listening intently.

"That sounds like-" Harry began

"A cat," Hermione finished. She faltered for a moment. Crookshanks had disappeared after the Weasleys had gone into hiding at Muriel's. Used to having the run of the property, the cat hadn't been in the house when they had decided they needed to leave and Ginny hadn't been able to find him anywhere. When everyone had returned to the Burrow after the Final Battle, Ginny had hoped that Crookshanks would be waiting for them. When he wasn't, she had tearfully told Hermione what had happened. Hermione had never blamed her, Crookshanks was too independent and stubborn by half, but she had mourned her cat almost as much as their friends that had died. She didn't think she was ready to face a stray that just wanted to be fed.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Harry went to the living room and looked out the window next to the back door.

"Hermione, you need to come see this," he said.

"Harry, I can't have another cat," she said. "Not yet. Just shoo it away or something." Harry ignored her and opened the back door.

"Harry, I said-" but Hermione trailed off, her mouth dropping open at the sight before her. Looking thinner and much mangier than she'd ever seen him, was Crookshanks. He meowed loudly and walked into the house with a flick of his tail.

"Crookshanks?" Hermione whispered, still shocked as to how her cat had gotten here from the Burrow. She put a hand to her mouth and dropped to her knees as Crookshanks walked toward her. He meowed loudly again, as if to scold her and then crawled right into her lap.

"Oh, Crooks," Hermione said, beginning to cry now. She cuddled the cat to her and he rubbed his face against her neck. Never having been an overly affectionate cat, Hermione half-laughed, half-cried at his gesture. She grabbed his face in her hands.

"How did you get here, you crazy cat?"

"Sirius always said he was extremely smart," Harry said, grin on his face.

"Of course, he's smart," Hermione scoffed. She smiled again as she scratched Crookshanks behind the ears like she knew he liked. "I just can't believe he's here."

"Well, I'm glad he is," Harry said. "I don't like leaving you here alone."

"We'll be fine, won't we Crooks?" Hermione looked up at her friend. "Thank you, Harry."

"I love you, Hermione, you know that."

"I know," she said. She stood with Crookshanks still in her arms and hugged Harry as tightly as she could without squishing her cat. "Send me a Patronus to let me know he's all right?"

"Of course, I will." Harry studied her for a few moments. "It's going to be okay, Hermione." She gave him a watery smile.

"I know." Harry hugged her one more time, then waved as he stepped into the back garden to Disapparate. When he had gone, Hermione put Crookshanks down and began to pull the sheets off the furniture. She looked around the room that was so familiar to her, so comforting, but also entirely different since there were no photographs or mementos anywhere. Reaching down, she picked up Crooks again and snuggled him close to her as she sank down on the couch. He didn't seem to mind as she lay on her side and curled around him. Stroking his back, the tears began anew. Crookshanks stayed snuggled into her, not protesting as his fur got wetter.

* * *

 **3 July 1998**

"Everything all right?" Andromeda asked as Remus finished reading the note an owl had just delivered.

"Hermione's cancelled our meeting tomorrow to work on the portrait," Remus said.

"Did she say why?"

"Just that something had come up," Remus replied.

"I do hope she's all right," Andromeda said in concern.

"She sounds fine." Remus shrugged. Perhaps she had decided to take Ron up on his offer instead.

"What in Merlin's name?" Andromeda muttered. Remus turned to see what had gotten her attention. A regal looking eagle owl was flying towards the window. Remus hurriedly got up to open it and the bird landed gracefully on the kitchen table. He shot Remus a look of disdain and held out his leg to Andromeda. She carefully removed the letter and before she could offer the bird anything, he flew out the window. Remus shook his head at the owl then turned back to his mother-in-law.

Andromeda had gone very white, her eyes wide. Remus moved towards her in concern.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This is Narcissa's handwriting," Andromeda said. Her hand was shaking and Remus gently guided her into a chair. Andromeda stared at the letter in her hands. "I haven't heard from her in twenty-five years. Why would she send me a letter now?"

"Perhaps you should open it and find out," Remus suggested. Andromeda stared at the letter for another minute, then set it down on the table in front of her.

"I don't think I want to." She pushed it away from her a little. "Why would she be writing to me?" she asked again.

"Perhaps she wants to try and reconcile," Remus said. Andromeda snorted.

"Somehow, I doubt that. Narcissa made her position quite clear."

"War does tend to change things," Remus said.

"The first one didn't change anything," Andromeda retorted.

"I think that things were much more difficult for her this time around," Remus said.

"They were more difficult for all of us."

"I won't argue that point." The two of them silently stared at the letter as if they could divine the contents just by looking at it. Finally, Andromeda picked it up again. She turned it over and studied the Malfoy crest for a moment, before running a finger under it and breaking the seal. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and began to read.

Remus watched her closely, but her face betrayed little as she read. The corners of her mouth did pinch slightly at one point, but otherwise, she wore a mask of indifference. When she finished, she folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. Remus looked at her expectantly.

"She would like to see me," Andromeda said. Remus' brow furrowed.

"She's confined to the Manor until August."

"She mentioned that," Andromeda said. "She invited me to the Manor." Remus' mouth dropped open in shock. "She said she suspected that I would decline. Therefore, she would like to keep up a correspondence until such time that we can meet at a place of my choosing. She would like to 'put all this unpleasantness behind us' and be my sister again." Though Andromeda's face showed no emotion, Remus saw that her hands were shaking.

"Are you going to accept?" Andromeda's façade cracked.

"Would you?" she snapped. Remus held his hands up in surrender and Andromeda sighed. "I'm sorry, Remus. I just cannot believe that she would ask this of me."

"You don't think she's sincere?"

"I think she's as sincere as she's able to be. Cissy always was good at hiding behind her mask. Something our mother taught her well." Remus didn't comment on the fact that Andromeda was more than capable of hiding behind the very same mask.

"Are you going to respond?" Remus asked.

"If I do, it will only be to tell her that she's mad to think we could have any kind of relationship," Andromeda said. She glanced at Remus and her eyes narrowed.

"You don't agree with me?"

"It's your choice," Remus said. "I have nothing to say about it."

"And yet, your eyes say otherwise," Andromeda said.

"Obviously, you know your sister better than I do, but is it possible she's hiding behind that mask because she assumes you will reject her?" Andromeda opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again.

"It is possible, yes," she finally agreed. "Another lesson drilled into us by Father. Never let anyone hurt you if you can hurt them first." She shook her head sadly.

"Then, maybe you should respond and see what happens," Remus suggested.

"I have no intention of visiting her," Andromeda said firmly.

"I didn't say you should," Remus replied. "In fact, I think that's a terrible idea. If the two of you do meet sometime in the future, you should have gotten to know one another again first. But if she knows that you aren't rejecting her outright, perhaps she'll be a bit more open in her next letter."

"Perhaps," Andromeda mused, looking down at the envelope once more. Teddy began to cry upstairs.

"I'll get him," Remus said as he rose from his chair. Andromeda nodded absently. Remus glanced back at her just before he left the room to see her looking contemplatively out the window, clearly lost in thought.

* * *

 **5 July 1998**

"Hermione?" a voice called. Hermione shifted in her bed, mumbling something unintelligible. "Hermione, where are you?" She burrowed deeper into her pillow and pulled the blankets over her head.

"Hermione, it's half eleven," the same voice said, but closer now. "What are you still doing in bed?" Harry reached out and pulled the blankets off her head. Hermione scowled.

"I'm sleeping," she said.

"You never sleep this late."

"Maybe I do, now." She pulled the blanket away from Harry and yanked it back over her head.

"Hermione, get up."

"No," she said petulantly. Harry tried to pull the blanket away from her, but she held on stubbornly. After a few minutes of struggle, Hermione felt the blankets vanish entirely. The curtains flew open and sunlight streamed in the window.

"Harry," she whined, curling up in a ball and trying to hide under her pillow.

"How long have you been in bed?" Harry demanded. She cracked one eye open and glowered at him.

"I don't know." Harry snorted.

"Remus told me that you cancelled on him yesterday."

"When did you talk to Remus?"

"I went over to visit Teddy this morning," Harry said. "Have you been in bed since yesterday?"

"No," she said, looking away from him.

"All right, get up," Harry said, reaching over and grabbing her arm.

"No, Harry, leave me alone," Hermione said trying to snatch her arm back.

"I won't. You're going to get up and then you're going to have a bath and we're going to talk."

"Why don't you go bother Ginny or something," Hermione said grumpily.

"That's a good idea," Harry said. "I'll send her a Patronus and get her over here."

"No, no, I'm getting up," Hermione said as she quickly sat up. Harry smirked.

"When's the last time you ate?"

"I had some toast, last night, I think," she said. Harry sighed before he sat down next to her.

"What happened?" he asked. "You seemed all right on Friday when I was here." Hermione shrugged. Harry put an arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. It was true. Friday, she had spent most of the day cleaning and organizing the house. She wanted things to be perfect for her parents' return. Harry had stopped by after work to check up on her. She had been relieved to know that Ron was all right. He had spent the night at George's flat above the shop after he stormed out of the Burrow, but had been at training on Friday morning.

"I was," Hermione said.

"Then what happened?" Harry asked. "Please talk to me, Hermione." Hermione took a deep breath.

"Remember I told you that I'd finished making my list of telephone numbers that might possibly be my parents?"

"Yes," Harry said. "And I told you that you should wait to start calling because you didn't need any more stress right now." Hermione shifted next to him. "Hermione, you didn't."

"I had to, Harry," she said, sitting up and looking at him. "I just, being here, I'm always thinking about them and there's a telephone box a couple of blocks over. I was only going to call a few numbers."

"But what, you did the whole list?" Harry asked.

"No," Hermione said shaking her head. "I only got a quarter of the way through, but…none of them were my parents."

"That doesn't mean that you won't find them," Harry said. "You've still got a lot more to go."

"I know, but," Hermione's chin began to quiver. "What if I don't find them?" Harry put his arm around her again and pulled her back into his side.

"We'll find them," he promised. "If I have to hire a hundred detectives, we'll find them." They sat in silence for a few minutes, Hermione sniffling every so often as Harry kept his arm tight around her. "So, this is what drove you into your bed."

"Not entirely," Hermione admitted. "When I got back here, I needed something to keep me busy, so I went up into the attic. I knew that there were some boxes of old junk my dad had put up there once, so I was going to clean that out. But, there was a lot more than that up there."

"What?" Harry asked.

"They must not have time to go through it or forgotten about it or something. Probably the latter." She looked at Harry. "It was all my old baby things. My cot and a few boxes of clothes. Some toys and books I had when I was little. They didn't clean it out because I took all their memories of me." She sniffled again and began to cry.

"Oh, Hermione," Harry said and wrapped both arms around her. "Listen, we're going to find them and you're going to reverse the charm and everything will be fine."

"You don't know that," she mumbled.

"I do," Harry said. "Because you're the smartest witch I know and if you cast that spell, then you can reverse it." She clung to him tightly. "So, this is why you've spent the two days in bed?"

"Mostly," she said. "It was everything with Ron too and I just didn't want to deal with all of it anymore."

"I understand," Harry said. "But, no more wallowing." Hermione sighed.

"How about just another afternoon?" Harry laughed.

"No, get up and get dressed. I'm taking you out for lunch." Hermione sat up and her stomach growled loudly. Harry laughed again and Hermione smiled. Before Harry could stand, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thanks, Harry."

"What are brothers for?" he asked with a wink, then left the room so she could dress.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to come home with me?" Harry asked when they had returned from lunch.

"No," Hermione said. "I just need to stay here for a while."

"The neighbors are going to notice soon," Harry said. Hermione shook her head.

"No, I put up new wards," she said. "They can still see the house, but no one feels the need to actually come here." Harry nodded. He met her eyes, then glanced away.

"What is it, Harry?"

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Rubbish," she said. "I know you, Harry Potter."

"I don't want to get in the middle, Hermione, honestly I don't, but I do wish you'd talk to Ron."

"You just told me he was still angry," Hermione said. "It wouldn't do any good to talk to him now, we'd just argue again."

"He is still upset, but he's worried too," Harry said. "And I really don't like you being here all by yourself."

"Harry, I'm in the middle of a Muggle neighborhood and all the Death Eaters are either dead or in Azkaban. And I can take care of myself."

"I know, it's just," Harry sighed. "I worry about you." Hermione smiled.

"I know," she said. "But I'm okay, really." Harry looked skeptical.

"You had been in bed for more than a day when I got here." Hermione laughed.

"I promise I won't take to my bed again." Her smile faded. "And I will talk to Ron, just, not yet."

"Fair enough," Harry said. He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"Tell Ginny I said hi," Hermione said.

"I will."

"Love you, Harry."

"Love you too, Hermione." He walked into the back garden and waved before he Disapparated.

* * *

 **7 July 1998**

Hermione sighed as she set down the list of telephone numbers. She had called a few more today, but someone had been waiting impatiently outside the telephone box and Hermione had had to leave before she could finish. It would be so much easier if she could hook up the telephone in the house. She had thought about doing as much, but it would raise suspicion if she didn't connect the electricity and gas as well. And she really didn't want to modify anyone else's memory, especially just to make her own life easier.

Crookshanks jumped up onto the couch next to her. Hermione absently stroked his back, her thoughts shifting to Ron as they often did when she wasn't keeping herself busy. She needed to talk to him, she knew that. The longer they went ignoring one another, the less chance there was to work things out. She knew that Ron really wasn't angry anymore; Harry had told her as much when he'd stopped by after work the night before. Hermione just wasn't sure if she could give Ron what he wanted. She wasn't sure _what_ he wanted, if she were honest with herself. She wondered if Ron even knew himself.

His jealousy wasn't new, although she had hoped that he'd grown out of it after everything that happened on the Horcrux hunt. But his seeming need to have her turn to only him for help with whatever problem she had at the time was not only unrealistic, but a bit ridiculous. She had been shocked at his reaction to her asking Remus to help her with the portrait. Hermione hadn't been trying to exclude Ron from helping, she simply didn't want to give him one more task to do on his day off, when he got so little time to just relax as it was. They would have been together working on the problem at Grimmauld, true, but it was still work. She was sure he'd much rather take a dip in the pond or play a pick-up game of Quidditch with Harry and Ginny.

Sighing, she looked down at Crookshanks and gave him a scratch behind the ears. His tail flicked lazily as he pushed his head into her hand.

"What do you think, Crooks? Should I send him an owl?" Hermione asked. He looked up at her and blinked once, then jumped off the couch and sauntered to the back door, seemingly ignoring her. She laughed. "I see you have strong opinions about this subject."

He meowed loudly at her and she shook her head fondly, getting up to open the back door for him. Before she even had the door fully open, Pigwidgeon flew inside, excitedly flapping around her head. Crookshanks gave the bird a look of disdain, sniffed and walked outside.

"Come here, Pig," Hermione said as she closed the door. The tiny owl hooted once, then flew close enough to Hermione that she was able to grab him. She took the letter from his leg and he nipped her finger affectionately. Deciding it was better to keep hold of the excitable owl, she opened the note and read it.

 _Hermione,_

 _Will you meet me at the Leaky Cauldron tonight at seven? I want to talk to you._

 _Ron_

Hermione stared at the note until Pigwidgeon hooted again. Pulled from her reverie, she grabbed a pen from the coffee table and wrote quickly at the bottom of Ron's note.

 _I'll be there._

 _Love, Hermione_

"Here, Pig, take this back to Ron, all right?" She retied the note to his leg and let him go. Walking to the back door, she opened it and waited nearly five minutes before Pig finally realized it was open and flew outside.

Once the owl was gone, Hermione began to pace. Her first thought was to wonder why Ron was home in the afternoon to send her a note. If he had been at work, he would have just used one of the Ministry owls. She hoped that he was all right. Her second thought was to second-guess the way she'd signed her reply. Ron hadn't done the same in his note, so perhaps she shouldn't have either. It had been more reflex than anything.

Why hadn't Ron signed his 'Love, Ron'? Had his feelings changed so completely in the last five days? Did he want to talk to her because he wanted to break things off permanently? Hermione wrung her hands in front of her as she paced. What would happen if she and Ron broke up? What about Harry? What about the Weasleys? They were her second family; would she still be welcome at the Burrow? Her breath caught. What if she couldn't find her parents and she lost the Weasleys too?

Hermione sank down in the armchair in the corner and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't lose the Weasleys, not now. And she didn't know what she would do if she lost Harry. She knew he would never abandon her, but Ron was his best friend too. Hermione didn't want Harry to feel like he was being pulled between the two of them. Hermione sat frozen for quite some time until a voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Ginny told her to get a grip. Taking a breath, she sat back in her chair and looked at the ceiling.

She was being daft. She hadn't even spoken to Ron yet, she shouldn't be speculating as to what was going to happen based on a two-sentence note. Taking another deep breath, Hermione decided to take a bath and try and relax a bit before she left for Diagon Alley. She checked outside for Crookshanks, but he seemed to be enjoying himself lying in a patch of sun in the garden, so she left him be and hurried upstairs.


	22. Strain

**A/N - Next chapter for you all. I'd say sorry for the minor cliff-hanger last time, but since I've done it again here, I guess I can't be too sorry. ;) Thanks to everyone that is reading and to those that are reviewing! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Strain**

 **7 July 1998**

Hermione walked into the Leaky Cauldron after Apparating to Diagon Alley. She looked around for Ron, but didn't see him anywhere. She was fifteen minutes early, so she sat down at a table in the middle of the pub so she could see both entrances. She was aware of the glances she was getting from the other patrons and hoped that none of them would bother her before Ron showed up.

"Excuse me," a voice said and Hermione bit back a sigh. She looked up to see a rather good-looking man standing in front of her. He appeared to be a few years older than her, but she didn't recognize him. "You're Hermione Granger, aren't you?"

"Yes," she replied. The man grinned.

"Jeremy Stretton," he said holding out a hand. "I was in Ravenclaw, four years ahead of you."

"Nice to meet you," she said, shaking his hand briefly.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked, pulling out a chair before she could respond.

"Oh, well, I'm actually waiting for someone."

"This won't take long," he said. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you did during the war." Hermione managed to contain her eye roll.

"No thanks necessary," she said, glancing at the door for Ron again. Jeremy smiled and kept staring at her, causing Hermione to fidget in her chair. "If that's all, I really am waiting for someone."

"Harry Potter?" Jeremy asked, eyes alight at the prospect of meeting the Boy-Who-Lived, Hermione was sure.

"I'm not sure how it's any of your business, but no," she said.

"Sorry, sorry, I probably sound like a complete tosser," he said. She managed a thin smile, but didn't disagree with him. "I really did just want to thank you."

"Well, you've done that."

"Right," he said, then rose from his chair. He turned to walk away, then stopped and turned back towards her, just as Hermione saw Ron come into the pub. "Would you like to have dinner with me some time?" She saw Ron stop short a few feet from the table and Hermione cursed Jeremy Stretton in her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think so."

"How about coffee then?" he persisted. "I promise that I'm really not a complete prat." He gave her a wide smile.

"No, but thank you." He continued smiling and shrugged.

"Can't blame a bloke for trying. Nice to meet you."

"You too," she said as he finally walked away. Hermione looked at Ron who seemed torn as to whether to join her or not. Before he could turn and walk away, she got up and walked towards him.

"Please don't read anything into that," she said. "I was sitting here waiting for you and he just started talking to me."

"You didn't tell him you were seeing someone when he asked you out," Ron said. He glared at Jeremy.

"Am I seeing someone?" Hermione asked, quietly. Ron stared at her for a moment, but didn't answer.

"Can we take a walk?" he finally asked.

"Of course."

"Maybe on the Muggle side," he said, looking around the pub. "We won't be recognized there."

"All right," Hermione agreed and the two of them left the Leaky. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Hermione leading them towards a small park she knew about a few blocks away.

"How's training going?" she asked when she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Good," Ron said. "It's a lot of work, but it's good." She nodded and indicated the park once they'd reached it. He followed her in and they found a bench near a small duck pond. Hermione noticed the space Ron kept between them when he sat down.

"Harry told me you're staying at your parents' place," Ron said.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I wanted to get it ready for them, if I found them."

"How's the search going?"

"I've made some calls, but I haven't found them yet." Ron nodded. There was silence again. Hermione searched for something to say, but came up with nothing. They needed to talk about their argument, but she had no idea where to start.

"Did you take care of the portrait?" Ron abruptly asked. Hermione started for a moment at the change in topic.

"No, I…wasn't up to it that day," she said. "I cancelled with Remus. Didn't Harry tell you?" Ron shrugged.

"He said he didn't want to get in the middle." She nodded.

"I don't want him in the middle either."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. The silence returned, but this time it was too much for Hermione.

"Ron, I'm sorry about what happened the other day."

"I know," he replied. "I'm sorry too." He looked out over the duck pond. "We're always sorry, aren't we?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"We fight all the time, Hermione, we always have, even when we were just friends. And we're always sorry afterward, but we keep doing it."

"I know," she said quietly.

"I know before, at Hogwarts, you joked that it was because of years of practice, but why do we really do it?" Ron asked.

"We're different people," Hermione said with a shrug. "We think differently about things." Ron nodded absently, still looking at the pond.

"Don't you think that's a problem?" he asked.

"That we think differently?" Hermione questioned. Ron nodded. "Well, I guess it might be, if we let it."

"I feel like we've been letting it," Ron said.

"I suppose we have." They were both quiet for a bit.

"Sometimes, I think we know each other too well," Ron said. Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Most people, they're not best friends first, like we were. They date so they can get to know each other."

"That's true," Hermione said, somewhat surprised at Ron's insight.

"But we skipped that whole part."

"Not really," Hermione countered. "Maybe all those years of being friends _was_ the getting to know each other part." Ron smiled slightly.

"Just without the snogging." Hermione laughed.

"Without the snogging," she agreed. "Where are you going with all this, Ron?"

"There's a lot going on right now," he said.

"There is."

"I'm really busy with training and," he trailed off.

"And?" Hermione prompted.

"Thursday, after I left, I went to the shop," Ron said. "I stayed in George's flat that night."

"Harry told me," Hermione said.

"It was, I almost left in the middle of the night," Ron paused and looked back at the pond, but Hermione could see the pain in his eyes. "Every single thing I looked at reminded me of Fred. I don't know how George can stay there."

"Maybe that's why he does," Hermione said softly. She allowed herself to inch a bit closer to Ron.

"Maybe," Ron said. "But, I was lying there and I just got so angry. I wanted to get up and break something."

"Did you?"

"No." Ron squinted slightly towards the ducks in the pond. Hermione opened her mouth to say something but before she could Ron spoke again. "People come up to me sometimes, at the Ministry, and thank me for what I did in the war." Hermione's brow furrowed at the abrupt change in topic.

"I liked it at first, you know, being recognized. Sometimes, it happened even when I wasn't with Harry," Ron continued. Hermione remained quiet, not sure where Ron was going with this. "But then, one day, I was shaking this wizard's hand and I just thought to myself, where were you? Where were you when kids were fighting against Death Eaters? Where were you when Voldemort was slowly taking over the Ministry? Where were you when innocent Muggle-borns were being sent to Azkaban just because they happened to exist?" Hermione stared, unable to take her eyes off him.

"And then all I could think was, if he had been there, would Fred still be alive? Would Tonks? Or Lavender or Colin? Would I not have to hear my mum crying every night or watch my brother try to figure out what his life was supposed to be like now?" Hermione felt the tears gathering in her eyes.

"And I wanted to punch him, right square in the bloody face for hiding in his fucking house, safe with his family while we went out and suffered and bled and died for him. And ever since then, any time anyone comes up to me and wants to shake my hand or thank me, that's all I can think about. Are they the one? The one that would have kept Fred alive if they had been brave enough to help?"

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said and took his hand. He squeezed it gently and then pulled away from her. He took a breath and finally looked at her.

"And that night, in George's flat, I realized that I'm angry. I'm angry at the Death Eaters and Voldemort and everyone who supported him, but most of all, I'm angry at all those people that were supposedly on our side, but didn't do anything." Ron clenched his hands into fists. "My brother's dead. He's dead and Tonks is dead and Lavender's dead and Colin's dead and Mad-Eye and Dumbledore and Sirius and Cedric are _dead_. And those people, they're just going on with their lives, happy as can be that they're safe now and Voldemort's gone and it's all fine. But my brother is still dead!" Ron was shaking with rage now. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

"I know it isn't fair, Ron, I know," she said. "But you can't think like that. It will eat you up inside." He hugged her back for a few minutes, before he pulled away from her and stood up, swiping at his eyes.

"I don't want to feel like this," Ron said. "But I don't know how to stop it. I don't know how to stop being angry."

"It will take time, Ron," she said. "Everyone handles grief differently." He shook his head.

"That's the thing, though," he said. "You say that, but then we'll argue again and it will be just like it has been."

"It won't," Hermione said. "Because I understand now."

"For how long, Hermione?"

"How long what?"

"How long are you going to 'understand' before you get tired of it? How many times can we yell and scream at one another before everything is ruined?"

"Ron, that's not going to happen."

"You don't know that," he said. He shook his head. "I look at my parents and I know I've got my mum's temper. But my dad, he's not like that. She gets upset and yells and he just listens to her and then figures out how to make her feel better. But you, Hermione, you're not like my dad. You give it straight back to me." Hermione wanted to protest, but he held up his hand and continued quickly. "And there's nothing wrong with that, that's not what I'm saying. But, that's what I meant by how long? You're my best friend, Hermione, and if you weren't my friend anymore, I don't think I could handle it." Hermione stared at him for a moment. She hadn't missed the fact that he said he didn't want to lose her as a friend, not a girlfriend.

It was Hermione's turn to stare at the pond. Her conversation with Ginny while she had packed her things came back to her. Maybe they _were_ too different. They had jumped into their relationship in the middle of a battle and everything that had happened since affected them whether they realized it or not. And she knew what Ron said was true. She wasn't the type that would just sit back and let Ron rant without saying something, especially if she thought she was right. She could try, but she would never be the patient, calming presence that was Arthur Weasley. And eventually, they would likely come to resent one another because of it.

"Are you saying that you want to, to break up?" Hermione finally managed.

"No, I don't really want to. But maybe we should." Hermione looked at him in surprise. "I love you, Hermione," he continued. "And I'm afraid that if things keep going how they are, we'll end up hating each other. And I don't want that, not ever."

"I don't want that either," Hermione said, realizing that as much as she didn't want to admit it, a lot of what he was saying made sense. And if she were honest with herself, she had thought the same things, deep down, for some time now. It was the fact that she and Ron were _supposed_ to be together, just like Harry and Ginny were, that had kept her from admitting them. She still didn't want to admit them now, but she couldn't deny that there was something about her and Ron that just didn't fit. At least not right now.

"I don't know what to say," she finally said. "I don't want to agree with you, but I can't figure out how not to." She sniffled.

"Then maybe, maybe we should just take a break for a while," Ron said, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. "Until we figure things out."

"Maybe we should," Hermione whispered, looking at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I really am," Ron said softly.

"I'm sorry too."

"You're always welcome at the Burrow," he said. "Mum wanted me to be sure you knew that. It's okay with me if you want to move back in."

"Thanks," Hermione said, her voice wavering. "But, I think I'm just going to stay at my house for now."

"All right," Ron said. They were both silent for a minute before Ron leaned forward and kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. He then hurried away towards a large oak tree and Hermione heard the crack of Apparition seconds later. Not even worrying if he had been seen by any Muggles, she sank back down on the bench and stared dully at the duck pond. It wasn't until it was completely dark that she pulled herself from the bench and with a glance around, Disapparated back to her childhood bedroom.

* * *

 **23 July 1998**

"Who could that be?" Andromeda asked as they both looked up from their breakfast at the distinctive sound of Apparition in the back garden.

"Harry didn't say he was coming over today," Remus said. He stood from the table, drawing his wand. "Take Teddy upstairs."

"Remus, you don't think," Andromeda began, but Remus interrupted.

"Please, Andromeda," he said curtly. Andromeda said nothing else, simply picked Teddy up from the infant carrier. She settled him on her hip and drew her wand with her free hand, then hurried up the stairs. Remus made his way toward the narrow window next to the back door. He peeked outside, staring into the garden. Knowing that few people knew where they lived and that the wards would keep out anyone with the Dark Mark, he wasn't intending on panicking, however, he wasn't sure just who would be visiting them this early on a Thursday morning.

Moments later, a familiar figure came into view and Remus' brow furrowed. What on earth was Hermione doing here?

"It's all right, Andromeda," he called up the stairs as he opened the back door. He took a few steps outside. "Hermione?" She looked startled as she glanced at him, as if she hadn't been expecting to see him in his own back garden.

"Oh, Remus, good morning," she said. When she got closer, he could tell that something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on what. Maybe it was that her smile looked just a little too bright or the shadow of something he'd seen in her face when he'd said her name. He frowned.

"Hermione, are you all right?"

"Of course," she said with false cheerfulness. Andromeda appeared in the doorway, holding Teddy.

"Hermione?" she questioned, just as surprised as Remus to see the young woman.

"Good morning," Hermione said. "I'm sorry to just drop by like this."

"It's all right," Andromeda said with a quick glance at Remus. "But what has you up and about so early?"

"Early?" Hermione repeated. She looked at Andromeda in confusion. "What time is it?"

"It's half seven," Remus said. Hermione instantly colored.

"Oh, I am so sorry," she said. "I thought it was later. Did I wake everyone?"

"No," Andromeda assured her when Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "Teddy is up early these days. We were all awake. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Oh, no, that's not necessary. I'm so sorry, I'll just, I'll come back later." Hermione turned to leave.

"Hermione," Remus said. "Please stay. Join us for some tea at least." She turned towards him, biting her lip.

"All right," she said. Remus glanced at Andromeda who smiled before she went back into the house with Teddy.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked as Hermione reached him.

"I'm fine," she said. "I've just been so busy, I must have lost track of time."

"When is the last time you slept?" Remus asked.

"Last night, of course," she said with a laugh that sounded just a bit too high in Remus' opinion. He knew what had happened between her and Ron. Harry had mentioned it the last time he had visited Teddy. Remus also knew that Harry was worried about Hermione. She had thrown herself into remodeling Grimmauld Place and Harry didn't think she had been taking care of herself. At her tight smile, Remus ushered her into the house. Andromeda was just setting things for tea on the table.

"Are you sure I can't get you something to eat?" Andromeda asked, clearly concerned. She had put Teddy back in his infant seat.

"No, I'm fine," Hermione said.

"Just a bit of toast?" Andromeda coaxed.

"All right," Hermione agreed. Andromeda turned back to the kitchen as Hermione walked towards Teddy. "Hello, Teddy." Teddy grinned in response and grabbed hold of the finger Hermione offered him.

"I think he's even more adorable than the last time I saw him," Hermione said with a genuine smile that Remus was glad to see.

"I'm sure he thinks so too," Remus said with a chuckle. "And thank you."

"Here you are," Andromeda said as she set the plate of toast in front of Hermione, along with a cup of tea. Hermione sat down and began to nibble on the toast. "What brings you by?"

"I don't know if Harry told you, but I've been working on Grimmauld Place," Hermione began.

"He did," Remus said. "How are things going?"

"Well, they would be a sight better if I could get that portrait bricked over," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. Remus chuckled. "I was wondering if you would still be willing to help me."

"Of course. When you would like to work on it?"

"I know it's not much notice, but if you're free today, I have all the materials we'll need." Remus looked at Andromeda. They had been planning on doing some shopping for Teddy this afternoon, as he was outgrowing most of his clothes. But, Remus was very concerned about Hermione and thought it might be a better idea to try and get to the bottom of what was going on with her. He and Andromeda could easily shop tomorrow or the next day, as Remus still had more than a week before Minerva had asked him to be back at Hogwarts for the August tutoring sessions. Hermione saw the look between the two of them.

"Of course, if you're busy I completely understand. It was presumptuous of me to just come over and so early too. I'm sorry, we can do it another time and-"

"Hermione," Remus said gently, cutting off her rambling. "Today is fine."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm positive," Remus replied with a smile.

"All right, then," she said, taking a sip of her tea. She looked at Teddy who smiled at her again and then began to make the cooing and gurgling noises he had recently mastered. "Well, look at you, talking already. What a brilliant little boy you are." She looked at Remus. "He really is so perfect, Remus."

"Well, I'm not sure if I would say perfect," Remus said with a laugh. "But we are quite taken with him." Hermione nodded and Remus was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"Hermione," he began in concern, but she abruptly stood, blinking quickly. When she looked up, the tears were gone and she had a very fake smile plastered on her face.

"Is one o'clock all right for you?" she asked gathering up her plate and tea cup.

"Let me take those," Andromeda said, clearly taken aback as Remus was. Hermione handed her the dishes.

"Yes, fine," Remus finally managed. "But, Hermione-"

"I'll see you then," she said, cutting him off again. "Sorry again for stopping by so early. I'll see myself out." She practically ran from the room and seconds later, Disapparated. Remus looked at Andromeda.

"What in Merlin's name just happened?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Remus said with a frown. "But I intend to find out."

* * *

Hermione landed on the front step of Grimmauld Place and wrenched open the front door. She slammed it behind her, causing the portrait to begin her shrieking.

"Oh, just shut the bloody hell _up_!" Hermione shouted as she grasped the curtains and yanked them closed. She took a few steps backward until her back hit the opposite wall. Then she sank down to the floor and buried her face in her knees.

She had made a complete fool of herself with Remus and Andromeda. Who dropped in on someone unannounced at half seven in the morning? She couldn't believe that she hadn't checked the time before she left. The only thing worse would have been if she'd woken them up. Groaning, she raised her head and let it fall back against the wall. She supposed having been up for over two hours herself didn't make her a great judge of time. Her schedule had gotten so erratic lately, she didn't even look at clocks much at all anymore.

After her break-up with Ron, Hermione had thrown herself into the work at Grimmauld Place. Unable to face more disappointment by calling more people in Australia that were not her parents, she ignored her lists and cleaned instead. She had been doing nearly everything the Muggle way, stripping wallpaper, scrubbing floors on her hands and knees, scouring windows and painting walls. The only thing she used her wand for was to move furniture around when she needed. She had even taken the carpets that she intended to continue using outside and beat them with an old carpet beater she had found in one of the spare bedrooms. It had felt rather good, actually.

She worked herself every day until she was exhausted, then Apparated home, fed Crookshanks and fell into bed. She slept until the nightmares woke her and then returned to Grimmauld to keep working. She had brought Crookshanks with her the first couple of days, but he hated Apparition and so she had begun leaving him at home. He obviously didn't think much of her plan, as he had begun ignoring her when she came home now. Hermione couldn't blame the cat. It seemed she was disappointing quite a few people these days.

Sighing, she looked down the corridor towards the dining room. Harry was going to be shocked with how much more she had accomplished since he had visited nearly a week ago. She knew he was worried about her. Both he and Ginny had come by on Sunday and tried to talk into taking a break and coming with them to the Burrow. Hermione just hadn't been up to seeing Ron. It wasn't that she was angry with him, but she was still hurting and if she saw him she would likely do something stupid like burst into tears. She didn't disagree with what he had said two weeks ago and she wasn't even sure if they would ever have any kind of romantic relationship again. That didn't make it hurt any less.

She had relented when Ginny came by the next day and threatened Hermione to within an inch of her life if she didn't stop by the Burrow. Molly had been going out of her mind with worry, according to Ginny, and Hermione immediately felt guilty. She had gone to tea that very day and assured Molly that she was fine and just needed some time to herself. Molly hadn't looked convinced and Hermione couldn't really blame her. Hermione knew she probably wasn't handling her stress in the best way. But if she stopped working, she started thinking and thinking made things even worse.

After the first week, Harry had sent Kreacher to Grimmauld to at least make sure that Hermione was eating, but the old elf had been so appalled when Hermione started removing the wallpaper in the drawing room that she'd had to ask Harry to send him back to Hogwarts. She couldn't stand the hand-wringing and whining from Kreacher, especially once he'd gotten Mrs. Black's portrait going.

Scowling up at the curtains covering said portrait, Hermione was ecstatic that she would be getting rid of the horrible woman later today. Cleaning the wooden floors in the entry that Hermione had found after she pulled up the carpet had been one long insult after another. Even being as quiet as possible, the portrait had heard her working and slur after slur had been thrown out about her blood status and doing work like a 'filthy Muggle'. When Mrs. Black began insulting Hermione's parents, however, Hermione yanked the curtains shut and placed a sticking charm on them which lasted for three days. Three, blissfully quiet days.

Hermione rose from her position on the floor wavering slightly as she stood. She put a hand on the wall to regain her balance. There was still plenty of time before Remus got here and the drawing room was likely ready for its second coat of paint. She walked quietly past the portrait and up the stairs to continue her work.

* * *

Remus landed on the front step of Grimmauld Place just before one. It still pained him to be back here, as much as he had hidden it during the full moon in May. Thinking of Sirius still made his chest hurt, even after two years. He knocked lightly on the front door and then again after a few minutes when there was no answer. When Hermione still didn't come to the door, Remus drew his wand and cast an unlocking charm wondering if she had set any additional wards on the place. When the door opened with a soft click, he quickly stepped inside.

"Hermione?" he called quietly, not wanting to wake the portrait. When there was no answer, Remus walked further into the house. He glanced into the dining room as he passed, then stopped short and took two steps backward. His mouth dropped open in shock. The room was unrecognizable.

The wood floors gleamed, as well as the table. The silver chandelier had been polished to a bright shine and the dresser that held the china had been buffed and polished. Remus noticed that there wasn't any china in the dresser, but remembered that most of it had been smashed on the floor the last time he'd been here. Hermione must have decided not to repair it. The room was brighter than he remembered and a look towards the windows showed him why. The heavy velvet curtains were gone and in their place, gauzy white sheers covered the sparkling windows that Hermione had obviously scrubbed clean.

Stepping back into the entry, Remus realized that the carpet was gone and the wood floors beneath were as clean and shiny as the one in the dining room. The troll leg umbrella stand was gone too, a cherry wood coat rack in its place. His heart clenched a bit at the missing stand; Dora had tripped over it so often, he'd become almost fond of it. Besides the moth-eaten curtains over the hideous portrait, the entry looked almost inviting.

Remus cocked his head, listening for any sounds in the house to determine just where Hermione was. He heard a creak above him and headed for the stairs. The House-elf heads were still in place he saw, but Hermione was likely going to try and get Kreacher to remove them once they'd finished with the portrait.

Noises coming from the drawing room drew him towards it. He peeked inside to see Hermione with a paint roller, listening to music playing softly on the wireless. Not wanting to startle her, he knocked on the doorjamb before saying her name. She whirled towards him anyway, drawing her wand at the same time.

"Remus," she said, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I'm sorry that I startled you," he said.

"No, it's my fault. I lost track of time." She set the paint roller down in the tray near her feet and tucked her wand back into her sleeve, taking a step as she straightened.

"You've done a fabulous job in here," Remus said stepping further into the room and admiring the new paint. "The dining room looks wonderful as well."

"Thanks," Hermione said with a faint blush. "Are you ready to get started?"

"Unless you'd like to have a break first," Remus said. "Lunch perhaps?"

"No, I'm not hungry." Remus frowned. She hadn't done anything more than nibble at the toast Andromeda had given her this morning.

"I've got the bricks stored in the small pantry in the dining room," she continued as she cast a spell to remove the paint from her hands. She led the way out of the drawing room before Remus could say anything else.

When they reached the entry, Hermione's steps stuttered and Remus reached out to steady her.

"All right?" he asked in concern.

"Yes, I must have just tripped," Hermione said waving a hand. Remus looked at her doubtfully. There was nothing to trip on and Hermione wasn't a clumsy person.

"I'm actually a bit thirsty," he said. "Do you mind if I get a glass of water?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said. "I'll just get started on moving the bricks out here."

"Why don't you show me what you've done with the kitchen," he suggested, sure that she must have cleaned the main gathering place in the house.

"Oh, well, all right," Hermione said, changing direction to take the stairs down to the kitchen.

Despite being underground, the kitchen was brighter than he'd ever seen it and every surface was pristine. It smelled faintly of vinegar. He knew that Molly had cast all manner of cleaning spells on the kitchen when they had begun using it as Headquarters, but it had still had a dark, somewhat dingy feeling to it. Obviously, Hermione had either found stronger cleaning spells, which knowing Molly Weasley, Remus found hard to believe, or Hermione had cleaned it the Muggle way.

"I see you've been working down here as well."

"Yes," Hermione said. "My mum always said that a little vinegar and elbow grease could clean anything. It took me a while, but I managed." She stepped up to the sink and filled a glass with water, handing it to Remus. He took a sip, trying to figure out a way to convince her to eat without sounding rude.

"I'm sorry again about barging in this morning," she said, leaning against the sink and crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's quite all right," Remus replied. "As we said, Teddy gets us up early these days." Hermione nodded.

He cast around for something to talk about that wouldn't make her more upset than she seemed to be. Every topic, though, seemed to be a loaded one. He was curious about the search for her parents, but wasn't sure if it was going well or not and didn't want to distress her by asking. He wasn't going to ask about Ron, either. Not only was it none of his business, but that was sure to make things worse. He continued to sip his water instead.

"Are you sure you won't have something to eat?" he finally said, giving up on being polite. She shook her head.

"No, I'd rather just get to work," she replied. "I've had enough of Walburga Black." Remus couldn't help but chuckle.

"I can't say that I blame you on that score." Hermione gave him a half smile and began walking towards the stairs. Remus put his glass in the sink and followed.

When they reached the entry again, Hermione stepped into the dining room. She opened the pantry and Remus helped her levitate the bricks into the corridor, which of course, set off the portrait, as it wasn't a quiet job by any means. Remus helped Hermione pull the curtains shut and they began to arrange the bottom row of bricks.

They hadn't even completed the second row before Remus accidentally kicked a loose brick on the floor and the curtains flew open once again. Sirius' mother gave them a few choice opinions on Muggle-borns and werewolves before they got the curtains closed. With a huff, Hermione cast a sticking charm at the curtains.

"That works?" Remus said curiously. "It never lasted for long when Sirius tried it." Hermione shrugged.

"The longest it's lasted is three days," she said. Remus' eyes widened. "But I was rather angry when I cast it that time. Usually it's a few hours. Hopefully we can get this finished before it wears off again."

They worked in silence for a while, Remus glancing at Hermione from the corner of his eye every so often. She worked as efficiently as she had when they were repairing the tower at Hogwarts, but she still didn't seem herself. He finally realized it was because there was almost no emotion in her eyes. She was concentrating on her work, but there was none of the spark she normally had.

"Hermione," he finally said.

"Yes," she replied, not looking at him.

"If there's anything that you want to talk about, I'm happy to try and help." She glanced at him and Remus gave her an encouraging smile.

"Actually, there is one thing," she said. "I'll be right back." Remus' brow furrowed in confusion as she hurried up the stairs. She returned a few moments later with a book in her hand.

"I was thinking that we need to soundproof the bricks somehow," Hermione said, flipping through the book. "Even if we cover the portrait, you know how loud she can get when she gets angry enough. I don't know if even a brick wall is enough to contain her." Remus chuckled, even though this wasn't what he'd had in mind when he asked her if there was anything bothering her. "There are Muggle ways to do it, of course, but it would be time-consuming and might even require tools that wouldn't work here."

"So, you've found a spell to do the same thing, I take it?"

"I think so," Hermione said. "It's actually a variation of a silencing spell invented by a wizard to use on his dungeons." She grimaced.

"Wouldn't want the wails of the prisoners to interrupt dinner, after all," Remus said dryly.

"Indeed," Hermione replied, trying to hide a smile. "Anyway, I thought it might work on the wall. What do you think?" She handed him the book and Remus read through the spell.

"It seems like it would work," he agreed, practicing the wand movements for a moment. It was very similar to a simple silencing charm. "Have you tested it?" She nodded.

"I put the wireless in a box and cast it on the box. Couldn't hear a thing."

"And it says here it can't be cancelled by a simple 'Finite'," Remus mused, tapping the page with his finger.

"Right, so there's no concern about someone accidentally reversing it."

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything malevolent about it," Remus said. "It looks like a good solution." Hermione did smile then and Remus saw some of the old Hermione in her eyes when she had just worked out a solution to a problem. It was gone seconds later, however.

"We should get back to work then," she said. "No telling how long that sticking charm will last." The returned to setting the bricks and mortar. A few minutes later, Remus glanced at her again. She had the same flat look on her face as before.

"Hermione, what I said about something bothering you," he said. "I wasn't talking about the wall." Hermione glanced up at him and then back at the brick she was levitating.

"I know," she said quietly, settling the brick in place. They worked in silence for a few minutes. "Thank you, but I'm fine." Remus highly doubted that but he knew he couldn't force her to talk to him, nor should he. She had every right to her privacy. They settled into silence again until Hermione yawned, although she tried to cover it with her hand.

"Tired?" Remus asked in concern. Hermione waved him off.

"Just a bit," she said. "I was up early this morning. Which you already know." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"We can take a break if you like," Remus said.

"No, no, I'm fine," she said. They had finished about half the wall, the bricks finally reaching the bottom of the portrait. Hermione swayed slightly for a moment and reached a hand out to the partially completed wall to steady herself. It was then that the sticking charm failed. The curtains flew open and Mrs. Black began spewing her filth. Hermione's face contorted in rage.

"Shut up, you despicable _cow_!" she cried, reaching out for the curtains. She managed to grab one side and as she lunged for the other, she seemed to lose her balance. Remus reached for her even as she continued to yell at the portrait.

"Why can't you…just…just...shut…," she trailed off as her body sagged.

"Hermione!" Remus got hold of her arm before her eyes closed and she crumpled to the ground.


	23. Reconnecting

**A/N - Thanks so much for all the new follows and the reviews last chapter! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 23**

 **Reconnecting**

 **23 July 1998**

Remus lowered Hermione to the floor and picked up his wand where he'd dropped it when she fainted. The portrait was still shrieking and screaming as Remus pointed his wand at Hermione.

"Reennervate." Hermione's eyes fluttered and she looked up at Remus in confusion.

"Thank Merlin," he said, closing his eyes for a moment.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You fainted."

"Filthy mudblood, consorting with werewolves, dirtying up my floors!" Mrs. Black continued to scream. Remus stood with a snarl and yanked the curtain closed, casting another sticking charm on them. He knelt back down next to Hermione who was struggling to sit up. He grasped her arm and helped her.

"I can't believe I fainted," she said.

"Hermione, when was the last time you ate?" Remus asked.

"The toast Andromeda made me this morning," Hermione said.

"You barely touched that," he reminded her.

"I had a sandwich last night, I think."

"You think?" he repeated. She shrugged.

"I'm usually so tired when I get home that I just fall into bed."

"You must take better care of yourself," Remus admonished. She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips.

"There's a lot to do," she began but he shook his head and cut her off.

"None of this is necessary," he said. "Harry certainly doesn't expect you to do this by yourself."

"I want to," she insisted.

"I'm sure you do, but you cannot run yourself into the ground doing so." Remus' voice was starting to rise.

"Remus, I'm fine. I just forgot to eat is all."

"How often have you been forgetting to eat, Hermione?" he demanded.

"Not often," she said, but she didn't meet his eyes as she answered. He glared at her before he stood and held out a hand to help her to her feet. When she was standing he took hold of her arm and began to lead her toward the kitchen stairs. "Where are we going?"

"You're going to eat something," he said.

"We need to finish the wall," Hermione protested.

"Not until you've eaten." Hermione pulled her arm away from him.

"I'm not a child, Remus."

"Then stop acting like one," he snapped. She stared at him in shock and he sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "Hermione, you fainted not five minutes ago. You've told me that you've been skipping meals and I know you haven't been sleeping properly. Please, come with me to the kitchen and let me fix you some lunch."

"Let's just finish with the portrait and then I'll eat, I promise."

"No," he said.

"But Harry is going to stop by later and I wanted to be done by then."

"And how do you think Harry is going to feel if he knows you ended up in St. Mungo's because you were killing yourself remodeling his house?" Hermione faltered for a moment.

"I'm not killing myself," she said softly.

"Maybe not yet," Remus retorted. She looked down at her feet, her face reddening. Remus softened and stepped towards her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Hermione," he said, but she refused to look at him. When her shoulders began to shake, he realized she was crying and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm sorry," she choked out.

"It's all right," he soothed. He hugged her until she quieted. She pulled away a few seconds later.

"Will you come down to the kitchen?" he asked. She nodded and he walked next to her on the stairs, not wanting her to fall if she felt faint again.

He insisted that she sit at the table while he fixed her something to eat. There was some meat and cheese in the cold cupboard and Remus made her a sandwich, giving her a large glass of water as well. He sat down opposite her as she took a bite of the sandwich.

"You were right," she said quietly a few bites later.

"About?" he questioned.

"I haven't been taking care of myself. I'm not sure when I last ate a proper meal. And I haven't been sleeping much."

"Nightmares?" he asked gently. She nodded. He saw her bite her lip and look back at her plate.

"It's been months now," she said. "But I'm still having them nearly every night."

"I'm still having them too," Remus confessed. "It doesn't mean you're weak." Hermione's sharp glance at him led him to believe he had guessed correctly. "The things you went through, the things you were forced to do, it would give anyone nightmares."

"Keeping busy helps." Remus was aware of how focused Hermione could get when she was involved in a project and was sure that there were times she didn't stop to eat because she simply didn't think about it. But he was also sure that she was driving herself as hard as she was because if she stopped, it would only give her time to reflect on everything that had happened during the war and since.

"It's all right to want to forget for a little while," he said gently. "But not when it starts affecting your health." She sat silently, looking down at her plate. She had only eaten half the sandwich. Glancing up at him from under her lashes, she picked up the other half and took a bite.

"Please promise me that you will try to take better care of yourself."

"I will, I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize, Hermione." He paused for a moment, unsure if he should say what he was thinking. He knew how Hermione felt about House-elves, but concern won out. "Perhaps Harry could have Kreacher return and prepare meals for you while you're working on the house."

"He tried that," she said with a shrug of one shoulder. "Unfortunately, Kreacher did not appreciate the changes I'm making."

"Ah," Remus said in understanding.

"Harry sent him back to Hogwarts." She had nearly finished the sandwich now and set the last bit of it back on her plate, taking a long drink of water.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

"Much better, thank you." She looked at him uncertainly. "Can we finish with the portrait now?"

"As long as you promise that you will stop if you start to feel faint again," he said.

"I swear," she said with a smile.

"All right then." They both stood and without a word, Hermione flung her arms around him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything." Remus' arms came around her and he returned the embrace.

"You're welcome," he said. He felt her relax against him for a moment before she pulled away, looking slightly self-conscious. His brow furrowed, but she turned quickly and picked up her plate, carrying it to the sink.

"Ready?" she asked. He nodded and gestured for her to precede him. He followed her up the stairs to the entry and they continued to work on the wall, the portrait staying mercifully silent as the sticking charm held.

* * *

 **28 July 1998**

Hermione stared at the list in her hand and let out a sigh. There were only three names left on it and she had been avoiding making the remaining calls for weeks now. She wasn't sure she could handle any more disappointment.

She had seen Ron a few days prior when she had gone to the Burrow for Sunday dinner. Molly had been insistent and Hermione felt guilty enough for worrying the woman so she had gone. For all their problems, seeing Ron had been like a knife to the chest and she realized that she missed him as her best friend as much as she missed having him as her boyfriend, maybe more. She sincerely hoped that even if their romantic relationship didn't work out, they could get back to being friends.

It had been someone awkward being there, knowing that everyone knew they had broken up. Hermione remembered how Molly had believed Rita Skeeter's article during the Tri-Wizard tournament about Hermione supposedly breaking Harry's heart. The way Molly had rebuffed her had stung. But, Molly and Arthur didn't treat her any differently and neither did George, for which Hermione was grateful. Harry, on the other hand, was trying a bit too hard and every time Hermione saw Ron looking at her, he would glance away quickly, his face reddening as if he'd been caught doing something wrong. Hermione was glad when the entire thing was over and she could return to the quiet and solitude of her parents' house.

She had followed through on her promise to Remus and had been trying to take better care of herself. The nightmares continued, but instead of fleeing to Grimmauld Place as soon as she'd woken from one, Hermione had instead taken to cuddling up with Crookshanks and trying to sleep again. Some nights it worked and on those that it didn't, she lay in her bed and read instead of working herself into exhaustion.

Harry had been amazed at the changes in Grimmauld Place and had insisted that Hermione take a few days to herself after thanking her profusely for all the work she had done. Hermione had declined, but had slowed down, now that most of the main living areas were finished. Harry had summoned Kreacher and the elf had wailed for nearly an hour about his beloved Mistress being hidden forever. Then, however, he had listened to Harry and removed the House-elf heads from the wall on the stairs. Harry had suggested they bury the elves in the back garden and Hermione had made a small stone for each one after they had done so. Kreacher must have been touched by the kindness for he had actually nodded in thanks. Hermione had beamed for hours afterward.

Harry had ultimately sent the old elf back to Hogwarts, but had promised that if Harry ever decided to live at Grimmauld that he would ask Kreacher to return. Kreacher, with the fake locket still around his neck, had bowed to Harry and disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Hermione looked down at the list again with a sigh. She might as well get it over with. She rose from the couch and left the house for the telephone box a few blocks away.

* * *

Remus lifted Teddy from the pram and tucked the sleeping boy into his chest. After an unusually fussy morning, Remus had finally taken his son for a walk, hoping it would calm him enough to sleep. It had taken Remus three times around the block, but Teddy's eyes had finally started to droop and he was sleeping soundly now.

He stepped into the house to find Andromeda sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a letter lying in front of her. She glanced up at his entrance and he could see that she had been crying.

"Andromeda?" he questioned in concern. She waved him off.

"I'm fine," she said. She put a smile on her face, but it didn't reach her eyes. "He's finally asleep, I see."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine, Remus. Go and put Teddy down before he wakes up." Remus looked at her for a few more moments before he finally nodded and left the room.

When he returned without Teddy, Andromeda was already in the kitchen, wiping down countertops that had already been cleaned. Remus glanced at the table, but the letter was no longer there.

"Has something happened?" he asked causing Andromeda's hand to still. She turned slowly to face him.

"The letter was from Narcissa."

"She wrote to you again?" Remus questioned. He was a bit surprised. Narcissa Malfoy had never seemed to be the kind that would beg.

"She was responding to a letter I sent to her."

"I wasn't aware you had written her back," Remus said, even more shocked. The last time they had spoken about it, Andromeda had insisted she wanted nothing to do with her younger sister.

"Just two days ago." She sighed and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "I am still not sure why I did it."

"I don't need an explanation," Remus assured her.

"Perhaps I do," Andromeda said tiredly and moved back towards the table, sinking down into a chair. Remus followed suit, sitting down next to her.

"I had been looking through letters that Ted wrote to me when we were still in school and hiding our relationship. There was a photograph of Narcissa and I with one of the letters." She looked up at Remus. "Ted had asked me to send him a photograph of myself, but I didn't have one of just me at hand, so I sent the one of the both of us. He returned it to me in his next letter, telling me that he couldn't keep what was obviously such a special memory." She smiled wistfully.

"It had been taken the previous Christmas and Narcissa and I were both laughing, something that rarely happened in my household. But, Mother and Father were in especially good moods that year as Roland Lestrange and my father had just agreed to the match between Rodolphus and Bella. I loved that photograph and I carried it with me for months afterward." She paused and let out a breath.

"I was devastated when Narcissa turned her back on me, but Ted and then Nymphadora made it easier. And the world being as it was, well, it was likely better that the two of us didn't have any contact. I have never stopped missing her though." She looked at Remus then, slight panic on her face. "Please don't think I'm saying that you and Teddy are not enough for me, I don't mean that." Remus smiled and put his hand over hers.

"I don't think that," he assured her.

"You were right," Andromeda said a few moments later.

"About?" Remus questioned.

"In my letter, I told her that I still didn't trust her and wasn't sure if I could. I also said that I wasn't ready to see her and I didn't know if I ever would be. I did say that I was willing to continue writing to her, but I expected that to be the end of it, as Narcissa never took rejection well. I thought she would write back something cutting and disown me once again."

"But she didn't, I take it," Remus prompted when Andromeda didn't continue.

"No, she told me that she understood and she would let me set the pace of any interaction between us. She said she could be as patient as I needed." Andromeda looked up at him. "If I hadn't recognized the handwriting, I would have sworn someone else wrote it." Remus gave her hand a squeeze.

"I still don't know if this is the right thing to do," Andromeda admitted.

"That's why it's good you've only agreed to letters for now," Remus said. "I think you will likely get a good idea if she is sincere or not before you agree to meet with her."

"Perhaps you're right," Andromeda said, with a genuine smile this time.

"May I see the photograph?" Remus asked, suspecting that his mother-in-law was carrying it with her once again. Andromeda nodded and pulled it from the pocket of her robes.

A teenaged Andromeda and Narcissa stood next to one another, Andromeda's arm around Narcissa's waist. Andromeda said something to Narcissa and she giggled, bringing a hand to her mouth. Andromeda laughed as well, ducking her head slightly before they both stood straight and smiled at the camera. Remus smiled at the two sisters, who had obviously been extremely close. Remus hoped, with all that they had both suffered during the war, that they could someday find their way back to each other.

* * *

Hermione hung up the receiver dejectedly and looked back at her list. Only two more names to go. Gathering her courage, she dialed the next number on her list. The phone rang six times and she was about to hang up when someone answered.

"Hello," a breathless voice said. Hermione's heart leapt into her throat. She couldn't speak. "Hello, is anyone there?"

"H-hello," Hermione finally managed.

"Yes?" the woman on the other end said. Hermione swallowed thickly. It couldn't be. Her mind was playing tricks on her because she was so desperate.

"I'm, I'm looking for M-Monica Wilkins," Hermione stuttered out.

"This is she," the woman said. Hermione couldn't breathe. "Hello?"

"I, I'm sorry," Hermione whispered.

"May I ask who's calling, please?"

"This, I, I," Hermione trailed off, unable to answer.

"Miss, are you all right?"

"I'm, I'm…I'm sorry," Hermione said and she hung up. She sank to the grimy floor of the telephone box and burst into tears. Hermione had found her mother.

* * *

"Hermione?" Harry called as he stepped into the house. "Hermione, I got your message." Hermione sniffled from her spot on the couch and rolled her eyes. It had taken her a few tries, but she had finally been able to get her Patronus to form and had sent a message to Harry, asking him to come over after work. It figured that he wouldn't wait.

"Harry, I told you to come by after training," she said quietly. At the wobble in her voice, he was immediately in front of her.

"Hermione, what's the matter?" he asked in concern, sitting down on the coffee table in front of her. She sniffed again and looked down at her lap.

"I made the rest of my telephone calls to Australia today," she said. Harry's face fell.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," he said, misinterpreting her sadness. "But don't give up. Like I said, I'll hire a detective and we can go there if we need to, or-"

"I found them," Hermione whispered.

"Wait, what?"

"My mum, I talked to her."

"Hermione," Harry said, his eyes wide with surprise. "Are you sure?" Hermione nodded and began to cry again. Harry moved to sit beside her on the couch and pulled her into his arms. "This is amazing!" When Hermione began to cry harder, he pulled away from her slightly, brow furrowed. "This is good news, right?"

"Yes," she said.

"Then why are you crying?"

"They don't know me, Harry." Hermione sniffled. "I know it's stupid, because I'm the one that modified their memories, but I hoped, I hoped that when my mum heard my voice she would just _know_ me. But she didn't. She called me 'miss'."

"But they _will_ know you," Harry said. "Once you reverse the spell."

"But what if, what if they hate me for what I've done?"

"How could they hate you for keeping them safe?" Harry asked. Hermione shrugged. Harry hugged her to him again. "They couldn't hate you, Hermione. They love you."

"What if the spell doesn't work?"

"Then we'll find someone else who can reverse it," Harry said. "Hermione, you're going to get them back." Hermione nodded into his shoulder, tears still coursing down her cheeks. She should be happy, ecstatic, at finding her parents, but instead, there was a ball of dread in her gut at all that could go wrong. Harry pulled back from her after a few minutes.

"Come to the Burrow with me," he said. "You shouldn't be by yourself right now."

"Don't you have to go back to the Ministry?" she asked, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. He shook his head.

"Kingsley told me to make sure you were all right. He said to take the rest of the afternoon if I needed."

"You don't have to do that," Hermione protested.

"I do," Harry said with a shrug. "Besides, Molly would never forgive me if she found out I left you in this state." Hermione laughed. She bit her lip and looked at her best friend. A hug from Molly and a cup of tea sounded rather good right now, if she were honest.

"All right," she finally said. Harry smiled widely at her and stood from the couch, pulling her up with him.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Let me just wash my face," she said. She headed into the loo off the kitchen and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying she had been doing. Hermione splashed cold water on her face and then cast a spell Lavender and Parvati had taught her once to reduce the puffiness under her eyes. She glanced down at her arm, making sure the glamour she cast on her scar when she wasn't wearing long sleeves was still in place. Deciding she was as presentable as she was going to get and knowing that Molly would know she'd been crying regardless, Hermione left the loo. Harry was waiting for her at the back door with a smile on his face and the two of them stepped into the back garden to Disapparate.

* * *

They had just appeared at the Burrow, when a familiar Patronus materialized in front of them.

"Harry, what happened? Is she all right? Let me know, damn it!"

"Shite," Harry swore.

"Why is Ron so upset?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"I, sort of, told him, I had to go see you," Harry said.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "It wasn't even an emergency."

"I know, but your otter sounded so sad, I just, I was worried. And I told him I'd send him a Patronus as soon as I'd checked on you, but I forgot."

"Well, you'd better hurry up and send him one," she said. "Before he does something stupid, like leave work to try to find us."

"Right," Harry replied. He drew his wand and grinned before he whispered the spell, his stag forming in front of them. "Everything is fine. We'll see you at dinner." The stag disappeared a second later.

" _We'll_ see you at dinner?" Hermione said, crossing her arms in front of her. Harry shrugged.

"You know Molly isn't going to let you leave now that you're here." Hermione sighed.

"I suppose not."

"Come on," Harry said. He put an arm around her shoulders and led her towards the Burrow.

When they stepped inside, Molly was in the living room, tidying up. She turned around and looked at them in surprise.

"Harry, what are you doing home?" she asked. Before Harry could answer, Molly turned to Hermione. She studied her for a mere second before she walked towards her. "Hermione, dear, what's happened? You've been crying." Hermione managed a strangled laugh and shook her head. Molly turned back to Harry, looking confused.

"She found her parents," Harry said.

"Oh, sweetheart, that's wonderful." Hermione nodded slightly. At her less than enthusiastic reaction, Molly tipped Hermione's chin up to look at her. Hermione couldn't help the tears that began again. Molly said nothing, but pulled Hermione into her arms and Hermione let go of everything she had been holding in for weeks now. Molly maneuvered them to the couch without lessening her grip on Hermione.

"Hush, now, it's all right," Molly soothed, stroking Hermione's hair and hugging her tighter. Hermione allowed herself to be soothed, her tears finally stopping a few minutes later. Molly pulled back slightly and brushed a strand of hair away from Hermione's face. Molly pulled a few tissues from her pocket and handed them to Hermione. "Now what's all this about?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to reverse the spell," Hermione said, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. She saw that Harry had disappeared. Molly cocked her head, studying Hermione.

"Are you sure that's all?" she asked. "Because you are an extremely talented witch, Hermione, and I don't doubt that you researched this spell very thoroughly before you cast it on your parents." Hermione looked down at her lap, twisting the tissue in her hands.

"I'm afraid," Hermione whispered.

"Afraid of what, dear?"

"I'm afraid that they're going to be angry with me."

"Well, unfortunately, that might be true," Molly said. "I expect you hadn't shared much of what was happening in the wizarding world." Hermione shook her head. "And you did do it without talking to them about it first, yes?"

"I'm afraid that they won't be able to forgive me for that." Hermione sniffled, trying not to cry again. "I'm afraid they'll never want to see me again." Molly smiled at her and cupped Hermione's face in her hands.

"I don't know your parents very well, we only met those couple of times, but I could tell how much they loved you, Hermione," Molly said. "I don't think that would ever happen." Hermione wasn't convinced. Molly took hold of her hands.

"Have you thought about when you would like to go to Australia?"

"No," Hermione said. "I don't, I don't know if I'm ready for that yet."

"I think you should," Molly said. Hermione looked up at her. "The longer you wait, the more you're going to fret about it and the worse you will make it out to be in your mind. It's better if you just go and get things done with."

"Like ripping off a plaster," Hermione said.

"A what, dear?" Molly questioned in confusion.

"Muggle thing," Hermione said with a small smile. She took a deep breath and looked at Molly again. "You're right. I'll go after Harry's birthday." Molly smiled and squeezed her hands.

"Good girl," she said. "And you know that no matter what happens, Arthur and I are here for you."

"Thank you, Molly," Hermione replied, blinking quickly when she teared up again. "I'm sorry for crying all over you." Molly waved away her apology.

"That's what mothers are for, dear."

* * *

 **31 July 1998**

Remus carried a sleepy Teddy through the kitchen and into the living room of the Burrow. Teddy had been nearly asleep when the laughter from Harry's party had woken him again. Besides the Weasleys, most of Harry's classmates from Gryffindor were in attendance, along with Luna, as well as quite a few members of the former Gryffindor Quidditch team. Hagrid and Minerva had stopped by for a bit and Remus and Andromeda had been invited, of course. Andromeda and Molly had become good friends, bonding over their shared grief of losing a child, and the two women were still chatting. Remus had been happy to see that most of the younger people were in good spirits, even after all the tragedy they had lived through. Still, Remus had decided to come inside to try and get his fussy son back to sleep in a quieter environment. He stopped short when he realized the living room was already occupied.

"Oh, hello, Remus," Hermione said as he came further into the room. "Is Teddy all right?"

"Yes, just overtired. It's a bit too loud for him outside." Hermione nodded and looked back at the empty fireplace. Remus studied her as he adjusted Teddy against his shoulder, lightly swaying as Teddy settled against him. Remus wondered why she was inside by herself instead of outside with her friends. He had noticed that she had seemed a bit preoccupied throughout the evening. As Teddy's breathing became deeper, Remus moved further into the room, sitting down in the rocking chair Molly kept near the fireplace. He slowly rocked back and forth and still Hermione stared into the fireplace, looking a million miles away.

"Hermione," he said quietly once he was sure Teddy was asleep.

"Yes?" she replied, not looking up at him.

"Why are you in here all by yourself?" She shrugged.

"Not much in the celebrating mood, I guess."

"Is something wrong?"

"Not _wrong,_ exactly," Hermione said with a sigh, looking back into the fireplace. Remus waited. He didn't want to pry if she didn't want to talk about it, but he was willing to listen if she did. He wondered if it had something to do with Ron and their relationship troubles. Remus wasn't sure exactly where the two of them stood, but he hadn't noticed them speaking to each other much over the course of the night.

"I'm leaving for Australia tomorrow," she said, so quietly, Remus almost didn't hear her.

"You found them?" he questioned. Hermione nodded. "Hermione, that's wonderful." She gave him another one of those sad half-smiles. "It isn't wonderful?"

"No, it is," she said. "There was a part of me that was sure the Death Eaters had found them despite everything I did to keep them safe. No, it's just," she trailed off and shook her head. "Have you ever wanted anything so much that you're actually afraid to get it?" Remus' grip tightened on Teddy momentarily.

"Yes," he said simply. Hermione looked up at him and her eyes shifted to Teddy. She nodded, remembering everything Remus had said at Grimmauld Place last year when he wanted to join them on the Horcrux hunt.

"I want to go to Australia and reverse the spell, but I'm terrified." She leaned forward and put her face in her hands. "There are so many things that could go wrong, sometimes I think that maybe they're better off where they are."

"Speaking as a parent, I don't think they're better off without their only child," Remus said. Hermione dropped her hands from her face and looked up at him.

"But they don't know they have a child, so what is there to miss?"

"You'd be surprised, Hermione," he said. "Having a child creates a bond that I can't even explain. Even though you modified their memories, I'd wager they know they're missing something. They just don't know what it is." She was silent for a few moments and so Remus continued. "I think the anticipation of what's going to happen can sometimes be worse than the actual event."

"Molly said something along those lines too," Hermione said.

"Rip off the plaster, Hermione." She looked up at him in surprise. He chuckled. "Muggle mother, remember?"

"Right," she said with a small laugh. "Thank you, Remus." Teddy stirred slightly and Remus brought a hand to the boy's back, rubbing small circles there as the baby settled again. Hermione gave him a fond smile.

"How long to you plan to be gone?" Remus asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "I've got an international Portkey tomorrow morning at eight, which puts me in Sydney at five. My parents are actually in Melbourne, but all Portkeys have to go through the Australian Ministry in Sydney."

"Can you get another Portkey to Melbourne?" Remus asked.

"I would have to request one when I get to Sydney and while it's likely they would approve it, there's always the chance it could take a day or two. There is an overnight Muggle train, which is what I'm planning right now. It will be the weekend, so I should have a better chance of finding them at home. As for how long I'll be gone, it will depend on if I can reverse the spell and what their reaction is afterward." She grew quiet again, worrying about the outcome, Remus was sure.

"No matter what happens, Hermione, you know that you have people here that love and support you."

"I know," Hermione said, her eyes watery.

"Remus?" a quiet voice said. Remus looked up to see Andromeda standing in the doorway. "Is Teddy asleep?"

"Yes, finally," Remus replied. Andromeda nodded.

"Perhaps we should get him home, then," she said.

"As long as you're ready to leave," Remus said.

"I am," she replied. "I've said our good-byes to Harry and Molly and Arthur." Remus nodded as he stood, Andromeda already holding Teddy's bag. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and a fire sprang up in the grate. Taking a pinch of Floo powder from the bowl on the mantle, she turned and smiled at Hermione.

"It was nice to see you again, Hermione. Have a good evening."

"You as well," Hermione said, as Andromeda disappeared into the flames. Remus draped a blanket over Teddy and took his own Floo powder.

"Good luck on your trip and please remember what I said."

"I will," Hermione agreed. "Good night."

"Good night," Remus echoed. He called out his destination and stepped into the fireplace, Hermione's smiling face disappearing in a whoosh of flame.


	24. Found

**A/N - Thanks so much for continuing to read and review! There is no Remus in this chapter, unfortunately. I wanted to concentrate on what happened when Hermione found her parents. Remus will be back next chapter though. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 24**

 **Found**

 **2 August 1998**

Hermione looked out the window of the taxi as they drove down a quiet street, quaint brick homes lining either side. She couldn't quite believe she was already in her parents' neighborhood.

She had taken the train from Sydney instead of requesting another Portkey. While she had always found Portkey travel to be a bit unpleasant, international Portkey travel was an entirely different thing. It was a good thing Hermione had turned down Molly's offer of breakfast the previous morning. She would have lost it all over the floor of the Australian Ministry if she hadn't.

Hermione had debated for a moment once she'd reached Australia, but in the end decided the train would be her best option. It would give her time to prepare before she actually arrived at her parents' house. She could hear Harry's voice in her head, telling her that she had prepared all she could and she was just putting off the inevitable, but Hermione tried to ignore him. This trip was going to be hard enough as it was. An extra day to get herself ready for it wasn't going to hurt anything. Besides, getting there the Muggle way seemed the right thing to do and made her feel a bit closer to her parents.

Harry had offered to come with her, of course, but Hermione had turned him down. Even if Harry hadn't been busy with Auror training, Hermione knew this was something she had to do alone. If she and Ron were still together, she wouldn't have let him come either. Something Ron wouldn't have liked at all, she was sure.

"Here we are," the driver said as he stopped in front of one of the homes. Hermione looked out the window at the house that held her parents. It was smaller than where they lived in England, although that made sense since it was just the two of them. Everything was well-kept, which Hermione didn't find at all surprising. Her mother had loved to putter around in their garden.

"Miss?" the driver said when Hermione had made no move to get out of the car.

"Yes, right," she said, handing over the money to cover the fare. "Thank you." She slowly got out of the taxi and walked up the drive, her steps slowing the closer she got to the front door. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she had to force herself to breathe evenly. She went over her plan in her mind again as she reached the front door. Taking a deep breath, Hermione rang the bell.

She could hear the echo of the bell and her insides squirmed. A few moments passed and then she heard footsteps. It took everything she had not to turn around and run.

The door opened and her father stood in front of her. Hermione lost the ability to speak as she stared at him. He looked the same as he had a year ago, although he was tanner than he had been. His smile slowly shifted to a frown as Hermione remained mute.

"May I help you?" he finally asked. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek as she felt the tears gather.

"Yes, I," Hermione paused and pulled in another breath to try and calm herself. "My name is Hermione Granger." Her father continued to stare at her, waiting for her to continue, no recognition in his eyes. Hermione shook her wand into her hand and pointed it at him.

"What?" he began, brow furrowed in confusion at the wand.

"Confundo." Her father shuddered, then looked at her in confusion. "You were just about to invite me in."

"Oh, yes, yes of course," her father said, stepping back from the doorway and ushering her inside. He closed the door behind her.

"Wendell?" a voice called from further in the house. Hermione heard her mother moving towards them and readied her wand again. When her mother came around the corner, Hermione's breath left her. Hermione wanted nothing more than to throw herself into her mother's arms and never let go. Her mum looked at Hermione quizzically, then at her husband.

"Who's this, Wendell?" Her mother asked.

"This is Hermione," her father said.

"Hermione?" her mother repeated and Hermione watched her for any signs of recognition. Her mother frowned in concentration, then looked at Hermione again. "What a lovely name." Hermione half laughed, half sobbed as she raised her wand to her mother.

"Confundo," she said again and her mother's eyes went as vacant as her father's. "You were going to ask me to sit down."

"Won't you please sit down?" her mother said, leading her into the living room. Hermione perched on a chair as her parents sat down on the couch opposite her. They were both smiling brightly at her and Hermione simply stared at them for a few moments. She knew the Confundus charm wouldn't last much longer and she needed to get started with her plan to restore their memories, but she just wanted to look at them for a bit longer.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione finally said as she raised her wand again. "Stupefy." They both slumped back against the couch. Hermione finally allowed the tears to fall. She leaned forward and took hold of one of each of their hands, squeezing tightly as she cried. When she had finally composed herself, she turned and put a privacy spell on the room, then pulled a spell book from her beaded bag and opened it to the page she had marked. She studied the incantation and wand movements one last time before she turned back to her parents. She would need to lift the stunning spell before she began, but she also needed them to be still or it could affect the counter-spell. As much as she hated it, she was going to have to bind them.

She had debated which of them to start with and decided on her mother. Her mother was likely to be much angrier than her father about what Hermione had done, but if her father saw her mother unconscious, he would fight much harder to try and help her. Hermione wasn't sure if her binding spell would hold him. Her mother would be able to keep him calm if her memories were restored first.

"Incarcerous," Hermione said, pointing her wand at her mother. She cast another spell to keep her mother's head still and then took a breath. "Reenervate." Her mother's eyes fluttered open and then flew wide as she realized she couldn't move.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said, forcing back the tears as she raised her wand again. "It will be over in just a few minutes." Her mother tried to struggle, but Hermione had made sure the bonds were tight before she began. Her mum looked so terrified, Hermione almost quit before she began, but she strengthened her resolve and began to chant the counter-spell. It was tricky and demanded complete concentration, something that was difficult knowing that her mother was so scared and her father still unconscious. Hermione shoved those thoughts from her mind and focused. It would be disastrous if she made a mistake now.

When the spell was finished, her mother closed her eyes for a moment. Hermione cancelled the spell, holding her head in place, but kept the bindings on until she could be sure the spell had worked. Her mother slowly opened her eyes, shaking her head as if to clear it. Hermione bit her lip and waited. The book had said there would be some confusion as the memories were unlocked and the furrow of her mother's brow proved that to be true. She didn't even seem to notice the bindings. After a few minutes, she finally looked up at Hermione. She still looked confused.

"Mum?" Hermione whispered hopefully. Her mother's brow furrowed again and she tried to move her arm, looking puzzled as to why she couldn't. At least she wasn't thrashing about.

"Mum," Hermione said again. She wasn't sure what she would do if this didn't work. Her mother stared at her again as if she were trying to place her. Hermione's heart was in her throat. The book had said it would take a few minutes, but it should have worked by now. Hermione hadn't been able to find any instances of this particular spell being used on Muggles. She had probably turned her mother's brain to mush now. Hermione dropped her head into her hands, her shoulders shaking as she succumbed to tears once more.

"Hermione?" Hermione's head whipped up and her eyes widened. Nearly twenty minutes had passed and her mother still looked confused, but she had said Hermione's name.

"Mum?" Hermione replied.

"Hermione, why can't I move?" her mother said, perplexed.

"I'm sorry, here," Hermione said, removing the bindings. Her mother shook her arms a bit and looked back at her daughter.

"Why are you crying?" she asked. She turned to the side. "And what is wrong with your father?" Her eyes seemed to clear as she spoke and soon her mouth dropped open. She leapt to her feet. "What did you do to us?"

"Mum, I'm sorry, I had to, I," Hermione began, but her mother was shaking her head violently.

"No," she said. "No." Hermione watched her mum take a deep breath and then stare at Hermione. "What did you do?"

"Mum, I can explain, I promise, just let me fix Dad," Hermione said raising her wand, but her mother swatted it out of her hand.

"No!" she shouted. "No, you will not do anything to him! Why isn't he awake?"

"I had to stun you both before I did the spell," Hermione explained, trying to remain calm.

"What spell?" her mother demanded.

"The spell to restore your memories."

"You took, you took," her mother trailed off and stared at her in horror.

"I had to," Hermione said. "Please, let me fix things with Dad and then I'll explain, I swear!"

"You promised," her mother said. "You promised when we let you go to Hogwarts that you would never raise your wand to us."

"I know and I'm so, so sorry, but you don't understand, I _had_ to do this," Hermione said. "Please, Mum, please just let me fix Dad and then I'll explain. _Please_!" Hermione was crying again now and knew she had to get herself under control before she attempted to cast the spell on her father. She pulled in a breath and let it out, then looked back at her mother.

"Please, Mum," she said much more quietly. "I'll tell you what I'm doing as I go, but please just let me do this. It won't hurt him, I swear."

"Wake him up first," her mother insisted. "Let me talk to him."

"He won't understand," Hermione said. "He still thinks he's Wendell Wilkins. He won't know who I am or what you're talking about."

"I'm his wife, he'll know _me_ ," her mother snapped.

"Yes, as Monica," Hermione said. "He won't know who Jean Granger is." Her mother glared at her and then looked back at her husband. Hermione was starting to regret reversing the spell on her mother first. Her father was more level-headed.

"Fine, do it," her mother said, crossing her arms over her chest. Hermione nodded and retrieved her wand from the floor. She wiped at her cheeks and composed herself before she turned back to her father.

"I'm going to bind him now," Hermione said. The ropes shot from her wand and wrapped themselves around her father. "This is to keep his head still." She cast the stabilization spell. "Now I'm going to wake him up, but he needs to stay calm. Reenervate." Unlike her mother, her father's eyes snapped open immediately.

"I'll be finished in a few minutes," Hermione said. Her father's eyes shifted to her mother and he began to struggle.

"Richard," her mother began, then shook her head. "Wendell, just stay still. Everything is all right." Hermione raised her wand and began the incantation, her father watching her in shock the entire time. Hermione could tell when the memories began to return as his eyes widened and then he blinked rapidly for several seconds. When she was finished, she immediately cancelled the charm holding his head still.

"Get rid of the ropes," her mother insisted.

"In a minute," Hermione said. "Wait until everything integrates, so he's not so agitated." He looked back and forth between Hermione and his wife, confusion on his face that slowly cleared the more time that passed. Hermione cancelled the binding spell a few minutes later. Her father stared at her for what felt like an eternity.

"Hermione," he finally said.

"Dad," Hermione replied, choking on a sob.

"Where have you been?" he asked and she cried harder.

"I'm so sorry," she managed before he reached out for her arm. He pulled her towards him and she threw herself into his arms as he hugged her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she kept repeating as her father attempted to soothe her. Her mother stood to the side, arms crossed, still furious. Hermione didn't blame her, she couldn't after what she'd done to them both. But she longed for her mother's embrace as much as her father's.

"It's all right, Princess," her father said, reverting to his childhood nickname for her. It only made Hermione cry harder. "Jean, can you make tea?"

"No, I want to know what the _hell_ she was thinking," her mother snapped.

"I know," her father said. "And I do too, believe me, but I think we all need to calm down first." Hermione couldn't look at her mother, but she could feel her mother's glare.

"Fine," Jean finally said. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Once her mother had left the room, Hermione pulled away from her father. He reached next to him for a box of tissues that sat on the end table and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, wiping her tears and blowing her nose. Looking back at her father, Hermione couldn't help but smile. It was so good to see him again. She had missed them dreadfully and worried about them constantly. Even though she rarely saw them during the school year, they had exchanged letters regularly. To have no contact with them for over a year had been horribly difficult.

Her mother came back into the room with the tea tray. She sat stiffly and prepared cups for everyone, passing them out without speaking. Hermione took a sip and glanced up at her mother, who Hermione knew was still furious.

"You said you would explain," her mother said. "So talk." Hermione sat back on the couch, cocooning herself into the corner as if the furniture could protect her.

"I'm sorry," she said again and then proceeded to explain what had been happening in the wizarding world from the moment she had stepped foot into it. By the time she had reached the summer she had modified their memories, they both looked horror-struck.

"Things were getting increasingly dangerous," she continued, glancing between the two of them. "People were disappearing all the time and with my connection to Harry, plus being Muggle-born, I knew I would be a target. I couldn't go with Harry to look for Horcruxes without doing something to keep you safe. Once Voldemort realized we were on the run, he would have sent someone after the two of you to try and get me to turn myself in. I couldn't risk it."

"It's not your job to protect us," her father said. "It's a parent's job to protect their child."

"There's no way you could have, Dad," Hermione said. "I had to get you out of the country."

"Don't you think that decision should have been up to us?" her mother demanded.

"Would you have gone if I'd asked?" Hermione countered.

"You didn't give us the chance to decide, did you?" her mother retorted.

"Mum, I'm sorry, I'll say it a hundred times if it helps. But I love you and I couldn't risk anything happening to you. I wouldn't have been able to bear it."

"And if something had happened to you?" her father questioned. Hermione looked at her lap.

"You wouldn't have remembered me," she said. "You would have lived out your life here, happy and safe."

"Happy?" her mother demanded. "Happy, Hermione? How could we have possibly been happy if our only child was dead?"

"You wouldn't have known that you ever had a child," Hermione tried to explain again. "You never would have known what happened. There wouldn't have been anything for you to miss." Her mother stared at her for a moment before she rose from the couch.

"If that's what you think, you aren't as intelligent as I thought," her mother said softly. Then she left the room. Hermione heard the click of a door moment later. She looked to her father helplessly. He scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed deeply.

"Dad, I'm sorry," she said again.

"I know you think you are, Hermione, but if you had to make the same decision again, would you have still done it?" She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, swallowing hard.

"Yes," she said.

"Then you're not really as sorry as you think you are." He stood as well. "I need to check on your mother. It might be best if you left for a while." Hermione looked up at him in shock. "This is a lot to take in. We just, we're going to need some time." Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from crying.

"There's a hotel a few blocks from here," he said. He reached into the pocket of his trousers. "Let me give you some money."

"No," Hermione said as she stood. "I have my own." She began to walk towards the front door, desperate to get out of the house before she broke down again.

"Hermione," her father said and she stopped, but didn't turn to look at him. "We both love you." She nodded and hurried from the house, hand covering her mouth to stifle her sobs. She walked as quickly as she could down the street until she could no longer see through her tears. Sinking down on a bench at a bus stop, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

* * *

Hermione woke with a start, the last bits of her nightmare still sharp in her mind. Her gaze darted around the room, frantically trying to remember where she was. It was only when her eyes fell on the pamphlet on the bedside table that she shook off the last of the dream. Australia, the hotel, right. Pulling in a breath, Hermione tried to run a hand through her hair, but her curls were hopelessly tangled.

Flopping down on her back, she stared at the ceiling wondering what her parents were talking about. Her mother had been furious, but by the end she had almost seemed sad. Her father had just been disappointed. Hermione's gut twisted. Her parents' approval had always been the most important thing to her as a child and even at almost nineteen, it still carried a great weight. She had hated seeing the disappointment in her dad's eyes just before she left the house.

His question still rang in her ears, but Hermione knew that if she had to do everything all over again, she would have made the same decision. No, she hadn't been honest with them about everything that happened to her while she was at Hogwarts. Even when she was petrified, her parents were only told it was a magical accident that left her unable to write to them and that she would be good as new in a few weeks. Her mother had questioned her about it when Hermione came home for the summer, but Hermione had kept her answers vague. The summer after her fifth year, when she had been taking the potions to counter Dolohov's curse, her mother had grilled her with questions for days afterward and didn't seem to think much of Hermione's explanation.

Hermione could tell that her mother, at least, had been reluctant to let her return for her sixth year. She could just imagine what would have happened if they had known that not only were they in danger, but Hermione was as well. No, Hermione had done the only thing she could have. She would just have to make her parents understand that. If they gave her the chance to explain, that is.

Sighing, Hermione sat up again. A glance at the clock told her she'd been sleeping for over two hours and it had been six since she left her parents' house. Her stomach rumbled, but she needed to get cleaned up first. She pulled her bag toward her and summoned her kit and a change of clothes before she rose to go into the bathroom.

Just as she had started the shower, Hermione heard a ringing. Stepping back into the room with a furrowed brow, she realized it was her room telephone. Her heart sped up. Only her parents knew she was here. Rushing across the room, Hermione grabbed for the phone.

"Hello," she said breathlessly.

"Hermione, it's Dad." Hermione's eyes closed and she couldn't help the hitch in her breath. She sat down on the bed.

"Dad, hi."

"Your mother and I have been talking," he began, then paused. Hermione bit her lip, her heart pounding. "Have you had dinner?"

"No," she said wondering at the change in topic.

"We're going to order take-away," he said. "We'd like it if you joined us."

"Yes, yes of course," she said immediately, hope blooming. "I'm just getting cleaned up and then I'll be there."

"All right, we'll see you in a bit." Her father hung up. Hermione stood for a few moments staring at the receiver in her hand. She finally set it down in its cradle and then ran to the loo.

* * *

Hermione glanced at her parents again, but neither of them spoke. There had been very little talk since she'd gotten here. The food had arrived only moments after she did and they had all sat down to eat right away. A few questions about the state of the hotel had been all the conversation they'd had. It was all terribly awkward and Hermione hated it. She was just about to speak when her father pushed his plate away and looked at her.

"I assume since you've come and found us now, that the danger is over," he said. Hermione looked at him quizzically, then realized that she hadn't finished telling them about the Horcrux hunt and the Final Battle.

"Yes," she said. "Harry destroyed Voldemort and his supporters have been arrested."

"And what did you have to do with all of that?" her mother asked.

"I was with Harry all last school year," she said. "We searched for and destroyed the rest of the Horcruxes, so Harry could kill Voldemort. And I fought alongside him in the battle." Her mother shook her head.

"I still don't understand why your government allowed children to fight their war for them."

"The government was infiltrated by Voldemort," Hermione explained again. "And we were all of age, Mum."

"But from what you've told us, you've been doing this since you were twelve, Hermione," her mother said, getting angry again. "Who allows _children_ to do that?" Hermione didn't say anything. She couldn't deny that she had wondered the same thing herself over the years.

"It was the prophecy," she finally said. "Harry had to be the one to get rid of him."

"What I don't understand is why you want to continue to live in a world like that," her mother snapped. Hermione saw her dad put a hand on her mum's arm. Her mum glanced at him and sighed.

"We're concerned, Hermione, that you're going to get pulled into something else like this," he dad said.

"There's nothing to be worried about," Hermione assured him. "Voldemort is gone and as I said, his followers are in prison. There's a new Minister, one who's fair and doesn't want another war any more than the rest of us do."

"But you are still Harry's friend," her mother said. "And if he's considered some kind of savior, what makes you think the public won't call on him again if there's another problem wizard?"

"I can't say what might happen," Hermione said. "But you've always taught me to stand up for what was right and to support my friends and my family. That's what I did and I'd do it again." Her parents glanced at each other, communicating silently. Hermione spoke again before either of them could say anything.

"I know you're angry with me," she said. "I took away your memories without asking you and I am sorry for that. I know that sounds hollow since I've said I'd do it again if I had to, but you must understand. There is no way you could have fought against the Death Eaters. There weren't wards safe enough to leave you in England. I _had_ to do this. It was the only way I wouldn't lose you." She began to tear up again.

"Do you know that ever since we've been here, I've felt like there was something missing?" her mother said quietly. "I couldn't figure out what it was, didn't even know if it was a piece of furniture or a friend's address or some picture or other, but it was always there, nagging at me." Her mother looked up at her. "It was you, Hermione." A tear slid down her mother's cheek. "And if something had happened to you and you'd never been able to come back for us, I would have felt that until the day I died. I know you took away all our tangible memories of you, but you could never erase yourself completely. Not ever." Hermione was openly crying now and she rose from her chair and came around the table. She sank to her knees next to her mother's chair.

"I'm sorry, Mum, I'm so sorry," she choked out. Her mother stared at her for a moment before she wrapped her arms around Hermione and pulled her close. Hermione returned the embrace and in a few moments, felt another set of arms around her as her father hugged them both. She wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, but even when her knees began to protest, Hermione ignored it, relishing in the embrace of her parents.

* * *

 **4 August 1998**

Hermione stepped into the back garden where her mother was weeding her flower beds. Things had been tense the last two days, but at least they were still talking. After Hermione's break down two days ago, her father had insisted she stay the night in their guest room. The next morning, her father had gone to work, unable to reschedule all his patients at the last minute. Surprisingly, her mother had not elected to continue working as a dentist once they had arrived in Australia. She had gotten a job at a local nursery instead. Her mother had always enjoyed gardening, but Hermione had no idea she would have liked to make it a career.

Her mother had requested a few days off for a family emergency, even though Hermione had insisted it wasn't necessary. Her father was seeing a few patients this morning as well, but had cleared his schedule for the rest of the week. He expected to be home by lunch.

"Can I help?" Hermione asked as she neared her mother. Jean looked up at her, squinting in the sun.

"If you like," she said. Hermione knelt in the grass and began to pull weeds. They worked in silence for a few minutes. Although they were talking, things were still awkward between them. Hermione knew that her parents had lost trust in her and she couldn't blame them really. It would take time to gain that back.

"I suppose this would be easier with magic," her mother finally said and Hermione forced herself not to react. Her mother had been making comments like this over the last two days, even though Hermione had put her wand away after she had restored their memories and hadn't taken it out since.

"Actually," Hermione said, "Molly does most of her weeding by hand as well. She says that it's faster than casting a spell on each weed."

"Really," her mother said, trying not to sound interested.

"Yes," Hermione said. She chose not to tell her mother that there were charms that could be cast when the initial planting was done to discourage the growth of those same weeds. She didn't think her mother would appreciate it just now.

They drifted into silence again. Hermione really wanted to talk to her mother about her relationship with Ron, but she wasn't sure if her mother would be receptive. They had been polite to one another and Hermione had given them more details about what had happened during her year on the run and the Final Battle. But she hadn't really shared anything overly personal. Her parents were aware she had been staying at the Burrow, but had moved back into their house a few weeks ago. They hadn't asked why.

"Hermione?" her mother said a few minutes later.

"Yes?"

"Why did you move back into the house?" Hermione's hand stilled on the weed she was pulling. "I know you said you have Crookshanks, but it's got to be lonely there all by yourself. Did something happen with the Weasleys?"

"Sort of," Hermione said sitting back on her heels.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

"Ron and I," Hermione trailed off, biting her lip. Her mother looked at her quizzically before her eyes widened in understanding.

"The two of you are together?" her mother asked. Before Hermione could answer, her mother continued. "I have to say, I didn't see that coming. I thought you and Harry maybe, but Ron?" Her mother shook her head.

"Harry?" Hermione said in surprise. "Harry's like my brother."

"Fair enough," her mother said. "So, the Weasleys asked you to leave because you were dating their son?"

"No," Hermione assured her. "I left on my own."

"Why?" her mother asked again. Instead of answering, Hermione posed her own question.

"Why didn't you see Ron and I coming?"

"Well, you're so different," her mother said. "And the two of you argue quite a bit. You were always complaining about him for one reason or another. Although, I suppose there is the whole 'opposites attract' thing."

"I suppose," Hermione agreed. Her mother's brow furrowed.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, maybe we are too different," Hermione said. "We broke up actually. That's why I left the Burrow."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," her mother said. Hermione's eyes teared up at the endearment. Her mother stood and held out a hand to Hermione. "Come inside. I'll make tea and we'll talk all about it." Hermione took her mother's hand and pulled herself to her feet. This is what she wanted, to be able to talk to her mother like they used to. Before her mum could walk away, Hermione put her arms around her.

"I love you, Mum." Her mother's arms came around her and she hugged Hermione tightly.

"I love you too, Hermione."


	25. Runaway

**A/N - Hello all! Thanks so much for all the great feedback last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one as well. And again, thanks to everyone who is reading, following, favoriting and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 25**

 **Runaway**

 **5 August 1998**

Remus waved his wand to tie the bow on the small package that sat on his bed, while Teddy watched intently from his infant seat. Remus smiled at his son and cast a set of sparks into the air which not only caused Teddy to giggle, but also his hair to change color. Remus chuckled and tucked his wand into his pocket, before picking up both Teddy and the package.

"Let's go find your grandmother, shall we?" The two of them made their way to the kitchen, Teddy shoving a fist in his mouth and beginning to gnaw on it. Remus grimaced a bit at the large strand of drool that dripped from Teddy's mouth and onto Remus' arm. Who knew such a small person could produce so much saliva?

Andromeda was putting away the breakfast dishes when the two of them entered the room. She looked up at smiled at her grandson.

"Not down for his nap yet, I see."

"No, Teddy had something he wanted to give you," Remus said. He held out the package, away from Teddy's reach. "Happy Birthday."

"Remus, you didn't have to get me anything," Andromeda admonished.

"I didn't," Remus said. "It's from Teddy." Andromeda shook her head, but took the gift all the same. She sat down at the kitchen table and opened it. Remus sat down next to her and Teddy managed to get a hand on some of the wrapping paper, trying to shove it straight into his mouth as usual. Remus pried it out of his fingers and gave him one of his teething rings instead, which Teddy happily accepted.

Remus turned his attention to Andromeda. She opened the small box and gasped.

"Remus, it's beautiful," she said, taking the delicate locket from its box.

"Open it," Remus said. Andromeda popped the clasp and brought a hand to her mouth. A photograph of Ted and Dora was on one side, one of Teddy on the other. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the pictures.

"This is, this is just perfect," she said. "Thank you." She leaned forward and kissed Remus' cheek and then the top of Teddy's head.

"Here," Remus said. "Let me help you." He passed Teddy to her and then took the locket, fastening it around her neck. Teddy immediately reached for it, but Andromeda quickly slipped it under her robes. Remus squeezed one of her shoulders before he sat back down.

"You shouldn't have spent your money on me," she said.

"You deserve much more than this for all you've done to help Teddy and me." The locket had been a bit expensive, but he had his wages from tutoring at Hogwarts. Kingsley had also been sure that Remus got the death benefit that the Ministry paid to the families of Aurors killed in the line of duty. Although the Final Battle hadn't been an actual mission, Kingsley had authorized the payment anyway.

"You're family," she said simply. Remus smiled as Teddy yawned widely. Andromeda summoned a bottle and warmed it before she began to feed Teddy.

"I've got to get to Hogwarts," Remus said. His second round of tutoring had begun two days ago.

"All right, we'll see you when you get home," Andromeda said. Remus bent down and kissed Teddy's forehead before heading for the Floo. When he glanced back, Andromeda had pulled the locket from her robes and was running a finger over the front. Remus smiled before he stepped into the Floo and called out for Hogwarts.

* * *

 **11 August 1998**

Hermione was curled up on the couch, reading a novel she had found on her parents' bookshelves. Things had been getting better between the three of them. They had taken the days that her parents took from work and done some sightseeing as well as a lot of talking. Her dad had gone back to work yesterday, although he was only working in the mornings. Her mother had yet to return to her job at the nursery, but assured Hermione this was a slower time of year and she wasn't really needed.

Things were still tense at times. Whenever Hermione mentioned anything about the war, her dad especially, seemed to tense up. But they listened and asked questions, which Hermione answered as honestly as she could.

The conversation they had about what had happened at Malfoy Manor had been the worst so far. Her mother had cried the entire time and her father had looked like he wanted to punch something. When Hermione had told them about the Malfoys' relatively light punishment after the war was over, her father had gotten up and left the house. He was gone for over an hour and when he returned, he pulled Hermione into his arms and didn't let her go for a good fifteen minutes.

There had been a few times when one or the other of them had asked Hermione if she wouldn't like to go to university and get a job in the Muggle world. Hermione had politely declined each time. She knew that they just wanted her to be safe, but truthfully, the Muggle world wasn't completely safe either.

Hermione heard the telephone ring and glanced up for a moment before she went back to her book.

"Hermione, it's Harry," her mother called from the kitchen. Hermione jumped up from the couch and practically ran to the kitchen. She had left her parents' phone number with Harry in case there was an emergency. A million scenarios went through her mind as to what could have possibly happened.

"Harry," Hermione said as she took the phone from her mother. "What's happened?"

"Everyone is fine," Harry said immediately. Hermione's stomach clenched. If Harry led with that, there was definitely something wrong. "And I honestly wasn't sure if I should call you or not, but I thought you'd probably want to know, so," Hermione interrupted him before he could continue.

"If you don't tell me what's going on right now, Harry Potter, so help me," she threatened. Harry sighed.

"Dawlish is the Auror assigned to Annie Harrison," Harry began. "He went to do his monthly check on her yesterday and she wasn't there."

"What do you mean, she wasn't there?" Harry sighed again.

"She ran away." Hermione closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. "Her sister had already called the Muggle police and they're investigating. They were at the flat when Dawlish showed up. Amy went a little crazy, screaming at him that this was all his fault and to leave them alone. The police thought he might have had something to do with it and arrested him."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed.

"It's all right, he Obliviated them once they got him into their car and Apparated back to the Ministry."

"But what about Annie?" Hermione demanded.

"We're looking into it. They contacted Claire's mother right away, but she hasn't seen or heard from her," Harry explained.

"You have to find her, Harry, she's only twelve!"

"I know, Hermione and like I said, we're investigating. I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt your visit with your parents."

"No, it's fine," she said. "I'm glad you told me."

"How are things going anyway?"

"Better," she said. Hermione had found the Wizarding section of Melbourne the day after she'd restored her parents' memories and sent Harry an owl, letting him know she'd been successful and how angry her parents had been.

"Don't think you need to rush home because of this. I'll keep you informed." Hermione glanced at her mother.

"Maybe I should," she said to Harry.

"Hermione, you don't have to," Harry insisted. "Dawlish is talking to David and Claire right now, trying to find out if there's somewhere Annie would have gone. I doubt she would have told you something that she hadn't told them."

"Harry, I have to." Harry sighed again.

"Hermione, don't mess things up with your parents over this."

"I won't," she promised. "It's only a couple of days early. I'll talk to them."

"Hermione-" Harry said again, but she interrupted him.

"Harry, I have to go. I'll send you an owl and let you know when I'm coming home. Thanks for calling." Hermione hung up before Harry could say anything else.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" her mother asked. Hermione looked at her mother. While things _had_ been getting better, they weren't perfect and Hermione knew it was going to take a while to get back to normal, whatever that was. She _had_ been intending to stay in Australia until Friday, wanting to be home for the party Molly was throwing for Ginny's 17th birthday on Sunday. But now, with Annie missing, Hermione felt like she needed to get home. She didn't want her parents to be angry, however.

"Do you remember what I told you about the Muggle-born Registration?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," her mother said with a shudder. "How could I forget?"

"Something has happened with one of the Muggle-born first years I told you about." Hermione rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "Dad should hear this too."

"I'll get him" her mother said. She walked towards their bedroom. "Richard? Richard, come out here for a minute." A few moments later, her father joined them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Harry called. Hermione has something else to tell us," her mother said.

"One of the Muggle-born first years I met after they were released from Azkaban ran away," Hermione said.

"Which one?" her father asked.

"Annie."

"Is she the one whose sister didn't want her to see her friends anymore?" her mum questioned.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "The Muggle police are involved, as well as the Ministry, but I feel like I should be there. I was planning on staying through the end of the week, but," Hermione bit her lip and looked from her mum to her dad and back again. Her parents looked at each other and did the silent communication thing that used to drive Hermione mad when she was younger.

"Do you have some idea where this girl might have gone?" her father finally asked.

"No," Hermione admitted.

"Then I don't understand why you need to be there," he said. Hermione pursed her lips, trying to figure out how to explain it to them.

"They were all alone last year, just the three of them and they were so scared. And then when they were finally released, two of them found out their parents had been killed. Whenever I think about them, I think about how easily that could have been me. I took care of them when they first got out of Azkaban and I just, I feel responsible for them somehow." She shook her head. "I know it probably doesn't make sense and it's likely that there's little I can do, but I want to help however I can. Please try to understand." She looked at the two of them, wringing her hands in front of her. They both stared at her for a few moments before her mother sighed.

"You always were a champion for those that were mistreated," she said fondly. Hermione gave her a small smile. She bit her lip and turned to her dad.

"I know you well enough to know we won't be able to change your mind," he said.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Hermione said. He smiled and waved away her apology.

"You wouldn't be our Hermione if you didn't want to do this." She smiled and hugged her father.

"Thanks, Dad."

* * *

Two hours later, Hermione and her parents pulled up to the terminal at the airport in Melbourne. She had intended on taking the train back to Sydney, but it only ran in the morning and wouldn't arrive until Wednesday evening. Hermione wouldn't have been able to get back to England until Thursday or possibly even Friday, depending on how busy things were at the Portkey office. Despite the expense, her mother insisted on getting her a plane ticket from Melbourne to Sydney. If everything ran smoothly with her flight, Hermione would be able to get to the Ministry tonight and hopefully leave by Portkey the following day.

"I'll miss you," she said as she hugged first her father and then her mother.

"We'll miss you too, sweetheart," her mother said.

"I'll call as soon as I get home," Hermione promised. Despite wanting to get back to England, there were tears in Hermione's eyes. She had worried about her parents for so long and after their initial reaction when she had restored the memories, worried that she would lose them anyway.

"Remember what I said," her dad said. "Call the power company and get the electricity and the water turned back on. If you're staying in the house, you should have them on. We'll pay the bill."

"Dad, I told you that's not necessary." But he shook his head.

"I'll feel better if you do it," he said.

"All right," Hermione agreed. They hadn't spoken much about her parents returning to England. Hermione fervently hoped they would, but she didn't want to push them into anything until they were ready. She had taken too much choice from them already. Maybe her father's insistence on restoring the utilities to the house was a good sign.

"Be careful," her mum said. Hermione nodded.

"I will, I promise. I love you," she said and hugged them both again before she turned and walked quickly into the terminal. She turned as she reached the door. Her father stood with his arm around her mother's waist and her mum blew her a kiss as Hermione waved. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and went to check in for her flight.

* * *

 **12 August 1998**

Hermione landed in the Ministry, her stomach in her throat as usual. She took a few deep breaths to calm the rolling in her gut, before handing the used Portkey to the Ministry employee.

She hadn't bothered to send an owl to Harry, as it likely would have arrived the same time Hermione did, if not after. She left the Portkey office and made her way to the lifts. As she was here, she might as well stop by the Auror office to see if there was any word on Annie.

As Hermione walked down the corridors, people recognized her, of course. She tried to ignore them and concentrate on her destination, but more than one witch or wizard approached her to thank her or shake her hand. One even asked for her autograph. Hermione had a hard time not rolling her eyes at that request.

She finally reached the Auror offices and stepped inside, glad to leave the adoring public behind her. There was a witch sitting at a desk near the door.

"May I help you?" the woman asked pleasantly.

"Yes, I'm looking for Harry Potter," Hermione said politely.

"Oh, Merlin, you're Hermione Granger," the witch said in awe. Hermione grimaced.

"Er, yes, if you could just let Harry know I'm here."

"Right away, Miss Granger, right away." The woman nearly tripped scrambling to get up from her desk. Hermione rolled her eyes. How Harry and Ron put up with this every day, she had no idea. A few moments later, the witch was back, looking uneasy.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger," she said. "But he's out in the field."

"Oh," Hermione said a bit surprised. She hadn't realized they were that far in their training. She looked back at the secretary who looked as if Hermione was about to hex her for bringing bad news. Hermione tried to give a reassuring smile. "May I just leave him a message then?"

"Of course," the woman said, relaxing a bit.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Hermione turned around and came face to face with Ron. "I thought you were in Australia."

"I was, I just got back a few minutes ago."

"Harry said you were going to send an owl."

"I know, but it was a last-minute decision. I would have likely beat the owl."

"I suppose you came back because of Annie?" Ron asked.

"Yes, do you know anything?" Ron shook his head.

"Nothing new," he said. "Dawlish checked out the couple of places that David and Claire knew about, but he didn't find her." Hermione's face fell. Ron took a step closer to her and raised a hand. When she looked up at him, he stepped back and ran his hand through his hair instead of putting it on her arm, like Hermione suspected he had been about to do. The tips of his ears turned red.

"How, how are your parents?" he asked clearing his throat.

"Good, they're good," Hermione replied. Ron nodded and they stood in awkward silence for a few moments.

"So, uh, how was Australia."

"It was nice. It's winter there now, so not as warm as I'd hoped, but it was…nice," Hermione finished lamely.

"Oh, well, that's good." Ron met her eye for a second, before his gaze jerked away from her. Hermione fiddled with the strap of her bag. The entire conversation was painful.

"Weasley!" a voice called. Ron jerked in surprise.

"I have to go," he said to Hermione.

"Of course," Hermione said.

"I'll tell Harry you're back when I see him."

"Thanks."

"Weasley!" the voice called again. Ron reddened slightly, then turned to walk back into the offices.

"Let Mum know you're back, yeah?"

"I will," Hermione called. Once Ron had disappeared, she sighed. Well, that hadn't been awkward at all.

"Did you still want to leave a message for Mr. Potter?" the witch asked tentatively.

"Yes, actually," Hermione said. She took the proffered quill and parchment and wrote a quick note to Harry in case Ron got busy. "Thank you."

"Absolutely, Miss Granger." The witch said with a wide smile. Hermione smiled tightly and left the office.

* * *

 **15 August 1998**

Remus walked towards Minerva's office. He had finished his final day of tutoring; exams would begin on Monday. Knowing that some of the students would still likely be behind next year, he intended to offer to return to tutor in the fall, if Minerva needed him and parents approved. He truly missed teaching.

Just as he was about to give the gargoyle the password, quick footsteps caused him to pause.

"Hermione?" he said in surprise. The last time he'd talked to Harry, she had still been in Australia.

"Remus," Hermione said in relief. "Thank goodness. I need to talk to Professor McGonagall right away and I don't know the password." Remus turned back to the gargoyle and gave the password, then stepped onto the staircase with Hermione.

"I thought you were in Australia?"

"I just got back a few days ago," Hermione explained. "Did you hear that Annie, one of the Muggle-born first years I helped, ran away?"

"No, I hadn't," Remus said. "I haven't spoken to Harry in nearly a week."

"I came home as soon as I heard," Hermione explained as they reached the top of the stairs. "I wanted to help if I could." Remus knocked on the door to the office.

"Enter," Minerva called. She looked up as the two of them entered the office. "Remus. And Hermione?"

"Hello, Professor," Hermione said. "I'm sorry for barging in like this, but I needed to ask you something." Hermione stopped suddenly and looked back at Remus, blushing slightly. "I'm sorry. You wanted to speak to the professor too, didn't you?"

"It's quite all right, Hermione," he said with a smile. "I can wait." Hermione turned back to Minerva.

"You've heard that Annie Harrison is missing?" she asked. Minerva sighed.

"Yes, I have. Has there been any word?" Hermione shook her head.

"No, but I just had an idea," she said. Minerva frowned.

"Shouldn't you be speaking to the Aurors then?"

"No, if I'm right, I need to be at Hogwarts."

"I'm afraid you've lost me," Minerva said. Remus too, was confused. "Are you suggesting that Miss Harrison is here?" Hermione shook her head.

"The book," Hermione said. "The Book of Admittance." Minerva and Remus were still puzzled.

"We are already aware that Miss Harrison is a witch," Minerva said. "Her initial letter went out last year and another just a few weeks ago."

"Yes, I know that," Hermione replied, sounding a bit exasperated. "But I remembered that Harry told me that the address on his letters kept changing when his uncle made them leave the house that summer before first year. The book always knew where he was. I thought if you could check the book, we could find Annie." Minerva's eyes widened.

"Hermione, that's brilliant," Remus said.

"Indeed, Miss Granger," Minerva agreed with a smile.

"So, can we check?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, don't you think it's a better idea if the Auror department checks into this?" Remus said.

"I agree," Minerva replied. She rose from her desk and walked towards the fireplace.

"Please, Professor," Hermione said. "Can we please just look at it? I just, I need to know she's all right." Minerva studied her for a few moments.

"All right," she finally said. "But the two of you will stay here while I look at the book." They both nodded. Minerva left her office and Remus turned to Hermione. She looked terribly worried and he decided to try and distract her for a bit.

"Harry told me that you were able to restore your parents' memories," Remus said with a smile. "I never doubted that you could." Hermione blushed slightly.

"Thank you," she said. Remus paused for a moment. He didn't want to pry, but he knew that Hermione had been terrified her parents would be so angry with her they would never forgive her. The fact that she had been in Australia for over a week didn't make that seem likely, but Remus wasn't sure if he should ask her about it.

"And, are they well?" he finally asked.

"Yes, they were unharmed," she replied. "But…they were angry."

"I'm sorry," Remus said.

"It took a while and a lot of talking, but things were much better when I left them."

"I'm glad to hear that," Remus said with a smile. "Are they planning on returning to England?"

"They haven't said yet," Hermione replied. "I do hope they will, but I don't want to force them." Remus nodded in understanding. "How's Teddy?" Remus smiled widely.

"He's doing very well. His newest skill is laughing." Hermione grinned in response. "He finds wand sparks especially funny, for some reason. Yesterday I cast them for nearly a half hour and he giggled the entire time." Hermione laughed and Remus chuckled.

"It sounds like he keeps you just as entertained."

"Yes, he does," Remus agreed. His smile fell slightly. "I would be truly lost without him." Hermione took his hand and squeezed it in sympathy. Minerva came back into her office.

"Well, I believe you were right, Miss Granger. While it does look familiar, this is definitely not the address I sent Miss Harrison's letter to last month." She handed the parchment to Hermione. Hermione's mouth dropped open as she read it.

"Hermione?" Remus questioned in concern.

"This is, this is," she looked from Remus to Minerva in shock.

"What is it, Miss Granger?" Minerva asked.

"This is _my_ address."

* * *

Hermione stared disbelieving at the parchment in her hand. Annie was at her house? How had she found it? Not to mention the fact that Hermione had just left there a little over an hour ago and Annie had definitely _not_ been there.

"Miss Granger?" Professor McGonagall questioned.

"I don't know, Professor," Hermione said. "She wasn't there when I left and I never told her my address."

"Well, we will have to alert Magical Law Enforcement," the professor said and turned back to the Floo.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. The professor looked at her in surprise. Remus stepped forward.

"Hermione," he said. "They need to take her home."

"I know that," Hermione said. "But let me talk to her first, please." Professor McGonagall studied her for a moment.

"She is only twelve years old and her sister is very worried."

"I know that, but Annie obviously came to my house because she trusts me. If I can just talk to her and find out why she ran away." Hermione paused and bit her lip. She had to make Professor McGonagall understand. "I don't want another situation like Harry's to happen under everyone's noses." The professor looked sharply at her.

"Do you have reason to believe that Miss Harrison is being mistreated? Because I will not allow that to happen again." Hermione glanced from the headmistress to Remus, who looked dismayed.

"I, I, well…no, but," but the professor cut her off.

"Miss Granger." Hermione looked up at her pleadingly. Professor McGonagall's face softened a bit and she sighed. "Hermione. I know that you are concerned about Annie, but her family is as well. We have to notify the Aurors." Hermione's shoulders slumped.

"I know, I do, it's just that," she trailed off and shook her head. She saw a slight movement from the corner of her eye and when Hermione looked up the headmistress had turned towards the fireplace, her lips pursed.

"It seems I have misplaced the Floo powder." Hermione looked at the mantel in confusion. She knew for a fact that there had been a full pot of Floo powder sitting there seconds ago. Hermione glanced at Remus, whose lips twitched as he tried to hide a grin. Hermione looked back to the professor who winked at her. Hermione bit back a smile.

"That is unfortunate, Professor," Hermione said as solemnly as she could while still hiding a smile. "I do hope that you find it."

"As do I, Miss Granger. Although, it is likely it will take me at least a half hour to do so, perhaps even forty-five minutes." Hermione nodded, gave the professor a quick hug and then hurried from the office.

"Hermione, wait," Remus called after her. Hermione didn't stop, but did slow her steps slightly. "I think someone should go with you." Hermione looked at him in confusion. "I know her sister said Annie ran away, but what if she is at your house because she's been forced to go there."

"By whom?" Hermione asked.

"I doubt very much if the Ministry has found every witch or wizard who supported Voldemort's ideals." Hermione said nothing as they continued down the spiral staircase and into the main corridor.

"I can take care of myself, Remus," Hermione reminded him.

"I am aware, but if she has been forced, you'd need to protect her as well as catch her assailant."

"She left her sister a note, saying she was running away." Hermione said as they continued moving towards the Entrance Hall.

"Notes can be coerced as well, or forged."

"You don't really think that's what happened, do you?" Hermione said, suddenly fearful.

"No," Remus replied. "But you can't be too careful."

"All right," Hermione agreed as they reached the grounds. "But we have to hurry." They ran across the grounds, stopping when they reached the gates. Hermione looked up at Remus. "I'll have to take you side-along." He nodded and she grasped his hand, holding tightly as they spun away.

* * *

They landed with a crack in a well-kept back garden, hidden by a tall hedge. Hermione stepped around the bushes, still holding Remus' hand, and drew her wand. Remus followed suit and the two crept towards the back door.

"Homenum Revelio," Hermione whispered. A ball of light flew from her wand and into the house. Two more hovered above her and Remus. "Only one other person." Remus nodded and waited as she unlocked the back door.

Once inside, Hermione cast the charm again and they followed the ball of light to the front door, where it pushed through the door and disappeared. Hermione finally let go of his hand and moved to one side of the door, while Remus moved to the other. They both looked out the small side windows to see a girl sitting on the front porch.

"That's her," Hermione said in relief as she opened the door. "Annie?" The girl whipped around, her eyes wide.

"Hermione!" she shouted. She jumped up from the porch and threw her arms around Hermione. "You're finally home." Hermione pulled Annie into the house and shut the door.

"Annie, where have you been?"

"Trying to find you," Annie said. She suddenly noticed that Remus was there. She moved closer to Hermione and took hold of her hand. "Who's that?"

"This is my friend, Mr. Lupin," Hermione replied.

"It's very nice to meet you, Annie. "I've heard a lot about you." He held out a hand to her. The girl looked at him warily for a few moments before she shook it.

"Annie, how did you get here?" Hermione asked.

"You told me where you lived," Annie said.

"No, I never gave you my address," Hermione insisted.

"I know, but you told me the town you lived in." She shrugged. "I looked it up on the internet at the library." Hermione stared at her in shock. "There were two Grangers though, so I went to the other house first. When you weren't there, I knew this had to be your house so I came here to wait for you." Hermione shook her head as she hugged the girl.

"But how did you _get_ here?" Hermione asked.

"I took the bus," Annie said. She looked away from Hermione. "I took a little money from my sister's handbag every week until I had enough saved up."

"Annie that was really dangerous," Hermione said. "You shouldn't be travelling by yourself."

"She said I can't go back to Hogwarts," Annie said. "She treats me like a baby. If I was old enough to be in prison, I'm old enough to decide where to go to school."

"Hermione," Remus said. She looked up at him. "It's been twenty minutes."

"Right," Hermione said. "Annie, you still shouldn't have run away. Your sister is so worried."

"She doesn't care about me," Annie said.

"Of course, she does, she's been frantic," Hermione replied. Annie shook her head.

"If she cared about me, she would let me go to Hogwarts. She would let me see Claire and David. She would let me talk to you!" Annie began to cry. Hermione knelt down and hugged her again.

"Shh, it's all right," Hermione soothed. She pulled away from Annie. "Why don't we get you cleaned up a bit, okay? I can shrink some of my things to fit you. And then maybe you'd like something to eat?" Annie nodded vigorously. Hermione smiled. "All right, come with me. Remus, there are things for sandwiches in the kitchen. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Remus said. "I'll handle things here." He gave Hermione a significant look and she nodded. Remus was familiar with many of the Aurors. Hopefully, it would be one of them that was leading the team. He moved into the kitchen and pulled things from the ice box, searching through drawers and cupboards until he found plates and utensils. He had one sandwich made and was starting on another when he heard voices. Setting down the knife in his hand, he moved to the kitchen window and glanced outside. There were three men, one of whom was Harry, another Dawlish. When the third, who Remus didn't recognize, moved, he saw a fourth, Ron. Relieved that they wouldn't likely have any trouble, Remus moved to the front door and opened it. All four drew their wands.

"John, Harry, Ron," Remus greeted, keeping his hands in front of him to show he wasn't a threat.

"Remus?" Harry said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I ran into Hermione at Hogwarts," he said. "I had just finished up my last tutoring session. I thought it might be a good idea to come with her in case this was something more than a simple runaway case."

"Where is Miss Granger?" the man that Remus didn't know demanded.

"She is upstairs with Annie," Remus said. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced."

"Jasper Williamson," Harry said introducing them. "Remus Lupin." Dawlish spoke before Williamson could say anything else.

"Let's dispense with the chit-chat, Potter," Dawlish said. "We need to take the girl back to her sister." He pushed past Harry and walked into the house. The other three followed. "Potter, go upstairs and get them."

"You might want to wait a bit on that," Remus said. Dawlish turned and scowled at him. "Hermione was helping Annie get cleaned up."

"And how do we know that she's not just going to run with her?" Williamson demanded. Harry glared at him while Ron made a scoffing noise.

"Hermione wouldn't do that," Harry insisted, edge to his voice.

"Watch your tone, Potter," Williamson snapped. "Savior of the Wizarding world or not, I'm still your superior." Harry glowered.

"All right, all right, everyone just calm down," Dawlish said with a sigh, leading Remus to believe this wasn't the first time Harry and Williamson had butted heads. Williamson waved his wand. Remus recognized the anti-Apparition charm.

"Just in case she gets any ideas," Williamson said. Remus stifled the urge to roll his eyes. A few minutes later, there was a noise on the stairs and Hermione and Annie came into view.

Annie was clutching tightly to Hermione's hand, but Hermione must have explained the situation to the girl as she didn't look scared, necessarily. She knew Dawlish, of course, as well as Harry and Ron. Williamson was the only one unfamiliar to her.

"Your sister has been very worried about you," Dawlish said. "I know she's going to be relieved to get you back home."

"No!" Annie said. "I won't go!"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, little girl," Williamson said. "Your sister is your legal guardian." Dawlish turned to glare at the other Auror.

"I'll handle this, Williamson. It is _my_ case." Williamson smirked. Remus caught Harry's eye and Harry shook his head, disgusted. Dawlish turned back to Annie.

"It's time to go, Annie."

"No!" she shouted, gripping tightly to Hermione's arm and looking up at her. "Can't I stay with you?"

"That's not possible," Dawlish said. "Now, come on." Annie stubbornly remained at Hermione's side.

"Maybe we could-" Hermione began, but Dawlish interrupted her.

"Miss Granger, please don't make things worse by interfering."

"I wasn't going to," Hermione insisted. "I was just going to suggest that you let Annie have something to eat first. It's been a while and she's rather hungry."

"I've got a sandwich ready for her in the kitchen," Remus said. "It won't take long." Dawlish sighed and stared at all of them.

"Fine," he said. "Weasley, you sit with her." Annie looked as if she were about to protest.

"Annie, you remember Ron from Hogwarts, don't you?" Hermione said. Annie nodded. "Go on with him and I'll be there in a minute, I promise." Annie hesitated a moment, but at Ron's smile, she let go of Hermione's arm and followed him into the kitchen. When they were gone, Hermione turned to Dawlish.

"I want to go with you," she said. "When you take her home."

"Absolutely not," Dawlish said.

"Listen to me," Hermione snapped, hands on her hips. "That little girl has been through hell in the last year and for whatever reason, she's become attached to me. I am _not_ going to abandon her now."

"Hermione," Harry warned, but Hermione spun towards him.

"No, Harry, you _know_ I'm right!" Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously and Remus bit back a laugh.

"Miss Granger, you are not a member of Magical Law Enforcement and have no authority here. I'm sure that you," Dawlish began, then trailed off when she turned her fury on him.

"I _will_ be going with you," Hermione stated. "That wasn't a request."

"Now, you just listen here," Williamson began, but he stopped when Hermione turned her gaze on him. Remus was reminded of the Muggle saying, 'if looks could kill'. He pressed his lips together to keep a smile from his face. She turned back to Harry.

"Harry, please, she's upset and she's scared. She'll be much more agreeable if I go with her." Harry glanced at Dawlish. It was his show, after all. Dawlish stared at Hermione, but she refused to back down. Finally, he sighed and threw his hands in the air.

"Fine." Hermione smiled.

"Thank you." She went in the kitchen and could be heard talking quietly with Annie a few moments later.

"No wonder You-Know-Who didn't stand a chance," Dawlish muttered. Remus chuckled. Dawlish pulled Williamson aside and Harry moved towards Remus.

"Ron always said she was scary," Harry said lowly. Remus laughed again. The two of them chatted for a few minutes about Teddy and Remus' tutoring until Hermione, Ron and Annie came out of the kitchen.

"We're ready now," Hermione said with a smile. Annie didn't look at all ready, but didn't protest. Hermione turned to Remus. "Thank you for coming with me. I appreciate it."

"No problem at all," he said. "I'm glad I got meet Annie." Annie smiled at him. "I had better be getting home." Hermione smiled.

"I'll walk you out." She followed Remus to the back door. "Will I see you at Ginny's party tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Remus replied.

"Give Teddy a hug for me," Hermione said with a smile. Remus nodded and left through the back door, Disapparating a moment later.


	26. Return

**A/N - Thanks so much for all the reviews last chapter! Next chapter, Hermione returns to school and I will then start making bigger time jumps in each chapter (which means, yes, the Remione is coming). Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 26**

 **Return**

 **15 August 1998**

They landed in an alley and Annie immediately moaned and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Hermione grimaced and rubbed the girl's back.

"I know, it's not a fun way to travel." Annie looked up at her and then glanced at Harry and Dawlish. Ron and Williamson had headed back to the Ministry from Hermione's house and Hermione suspected that Harry only came along as a buffer between her and Dawlish.

"How come no one else is sick?" Annie asked.

"We've been doing this for quite some time," Dawlish said as he conjured a glass and filled it with water from his wand. He handed it to Annie who was wide-eyed. Hermione remembered how she had felt when she had first gone to Hogwarts and seen magic performed so casually. Annie took the glass with a slightly trembling hand, but straightened once she had taken a few sips.

"All right now?" Hermione asked.

"I think so," Annie said.

"Let's go then." Dawlish spun on his heel and began to stride towards the end of the alley. Harry and Hermione followed, walking on either side of Annie.

"Hermione," she said quietly just before they reached her building.

"Yes, Annie?"

"Can you tell David and Claire that I really miss them?" Hermione bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears.

"Of course, I will," Hermione assured her. "But maybe you'll get a chance to tell them yourself."

"I don't think so," Annie said in a small voice. Hermione looked at Harry over Annie's head. He looked just as helpless as she felt.

They walked into Annie's building and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Annie drew further into herself the closer they got to her flat. Hermione was trying to feel sympathy for Amy and her entire situation, but the more the girl next to her deflated, the angrier she got.

They reached the door and Dawlish rapped on it. Hermione felt Annie's hand slip into hers. She gave it a squeeze and smiled down at the girl. They waited a few seconds, then heard the slide of a lock and the door was pulled open.

Amy looked as if she hadn't slept in weeks. There were dark circles under her eyes and her skin was pale. Her hair was in disarray and her clothes rumpled. Her face hardened when she saw the Auror in front of her.

"I told you to leave us alone! Why can't you just-" she trailed off as her gaze wandered to the side. "Annie?"

"Hi," Annie said quietly.

"Oh, Annie!" Amy stepped forward and grabbed her little sister, pulling her into her arms. She began to sob. "I was so worried." Annie hesitated for a moment before she hugged her sister back.

"I'm sorry," Annie whispered. Hermione felt her eyes fill.

"Where were you?" Amy asked. Annie didn't respond, just continued to hug her sister.

"Perhaps we can go inside," Dawlish suggested. Amy nodded and stepped back from the doorway, still keeping a tight hold on Annie.

"Where did you find her?" Amy asked once she had shut the door. Before Dawlish could answer, Hermione spoke up.

"She came to my house. I don't know if you remember me, but I was here a couple of months ago. Hermione Granger."

"I know who you are," Amy said flatly. She looked down at Annie. "Why did you do it?"

"Because you wouldn't listen to me," Annie said.

"You're not going back," Amy said. Annie hung her head.

"Amy, if I could just speak with you for a moment," Hermione began, but Amy interrupted.

"This isn't any of your business. Thank you for bringing Annie home, but I would like you leave now."

"Please, this is important," Hermione said.

"Leave. Now," Amy snapped.

"Miss Harrison, I am glad you are all right," Dawlish said to Annie, then nodded to Amy. "Miss Granger, Auror Potter, let's go." Harry reluctantly began to follow Dawlish to the door, but Hermione remained. "Miss Granger!"

"No!" Hermione said. "Not until she hears what I have to say."

"Miss Granger, don't make me arrest you." Hermione glared at him. Harry looked between Hermione and Dawlish and Hermione knew that he was torn between obeying his superior and siding with Hermione. He gave her a pleading look, but Hermione shook her head.

"I have to, Harry." She turned back to Amy. "You're hurting your sister."

"Miss Granger!" Dawlish said. Hermione ignored him.

" _I'm_ hurting her?" Amy said incredulously. "What about your lot? You threw her in prison!"

"No, _we_ didn't," Hermione said. "The people that took her have been arrested. They're in prison and they're not getting out."

"So you say." Amy snorted in derision.

"I promise you," Hermione said. "I'm a Muggle-born too, just like Annie. I spent the last year on the run from the very people that took your sister. There was a war, but we fought them and we won. Harry over there destroyed their leader." Amy still had an arm around Annie's shoulder, partially shielding her with her body. She looked between Hermione and Harry warily.

"Please," Hermione said. "I know you're scared and you have every right to be. What the two of you went through last year was horrific. But Annie should learn how to control her magic and she _needs_ to see her friends. They're the only ones that can really understand what she's been through."

"I want to go, Amy," Annie said.

"Why, Annie, why? They took you to prison! They killed Mum and Dad!"

"The bad people did that, not Hermione, not Harry, not Mr. Dawlish," Annie said. "They've only been nice to me. Them and lots of other people." Amy shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest, turning towards the window. Annie followed her sister and stood beside her.

"Why did you leave?" Annie asked.

"Leave? Annie, I didn't leave, I got married."

"But Mum said you were too young, I heard her. Daddy didn't want you to either." Annie paused. "It was because of me, wasn't it?"

"What? No, why would you think that?" Amy asked.

"The way you looked at me when I'd do…things. You always looked kind of scared." Amy sighed.

"I was sometimes," she admitted. "Remember that day you got so mad all the glasses on the table exploded?" Annie blushed and nodded. "Well, flying glass can injure a person you know. I just didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"And you're right, Mum and Dad did think I was too young to get married, but I love Thomas. I've loved him since I was fourteen. Us getting married didn't have anything to do with you." The sisters stood in silence for a few moments.

"I miss Mum and Daddy, so, so much," Annie said. Tears began to slide down her cheeks. "It's my fault they're dead."

"No, Annie," her sister said immediately, kneeling down and putting her hands on Annie's shoulders.

"If I wasn't a witch, they wouldn't be dead," Annie said with a shrug of her shoulder.

"It isn't your fault," Amy insisted. "I don't blame you." Hermione looked at the other woman in surprise. If she'd had to guess, she would have assumed that Amy _did_ blame Annie for their parents' deaths.

"Then it isn't Hermione's fault that they're dead either," Annie said. "Or Harry's or Mr. Dawlish's or Hogwarts'." Amy stared at her sister for a moment, then shook her head fondly.

"I always said you were too smart for your own good." Annie smiled.

"So, I can go?" Annie asked.

"I don't know," Amy said with a sigh. "I still don't know if it's the best idea and I have a lot of questions."

"I'll be happy to answer them," Hermione interjected quickly. "And if I don't know the answer, I'll find someone who does." Amy stared at Hermione for nearly a full minute before she finally nodded.

"Can I _please_ see Claire and David?" Annie asked. Amy smiled.

"We'll see." Annie grinned back and threw her arms around Amy's neck. Hermione sniffled, the tears that had been gathering in her eyes beginning to fall. Harry stepped up next to and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When the two sisters parted, Amy stood up and approached Hermione.

"I owe you an apology," she said. But Hermione shook her head, quickly wiping at the tears on her face.

"You don't," she said. "I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were in your situation."

"Thank you, for keeping her safe and bringing her home." Hermione nodded, unable to speak. Amy looked at Harry and Dawlish. "Thank you both as well."

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Green," Dawlish replied. "We'll leave the two of you alone now."

"Let me give you my number," Hermione said. Annie handed her a piece of paper and a pen and Hermione wrote it down. "Call me anytime. I'd be happy to come and talk to you whenever you like." Amy took the proffered number and nodded. Annie threw her arms around Hermione and hugged her.

"Thank you, Hermione." Hermione leaned down and kissed her on top of her head.

"You're welcome, Annie. I'll see you soon." She turned to Harry, who put a hand at the small of her back and led her from the flat. Once they had reached the alley again, Dawlish turned towards Hermione, his face hard.

"If you ever disobey a direct order from an Auror again, I will arrest you, war heroine or no. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, a bit taken aback. Dawlish nodded curtly and then began to turn, only to look back at her a moment later.

"Oh, and Miss Granger?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Well done." With a wink, he turned and disappeared. Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. Harry chuckled.

"Dawlish can be a bit rigid, but he's not a bad sort. I'll see you later, yeah?" Hermione nodded and Harry kissed her quickly on the cheek. With a wave, he disappeared as well. Hermione grinned before she Disapparated herself.

* * *

 **16 August 1998**

Hermione levitated a stack of plates to the tables Bill and George were setting up in the garden outside. Although Ginny's birthday had been a few days ago, given Harry and Ron's schedule, Mrs. Weasley had decided to wait until today to have the party, when everyone would be able to attend. Hermione had come over this morning to help get things ready.

She had spoken to her parents the night before and given them the news about Annie. They had both been relieved things had ended as well as they had and Hermione's mother said they planned to come for a visit a few days before Hermione returned to Hogwarts. Hermione tried not to be disappointed that it was just a visit and not plans to return to England permanently.

She was being a bit unrealistic, she knew. Even if her parents decided to return, it would take time, especially given her father's practice. And once Hermione was off to school, she wouldn't have come home until at least Christmas anyway. Still, it was hard, now that she'd found them, to not want them here with her.

"Oi, there, Granger," George said. Hermione startled when she realized she had nearly walked into him.

"Sorry, George," she said. "Wasn't paying attention."

"That much is obvious," he replied with a grin.

"How's the shop?"

"Getting busier now that school's nearly upon us," he said. "Lee and Verity are running things today."

"Anything new in the works?"

"Not yet," George said, smiling sadly. Hermione squeezed his arm in sympathy and berated herself for asking. "Here, let me take those." He grabbed the stack of plates from the air and set them on the table.

"I guess I'll go see what else your mum needs me to do." She turned to walk back towards the house and ran straight into someone.

"Whoops," she said, as she felt familiar hands grasp her arms. She looked up and met Ron's gaze. He immediately dropped his arms from her hands. He took a step back from her.

"Sorry," he said.

"You don't have to apologize," Hermione said. "I'm the one that ran into you."

"Right." Ron stood nervously in front of her and Hermione nearly sighed out loud. Would it ever not be awkward between them?

"I'll just go find your mum," she said and moved to step around him. Ron stepped the same way, then shook his head and stepped to the other side, just as she did. They did an awkward little side-stepping dance until Hermione finally laughed and stopped moving. Ron grinned at her and turned his entire body to the side, sweeping with his hand for her to go ahead.

"Thanks," Hermione said quietly with a small smile before she began to walk towards the house. She glanced back at Ron, who gave her a lopsided smile and then turned to say something to George. Maybe it might get easier after all.

* * *

Remus stepped through the Floo, holding a sleeping Teddy to his chest. They had tried to get him to go down earlier for his nap, so he would wake before the party began, but Teddy had stubbornly refused. Of course, once Remus had finally given up and just decided to keep him awake until the party, Teddy had immediately fallen asleep on his father's shoulder. Miraculously, traveling by Floo hadn't woken him.

Teddy stirred as they stepped out of the fireplace. The Burrow, while always noisy, was louder than usual with all the party preparations going on. Remus immediately began to rub Teddy's back.

"Hello, Remus," Arthur said, then, catching sight of a sleeping Teddy, immediately grimaced and lowered his voice. "Sorry about that. Here, why don't you come up to Ginny's room. It will be quieter there and I'll set up the cot for you."

"Thank you," Remus said, Andromeda arriving just as Remus began to follow Arthur up the stairs. He gave her a wave and she nodded, correctly assuming he was going to put Teddy down.

It was indeed quieter as they reached the next floor. Arthur led him to Ginny's room and opened the door.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Arthur said, beginning to pull it closed again.

"It's all right, Arthur, I'm decent," a laughing voice said and Hermione opened the door again.

"I didn't realize you were up here," Arthur said, his face red. "I thought everyone was outside."

"No harm done," Hermione said quietly, catching sight of Teddy. "I was just finishing wrapping my gift for Ginny." She held up the box. "Hello, Remus." Remus just nodded, not wanting to disturb Teddy who had finally settled back into sleep.

"Let me just get the cot for you," Arthur said and hurried up the stairs, obviously still embarrassed.

Hermione smiled again and then picked up a cardigan off the bed. As she slipped her arms into it, Remus caught a glimpse of a shimmer on her left arm. He wondered why she had cast a glamour charm on her arm as she walked to his side, looking at Teddy asleep on his chest.

"Still adorable," she whispered. Remus smiled as Hermione ran a finger over Teddy's brow, pushing back some of his hair, which was the same sandy brown as Remus' today, from his forehead. "I'll see you downstairs?" Remus nodded and Hermione gave him a wave and left the room.

Remus was still contemplating the glamour when Arthur returned a few moments later with the cot floating behind him. He put it together with a few flicks of his wand. Another flick and it was made up with a soft sheet and a blanket.

"I'll leave you to it," Arthur said quietly.

"Thank you, Arthur." Remus settled Teddy into the cot after Arthur had left, rubbing his son's back gently as the baby began to stir a bit. Teddy sighed in his sleep and Remus draped a light blanket over him before setting the monitoring charm over the room. His wand would sound when Teddy awoke.

Making his way back down the stairs, he stepped into the kitchen to ask if he could help with anything and was immediately shooed away by Molly and Andromeda. Chuckling, he went outside into the garden, where it seemed as if all the guests had already arrived.

The mood was much different than it had been last year around this time when it was Harry's coming of age they were celebrating. Even with the wedding the next day, thoughts had been on the war and Dumbledore's death only a month previous. He and Dora had not even been able to stay for the whole party, as Minister Scrimgeour had shown up. The last day of the Scrimgeour's life, as it turned out.

Today was much different, of course. Everyone was laughing and smiling and chatting with one another. Harry stood, relaxed, with his arm around Ginny as they talked to Neville and Luna who appeared to be holding hands. The rest of the Weasleys were scattered around the garden, talking with each other or other guests. Hermione leaned against a tree and was speaking with Charlie. Remus watched everyone for a few moments before he shook off his melancholy and made his way to the drinks table.

Ron was standing there, holding a bottle of Butterbeer and looking off across the garden. Remus followed his line of sight and saw that he was staring at Hermione as she laughed at something his brother said. Ron scowled slightly.

"All right there, Ron?" Remus asked pouring himself a glass of lemonade. Ron jumped.

"Remus, didn't see you there," he said. Ron glanced at Hermione again and then turned back to Remus. "Everything's fine." Remus nodded, although he really didn't think it was.

"It's nice Charlie could make it for the party."

"Yeah, great," Ron said unenthusiastically. Hermione was laughing again, and this time, put her hand on Charlie's arm. Remus glanced at Ron again, who was now glaring outright.

"Ron, pass us a Butterbeer, yeah?" George said as he walked up. Ron grabbed a bottle and shoved it into George's hand.

"What's wrong with you?" George asked.

"Nothing," Ron said sullenly. George glanced over his shoulder and saw Hermione and Charlie. He looked at Ron incredulously.

"Really, mate? Charlie?"

"What?" Ron said defensively. George shook his head with a snort.

"You're jealous of Charlie."

"No, I'm not," Ron insisted. "That's ridiculous."

"Tell that to the daggers flying out of your eyes," George said dryly. Remus bit back a laugh and took that as his cue to leave. He would let the brothers hash this one out.

Crossing the garden, he stopped to wish Ginny a happy birthday and spoke with Harry, Neville and Luna for a bit. Andromeda came past to ask about Teddy, and Remus assured her he had set the monitoring charm on his wand. He spent the next hour chatting with various Weasleys and other guests. Just as was about to get some food, the charm on his wand went off.

Remus made his way into the house and began to climb the stairs. He could hear Teddy crying and then a soft voice speaking to him. Brow furrowed, Remus hurried more quickly up the stairs as Teddy's cries diminished. Remus drew his wand, knowing that both Andromeda and Molly were still outside. He had no idea who was in the room with his son.

Coming around the corner, heart pounding, Remus burst through the half-open doorway. Hermione stood in the room with her back to him, holding a still sniffling Teddy in her arms, speaking softly to him. Remus leaned against the doorjamb and tried to get his heartrate under control. Hermione turned around seconds later.

"Remus?" she questioned. Remus straightened. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I," he shook his head and pulled in a breath. "I didn't know who was up here with him."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said seeming to understand immediately. "I came in to use the loo and after I was finished, I heard Teddy crying. I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's quite all right, Hermione," Remus said. "I got anxious for nothing. I know there's no one here that would hurt Teddy."

"I understand," she said and when Remus met her gaze, he realized that she truly did. Wordlessly, she passed Teddy to him and Remus gathered the boy close, breathing in his scent and calming completely. He looked up at her, apology in his eyes, but she merely smiled and put a hand on his arm, squeezing it lightly.

"I'll just go back to the party," she said.

"We'll come with you," Remus said. "Andromeda has Teddy's bag." Hermione smiled and they walked down the stairs together.

"How did everything go yesterday after I left?" Remus asked.

"Very well," Hermione said with a smile and proceeded to tell him about what had happened after they had taken Annie home.

"I'm glad to hear it," Remus said with a smile. It was a relief to know that Annie wasn't in a similar situation to the one Harry had been in as a child. Remus wasn't sure if he would ever forgive himself for not trying to do something more those years that Harry was stuck with the Dursleys.

"I'm just glad that everything worked out. I'm still not sure if Annie is going to get to go to Hogwarts or not, but at least her sister is willing to listen now."

"Somehow, given Annie's determination and you there to answer questions, I don't think Amy stands a chance," he chuckled. Hermione blushed. They reached the back garden and Teddy began to fuss.

"Someone's hungry," Hermione said.

"That he is," Remus agreed, scanning the crowd for Andromeda. He finally spotted her near the food table. "Do you mind holding him while I fetch his bag?"

"Not at all," Hermione said with a smile as he passed Teddy to her. The boy immediately became fascinated with a lock of her hair, grabbing it and yanking. Remus grimaced.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Andromeda's taken to keeping her hair pulled back during the day."

"It's all right," Hermione said with a laugh. "Just get his bag, I'll untangle myself." Remus nodded and hurried toward Andromeda, retrieving the shrunken nappy bag from her pocket. He enlarged it as he made his way back to Hermione.

She was smiling widely at Teddy and saying something to him. Seconds later, he heard Teddy's gurgling laugh. Hermione laughed as well, her eyes lighting up in delight at the baby's giggle. Remus couldn't help the smile that broke out on his own face. There was just something about a baby's laughter.

"Look, here's your Daddy," Hermione said to Teddy as Remus approached. "Do you think he's got some lunch in there for you?" Teddy continued to grin, finding Hermione extremely entertaining.

"I think I just might," Remus said, pulling a bottle from the bag and warming it with his wand. Seeing the bottle, Teddy began to fuss again, reaching his hand out for it. Hermione shifted him in her arms and took the bottle from Remus, giving it to Teddy. She smiled up at Remus.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," he said. He watched the two of them for a few minutes, Hermione swaying slightly as she talked to Teddy while he ate. Remus felt a lump form in his throat. He forced a smile and turned slightly so Hermione couldn't see the expression on his face. For a moment, he had seen Dora standing there holding their son, smiling at him like she used to. Remus cleared his throat.

"I, I'll just be inside for a minute."

"Remus?" Hermione questioned in concern, but he hurried past her into the house, Teddy's bag still on his shoulder, barely reaching the kitchen before he broke down.

* * *

"Remus?" Hermione said quietly as she came into the house, Teddy still in her arms. He had finished his bottle and now definitely needed a nappy change. Hermione had wanted to give Remus his privacy as something had obviously upset him, but when he hadn't returned to the garden, Hermione had been forced to go in search of him. There was no answer to her call and Hermione moved through the kitchen and into the living room. Remus was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace, staring into the cold grate.

"Remus?" she said again. He looked up at her, seeming surprised by her presence. Teddy grinned at his father, but Remus didn't react. Hermione saw the bag sitting on the floor near his feet and summoned it to her.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but Teddy needed a change," Hermione said. Remus finally seemed to focus in onto the two of them.

"I'm sorry for running out like that," he said, scrubbing a hand down his face. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's all right," Hermione said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She moved to the couch and conjured a blanket before she laid Teddy down and began to change his nappy. Teddy kicked his feet and flailed his arms around, making Hermione laugh as she tried to get the new nappy on him properly. She glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye and saw him give his son a faint smile.

"There we are," Hermione said with a smile as she picked Teddy up and vanished the blanket. "That's better, isn't it?" Teddy's response was to smile and grab another chunk of her hair. Hermione laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Thank you for taking care of him," Remus said.

"No thanks necessary," Hermione said. "I like watching him." Teddy reached out for his father and Hermione passed the baby over, his hair shifting as Remus took hold of him. Remus smiled sadly and ran his hands over Teddy's now black locks. Hermione bit her lip, knowing that Teddy's changing hair color had to remind Remus of Tonks. She knew it was likely difficult and a gift all at the same time. Perhaps she should leave them alone.

As she rose from the couch, Teddy's hand landed on Remus cheek. Remus reached up and took the little hand in his own, kissing the palm and making Teddy giggle. Remus smiled and hugged the boy to him. Teddy put his head down on Remus' shoulder, tucked into the crook of his neck. Remus began to rub his back. Hermione felt tears gather at the sweetness of the moment, but blinked them back quickly.

She took a few steps towards Remus and put a hand on his shoulder again, giving it a squeeze this time. He looked up gratefully at her.

"I'll just let Andromeda know where you are," Hermione said.

"Thank you, Hermione." Hermione nodded and walked across the room, turning back when she reached the doorway. She watched Remus for a moment as he sat quietly with his son. The sadness was still in his eyes, but it was tempered somewhat, by Teddy's presence Hermione was sure. She turned and left the room, heart aching for the man that had lost so much.

* * *

 **23 August 1998**

"Potions?" Amy questioned. "Like cauldrons, eyes of newt, toes of frog?" Hermione laughed.

"Exactly like that," she said. Amy's eyes widened and then she shook her head.

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."

"Honestly, those fairy tale creatures you read about as a kid?" Amy nodded. "Pretty much all real." Amy's mouth dropped open in shock. She then looked in concern at her sister as if she should rethink this entire decision. Hermione quickly reassured her.

"Don't worry, the dangerous ones, like dragons, are kept on special preserves away from people. Any creatures Annie will have contact with will be tame or friendly." Hermione chose not to mention Fluffy or the troll from her first year or the Acromantulas that she assumed still lived in the Forbidden Forest or Hagrid, for that matter.

They were walking towards the Leaky Cauldron, intending on meeting Sarah there with Claire and David. Hermione had spent the last week talking to Amy and answering all her questions and concerns. Professor McGonagall had also made a visit to the flat, to explain the safety measures that were in place at Hogwarts. After the visit, Amy had finally agreed to allow Annie to attend the school.

Hermione had spoken with the headmistress after her visit to Annie's flat. She agreed to retain her Prefect title, but declined the Head Girl position. While it had once been Hermione's dream to be Head Girl, the war and Voldemort had made that seem a little less important. Besides, Hermione wasn't a true seventh year and didn't want to take that accomplishment away from someone else.

Truth be told, she was looking forward to not having all that much responsibility and had considered returning her Prefect badge as well. It was Professor McGonagall that convinced her to keep it. Ginny had been made Quidditch captain, of course, and Harry already intended to request the day off for every match.

Hermione and Ron were talking a bit again, although it was still somewhat awkward. Hermione didn't see much of him, as she had decided to stay in her parents' house and both Ron and Harry were still incredibly busy with Auror training. Hermione had attended Sunday dinner at the Burrow the day before, something that had become a bit of a weekly tradition, and it had been almost like old times with the three of them.

Hermione did still miss Ron, but she was starting to think that it wasn't the romantic aspect of the relationship that she missed, so much as the friendship. That wasn't to say that she still didn't miss having him as her boyfriend, but she wondered if they hadn't been such good friends first, if she would miss him at all.

"I don't see it," Amy said, pulling Hermione from her musings. Hermione looked up and saw that they were standing in front of the Leaky Cauldron. Annie rolled her eyes.

"It's right there," she said pointing to what Hermione knew Amy would see as a broken-down shop between the bookstore and the record store.

"That place?" Amy said incredulously. "It's closed." Hermione smiled, remembering the exact same reaction from her parents the first time they'd come here.

"Take her hand, Annie," Hermione reminded the younger girl. Annie nodded and took her sister's hand.

"Now, look," Annie said. Amy glanced up and gasped.

"Let's go in," Hermione said, ushering them both into the pub. Sarah, David and Claire were sitting at a table just inside the door. While the children and Sarah had all been here before, Amy had not and was staring at everything, wide-eyed. Hermione hurried them through the pub to the back courtyard.

Amy gaped as Hermione tapped the bricks and the doorway to Diagon Alley opened. Hermione smiled and they all stepped through.

"Whoa!" Daniel said. "It looks so different." Hermione frowned, remembering the way the Alley had looked before her sixth year. She could only imagine how much worse it must have been last year.

Hermione looked around as they walked down the street towards Gringotts to exchange their Muggle money for galleons. Nearly all the shops were now reopened, even more than had been a month ago when Hermione had last been here. Fortescue's was a notable exception. Hermione hoped that someone would take it over. The ice cream parlor had been one of her most favorite things about coming here. Second to Flourish and Blotts, of course.

After exchanging money, they made their way through the shops, the younger children and Hermione picking up everything on their lists. Hermione was happy to see that Ollivander's was open once again, the old wand-maker having finally recovered from his ordeal at Malfoy Manor. It wasn't until they were in Flourish and Blotts that Hermione faltered.

Hermione left Sarah and Amy near the front, browsing through the wizarding fiction section, while she took the children to the back. Walking through the Transfiguration section in search of not only her and the first-years' required textbooks, but a few other books that she wanted to read, Hermione stopped short. Directly in front of her was Narcissa Malfoy. Hermione had forgotten that the woman's house arrest had been over two weeks prior.

"Hermione?" Claire questioned when Hermione abruptly stopped. The name caused Mrs. Malfoy to look up. The two women locked eyes for a moment before Mrs. Malfoy's gaze flicked to Hermione's forearm before she flinched and looked away. Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. She would not have a panic attack in the middle of Flourish and Blotts.

David and Annie came around the corner, laughing about something and stopped short, clearly sensing the tension in front of them.

"Hermione?" David said walking up next to her and looking from Hermione to Mrs. Malfoy in concern.

"Did you find our books?" Annie asked as Claire slipped her hand into Hermione's. The gesture pulled Hermione from her daze. She looked down at the three children around her who were all looking at her in concern.

"Oh, yes, yes I did," Hermione said. She passed the Transfiguration texts out to the three of them. "Let's go and find your Charms books, all right?" David glanced at Mrs. Malfoy again, frown on his face as Hermione spun around and began to walk quickly down the row towards the Charms section. She looked over her shoulder when they reached it and saw Mrs. Malfoy walking briskly to the counter. She had pulled up the hood on her cloak to mostly hide her face which explained how she was able to shop without being accosted by the press or other customers. Hermione sighed in relief when the woman left the shop. Obviously, she had been here for Draco's school things.

"Who was that lady?" Annie asked.

"Just someone who I'd rather not talk to," Hermione said trying to keep her voice bright. She pulled three first-year Charms books from the shelves. "Here are the Charms books." David took his with a furrowed brow, clearly still troubled about Hermione's reaction. Hermione tried to busy herself with the books.

"All right, we've got Potions and Herbology left," she said. "Those are over this way." She led the three children to another section, but felt David's eyes on her the entire time. After they had finished with their books, Hermione had left them with Sarah and Amy so Hermione could get her Arithmancy and Ancient Runes texts. Turning a corner, Hermione leaned back against a shelf and let out a shaky breath.

Possibly seeing Narcissa Malfoy had not even entered her mind when Hermione had left for Diagon Alley this morning. She hoped it was simply the surprise of the entire thing that had caused such a visceral reaction from her, or she was going to be in serious trouble when Draco showed up in her classes this year. It had almost been as if she was back there, in the Manor, Bellatrix screaming at her to tell the truth. Hermione's hand came up to cover the scar on her arm, the scar that she'd glamoured this morning before she left her house. She knew that Mrs. Malfoy had recognized the spell.

"Hermione?" David said and Hermione jumped.

"David, you startled me." He stared at her for a moment.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hermione forced a smile.

"Yes, I'm fine." The boy didn't look convinced.

"I'll help you find the rest of your books." Hermione smiled again, this time genuinely.

"Thanks, David." She put a hand on his shoulder and let him carry her remaining two textbooks to the counter for her.

* * *

"Wow," Annie said as they stepped into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Claire nodded in agreement, but David simply gaped, his eyes glazed over. Hermione chuckled at their expressions.

"I've never seen anything like this in my life," Sarah said sounding awestruck.

"It is rather impressive," Hermione agreed.

"Can I put that on my next advert, Granger?" George asked teasingly. "I can see the headline now. 'Brightest Witch of her Age says WWW Impressive'." Hermione rolled her eyes and George grinned. "Who're your friends?"

"This is David, Annie and Claire," Hermione introduced. "They'll be first years. And this is Sarah, Claire's mother and Amy, Annie's sister."

"Muggle-borns, yeah?" George said

"What if we are?" David said, a bit defensively. Claire crossed her arms over her chest and Annie scowled. Hermione bit her lip so as not to laugh.

"Whoa, there," George said putting up his hands in surrender. "Nothing against Muggle-borns here, mate. Hermione's like my sister." The girls relaxed, although David still looked skeptical.

"Speaking of sisters," Hermione said. "Is Ginny here?"

"Yeah, in back," George said. "She should be out in a minute. As for the three of you, pick out something you like. First-time customers, it's on the house." David finally smiled and the three children stepped further into the shop.

"Rough crowd," George said as he turned back to Hermione.

"Just sensitive," Hermione said. "They spent last year in Azkaban." George looked horrified.

"Those are the ones that you helped out at Hogwarts?" he said. Hermione nodded. She wasn't surprised George didn't remember. He hadn't been aware of much those first few days after the Battle. "Shite."

"Yeah," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said as she came out of the back room with an armful of boxes. "The kids are here?" Hermione nodded and pointed them out. Ginny smiled at the excitement on their faces as George walked towards David. "How did shopping go?" Hermione felt herself tense.

"Fine," she said, but Ginny's eyes narrowed.

"What happened?"

"Why do you think something happened?" Hermione asked.

"Because I know you." Hermione sighed.

"I ran into Narcissa Malfoy at Flourish and Blotts," Hermione said.

"What?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Shh, Ginny," Hermione hissed.

"Sorry, but what happened?"

"Nothing, actually. She was in the Transfiguration section when I came around the corner. I'm guessing she was getting Draco's books. It just surprised me is all."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "It's probably a good thing the kids were with me. I'm not sure if I would have kept it together otherwise." Ginny wrapped her in a hug.

"I don't blame you," she said. Hermione hugged her back for a moment before she pulled away.

"I'm fine," Hermione said. Ginny looked skeptical. "I'd better make sure the kids don't leave with something too terrible."

"Hermione," Ginny said, but Hermione shook her head.

"Honestly, Gin, I'm fine."

"I'm off at five," Ginny said. "I can stop by your house after." Hermione smiled. Ginny had convinced Arthur to take her to the Ministry just days after her seventeenth birthday to take her Apparition test. Not having had any formal training at Hogwarts, Molly had been beside herself, convinced Ginny would splinch, but the redhead, at no surprise to Hermione, had passed on the first try. Determination was practically Ginny Weasley's middle name.

"All right," Hermione agreed. Even though Hermione knew Ginny was offering simply because she was worried about Hermione, it would be nice to have a little company. "We'll get takeaway from that Chinese place you like." Ginny grinned.

"Excellent," Ginny said. "I'll see you later." Hermione nodded and walked across the shop to where the kids were all crowded around the Skiving Snackboxes. She laughed at the look on Claire's face as George described how the Puking Pastilles worked.

"Maybe you should pick something else," Hermione suggested. "First-years don't need to skive off class."

"Binns, Hermione, Binns," George reminded her. Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't want to sick up in class anyway," Claire said, nose wrinkled. "That's disgusting."

"What kind of customers have you brought me, Granger?" George said in mock horror. Hermione smiled widely at him. It was good to see George more like his old self although she could still see the hint of sadness in his eyes.

"The kind that had better pick something out," Hermione said. "It's getting late." Sarah and Amy steered the children away from the Snackboxes and towards the more benign items.

A few minutes later, their purchases had been made and they were heading back toward the Leaky Cauldron. As they walked, Hermione tried to analyze her reaction to seeing Mrs. Malfoy in the bookstore. After all, it wasn't the first time Hermione had seen her since the Manor. Mrs. Malfoy and Draco had been at Hogwarts for a few days after the Battle and Hermione had attended the trials. Perhaps it was the proximity. There had been distance between them at the other places, as well as plenty of other people around. Today, it had only been Hermione and three twelve-year-olds that she felt protective over.

Deciding that was likely the reason, Hermione relaxed a bit and let out a breath. Seeing Draco in class would likely not have much of an effect on her, if any. Claire asked her a question and Hermione smiled down at her. She'd enjoyed herself today and she wasn't going to let an appearance by Narcissa Malfoy ruin it.


	27. Reunion

**A/N - Hi all! Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. Finally returning to Hogwarts in this chapter! Also, I am going on vacation next week and while I have been told that there is adequate wi-fi at our resort, I have been told that before and then been disappointed. So if the next chapter is not posted on time, that's why and I'll get it up as soon as I get home. Have a great week!**

 **Chapter 27**

 **Reunion**

 **26 August 1998**

Hermione woke screaming for the second morning in a row. Looking frantically around the room, her heart beating wildly, she finally got her bearings as Crookshanks rubbed himself up against her. Letting out a shaky breath, she pushed her hair back from her face, still breathing heavily as she willed her heart to slow. Sitting up, she leaned back against her headboard and pulled Crookshanks into her lap, burying her hands in his fur as the dream came back to her

" _Tell me! Tell me where you got the sword!" Bellatrix screamed in her face as Hermione sobbed._

" _We found it!"_

" _Liar!" The pain started again and Hermione screamed until her throat was raw. When it finally stopped, she opened her eyes blearily and looked to the side._ She _stood there, her blue eyes staring at Hermione with revulsion and pity._

" _Help me," Hermione mouthed silently. Narcissa Malfoy stared at her for a moment longer and then turned her back. Hermione's eyes shut just as the pain began again._

Hermione shuddered and closed her eyes. That wasn't what had happened, she knew that. She had never looked to any of the Malfoys for help. Just as her dreams had morphed into including Bellatrix handing Hermione over to Greyback, they had changed to include Mrs. Malfoy refusing to help Hermione when she asked.

Hermione knew it was because of the encounter in Flourish and Blotts. The nightmares had slowed, only occurring a couple of times a week and Hermione had hoped that meant they would soon be gone for good. But, seeing Narcissa Malfoy and watching her flinch when she looked at the glamour on Hermione's arm had brought the memories back in full force. Hermione wondered if she would ever be able to put them behind her.

Sighing, she scratched Crookshanks behind the ears before she nudged him off her lap. He gave her a baleful look as he pulled himself to his feet, jumping off the bed and then sitting and staring at her.

"Yes, I know it's time for your breakfast," she said as she threw the blankets off and got out of bed. The cat watched her as she pulled her hair back into a sloppy ponytail, then sniffed as he turned on his heel and left the room. He looked back once to make sure she was following and she rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly.

When they reached the kitchen, Hermione opened the tin of food and dumped it into his dish.

"Mum and Dad are coming home today, you know," she said. Crookshanks gave her a side glance as he continued to eat. "I can see you're overwhelmed with excitement." Hermione, on the other hand, was looking forward to seeing her parents. She hoped that being back in their home would make them want to return to England permanently.

Still, there was a lot to do before they arrived and so Hermione turned to prepare her own breakfast, making a mental list of what she would need to get at the market. She also decided to strengthen the silencing charm on her bedroom. There was no need to worry her parents with her nightmares, after all.

* * *

 **29 August 1998**

"I think that it's up to you," Remus said as he took a sip of his tea. The letter lay on the table between them, Andromeda having asked him to read it a few minutes ago.

"That's not really what I had in mind when I asked for advice," Andromeda said dryly. Remus chuckled.

"I realize that, but only you know if you're ready to do this." Andromeda sighed and picked up the letter from her sister again. Narcissa had requested to meet Andromeda at a café in Diagon Alley after she had taken Draco to King's Cross.

"Diagon Alley is always crawling with reporters," Andromeda said. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to deal with that."

"Perhaps you should suggest somewhere else," Remus replied.

"Muggle London would be the only place we wouldn't have to worry about the press."

"True," Remus agreed.

"And I doubt Narcissa would agree to that." Remus shrugged.

"If she really wishes to see you, she might," he said. Andromeda stared down at the letter, contemplative look on her face.

"There is that small coffee shop just a block from King's Cross," she said. "Ted and I used to stop in there after we'd taken Nymphadora to the train."

"It sounds like a good solution," Remus said, his wife's name still causing a pang in his chest.

"Narcissa has no idea how to dress Muggle," Andromeda said with a snort.

"Doesn't know how or will refuse to?"

"That too."

"You can only make the suggestion," Remus said. "She may agree if you emphasize wanting to avoid reporters."

"Yes, I would think she wouldn't want anything to do with them either."

"Besides, there are plenty of Muggles that dress differently. She might get a few looks, but I doubt anyone would bother you." Andromeda nodded absently. Remus put a hand over hers to bring her back into the conversation. "The main thing to decide is if you want to do this. If you're ready to do this."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be completely ready," Andromeda admitted. She looked up at him. "But I miss my sister and I would like her back."

"Then, I'd say you've made your decision." Remus patted her hand. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, Remus."

* * *

 **1 September 1998**

Hermione, holding Crookshanks' carrier, her shrunken trunk in her pocket, glanced quickly to either side before she walked through the barrier at King's Cross. She had said good-bye to her parents outside the station, as they had dropped her off on their way to the airport. They were returning to Australia today and while they had promised to come back for Christmas, there had been no discussion of moving back to England. Hermione had wanted to ask, but she'd held herself back, as they were getting along so well. She hadn't wanted to ruin anything.

They had gone to dinner at the Burrow on Sunday which her parents had seemed to enjoy. They'd never seen a wizarding household before. Arthur had, of course, peppered her father with questions about Muggle things all night until Molly had scolded him enough to get him to stop. Her dad had just found it amusing.

Hermione glanced around the platform, looking for Ginny and Luna, as well as the three Muggle-born first years. Hermione wasn't sure who else from her year was returning, although when she had talked to Dean at Harry's birthday, he'd said he was considering it.

"Hermione," a familiar voice said and Hermione spun to see Harry behind her.

"Harry! What are you doing here?"

"Patrolling the platform," he said. "Our first official assignment."

"Our?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah, Ron and Neville are here too."

"Just the three of you?" Hermione questioned. She knew that Harry, Ron and Neville were more than competent, but there were a lot of people here.

"Nah, Proudfoot, Dawlish and Williamson are here too." Harry made a face as he said the last man's name.

"Still having problems with him?" Hermione asked.

"Who, Williamson?" Ron said as he came up behind Harry. "He's a wanker."

"Ron," Hermione admonished.

"What?" Ron said. "Harry knows he is."

"Yeah, mate, but it's probably not a good idea to announce it in front of everyone," Harry said. Ron glanced around and then shrugged. They were as alone as they could be on the crowded platform.

"Anyway, we should keep patrolling, but have you seen Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Not yet," Hermione replied. Ron snorted.

"Harry it's still a half hour until the train leaves. D'you really think my family is going to be here already?"

"Fair point," Harry said while Hermione laughed. Ron smiled at her.

"I'll tell Ginny you're looking for her when I see her," Hermione said. Harry gave her a quick hug and turned to walk back towards the front of the platform, helping a younger girl right her trunk as he did so. Hermione saw the girl's mouth drop open when she realized who Harry was, but he continued walking.

"Don't you have to get back too?" Hermione asked Ron, when he hadn't followed Harry.

"Oh, yeah, in a minute," Ron said. He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck nervously. Hermione gave him a quizzical look.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Ron said. He looked at his feet and then over her head before he met her gaze again. Hermione was starting to wonder what was going on.

"I just, erm, wanted to say have a good term," he finally said.

"Thanks," Hermione replied. The whole thing was becoming rather awkward.

"So, I guess I'll see you at Christmas, then."

"My parents are coming for another visit, but I don't think they're staying for the entire holiday, so yes, probably."

"Okay, good, that's good," Ron said. The tips of his ears were pink. "Hermione, I-" but whatever Ron intended to say was cut off by the squeal of Hermione's name.

"Hermione!" Claire ran up to her and hugged her around the middle. Hermione laughed and hugged the girl back.

"Hello, Claire. Where's David?"

"He's coming with the trolley," Claire said. Hermione looked up to see David, followed by Claire's parents and her brother. David was indeed pushing the trolley with two trunks on it. Hermione glanced at Ron, who was looking at her with a sad smile on his face.

"Claire, you remember Ron, don't you?"

"From Hogwarts," Claire nodded. "You're Hermione's boyfriend." Hermione's eyes widened and Ron's face turned red.

"Oh, well, no, he's um, he's not," Hermione said quickly.

"I'll see you later, Hermione," Ron said and turned and strode off before Hermione could stop him. Claire watched him go as her parents and David finally arrived.

"Sorry, Hermione, did I say something wrong?" Claire asked, looking nervous.

"No, Claire, it's fine," she said. "Ron and I aren't dating anymore, that's all."

"Oh, sorry."

"You didn't know," Hermione assured her and hugged the girl again. "Have you talked to Annie?" Claire's smile returned.

"Yes, she should be here soon. My mum just talked to Amy on her mobile."

"I'll help you with your trunks when she gets here, then," Hermione said, still wondering about the strange conversation with Ron. She didn't have long to contemplate it, however, as Annie arrived moments later. Amy looked just as stunned as she had in Diagon Alley, as Annie led her towards her two friends. The three children began chattering excitedly to each other and Hermione tried to reassure both Amy and Sarah who looked like they were about to change their minds about letting the children go back to Hogwarts after all.

"I'll look after them, I promise," Hermione said again as Sarah wrapped Claire and David in a hug.

"You two write to me tonight, understand?" Sarah said and both children nodded.

"You too, Annie," Amy said. "If I don't get a letter from you by tomorrow, I'm going to contact Mr. Dawlish and send him to bring you home."

"Okay, okay," Annie said, rolling her eyes. "I'll write, I swear." Hermione glanced at her watch. There were only ten minutes until the train left.

"Should I help you find a compartment?" Hermione asked.

"Can you sit with us?" Claire questioned.

"Not right away," Hermione said. "I'm a Prefect, so I have to sit in the Prefect's carriage and have a meeting first. But I'll help you find a spot and Ginny can check in on you. You remember her, right?" Claire nodded and gripped Hermione's hand. She turned back to her mother with a sniffle.

"I'll miss you, Mum," she said quietly. Sarah hugged her tightly again.

"You're going to have so much fun, you won't have time to miss me," Sarah said, blinking back tears. Her husband hugged David and then his daughter, Sarah wrapping David in a hug. "If you need anything, anything at all, you let me know." David nodded and Sarah kissed his forehead. "We love you, both of you." Amy was saying something similar to Annie.

As excited as she knew the three children were, Hermione also knew that they were scared. Last year, they'd had a much different outcome when they had come to board the train. She wished she could sit with them the entire time.

"Hermione," a voice called and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ginny's red hair. She had obviously shrunk her trunk as well, as there was nothing in her hands.

"Gin," she said as Ginny reached them. "Where's your mum?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Stopped to talk to Ron," she said. "Honestly, I told the woman I was more than old enough to get myself here, but she insisted."

"Did you find, Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny's smiled widened.

"Yes, I most certainly did."

"You remember Annie, David and Claire," Hermione said quickly, cutting Ginny off before she said something about giving Harry the perfect snog.

"Of course, I do," Ginny said with a smile. Hermione introduced her to everyone else and then glanced at her watch again.

"We should probably get on the train." After one more round of hugs, Hermione and Ginny helped the three first-years with their trunks, casting featherlight charms on them and pulling them aboard the train. Just as Hermione was going to climb up the steps, Ginny laughed.

"Well, didn't know Neville had it in him." Hermione looked over her shoulder where Neville was enthusiastically snogging Luna, right in the middle of the platform. Luna pulled away with a dreamy smile and put some kind of necklace around Neville's neck before kissing his cheek and walking towards the train. Hermione watch Neville look around and turn bright red, obviously realizing just how many people had seen him kissing his girlfriend. Hermione hoped that none of his superiors had noticed.

"Hello, Hermione," Luna said as she boarded the train. "Hello, Ginny."

"Hey, Luna," Ginny said with a grin. "Nice good-bye there."

"Oh, yes, Neville is a very talented kisser." Hermione nearly choked on her tongue. The three first-years were staring up at Luna with a variety of expressions on their faces. David looked disgusted, Claire obviously thought the entire thing had been romantic and Annie just looked like she was trying to figure Luna out.

"Good luck with that," Hermione muttered under her breath. As much as she loved Luna, she wasn't sure anyone would ever figure her out.

Hermione began ushering the children down the train cars until they found an open compartment. Ginny and Luna joined them while Hermione left to go to the Prefect's carriage. She promised to return as soon as she was finished. Ginny was pulling out the Exploding Snap cards when Hermione left.

As she made her way down the corridor, she looked out one of the open doors and saw Ron standing on the platform. His eyes were roaming along the cars as if he was looking for someone. Hermione paused in the doorway and Ron caught sight of her. A wide smile broke out over his face and he waved. Hermione waved back and then hurried along the corridor, still wondering what was going on with him.

* * *

Andromeda sat nervously in the coffee shop, checking her watch every few seconds. Truthfully, she had been shocked when Narcissa had agreed to meet here instead of Diagon Alley. She never would have thought her proper Pureblood sister would set foot in a Muggle establishment. Andromeda wasn't sure if that alluded to how much Narcissa wanted to see her or the fact that she could avoid the press this way. Andromeda, while hoping for the former, suspected it had more to do with the latter.

She glanced out the window again and froze as she saw the distinctive blonde head walking down the pavement. Narcissa was glancing apprehensively from side to side as if a Muggle were going to accost her at any moment. Andromeda nearly groaned aloud when she noticed that Narcissa had her wand palmed in her hand, hidden mostly by her sleeve. Still, she didn't rise from the table as Narcissa finally entered the coffee shop. Instead, Andromeda sipped from her cup of tea and waited for Narcissa to spot her.

Andromeda took the extra few seconds she had to examine her sister. Andromeda's warning to dress Muggle had been half successful. Narcissa wore a frock, but one that was more suited to the 1950's than the current style. Merlin forbid she wear something as inappropriate as trousers, or even worse, show her knees. One thing Andromeda had never missed about the Pureblood world was the heavy, corseted robes she and her sisters had been forced to wear, not only to formal events, but in the house as well. Her father always insisted that they dress 'properly'. While Andromeda still wore robes at home sometimes, they were lightweight, casual affairs that Narcissa likely wouldn't be caught dead in.

Narcissa had finally noticed her and made her way to Andromeda's table. Andromeda stood in greeting.

"Andromeda," Narcissa said.

"Narcissa," Andromeda returned. The two sisters stared at each other for a few moments before Andromeda gestured to the chair across from her.

"Would you like something?" Andromeda asked.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Andromeda caught the server's eye and waved her over. Narcissa flinched when the girl asked her what she wanted. Andromeda asked for another cup of tea and two scones. Narcissa looked warily around the coffee shop as the server walked away.

"No one is going to attack you," Andromeda said offhandedly, as she took another sip of tea. Narcissa glanced at her sharply.

"I did not think they were." Andromeda held back a snort, but her expression must have given her away. Narcissa's eyes narrowed. "I do not have the experience you do in such…establishments." Andromeda sighed.

"Then why did you agree to come here?"

"As you said, it is a way to avoid the press." They stopped talking as the waitress returned, setting the tea in front of Narcissa and the plate with the scones in the middle between them. Narcissa stared at the cup as if it were going to bite her.

"I assure you, you're not going to catch anything by drinking out of a cup touched by a Muggle." Andromeda caught the slightest pinkening of Narcissa's cheeks. She said nothing and Andromeda passed her a packet of sugar, remembering her sister's sweet tooth. Narcissa looked at it in confusion.

"It's sugar," Andromeda explained.

"Why is it not in a bowl?" Not wanting to waste their time trying to explain germs to Narcissa, Andromeda just shook her head.

"It's easier this way," she simply said. Narcissa finally tore the packet open and poured it into her tea.

"Did Draco get off all right?" Andromeda asked as Narcissa stirred her tea.

"Yes," Narcissa replied. "He was not all that eager to return, however."

"I can't say I blame him," Andromeda said.

"I suppose your son-in-law had plenty to say about him," Narcissa said, a bit defensively.

"Remus knew him for a year when he was thirteen," Andromeda replied, refusing to rise to the bait. "Hardly a time to form an opinion about someone." Narcissa said nothing. "I know when I was eighteen, I was nothing like I had been at thirteen."

"No, that is certainly true." The two women sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Narcissa looked up at met Andromeda's eyes. "I have missed you. Very much." Narcissa's eyes were bright and Andromeda felt her own well up. She pulled in a breath to steady herself.

"I know that you were following Father's orders after I left," Andromeda said. "But you could have contacted me once you were finished with school." She was a bit surprised to hear the slight harshness in her voice.

"And how would I have done that?" Narcissa asked quietly. "I was betrothed to Lucius and still living at home with Mother and Father. Father would have been able to intercept any owl I sent. And before you suggest I should have gone to Diagon Alley and sent an owl from there, you know as well as I that I was not allowed anywhere without a chaperone. After you left, Father became even more obsessed with making sure I did nothing that would reflect badly on the family. I had no chance of escaping anywhere on my own."

"After you married, then," Andromeda said. "Father held no sway over you then."

"And do you think Lucius did not?" Narcissa asked disbelievingly. "He was fully beholden to the Dark Lord by then and our entire lives were dictated by what that man wanted."

"I highly doubt your husband kept you in a dungeon and threw away the key," Andromeda accused.

"You do not understand what it was like," Narcissa hissed. "The Dark Lord, even if he was not physically present, was always _there_. Do you honestly think I would have been able to keep in contact with my sister who had shamed the family by marrying a Mudblood?" Andromeda's ire flared. Her eyes narrowed at the slur, her mouth pressed into a thin line. She was about to get up and walk out, reconciliation be damned, when Narcissa spoke again. "I only avoided taking the Mark myself because I fell pregnant." Narcissa's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand as if she had not meant to say that.

Andromeda's brow furrowed in confusion. Draco had not been born until 1980, a full six years after Narcissa and Lucius had married, but Narcissa was talking as if she had gotten pregnant much earlier. Andromeda looked back at her sister who looked despondent.

"There were…losses," Narcissa said quietly. "After the third, the Dark Lord was convinced that I was too frail to bother with and lost interest in me."

"Oh, Cissy," Andromeda said, reaching a hand out to her. Narcissa grasped it tightly.

"I am sorry to say that I thought of little else than having a child those next few years. You were pushed almost completely from my mind. It wasn't until Draco was born that I wished you were with me." She looked over Andromeda's head, lost in her memories. "Bella was, well, we both know she did not have a maternal bone in her body. And the first war was nearing its peak by then. She was much too busy out torturing and killing to bother with her nephew. And Mother was Mother. She only wanted to see Draco for a few minutes at the beginning of our visits. She would then make me send him off with a House-elf so he would not interrupt our tea." Narcissa paused and looked at Andromeda. "I wished I had someone to share him with. Someone besides Lucius."

Andromeda pressed her lips together to keep from crying. She had felt the same about Nymphadora from the moment she was born. Ted's family had been wonderful to them, his parents loved and doted on their granddaughter. But it hadn't been the same. They weren't _hers_. And they weren't magical. Andromeda, raised in a sheltered, Pureblood family was trying to adjust to the very Muggle world they had moved into and now had a little Metamorphmagus to boot. It had been so difficult those first few years, when their family circle had gotten even smaller so as to try and protect the Statute of Secrecy when Nymphadora had no control over her morphing. Andromeda could remember crying herself to sleep at night, wishing that she could at least speak to her sister.

So too, did Andromeda understand loss, although of a different kind. She and Ted had tried for years to give Nymphadora a sibling, without success. They had never lost a pregnancy simply because there was never any to begin with. Even the Healers they saw couldn't explain it.

"I am sorry, Andi," Narcissa said. A lump formed in Andromeda's throat at the nickname. Ted had called her that once, just after they were married, and she had made him promise never to do it again. It had been too painful.

"I know, Cissy." The two sisters stared at each other, hands still clasped.

"I know that you have no reason to forgive me and I doubt I would deserve it if you did," Narcissa began. Andromeda held up her free hand to stop her.

"If there's anything I've learned over the last year, it's that life is ridiculously short." Andromeda drew in a breath, her voice hitching. She blinked, trying to keep the tears that had filled her eyes for the last few minutes from falling. "Forgiveness is not about who is deserving or not. Forgiveness has to be freely given or it doesn't really mean anything." Narcissa squeezed her hand harder and Andromeda knew it was only years of practice that kept her from breaking down as well.

"But you must know, Remus and Teddy are a part of my life, my entire life, really. I will not have them looked down upon for either their birth or something that is a part of them through no fault of their own. If you cannot abide by that, then we have nothing more to say to each other."

Narcissa swallowed and then drew in a breath, looking up to meet Andromeda's gaze.

"Your son-in-law is dangerous."

"He is," Andromeda agreed. "During the full moon, for which we take every precaution necessary. Otherwise, he is no more dangerous than you or I."

"I am not sure that is an endorsement," Narcissa said and Andromeda couldn't help the laugh that escaped.

"Perhaps not," she agreed in amusement. Narcissa turned serious once more.

"Fenrir Greyback was a major presence in my life for the last year. I have seen how dangerous werewolves can be even when it is not the full moon." Andromeda took a sip of tea to steady herself. She was aware that Greyback was the werewolf who had changed Remus and knew that he was particularly vicious on any day of the month.

"You have been exposed to the very worst of their kind," Andromeda finally said, flinching when she referred to Remus in that way. "I do not blame you for your concern. But as I said, I will not tolerate any maligning of my family. Both my son-in-law and my grandson are half-bloods, Remus' mother was a Muggle. They both carry a unique characteristic that makes many consider them half-breeds, a term I abhor. I know that you have been on the side of the war that would sooner kill them than not. I need to know if you still feel the same." Narcissa sat in silence for a moment.

"I will not deny that I shared the same beliefs as my husband for many years," she finally said. "That I thought your husband lesser because of who his parents were."

"Something changed your mind?" Andromeda asked when Narcissa did not continue.

"Are you aware that the Dark Lord was a half-blood?" Narcissa said conversationally. Andromeda was confused at the change in topic.

"Yes, I knew."

"I did not, until the second war," Narcissa continued. "I found it somewhat confusing that a man who had a Muggle for a father would push so hard for Pureblood supremacy."

"I find it even more confusing that his people would continue to follow him once they knew his heritage," Andromeda replied.

"Well, he was promising what they all wanted, so I think they tended to overlook his unfortunate birth."

"But you didn't."

"I honestly did not care who his father was, simply the hypocrisy of his message," Narcissa said. "But by then, of course, Lucius could not get out and I was more concerned about protecting Draco than anything. Still, it made me wonder. The man was half Muggle and yet one of the most powerful wizards in all the world, most likely. And then, of course, there was Severus."

"Severus?" Andromeda questioned. "Severus Snape?"

"Yes," Narcissa replied. "Severus was a dear friend, in fact, he was named Draco's godfather."

"I wasn't aware of that," Andromeda said. "Wasn't Severus' father a Muggle?"

"Yes," Narcissa said, not expanding on the subject. She met Andromeda's eyes again. "You are aware that during the war, Harry Potter and his friends were captured and brought to my home." Andromeda was shocked into silence. She did know about the trio's capture, Remus had told her, but she couldn't believe that Narcissa had actually brought it up.

"Yes," Andromeda simply said.

"Bella was there, of course, she was always there those last few months. She discovered something in their possession that made her extremely nervous. She…questioned Miss Granger about where they had gotten it." Andromeda shuddered. She was well aware of Bellatrix's methods of 'questioning'.

"The girl was raised by Muggles and she managed to not only survive, when Bella turned her wand on her, but, as I have been told, suffered no long-term, ill-effects." Andromeda said nothing, simply stared at her sister. "I am sure that you know just how strong Bella's Cruciatus curse was." Andromeda nodded.

"I could not…reconcile what we had always been told about Muggles and Mudbl-," Andromeda's eyes narrowed as Narcissa stopped herself, "and Muggle-borns with what I saw that day at the Manor."

"You didn't help her," Andromeda said. "Any of them."

"I would think you would know by now, sister, that I am a Slytherin. It was not in my best interest, nor Draco's, to help them. Besides, they escaped and lived to fight another day." Andromeda forced herself to breathe evenly and not lash out at her sister.

"Thankfully, for all of us," she said instead.

"Indeed," Narcissa agreed.

"So, all of this means, what, exactly?"

"That the circumstances of your son-in-law's birth are of no consequence to me," Narcissa said. "Nor is your grandson's."

"And the fact that Remus is a werewolf and fought for the Order?" Andromeda pressed. Narcissa forced a smile.

"I did not say I could change all in one day, Andi. But I will refrain from any insults to the…man."

"I suppose that's a start," Andromeda said.

* * *

 **19 September 1998**

"Happy Birthday," Ginny said as Hermione came back into their room after her shower. It was a bit strange to be in a dorm room with Ginny, while the first years had taken over the room that had once been Hermione's. Better though, she supposed, as Hermione had nearly broken down when she'd seen Lavender's old bed. It was why Hermione usually visited with Claire and Annie in her own room or the Common Room, as they were nearly always with David as well.

All three had been sorted into Gryffindor, although Claire had to convince the Hat to put her there. Annie and David had already been sorted, both going quickly to Gryffindor. Destined initially for Hufflepuff, it wasn't until Claire had refused to leave the stool that the Hat had changed its mind. Hermione and Ginny had been quite amused at the look on the younger girl's face when she finally made it to the Gryffindor table. Triumphantly smug was putting it mildly.

Dean had indeed returned to take his seventh year, as had Justin Finch-Fletchly and most of the other Muggle-borns that had been in Hermione's year. While most everyone who had actually been at the school last year had elected to take their N.E.W.T.S. in either June or August, Anthony Goldstein and Lisa Turpin, as well as, surprisingly, Daphne Greengrass, had returned to Hogwarts. Draco had as well, of course.

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said as Ginny gave her a gift. It was a small writing set with a very nice quill and a few different color inks. "This is lovely, thank you."

"I know how you like to color code," Ginny joked and Hermione laughed. When the two of them were dressed, then went down to the Common Room to find Annie, David and Claire waiting for them. Hermione smiled at them.

It had been a rough adjustment for all three of them, but for Claire especially. Hermione was glad the girl had pushed the Sorting Hat to place her in Gryffindor, as Hermione was able to keep a close eye on her. Hermione had enlisted Dean to do the same with David in the boys' dorms. While the first week had been rough with lots of tears and nightmares, they all seemed to be doing much better.

"Happy Birthday, Hermione!" all three of them chorused as one. Hermione grinned in response.

"Thank you."

"We got you something," Claire said, thrusting a box towards her. "Mum sent it for us."

"You didn't have to do that," Hermione said, but sat down and opened the gift. There was an assortment of very nice chocolates inside, as well as a leather-bound journal.

"This is so nice, thank you," Hermione said. Claire perched on the arm of Hermione's chair.

"Mum gave me and David one before we left for school," Claire explained. Her voice dropped to nearly a whisper, so that only Hermione could hear. "It helps when I write about my nightmares in it. Maybe you could too." Hermione looked at Claire in surprise. Claire just smiled and Hermione remembered the first week of school, when Claire had found her way into Hermione's room nearly every night. Hermione woke once with Claire snuggled up beside her and didn't even remember the younger girl coming into the room. She wondered if Claire had come in during one of Hermione's nightmares.

They had returned, full-force, on Hermione's return to Hogwarts. It wasn't surprising really, given everything that had happened there just a few short months ago. Despite Hermione's hope, seeing Draco in class on the first day seemed to indeed trigger her dreams about the Manor. He had featured predominantly in them the first few days, once even holding the wand that tortured her. Those had tapered off, thankfully. It was one thing to wake up terrified in the night and quite another to nearly have to leave the classroom upon seeing his face.

"I'll remember that," Hermione said and gave the girl a hug. "Now, though, I'm hungry. How about breakfast?"

* * *

A few minutes into breakfast, the owls began to arrive. Hermione had barely paid the Daily Prophet owl when three more landed in front of her, laden with packages from Molly and Arthur, Harry, and George. Hermione smiled as she removed the parcels, giving up all her bacon to the owls before they flew off. Predictably, Harry sent her a book, although it was one that she'd been wanting. Molly had knitted her a pair of new gloves and a scarf, as well as sent along a few sweets and snacks. George, also predictably, sent a variety of WWW merchandise.

"He sent you a daydream charm!" Ginny exclaimed, grabbing the box. "Last time I tried to buy one of these he wouldn't sell it to me, the prat."

"Actually, he sent me two," Hermione said with a laugh, picking up the other small box. Ginny looked incensed. "You can have one if you like. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with one daydream charm, let alone two." Ginny looked tempted, then shook her head.

"No, thanks," Ginny said. "I'd rather remember the real thing, if you know what I mean." She smirked at Hermione who rolled her eyes.

"Lovely, Gin."

"What?" Ginny replied with a shrug. "It's no different than when I had to watch you snog _my_ brother. Speaking of, the git didn't even send you a card?"

"I didn't expect him to," Hermione said, although she had been a tiny bit hurt that Ron hadn't even acknowledged her birthday. She had thought that they were at least on the way to being friends again.

"What is that?" Annie asked, pointing towards the ceiling. Hermione and Ginny looked up and Ginny groaned as she recognized Pigwidgeon, fluttering around the ceiling, but making no move to get closer to the tables.

"That owl is a complete idiot," Ginny said.

"That's an owl?" David asked, a bit incredulous.

"Yes, a rather stupid one," Ginny replied.

"Pig isn't stupid, he's just excitable," Hermione defended.

"You'd think he would have outgrown it by now," Ginny said. The little owl seemed to have finally remembered where he was supposed to be going as he began to fly quickly towards Hermione. She actually put her hands up in front of her face when it became apparent that Pig was not going to slow down.

The owl landed with a splash, sloshing pumpkin juice out of the pitcher he had crashed into. Ginny grimaced and plucked Pig out of the pitcher, setting him in front of Hermione. Pig chittered happily and held out his leg, which held a small box, now rather soggy.

"He's so cute!" Claire exclaimed and Pig preened under the praise, hopping off towards Claire after Hermione had untied the package, leaving a trail of pumpkin juice behind him.

"Menace," Ginny muttered.

Hermione took off the bedraggled ribbon and the soggy paper, to reveal the box underneath. Thankfully, the box itself hadn't gotten all that wet and she opened it, then gasped.

"What is it?" Ginny asked. Hermione pulled a gold bracelet from the box. It had a small cat charm hanging from it. She opened the note from Ron and read it quickly, then stared at the bracelet again.

"That's so pretty," Claire said, before she turned back to Pig, trying to dry off his feathers.

"That's what Ron sent?" Ginny asked quietly and Hermione nodded, still shocked. Ginny looked from Hermione to the bracelet and back again. Hermione glanced at the three first years, but they were fully engrossed with the owl and were no longer paying attention to Hermione and Ginny.

"I, I don't know what to say," Hermione said.

"Are you going to wear it?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know if I should," Hermione said. It was an awfully expensive present to give a friend. Hermione thought back to Ron's behavior on the train platform. She wondered what he'd been about to say before the first years had interrupted him. "Gin, what should I do?"

"I'm not sure," Ginny said.

"Should I send it back?"

"No!" Ginny said. "No, don't do that. He won't understand and he'll just get upset."

"But, if I keep it, isn't that saying, well," Hermione trailed off and looked at her friend helplessly.

"I don't know, Hermione," Ginny said. "Maybe he didn't mean anything by it. Maybe he just saw it and thought of you. I mean you are still friends, right?"

"Harry's my friend too and he gave me a _book_ ," Hermione said. Ginny snorted.

"Well, no one ever said Harry was very creative when it came to gifts," Ginny laughed.

"If Harry gave you this, what would you think?" Hermione asked. Ginny stared at her for a minute and then sighed.

"Okay, I get it," she said. "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Hermione said staring down at the bracelet in the box. Pig was hopping around the table now and Hermione sighed and handed him a bit of sausage. "You can go Pig, I'll write back later." Pig hooted, nipped Claire's finger affectionately and then took off towards the ceiling.

"Can I see?" Claire asked and Hermione passed the box to her. The girl smiled as she held up the bracelet. "Do you have a new boyfriend?"

"Erm, no, I don't," Hermione said. "A friend of mine sent me this."

"Oh," Claire said in confusion, then shrugged. "Maybe he wants to be your boyfriend, then. Or your girlfriend, you didn't say who it was from." She put the bracelet back in the box and passed it back to Hermione with a smile. Hermione swallowed thickly and looked at the bracelet again.

"Oh, look at that," Ginny said, glancing at her watch. "Almost time for Quidditch try-outs. You three wanted to watch, didn't you?"

"Right," David said, shoving the last of a scone in his mouth as he stood. "C'mon." The girls rolled their eyes and followed him, Claire giving him a disgusted look as he tried to swallow. Once they were out of ear shot, Ginny turned back to Hermione.

"I'm not telling you what to do," Ginny said. "But, think about this, Hermione. If this is some kind of, I don't know, gesture, really think about it before you decide." She squeezed Hermione's arm and got up from the table. "I'll see you outside?" Hermione nodded absent-mindedly as Ginny grabbed her broom and headed for the pitch. Hermione stared at the bracelet for another minute before she put the top on the box and then shoved it in her pocket. She grabbed her bag and followed Ginny to the pitch, having promised she would watch try-outs. She mulled over Ginny's words and Ron's behavior on the platform the entire way.


	28. Unexpected

**A/N - I wasn't sure I was going to get this posted today as yesterday the wi-fi wasn't working and this morning we lost power. It has definitely been a memorable vacation! But things are all up and running for the time being, so here you are. Thanks so much for continuing to read, follow, favorite and review!**

 **Chapter 28**

 **Unexpected**

 **7 October 1998**

Remus groaned as he woke to Teddy's cries once again. This was the third time tonight. Blearily hauling himself to his feet, Remus made his way down the corridor to Teddy's room. Teddy was sitting in his cot, looking miserable, which, of course, he was.

"All right," Remus said as he reached for his son. "It's all right." Teddy immediately buried his face in Remus' neck while Remus rubbed his back. "Teething isn't any fun, is it?" Teddy whimpered in response, his hair cycling quickly through colors as it was wont to do when he was upset. Remus reached for the teething ring lying on the changing table and cast the freezing charm on it before handing it to his son. Teddy gummed it, his whimpers tapering off. Remus picked up the small vial of pain relieving potion Andromeda had brewed a few days ago. He had just rubbed a bit on Teddy's gums a couple of hours ago and unfortunately for the baby, he shouldn't get anymore until morning.

Remus sank down into the rocking chair, still rubbing Teddy's back as he chewed on the teething ring.

"I'm sorry you're having such a rough time," Remus said quietly, hating to see his boy in so much pain. Even Andromeda was a bit surprised at how much Teddy had been suffering.

The last few weeks had been a complete blur. Teddy had been waking up as much as four or five times a night and only seemed to quiet if he was held upright. Remus had spent many a night sleeping in this chair, which, even with cushioning charms, wasn't the most comfortable thing to do. Normally, he and Andromeda took turns getting up with Teddy, but the full moon had been two nights ago and Andromeda had been taking care of Teddy on her own. Remus had insisted she use a silencing charm tonight, seeing how exhausted the woman was. And so, Remus was up for the third time.

He rocked as Teddy quieted further, the teething ring finally falling from his hand into Remus' lap, as Teddy succumbed to sleep once more. Remus set it on the small side table and relaxed back into the rocking chair as much as he could, still rubbing small circles on Teddy's back. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair.

He couldn't quite believe how quickly time was passing. It seemed like yesterday Teddy was a tiny newborn and now he was nearly six months old. He had mastered sitting up on his own just last week and now he was getting teeth. Remus tipped his head down and kissed the top of Teddy's head, wishing again as he always did that Dora was here to see him. Although, he thought with a smile, given how much she loved her sleep, Remus would have likely been the one up in the night anyway. Somehow, he didn't think he would have minded.

He closed his eyes and let the image of the three of them form, Teddy asleep on his chest, while Dora snuggled up to his side, Remus' arm around her. He'd had that, for a few short weeks. He waited for the pain to come as it always did when he allowed himself to think of his wife and what he had lost. And while the pain came, Remus was surprised that it wasn't quite as sharp as it normally was. Still there, yes, but not quite the white-hot poker to the chest that he normally experienced. Kissing the top of Teddy's head again, Remus chose not to think about it, instead, settling back into the chair and letting himself drift off to dream of things that would never be.

* * *

 **24 October 1998**

Hermione walked with Ginny to the Entrance Hall to meet with Luna before they went down to Hogsmeade. Ginny was practically vibrating with excitement.

"What if he got called into work?" Hermione asked. Ginny rounded on her, fire in her eyes.

"Do not even joke about that, Hermione Granger!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "If he did, I will have to hurt someone." Hermione was about to say something else, when she saw Ginny's expression shift to worry.

"Gin, I'm sorry, I was just kidding. I'm sure Harry will be there."

"It's just, gods, I miss him so much," Ginny said.

"I know," Hermione said. "I miss him too." Ginny narrowed her eyes at Hermione. "Not like you miss him, eww." Hermione wrinkled her nose and Ginny smirked.

They reached the Entrance Hall and spotted Luna standing against the wall near the front doors. She had her butterbeer cork necklace on and what looked like weeds woven into her hair.

"Hey, Luna," Ginny said as they reached her.

"Hello," Luna said.

"Your hair looks, erm, nice," Hermione said.

"Thank you," Luna replied, but didn't elaborate.

"Did you hear from Neville?" Hermione asked. The last they'd heard, Neville wasn't sure if he would be able to make it to the village.

"Oh, yes," Luna said. "He was able to trade a shift with someone."

"That's great," Ginny said.

"Yes, I would like to kiss him again," Luna said and Hermione snorted out a laugh.

"After what we saw at the train station, I don't blame you," Ginny joked.

"I suppose I'll get to be the fifth wheel today," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Ginny said, looping her arm through Hermione's. "I promise not to ditch you until after lunch."

"Gee, thanks," Hermione said dryly. The three of them approached Professor Flitwick, who waved them on without a word, given they were all of age.

Ginny squealed as they came down the path and into view of the village. Harry grinned widely and began to walk quickly towards her as Ginny ran to meet him. Hermione smiled as Harry picked Ginny up and swung her around, before setting her back on her feet and kissing her soundly. Neville was hurrying towards Luna to do the same and it was only then that Hermione saw a familiar figure standing behind Neville.

She immediately tensed. Hermione had sent Ron a short note, thanking him for her birthday gift. But she hadn't acknowledged it beyond that. She had gone back and forth about it for weeks afterward, but had ultimately decided she would wait and speak to him about it at Christmas. It just didn't seem like a conversation they should have through letters. She hadn't worn it yet either. It just didn't feel right. However, it seemed as if she might have to have that discussion much earlier than she planned.

As Ginny and Luna were both quite busy with their respective boyfriends, Hermione had no choice but to walk towards Ron. He had a wide smile on his face as she reached him.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey," he replied.

"I didn't know you were going to be here."

"Neither did I," he said. "I ended up with the day off, so I thought I'd tag along with Harry."

"Oh," Hermione said. They stood in silence for a few moments.

"It's good to see you," Ron said.

"You too," Hermione replied. She saw him glance at her wrist. Thankfully, they'd had a bit of a cold snap and she was bundled up against the cold, a thick jumper on under her cloak. Even if she'd been wearing the bracelet, Ron wouldn't have been able to see it.

"Ron?" Ginny said, having finally come up for air. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too," Ron said with a roll of his eyes. Ginny laughed and hugged her brother.

"What _are_ you doing here, though?" He shrugged.

"Had the day off, thought I'd come with Harry, see how things are going."

"Oh, well, that's fortunate," Luna said. "Now Hermione won't have to be the fifth wheel." Hermione instantly colored when Ron chuckled.

"Good to see you, Luna," Ron said.

"Well, let's not stand around here," Ginny said. "Come on." She tugged Harry's hand and headed for the Quidditch shop. Hermione fell into step next to Ron as Luna dragged Neville off somewhere, promising to meet them for lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

"Never thought those two would end up together," Ron said. Hermione smiled fondly. They were a bit of an unlikely pair, but she thought they were rather adorable together.

"I think they're sweet," Hermione replied. They followed Harry and Ginny into the Quidditch shop, Hermione not really paying attention to the discussion the three of them were having about some new broom that was coming out in a few months. She wandered around the shop until Ron finally noticed she was no longer with them and convinced Harry and Ginny to go to Honeydukes instead.

The longer the four of them walked around together, the more relaxed Hermione became. Things got less awkward with Ron the more they joked and laughed with Harry and Ginny. He didn't mention the bracelet and Hermione decided not to bring it up either. Maybe he _had_ just sent it because they were friends.

"I see Zonko's hasn't reopened yet," Harry said.

"Is George still thinking about buying it?" Hermione asked.

"He hasn't mentioned it," Ron said. "I think he's still trying to get used to, well, you know." They all fell silent thinking of Fred, Ginny leaning into Harry's side with a sniffle.

"We said we'd meet Luna and Neville in a few minutes," Hermione finally said. "Should we head over there?" They all nodded and began walking towards the Three Broomsticks.

It was crowded inside, as usual, and Hermione didn't see Luna and Neville anywhere. She made her way to the back of the pub, finally finding a table when a group of Ravenclaws got up to leave. Neville and Luna came in just as the rest of them were sitting down, Neville looking very disheveled and a bit out of breath.

"All right there, Nev?" Ron asked with a smirk. Neville turned bright red.

"We're both quite fine," Luna said with a satisfied smile. Hermione barely held back a snort as they all squeezed around the small table. It was a tight fit; the table was more suited to four people than six. Hermione found herself sandwiched between Ginny and Ron, her arm pressed against Ron's. No matter how she tried to maneuver her chair, Hermione couldn't really do much about the contact. Sighing, she decided to ignore it and enjoy their lunch.

When they finished, Neville and Luna got up to leave again, they rest of them watching with amusement, but Ron didn't move over straight away. Hermione waited until he finished telling Harry something, assuming he would move then, but he didn't.

"Ron," she finally said. "Why don't you scoot over a bit? There's no reason why we need to be on each other's laps anymore."

"Oh, right, sorry," Ron said, moving, but not nearly as far as he could have.

"Well, this has been fun, but it's time for Harry and me to have a little alone time," Ginny said, waggling her eyebrows at them.

"Bloody hell, Gin, we don't need to know that," Ron said in disgust. Ginny just laughed as she got up from the table and grabbed Harry's hand, dragging him from the pub.

"I suppose I'll head back up to school," Hermione said as she rose.

"Don't you want to go to Tomes and Scrolls?" Hermione looked at Ron in surprise. Never once, in all their years of school, had he asked her if she wanted to go to the bookshop.

"Are you volunteering to go to the bookshop with me?" Ron laughed.

"Yes," he said. "I guess I am."

"I'd better write this down on my calendar," Hermione teased. "Ron Weasley voluntarily offers to go to a bookshop." He pretended to be offended, then grinned and got up from his chair, ushering her from the pub. They chatted amicably as they walked towards Tomes and Scrolls and Hermione started to think that maybe they were on their way to being friends again.

When they reached the shop, Ron followed her inside, but turned to the Quidditch section as she browsed through the Transfiguration section. There was still another book she'd been looking for the day she'd run into Narcissa Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts. She walked down the row, running her finger over spines of books, looking for the title she was searching for.

Ron left her alone for a good half an hour before he finally got bored and came to find her. He hovered without saying anything for at least ten minutes before Hermione decided he was likely at the end of his patience for her browsing. She made her purchases and the two of them left the shop.

"I really should be heading back," Hermione said.

"What's it like, being here again?" Ron asked.

"Hard sometimes," Hermione admitted. "And it's strange without you and Harry here. But it's been good."

"So, you're glad you came back?"

"Yes." Hermione glanced at him. "What about you? Do you ever regret not returning?"

"You know studying was never my thing," Ron said with a laugh. Then he sobered. "I do miss it, a bit, but no, I don't think I could have come back. Not with…Fred and everything." Hermione nodded. She knew that Ginny avoided the corridor where Fred was killed, going out of her way to get places sometimes.

"You're happy with the Aurors then?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"You think so?"

"It's not exactly what I thought it would be. There's a lot more paperwork than you'd ever imagine." Hermione chuckled. "And we're not completely out of training yet. Once we are, it will probably be different. But yeah, it's been good."

They had reached the road back up to the school and Hermione turned to Ron.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Ron." Ron's entire face lit up.

"Me too." Impulsively, Hermione hugged him. She was a bit surprised, however, when Ron held on to her just a bit too tightly and for a bit too long. When he released her, she stepped back quickly. He faltered for a moment, then smiled at her again.

"I guess I'll see you at Christmas."

"Yes, sure," Hermione replied. "I'll let your mum know what my plans are once I talk to my parents."

"Sounds great," Ron said with another smile.

"Bye, Ron."

"Good-bye, Hermione." Hermione turned and hurried up the road to the school, feeling Ron watching her until she was out of sight. Once she reached the gates of the school, she blew out a breath. After today, she was pretty sure that Ron had more than friendship on his mind.

* * *

 **9 November 1998**

Remus settled himself into the chair in front of Minerva's desk while she prepared tea for the two of them. After she had handed him his cup, she sat down behind her desk.

"I have to admit, it's still a bit strange to see you sitting there," Remus said.

"It's sometimes a bit strange to _be_ sitting here," Minerva said with a smile. "How are Andromeda and Teddy?"

"Doing well," Remus said. "Last week was…difficult." Minerva nodded in understanding. The six-month anniversary of the end of the war hadn't been easy on anyone.

"Yes, it was," she agreed. "Poppy ran out of both Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep." Remus sighed and shook his head.

"Six months," he said. "It doesn't seem that long and yet it seems like an age ago all at the same time." Minerva nodded in agreement. "But I know you didn't ask me here to discuss the war."

"No," Minerva agreed. "I would like to once again retain your services as a tutor."

"Classes not going well?" Remus questioned.

"No, it isn't that," Minerva said. "As you're aware, we teachers tend to do a bit of review every fall. Students get a little out of practice over the summer holiday. But that normally doesn't take more than two or three weeks. All the staff has been reporting that they are still reviewing much of what was taught last year, especially with the younger students. And in classes like Muggle Studies and Defense, which were basically not taught at all last year, they are having an even harder time catching up. The professors are trying to teach two years' worth of material in one year. I'm sure you can imagine that students and teachers alike are rather frustrated."

"I'm sure," Remus said. "I'm happy to help, as you know, but you mentioned it was mostly the younger students?"

"Yes, the second through fifth years seem to be having the most difficulty. Most of the older students seemed to handle last year's…horrors a bit better than the younger students. I'm sure age and experience helped in that regard."

"Well, then we may have a problem," Remus began, but Minerva cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I have complete discretion in this matter, Remus," she said.

"I understand that, but I don't want there to be any problems when parents find out that their children are being tutored by a werewolf."

"There won't be," Minerva insisted. Remus looked at her skeptically.

"I know you're aware of the prejudices against werewolves in our world, Minerva. Not to mention the legislation that Umbridge managed to get passed."

"Legislation which Kingsley is actively working to repeal," Minerva said.

"But it _is_ still in place," Remus pointed out.

"Technically yes, but the exception he passed last week will allow me to hire you."

"As long as I'm registered with the Ministry," Remus said, somewhat bitterly. Minerva looked confused.

"But I thought that you were registered?"

"I am," Remus said, more than a bit irritated. "It's just the principle. Many werewolves won't register, they don't trust the Ministry. Which means their chances for employment are still virtually nothing. That only compounds the problem Greyback created."

"I understand your feelings on this Remus, truly I do," Minerva said with a sigh. "And I agree with you. But at this point, it was the best Kingsley could do with the bigotry that still runs rampant on the Wizengamot. Greyback didn't do the werewolf population any favors with his behavior during the war." The undercurrent of anger that Remus always felt for his maker, flared through him and he fisted his hands in his lap. He pulled in a breath through his nose and let it out slowly. "I think that you working here could actually help Kingsley's efforts."

"So, I'm the pet werewolf again, am I?" Minerva looked taken aback.

"Remus, you know I don't think of you that way," she said, frown on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "None of this is your fault. It's just, it's been a rough week." Two days after the anniversary had been the full moon, which, even with the Wolfsbane, had been much more difficult than usual, given his lingering grief. Teddy had finally started sleeping through the night again a week before the anniversary, when he'd gotten four teeth in the space of three days. It explained why the boy had been so miserable. But, he then hit another growth spurt a few days ago and had been sleeping so much during the day that he didn't want to go down at night. If they woke him from his naps to prevent that problem, he was cranky and irritable. It was a no-win situation.

"I understand," Minerva said. "And I don't blame you for the way you feel. But Remus, you _can_ help."

"I know," he said. He smiled. "Of course, I would love to take the job."

"Excellent," she said. "Professors have turned in lists to me of the students they feel need the most help and I will begin setting up sessions for them. When can you start?"

"I should probably give Andromeda a little notice, so what about Wednesday?"

"That will be perfect," Minerva said. She stood and Remus did the same. She walked him to the door. "I will send you an owl once I have the schedule ready. Thank you for doing this."

"It's my pleasure," Remus said. They made their good-byes and Remus left the office. As he rode the staircase down, he wondered if he, and the rest of his fellow werewolves, would ever escape the legacy of Greyback.

* * *

 **30 November 1998**

Hermione sighed as she thought about the letter from Ron again. Letters, he had started writing her letters. Ron never wrote her letters. And now he was talking about trying to come to the next Hogsmeade weekend. She had been worrying about it for days now. She'd lost a bit of sleep over it, actually.

After the first Hogsmeade visit and the hug that had made Hermione suspect that Ron was interested in more than being just her friend, Hermione had thought seriously about it. There was a part of her that really thought it might be a good idea, the part that argued with her when Hermione remembered their rows. Ron had said he was angry and he was letting it affect their relationship, that was the only reason they had fought so often. She had started three separate letters to him about getting back together, throwing away each one minutes later when the rational part of her disagreed. She and Ron always argued, they had since they were eleven. And it wasn't always because he was angry at the world.

Despite their differences, it had still taken her quite some time to accept that things were over after they'd broken things off during the summer. Her frantic cleaning days at Grimmauld Place were testament to that. In all honesty, it hadn't been until she had really begun thinking about getting back together with him that she finally realized she wasn't really interested in him romantically anymore.

And now there were the letters. Letters that were increasingly making it apparent that Ron was still interested in her. She wasn't sure what to do. She definitely couldn't tell him in a letter. And if he did make it to Hogsmeade, she really didn't want to have it out with him in the village. She was sure that he would be hurt and when he got hurt, he got angry and lashed out. But she didn't want to give him the wrong idea either. She would just have to hope that Ron couldn't make it to Hogsmeade and then talk to him as soon as she could over the Christmas holiday.

"Watch it, Granger," a familiar voice said as Hermione turned the corner to Defense and ran into someone. Hermione looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing in front of her.

"Malfoy," she muttered, still reminded of her torture at the Manor every time she saw him. She didn't visibly flinch anymore, but her stomach would churn and she would have to force herself to breathe evenly whenever she came face to face with him. Thankfully, he ignored her for the most part.

Today though, he stared at her for a long moment before he finally turned away, leaning back against the wall, looking bored. Hermione bit her lip and walked to the other side of the corridor, hoping Ginny and Luna showed up soon.

"Hey, Hermione." Hermione looked up and smiled at Anthony Goldstein, happy to have a friendly face waiting for class with her.

"Hi, Anthony."

"Did you get that Transfiguration essay done?"

"Yes, last night," Hermione replied. They continued to make small talk until Professor Higgins opened the door to allow them into the classroom. He was a retired Auror from Ireland and while he was a bit gruff, he at least seemed to know what he was doing. Hermione, along with the rest of the D.A., had had little trouble in class so far, everything they were being taught spells they had all mastered and used during the war. Hermione sat with Anthony as Ginny and Luna slipped in at the last minute and took a desk next to them.

"Today, we're going to try something a little different," Professor Higgins said. "So far, it seems as if I haven't really been able to challenge most of you, so we're going to duel instead." Hermione glanced at Ginny from the corner of her eye. Ginny returned the look, neither of them sure this was a good idea.

"You'll be pairing off and using any of the spells we've practiced so far, along with a few others I've written on the board. Anyone that casts anything not on the list will immediately be disqualified, along with serving detention with me and losing a massive amount of House Points, not to mention being reported to the Headmistress. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," the class responded.

"Now, you'll be paired off randomly and the winner of each duel will face the winner of one of the others and so on until we have an overall winner." He waved his wand and a list of pairings appeared on the second blackboard, along with a ladder as to who they would face next if they won.

"Everyone out of their seats please and up here in the front of the room," the professor continued. He waved his wand and the desks all slid to the sides of the room. Drawing off three squares on the floor with his wand, he called the first three pairs and sent them to one of the squares. Hermione moved to the side of the room and stood next to Ginny, who still looked apprehensive.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a disaster," Ginny said. Hermione nodded. Most of her fellow seventh-years still had flashbacks to the war from time to time. A few weeks ago, on the six-month anniversary of the Final Battle, Madame Pomfrey had run out of Calming Draught by supper.

"I wonder if he asked Professor McGonagall about this before he decided to do it," Hermione said.

"Doubt it," Ginny said with a snort. They clapped as Luna won her duel against one of the seventh-year Hufflepuffs. Professor Higgins called the next pair and Ginny gave Hermione a smile that looked more like a grimace before she walked off to face Daphne Greengrass.

Ginny won her duel and Hermione did as well, against a Ravenclaw that was in Ginny's year. As the second round started, Hermione watched all her fellow students closely. Corinne, one of Hermione's new dorm mates was visibly shaking and Anthony was muttering to himself under his breath. Anthony had won his initial duel, but Corinne had not. Hermione was about to go to her side when she saw the professor walk up to her and begin speaking softly. Corinne nodded and picked up her bag before leaving the classroom. Well, at least he was being vigilant about it. Hermione moved next to Anthony instead.

"All right, Anthony?" she asked. He started and then looked at her for a few moments.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm fine." Hermione watched the duels for a few moments. "

"You would think that an Auror would have thought of a better idea than this," Hermione said.

"The last person I dueled was a Death Eater, during the Final Battle," Anthony said quietly. "He was much quicker than me and I thought for sure that I was going to die." Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand. He gave her a grateful smile. "I probably would have too, but a giant smashed through the wall behind the Death Eater, just as he was about to cast an Avada. The spell went wide and I ducked and ran back to the Great Hall after that. Tripped over a pile of rubble and broke my ankle right before I got there. Madame Pomfrey kept me out of the rest of it."

"I dueled Bellatrix Lestrange right before Molly Weasley killed her," Hermione said with a shudder. She could still see the maniacal gleam in the woman's eye as she carved into Hermione's arm in Malfoy Manor. Anthony returned her hand squeeze and Hermione smiled up at him. Ginny had just won her second duel and Hermione was called forward next.

"Good luck," Anthony said.

"Thanks," Hermione replied.

The numbers continued to dwindle and more students left the classroom, all suffering from some kind of panic attack or flashback or something similar. Hermione wondered how long it would take for Madame Pomfrey to notify Professor McGonagall. Hermione suspected the headmistress was not going to be pleased when she found out.

So far, everyone had followed the rules about the types of spells that could be used and Hermione supposed that was something, at least. Hermione had just beaten Luna and Ginny was currently dueling Malfoy. Malfoy was more skilled than Ginny, but Ginny had anger on her side. She was aware that Malfoy had stood by while Hermione was tortured in his house and what had happened in the Room of Requirement during the Final Battle. The Horcruxes were a secret from almost everyone, but Harry had told Ginny everything.

In the end, Malfoy's skill got the better of Ginny. While she was distracted deflecting a water spell he'd cast at her that had broken through her shield, he quickly disarmed her. Hermione clapped politely along with the remainder of the class, as Malfoy bowed to Ginny. She blew a strand of hair out of her face and nodded to him. Joining Hermione, Ginny conjured a glass of water and drank it down quickly.

"You did a great job, Gin," Hermione said.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "At least I got a few hits in. Wish I could have Bat Bogey'd him though." Hermione chuckled.

"And now, for our final duel of the afternoon, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy." Hermione's mouth went dry, her heart plummeting into her stomach. "Since Mr. Malfoy has just finished a duel, we'll give him a five-minute respite before we begin again."

"Hermione?" Ginny questioned.

"I can't," she said.

"Didn't you know this was coming?" Ginny asked as she indicated the blackboard. Hermione shook her head. She hadn't been paying any attention to the results, she had been more concerned about her fellow students and just went to the front when she was called.

"Ginny, I, I can't duel him," Hermione said, panic starting to take over.

"Hermione," Ginny said, grasping Hermione's upper arms. "It's all right. You can beat him."

"It's not that, I," Hermione shook her head, looking across the room to where Draco sat. He must have sensed her eyes on him as he looked up and met her gaze. They stared at each other for a few moments, before he finally looked away.

"Hermione, listen to me. You can do this." Hermione looked at Ginny, panicked. "This isn't the Manor and Bellatrix isn't here. She's dead." Hermione drew in a breath and let it out slowly, nodding at Ginny.

"Not the Manor, right. I can do this."

"You're sure?" Ginny asked. "I know Higgins will let you leave, if you need to."

"No, you're right. This is just a classroom duel. It's not the war. I can do this." Ginny nodded and hugged her quickly. Hermione squared her shoulders and turned toward the middle of the room. Draco rose from his seat as well and the two of them walked towards one another. They stopped and the professor went over the rules again before he told them to begin.

Hermione focused on casting spells instead of who her opponent was. They both moved quickly, wands slashing through the air as they ran through the list of spells that were on the approved list. Hermione was vaguely aware of the rest of the students watching raptly, some talking amongst themselves. She saw Ginny give her a wide smile from the corner of her eye before she threw up another shield. Malfoy was getting creative, throwing spells low or high to try and get over or under her shield. Hermione grinned as he grew more frustrated.

She noticed that the left side of his shield seemed weaker than the right and decided to capitalize on that weakness when she hit him with a stinging jinx. Malfoy rubbed at his arm in irritation and the edge of his Dark Mark became visible. Hermione could see the head of the snake and she faltered. Draco stepped forward, casting another disarming spell at her and Hermione barely got her shield up in time. But, she couldn't pull her eyes away from the Dark Mark. Malfoy, still unaware of why she had hesitated, continued to cast. Hermione looked up and saw the determined grimace on his face. Just like in her dream, the one she'd had just after school started where Draco held Hermione under the Cruciatus Curse while Bellatrix carved into her arm.

"No!" Hermione shouted. "No, please!" Draco fumbled for a moment before he looked at Hermione in confusion.

"Please, don't," she said again, backing away from him, holding her hands up in front of her.

"Granger?" Malfoy said in bewilderment.

"We found it," Hermione insisted. "We found it, I swear!" Draco's eyes widened and his wand arm dropped. He took a step back from her, a look of horror on his face. Hermione stared at him, beginning to shake. "Please."

"Hermione!" Ginny said as she ran to her friend's side. "Hermione, it's all right." Hermione glanced at Ginny, perplexed. What was Ginny doing here?

"Miss Granger," Professor Higgins said quietly. Hermione's head whipped towards him and then she looked frantically around her. The Manor disappeared and the classroom came back into focus. She saw all her classmates looking at her with a mixture of concern and pity on their faces. Hermione locked eyes with Draco, who looked sick.

"Hermione," Ginny said again but Hermione shook her head and spun on her heel. She ran from the classroom, Ginny and her professor calling her name behind her.

She ran blindly down the corridor, tears running down her cheeks. She ducked into a secret passage she, Harry and Ron had found in fifth year and ran until she could no longer see through her tears. Stopping, she sunk down to the floor and buried her face in her knees sobbing.

* * *

Remus hurried down the corridor, lighting his wand as he went. If he didn't hurry he was going to be late for his next tutoring session, things having run long with the fourth-years he had been working with on Defense. Ducking into a secret passage that he and his friends had found their fourth year, he hurried towards the other end which would bring him out one corridor over from the classroom where he was meeting his second-years. He faltered a moment when he heard crying. Hurrying forward, Remus was shocked to see Hermione huddled on the ground, sobbing.

"Hermione?" he said as he squatted beside her. Hermione looked up at him in surprise, wiping hastily at her tears. "What happened, Hermione? Are you hurt?" She shook her head and turned away from him, trying to hide her face, even as she continued to cry. "Hermione, please tell me what's wrong." He put a hand on her shoulder and she cried harder.

Remus sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She froze for a moment before she turned towards him, hiding her face in his chest and sobbing as if her heart would break. He wrapped both arms around her and held her tightly as she continued to cry.

"Hermione, it's all right," he said, running his hand down her hair. "It's all right, I've got you." Hermione's arms snaked around his waist and he continued to soothe her, all the while wondering what the hell had happened to make her so upset.


	29. Comfort

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter! I love hearing what everyone thinks of the story. Longer than usual chapter this time, hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 29**

 **Comfort**

 **30 November 1998**

Hermione's sobs finally subsided to hitching breaths. She knew she should let go of Remus, but she couldn't, not yet. She also knew she should be horribly embarrassed for how she had reacted when he'd put his arm around her, but she simply couldn't bring herself to care. Likely later, she would be mortified, but for now, she was just…drained.

Remus' teaching robes were open and the cardigan he wore underneath was soft against her cheek. She could hear his heart beating, slow and steady, and she let herself relax further, her breathing finally becoming more even. Remus' arms remained firmly around her. He smelled like old books and the forest and chocolate. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

It was that action that forced her to move away from him. She sat up straighter and pulled back, hiding her face so he couldn't see how deeply red it had turned.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded, unable to speak for fear of blurting out something she would regret later. She could feel him staring at her and she looked down at her lap. From the corner of her eye she saw him reach into his pocket and pull out his wand. He conjured his Patronus.

"Minerva, I've been unavoidably delayed. Please let my second-years know." The Patronus bounded off down the corridor, disappearing seconds later.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, wiping at her face again and getting to her feet. "I didn't mean to keep you."

"Hermione," he began as he stood, but she shook her head.

"No, go on ahead, I'll be fine," she insisted.

"Hermione, I'm not leaving you like this," he said. She glanced up at him and then looked away.

"Really, Remus, it was nothing."

"It wasn't," he said, putting a hand on her arm. "Anything that makes you that upset isn't 'nothing'." To her horror, her lip began to quiver and she could feel the tears gathering again. She bit her cheek, hard, and pulled in a breath, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from falling.

"I was in Defense," she finally said. "And Professor Higgins decided to have us duel one another." Remus stared at her incredulously.

"Duel one another?" he repeated. Hermione nodded. "Did you get to select your own partners?"

"No," Hermione replied. "It was a random draw and if we won, we continued on to the next round until there were only two of us left." Remus closed his eyes and pulled in a breath through his nose. Hermione could see him visibly trying to calm himself.

"That's…incredibly irresponsible."

"If people reacted…badly, he did let them leave," she said, not knowing why she felt the need to come to the professor's defense.

"But he didn't stop the duels," Remus said. Hermione shook her head. Remus scrubbed a hand down his face. "So, what happened?"

"Malfoy and I were the last two left," Hermione said quietly. Remus inhaled sharply.

"And everything was fine at first, but," she trailed off.

"But," Remus prompted.

"But, then he pushed at his sleeve after I'd got him with a stinging hex and I saw," she paused, biting her lip. "I saw the edge of his Dark Mark. The snake." Remus blew out a breath.

"Then what happened?"

"I don't know, I just, I froze or something and it was like, like I was," she shook her head, the tears once again threatening. Remus walked towards her and gripped her upper arms gently.

"Like you were back at the Manor?" he questioned. She closed her eyes, having forgotten that Remus had been at the Malfoy trials and had heard that she, Harry and Ron were captured. She wondered just how much he knew.

"Hermione," Remus paused and Hermione opened her eyes to peek at him. He looked unsure for a moment, but seemed to gather his resolve as he asked his next question. "What happened to you at Malfoy Manor?"

Hermione closed her eyes again. So, he didn't know, then. She didn't want to tell him, not this. Not only did she not like thinking about it, she didn't want Remus' pity.

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, keeping her eyes on the floor. She heard Remus draw in a breath and let it out slowly.

"Hermione, did Draco do something to you while you were at the Manor?"

"No," Hermione said immediately, looking up at Remus and shaking her head. "No, he didn't do anything."

"Then why did you react so strongly to seeing his Mark?"

"I don't, I…it wasn't him," she said.

"Did someone else do something to you at the Manor?" Hermione shifted and moved away from him, crossing her arms over her chest. She pulled at her left sleeve.

"I told you that I didn't want to talk about it." She saw Remus' eyes on her arm, she knew he had noticed her pulling at her sleeve and cursed herself in her head.

"I know from the Malfoy trials that Bellatrix was there," Remus continued. Hermione tried to keep her eyes on his, but she shifted her gaze away from him for a moment, then quickly looked back. "Hermione, I am aware of Bellatrix's methods of…questioning." Hermione gave a strangled sort of snort, that sounded more like a sob. Remus continued to stare at her and she lost the battle with her tears. He slowly gathered her to him again and she cried, quietly this time, into his shoulder as he held her.

"It was the Cruciatus, wasn't it?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded into his shoulder. She felt Remus' arms tighten around her. He took in another breath and she got the distinct impression that he was trying to calm himself.

"Was Draco there when you were tortured?" he asked. She nodded again.

"He didn't do anything, his parents didn't either, only Bellatrix, but I couldn't, I couldn't stop seeing him holding the wand and c-cursing me." She shuddered. "I felt like I was back there, at the Manor, and it wasn't until Ginny and, and then the professor said my, my name that I figured out where I was. Everyone was st-staring at me and I just, just ran out of the classroom."

Remus rubbed her back and soothed her again and Hermione sighed heavily. She felt herself relaxing again and pulled in another breath, his scent filling her nose once more. She wanted nothing more than to just stand here all day, letting Remus hold her and tell her it was all right.

"Narcissa was there as well?" he asked after a few minutes. Hermione pulled back and realized that he was standing rigidly, his jaw clenched.

"Yes," she said uncertainly. Hermione could see the muscle working in his jaw. Her eyes narrowed in confusion and when he caught her eye again, she could tell that he was forcing himself to relax.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, for what happened to you," he said.

"I don't want people to feel sorry for me," she said quietly.

"I know," he replied, putting a hand on her arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. His expression was back to normal, his jaw unclenched and Hermione wondered what all that had been about.

"I'm the one that should be sorry," she said instead. "I made you late for your tutoring and I cried all over you and, and everything." She blushed again and he smiled at her.

"This was more important," he said. "And that's what drying charms are for." Hermione managed a small laugh. "Come on, I'll take you to see Madame Pomfrey."

"No," Hermione said. "I don't need the hospital wing, honestly. You just go and do your tutoring. I've got to get to Charms anyway."

"Hermione," he said, his voice serious. "I am taking you to see Poppy, no arguments."

"But, I don't need," she protested, but he interrupted her.

"You do," he said. "It's obvious that you haven't dealt with what happened to you at the Manor. Let Poppy help you."

"She can't," Hermione whispered. "I don't think anyone can." He tilted her chin up and Hermione had to force herself not to shiver. Hermione saw the concern in his eyes, which, she noticed weren't just green, but flecked with gold.

"They can," he said. "If you let them." She stared at him for a few moments before she finally nodded.

"I can get there myself, though," she said.

"Minerva can handle my second years for a few more minutes," he said. "I'm coming with you, if for no other reason than to spare you having to answer any questions about what happened. Classes will be over soon." Hermione finally nodded and he put a hand on her back, leading her down the passageway towards the hospital wing.

* * *

Remus paced in Minerva's office. How he had managed to keep it together after what Hermione had told him, he wasn't sure. Years of practice at controlling his temper, most likely. He had wanted to hit something, kill Bellatrix all over again and when he had found out that the Malfoys had just stood by and let it all happen, he had been even more enraged. He never would have expected Lucius to do anything and he didn't blame Draco, really. The boy had had too much put on his young shoulders and going up again both his very formidable aunt, as well as his father wouldn't have been something he could have done. But Narcissa. Andromeda had been telling him how different her sister was, how happy Andromeda was that Narcissa was starting to see past her blood prejudice, that the war had changed her. Narcissa was a mother, she had risked everything to protect her son and yet she let a girl be tortured in her home for no other crime than the circumstances of her birth.

"Remus, sit down," Minerva said. "I understand your anger about this situation, but surely it doesn't warrant this kind of response." Remus glanced up at the older woman. He hadn't told her anything about Hermione's torture at the Manor, that was Hermione's story to tell. He had only explained the dueling tournament Higgins had run and how Hermione had fled in a panic after seeing the Dark Mark. Minerva was right in that he was overreacting to the information he had given her. He forced himself to calm down, leaning back against the wall and taking in a deep breath as they waited for Higgins to arrive. Minerva had asked Remus to stay so he could explain the state Hermione had been in when he'd found her.

There was a knock at the door and Angus Higgins entered the office.

"Minerva," he said cordially. "Remus." Remus nodded once, still not trusting himself to speak.

"Remus has just informed me that he had to take a student from your seventh-year class to the hospital wing." Higgins looked concerned.

"Which student?" he asked.

"Hermione Granger," Remus said tightly. Higgins looked surprised.

"Explain yourself," Minerva snapped.

"It was a simple dueling tournament, Minerva," Higgins replied. "No spells even close to damaging."

"The types of spells you allowed is _not_ the point," Minerva fumed. "Were you not present three weeks ago for the six-month anniversary of the Battle? Were you not aware of the reaction of the majority of our students?"

"Of course, I was," Higgins said defensively.

"Then why in the bloody _hell_ did you think dueling would be a good idea?" she retorted. "Especially a _tournament_ where their opponents were chosen for them?"

"I made sure any student that was uncomfortable or upset was excused and none of them received failing marks," he said.

"Did you allow them to sit out of the entire assignment or did you only let them go after they had some kind of reaction to it?" she asked, her voice clipped. Higgins opened his mouth to reply, then shut it again.

"All of these students are of age," he argued. "I'm treating them as such."

"They are _children_." Higgins got to his feet.

"They fought in a war, for Merlin's sake! They are not children!"

"While that may very well be," Minerva said, her voice now low and dangerous. Remus swallowed and instinctively pressed himself closer to the wall. "That war is now over and while they are inside these walls, they are students, _my_ students, and I will not allow them to be traumatized for a mere _assignment_." Higgins had the good sense to keep his mouth shut. Minerva sighed.

"You are a good teacher, Angus, but you made a very poor choice," she said.

"I was under the impression that I had some freedom over the curriculum I choose to use in my classes," Higgins said and Remus knew he was just trying to retain some of his pride.

"Of course, you do," Minerva replied. "However, I will not tolerate something like this happening again." She sighed again. "They are not Auror trainees, Angus." Higgins stared at her for a moment before he finally nodded.

"Miss Granger," he said, looking a bit uncomfortable, but clearly concerned. "Is she all right? She didn't appear to be injured during her duel. She just ran out in the middle of it."

"Physically yes, but she was extremely upset," Remus said tightly. "It took me quite some time to calm her down and get her to the hospital wing."

"I don't understand," Higgins admitted. "She was fine through all the rest of her duels."

"The Malfoy family was on the other side of the war," Minerva said. "And Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy have a bit of a…history." Higgins eyes had widened in understanding.

"I will remember that," he said.

"Please be sure that you do."

"Will she be all right?" Higgins asked, addressing Remus now.

"She's with Poppy," Remus said. "I believe she will be fine."

"I'll be sure to speak with her in our next class." He turned back to Minerva. "I apologize."

"Accepted," she said. Higgins nodded to Remus and then left Minerva's office.

" _Will_ Hermione be all right?" she asked, turning to Remus. He sighed.

"I hope so."

* * *

Hermione made her way back to Gryffindor Tower, glad that classes were still in session for another twenty minutes. She had been excused from the rest of her classes for the day and despite feeling a bit guilty about missing them, she was glad. She wasn't up to facing anyone just now, after the fool she'd made of herself in Defense. She was sure that it would be all over the school by dinner.

And then there was Remus. Hermione turned red again as she thought about him. While she was extremely grateful that Remus had been there to comfort her, Hermione's own behavior had been something else altogether. The way she had clung to him and cried all over him, not to mention making him late for his tutoring. Her heart beat a little faster when she remembered how comforted she had felt and how good he had smelled. Hermione shook her head and forced herself to think about something else.

Madame Pomfrey had given her a Calming Draught and a vial of Dreamless Sleep that Hermione now carried in her pocket. The mediwitch had insisted that Hermione take it that night, as well as the next two. As much as she hated to admit it, Hermione knew that Madame Pomfrey was right. If her dreams had gotten as bad as they had after just seeing Malfoy, she couldn't imagine what they would be like now after she'd dueled with him.

Reaching the Fat Lady's portrait, Hermione gave the password and stepped into the Common Room, glad that it was empty. As much as she loved her first years, she wasn't sure she could deal with them right now. She climbed the stairs to her dorm and dropped her bag at the foot of her bed. Pulling off her robes and her shoes, she lay down, hugged her pillow to her and sighed.

Madame Pomfrey, after giving Hermione the Calming Draught and running a diagnostic scan on her, turned softer and encouraged Hermione to tell her everything that had happened. She already knew about the Mudblood scar, but Hermione went through their capture and her entire ordeal at Bellatrix's hands. The Calming Draught kept Hermione from breaking down again, but when she was finished telling her story, Madame Pomfrey had hugged her anyway. She had insisted Hermione return the next day to talk with her again and after realizing that it had been a bit of a relief to have confided in someone other than her friends or her parents, Hermione agreed.

The longer she lay there, the more she found her thoughts drifting to Remus. He had been right that she would feel better after talking to Madame Pomfrey. He'd said that people could help her if she'd let them. She knew that Harry and Ron had tried, but they had been in such bad places themselves, it hadn't worked all that well. Besides, Hermione was used to being the one that held them together, that kept them going, that solved their problems, she wasn't sure how to let someone else do that for her.

She had jumped from one thing to another ever since the Battle, from repairing Hogwarts, to searching for her parents, to working on Grimmauld Place. She never slowed down and rarely let herself just relax. Of course, it wasn't in Hermione's nature to just sit around and do nothing, but she had been particularly driven over the summer. Keeping busy kept her from thinking about things she would rather not think about.

Even now, she was constantly worrying about the first-years, making sure that they were doing all right and didn't need anything. She had also thrown herself into her studies, often doing extra work that wasn't required. She told herself that it was just a way to continue to challenge herself, as most of her classes were relatively easy for her. Harry and Ron had been right, she likely would have easily passed her N.E.W.T.S. had she taken them over the summer.

She had mostly ignored her nightmares and just hoped that they would eventually go away. That obviously hadn't worked either.

"Hey," a voice said and Hermione turned over in her bed to see Ginny standing in the doorway.

"Hi, Gin," Hermione said. Ginny crossed the room and sat at the foot of Hermione's bed as Hermione pulled herself up to sitting.

"You okay?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded.

"Madame Pomfrey gave me a Calming Draught." Ginny nodded and they both fell silent for a few moments.

"Hermione, what happened?" Ginny finally asked. Hermione looked down at her lap, picking at a loose thread on her coverlet.

"I saw a bit of Malfoy's Dark Mark," Hermione said quietly. She glanced up at Ginny who looked confused. "Remember when I ran into Narcissa Malfoy at Flourish and Blotts?"

"Yes," Ginny said, even more confused by the topic change.

"After that, my nightmares came back," Hermione said. "Well, they hadn't ever really completely gone away, but they got more frequent."

"Hermione, why didn't you tell me?" Ginny asked. Hermione shrugged.

"Anyway, the dreams changed a bit and they sort of featured Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione explained. "She did things in the dream that had never really happened."

"Okay," Ginny said. "So, what does this have to do with today?"

"When we came back to school and I saw Draco, the same thing happened," Hermione said.

"You've been having nightmares since we got back?" Ginny asked, perplexed. Hermione nodded. "But, I've never heard you."

"Silencing charm," Hermione said with another shrug.

"Hermione," Ginny admonished. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't want to keep my dormmates up every night," Hermione said.

"Every night?!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Well, at first," Hermione said. "They'd tapered off again the last couple of months." Ginny shook her head in exasperation.

"So today," she said. "The Dark Mark?"

"It just…took me back, I guess," Hermione said looking down at her lap again. "Reminded me of my dreams and then, well, I was sort of, back there." Ginny nodded.

"You kept saying 'we found it'."

"Yeah, the sword," Hermione said with a sigh. She put her face in her hands and groaned. "Gods, Gin, how am I going to face everyone?"

"Hermione, almost half the class left because they couldn't handle it. I doubt anyone is going to think any less of you."

"But they didn't have a flashback in the middle of their duels, did they?" Hermione said. "They didn't freak out and think they were somewhere else."

"They also weren't tortured by that bitch," Ginny said, her jaw clenched.

"Yes, well, I'm sure Draco is just having a great laugh over it."

"I don't think so," Ginny said. "You didn't see his face, Hermione. He looked sick." Hermione didn't say anything. She knew Ginny was right. Malfoy had looked just as horrified as she was.

"I heard that Higgins got his arse handed to him by McGonagall," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Who told you that?"

"He was summoned out of his fifth-year class and when he got back, they said he looked a bit worse for wear. And you know McGonagall." Hermione laughed.

"Well, I hope she did," Hermione said. "Duels, honestly."

"Are you going to be all right?" Ginny asked seriously. Hermione smiled at her.

"Madame Pomfrey gave me some Dreamless Sleep. She wants me to take it for the next three nights and go back to see her tomorrow. So yeah, I think I'll be okay." Ginny leaned forward and hugged Hermione tightly.

"Please talk to me if you need to," Ginny said.

"I will," Hermione replied as she pulled away. Ginny looked at her skeptically.

"You've said that before."

"I know, but this time I mean it." Hermione drew in a breath and let it out. "I don't, I don't want anything like that to happen again." Ginny smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Dinner?" she asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, biting her lip.

"You know it's the best way to kill the gossip." Hermione sighed, but nodded.

"You're right. Let's go." She slipped her shoes and her robes back on and began to follow Ginny from their room. "Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Ginny smiled widely.

"That's what sisters are for."

* * *

 **4 December 1998**

Hermione sat up in bed with a gasp. She'd had another dream, but this one wasn't at all unpleasant. In fact, she felt her face heat at just how _not_ unpleasant it had been.

She buried her face in her hands as the dream came back to her. Her encounter with Remus in the secret passageway had been much more…intimate than their actual meeting. Her mind had obviously supplied the image of his naked chest from the morning after the full moon when she had put bruise paste on him. The rest of him though, well, that had come completely from her imagination.

She flopped back in her bed, trying and failing to keep the images from her head. She found herself hoping that her imagination was accurate and then shook her head in exasperation. This was _Remus_. There was no way he would ever look at her in a romantic sense. She didn't fancy him anyway. The dream was simply a reaction to the fact that he'd helped her on more than one occasion. He was her friend, nothing more.

She rolled to her side and adjusted her pillow under her head. All the while, a small voice was reminding her that Harry had comforted her in a similar manner plenty of times and she'd never had a sex dream about him.

"Oh, shut it," Hermione snapped. There was a snore from Ginny and Hermione heard her turn over in her bed. Hermione held her breath as the redhead settled back into sleep, then closed her eyes. Just as she was drifting off, Hermione wondered if Professor Slughorn brewed Amortentia again, if she would smell old books, the forest and chocolate.

* * *

 **7 December 1998**

Remus left the classroom and began to make his way down the corridor towards the Entrance Hall. Minerva had invited him to stay for dinner, but he had spent most of the day at the school today and just wanted to get home and see Teddy. End-of-term exams were next week and many of the students were understandably stressed. Remus knew this week would be a long one. He was grateful the full moon had been last week.

"Remus," a voice said and Remus turned around to see a smiling Hermione walking towards him. She looked much better than she had a week ago.

"You're looking well," he said with a returning smile.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you."

"That's good to hear." She fell in step beside him.

"I'm glad I ran into you, actually," Hermione said.

"Oh?"

"Yes, I wanted to thank you again for helping me last week."

"You don't have to thank me, Hermione. I'm glad I was there."

"So am I," Hemione said quietly. They both stopped walking.

"How are you doing?" he asked, his voice serious.

"I'm better," Hermione said. "I'm glad Madame Pomfrey insisted on the Dreamless Sleep. I only took it for a few days, but it helped." She paused and bit her lip for a second. "I took your advice." He cocked his head in question. "About letting people help me."

"Ah," Remus replied in understanding.

"I've been talking to Madame Pomfrey and to Ginny." She played with the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "And it's been…good. So, thank you."

"You're very welcome," Remus said with a smile. They continued down the corridor. Hermione glanced at him every few seconds, chewing her lip, but not saying anything. Finally, Remus took pity on her. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"What about you?" she blurted. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion.

"What about me?" he replied.

"Have you taken your own advice?" He stopped, a bit taken aback. "You probably think this is none of my business, but we're friends and I worry about my friends." Remus stood silent for a moment, unsure what to say, but Hermione continued to stare at him. She had put quite a bit of emphasis on the word 'friends'.

"I, erm, Teddy is a great comfort," he finally said.

"That's wonderful, but that's not what I meant," Hermione said. Remus looked at her, reminded again, that despite her school uniform, she was no longer a teenager. She was a woman, one that he _did_ consider a friend.

"Andromeda has been very helpful," he finally said. Hermione studied him for a moment before she nodded.

"Just remember that you do have friends, Remus. Friends that would be happy to help whenever you need it."

"I, that's, it's," Remus shook his head. "Thank you." She smiled.

"You're welcome. Are you staying for dinner?"

"No, I, um, I need to get home to Teddy," he said, still a bit surprised at her earlier declaration.

"I'll walk with you," she said. They made their way towards the Great Hall, Hermione keeping up most of the conversation. When they reached the Great Hall, she turned to him and gave him a hug.

"Have a Happy Christmas if I don't see you before," she said, lingering a bit in his arms.

"Thank you, Hermione. To you as well." She smiled one more time before turning and walking into the Great Hall. Remus watched her retreating back for a few moments before he shook himself and continued to the Entrance Hall. Although he had known it before, today just reminded him that Hermione Granger had definitely grown up.

* * *

 **19 December 1998**

"I still can't believe the two of you moved in here without telling us," Hermione said as she sat with Harry, Ron and Ginny at the kitchen table of Grimmauld Place. They were all drinking Butterbeer and nibbling on the biscuits Kreacher had set out for them.

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Harry said with a grin.

"It is that," Ginny replied, the same smile on her own face. Hermione knew she was just happy to be able to have some privacy with Harry for a change.

Harry and Ron had picked them up at King's Cross and told Hermione and Ginny they had something to show them. They had then Apparated them to the front step of Grimmauld Place. Hermione had been a bit uncomfortable with Ron taking her side-along, but she didn't want to make a fuss about it.

Both she and Ginny had been a bit confused that Grimmauld Place was the surprise, but when they went inside, they quickly found out why. While Hermione had renovated all the common spaces, she hadn't done anything with the bedrooms or the bathrooms. Harry, with some help from Ron, had managed to redo the entire first and second floors. The bedroom that Ginny and Hermione used to share was now Ron's. Harry had taken the bedroom he and Ron had always stayed in on the second floor and the other bedroom on that floor was now a guest room.

"You can stay whenever you like, Hermione," Harry had said after he'd shown it to her. The rooms were beautiful. Harry had obviously done most of the cleaning the Muggle way as Hermione had. The floors had been refinished and all the rooms repainted. The horrid snake-themed fixtures had been removed from the bathrooms and Hermione nearly squealed at the sight of the large claw-foot tub in the guest bathroom.

"It looks amazing, Harry," Hermione said.

"I've still got the third floor to tackle, but the mess Buckbeak made of the master bedroom is going to take a bit longer to repair." Harry paused. "I'm going to leave the top floor for now." Hermione nodded, knowing that seeing Sirius' room still caused Harry pain.

Now they sat laughing and joking in the kitchen, her earlier awkwardness with Ron having disappeared. Hermione smiled at her three friends. She was so happy that Harry had decided to do this.

"We still go to the Burrow for dinner a few nights a week," Ron said. "Mum would probably go round the twist otherwise."

"Has Kreacher been all right?" Hermione asked quietly. The House Elf had been polite to both her and Ginny when they arrived. Hermione saw that he still wore the locket.

"He's been fine, yeah," Harry said. "I think he's glad to be back here, even if we did brick over the portrait. He does mutter about that from time to time, but he takes much better care of things around here than he used to."

"So, Hermione, when are your parents coming?" Ron asked.

"Wednesday," Hermione said. "They're staying through the New Year."

"Mum says to invite you all to the Burrow for Christmas dinner," Ron said.

"Oh, tell her thank you, but I'm not sure what our plans are," Hermione said. "My parents may just want something small with the three of us." Ron's shoulders slumped slightly. "Maybe Boxing Day instead?" Ron brightened a bit.

"I'll talk to Mum."

"Speaking of, we'd probably better get home or you know Mum's going to go spare," Ginny said. "Are you coming with us, Hermione?"

"Oh, well, I should probably get Crooks back to my house," Hermione said.

"Drop him off and come over after," Ron suggested. "You know Mum's been cooking all day." The thought of going home to her empty house and having to prepare her own dinner versus eating the veritable feast Molly had likely prepared wasn't much of a contest.

"All right," she agreed. She gathered up Crookshanks and managed to get him back into his basket.

"I'll walk you out," Ron said.

"That's all right, I can see myself out," she said.

"It's no problem," he said and followed her up the stairs to the entry. Hermione walked quickly, not wanting to spend too much time alone with him. She still needed to have a talk with him, but at the Burrow surrounded by his family was not the place to do it.

"I'll see you in a bit," Hermione said. Ron gave her a wide smile.

"Looking forward to it." Hermione just nodded and stepped out onto the top step to Disapparate. Ron was still smiling at her when she twisted away.

* * *

 **25 December 1998**

Teddy sat amidst a detritus of ribbon, wrapping paper and boxes, chewing on a red ribbon. Whenever Remus or Andromeda laughed at him, he grinned, showing off his four tiny teeth. Teddy periodically tried to shove bits of paper into his mouth, which was quickly confiscated by either his father or his grandmother, but mostly he just crinkled it in his hands or put it in and out of one of the boxes.

"We could have saved quite a bit of money on toys and just bought him boxes and ribbon," Remus commented and Andromeda laughed. Teddy laughed with her, making Remus join in. The pure joy on the boy's face when he laughed never failed to bring a smile to Remus' face.

Teddy managed to get hold of one of the new toys they had bought and stuck it in his mouth. Remus reached over and pushed the baby's hair back from his forehead and Teddy grinned again, taking the toy out of his mouth and banging it on the floor.

"Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba," Teddy babbled, bringing the toy back to his mouth. Remus smiled again, but sadly this time. A conversation he'd had with Dora just after Teddy was born came to mind.

 _I can't wait for his first Christmas," Dora said as she nursed Teddy. Remus chuckled._

" _You realize that's more than eight months away," he said._

" _So," Dora replied. "He'll be at such a great age, sitting up on his own, maybe talking a bit or trying to crawl. He'll be fascinated with all the packages and the lights." She smiled down at Teddy and ran a hand over his head. "Do you think the war will be over by then?" Remus reached out and took hold of her hand._

" _I hope so."_

Remus looked at Teddy now, who reached forward for another ribbon. It was just out of his reach and so he leaned a bit further forward, going up to his hands and knees. He'd been doing this for a few days now and so far, he hadn't moved at all, more often than not falling onto his belly, but he was definitely trying. And last night, when they'd lit all the lights on the tree, Teddy had simply stared, awestruck, for nearly ten minutes.

"You knew everything," Remus said in a whisper, still staring at his son. Teddy chewed on a toy happily, his hair turning the same sandy brown as Remus'. Remus' eyes filled, reaching forward and picking up his son, snuggling him in his arms. Teddy squirmed a bit and offered his toy to Remus, smile on his face. Remus kissed his forehead instead, holding Teddy as tightly as he could without scaring the boy. He looked across the room at Andromeda who had tears running down her cheeks.

"I miss her too," Andromeda said quietly. "Both of them." Remus reached out to Andromeda and she grasped his hand, gripping it tightly. Teddy, as if sensing the sadness in the room, rested his head against Remus' chest, giving his grandmother a smile. She smiled back through her tears and the three of them sat in silence, trying to comfort one another as they mourned the two that weren't there.

* * *

 **26 December 1998**

Hermione sat in the living room of the Burrow. Her parents were on either side of her, much to Ron's disappointment. Ron had been hovering since they arrived. He had kissed her on the cheek after saying hello to her parents and put a hand at the small of her back to lead her into the living room.

If it hadn't been obvious to Hermione before, it was now. Even her mother had given Hermione a searching look at Ron's behavior. Hermione had been sure to place her parents on either side of her just to avoid more physical contact with Ron. They had to talk, but it certainly wasn't going to happen today with everyone here. The only two Weasleys missing were Bill and Fleur who had gone to France to visit her family today. Even Charlie had come home for the holiday, set to return to the reserve tomorrow.

Every time Ron caught her eye, he would give her a wide smile. Hermione was starting to feel horribly guilty that she hadn't said something to him before now. If she were truthful, she had been making excuses to avoid it. She knew their friendship would never be the same afterward.

"Here, let me show you," Arthur was saying to her father and her dad rose from his seat on the couch to follow the other man. Hermione glanced up and saw Ron getting up from his chair, but Ginny appeared from nowhere and sat down beside her. Hermione could help the sigh of relief that left her.

"Thanks, Gin," she said quietly. Ginny glanced at Ron from the corner of her eye, who now looked extremely put out.

"Sure," she said. "But, Hermione, you've got to talk to him."

"I know, I know," Hermione said. Ginny understood Hermione's feelings for her brother were no longer romantic and while she was a bit disappointed, the younger girl completely understood. "I can't do it here though."

"No," Ginny agreed. "Far too many Weasleys around."

"I'll try to figure something out in the next couple of days." Ginny nodded.

"How did things go yesterday?" Hermione asked. Ginny's mouth turned down.

"It was hard at first," she said. "Mum spent most of the morning trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Dad kept disappearing into his shed. George was overly cheerful and drank too much. Finally, Bill started talking about Fred and we spent the rest of the day looking at photographs and telling stories about him. It was difficult, but good too." Hermione nodded, now doubly glad that she hadn't taken Molly up on her offer to Christmas dinner. Not that she didn't want to support the Weasleys, but having her parents there wouldn't have allowed them the time they obviously needed to reminisce and grieve as a family. Coming today had been a much better idea.

The two of them kept up the pretense of chatting for the next few minutes until Hermione saw her father come back into the room. Ginny rose as soon as Hermione's dad reached the couch and relinquished her seat to him.

"All right, everyone, let's open gifts," Molly said. She waved her wand and began distributing the gifts around the room, Hermione ending up with a rather sizeable pile in front of her. The Weasleys had all opened their gifts from each other the previous day, of course, but their gifts to Hermione had remained. She felt a bit self-conscious as she began to open the boxes.

Smiling as she opened her traditional Weasley jumper from Molly, Hermione looked down and realized she only had one gift left. It was from Ron and the small size of the box did not bode well. She glanced at Ginny from the corner of her eye, but the redhead just shrugged, having no idea what Ron had gotten Hermione. Hermione took a silent breath and tore off the paper.

She opened the small velvet box and saw a delicate gold necklace lying inside. It had a cat pendant attached, one that was very similar to the one on her bracelet. Although this one had small sapphire chips for the cat's eyes.

"Oh, how pretty," Molly said from the other side of Hermione's mother. She beamed up at her son and the tips of Ron's ears turned red.

"It's very nice, Ron, thank you," Hermione said, unsure how to respond to the gift.

"You're welcome," he said. "I thought it might look nice with the bracelet." He glanced at her wrist.

"There's a bracelet?" Molly asked.

"For my birthday," Hermione managed, her throat tight.

"Oh, where is it?"

"Oh, I'm not, not wearing it right now," Hermione said. "There was a problem with the, erm, the clasp and I didn't want to lose it."

"Oh," Molly said with a strange look, likely wondering why Hermione hadn't just repaired the clasp with magic.

"It's broken?" Ron said, brow furrowed. "Let me take it back to the jeweler. They'll make it right."

"No, that's not necessary, I'll just, erm," she trailed off helplessly.

"It's my fault," her father said. Hermione looked sharply at him. "It knocked it off the countertop in the bathroom while I was washing my hands and it fell into the sink." Hermione blinked. "I'm sorry, Ron, if you let me know where you purchased it, I'd like to replace it."

"Hermione didn't try to summon it?" Molly asked in confusion.

"She wasn't home," her father said quickly. "I took the pipes apart, but it was gone." He looked at Hermione. "I'm sorry again, Princess."

"It's all right, Dad," Hermione somehow managed. She was shocked both by how quickly her father was thinking on his feet, as well as the fact that he knew anything about what was going on with her and Ron. Her mother must have told him. "It was an accident." She glanced at Ron. "I'm sorry, Ron, I just didn't want to upset you."

"Oh, well, that's, that's all right," Ron said. "The jeweler was in Hogsmeade, though, so, I'm not sure, if you can, well, replace it."

"We'll figure it out," Hermione said quickly. "Harry why don't you open your gift?" When everyone's attention had turned to Harry, Hermione took her dad's hand and gave it a squeeze. He looked down at her and winked. Hermione turned a snort into a cough and turned her attention to Harry. She really, really needed to talk to Ron.


	30. Finished

**A/N - Thanks for all the great feedback on the last chapter! This one I think most of you have been waiting for, Hermione finally talks to Ron about their situation. I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Also, FFN seems to be doing that thing again where reviews are not showing up on stories, although I am getting email notifications of them. I seem to still be able to respond from the link in my email, but if you reviewed the last chapter and I didn't get back to you, that is why. Same goes for this chapter. Hopefully that will be fixed soon! (I am not sure why they continually have this issue).**

 **Chapter 30**

 **Finished**

 **2 January 1999**

Hermione sat on the couch in the darkening room, fragments of the conversation with her parents running through her mind.

"… _really fell in love with Australia…"_

"… _would love to have you move in with us when you've finished school…"_

"… _decided to live there permanently…"_

"… _can visit whenever you like…"_

" _We love you, sweetheart," her mother had said. "Please don't think this decision has anything to do with you modifying our memories."_

Hermione snorted at that. It had _everything_ to do with her modifying their memories; if she hadn't done that, they never would have been in Australia to begin with.

Crookshanks meowed loudly and Hermione startled. She was shocked to see that it was nearly sunset. She had been sitting here for almost two hours since her parents left for the airport.

"Sorry, Crooks," she said, rising to feed her cat. After she put the food into his dish, Hermione sighed. It shouldn't bother her so much. She was an adult, nearly done with school, and would soon be ready to move on with her life. If she had lived at home at all after she finished Hogwarts, it likely wouldn't have been for very long before she would have gotten her own flat.

Still, though, she would have known her parents were here and she could have stopped by whenever she liked. Now, it would require planning and days taken off work and a Portkey or a flight. And what about when she had children someday? She had always wanted any future children of hers to be close to their grandparents. Now, they might be lucky to see them a few times a year.

Hermione shook her head. She was getting quite ahead of herself. No reason to be thinking about hypothetical children that were far, far into the future. Sighing again, Hermione opened the refrigerator and perused its contents. There was nothing even remotely appealing, not that she really felt like eating anyway. She closed the door and rested her forehead on it, fighting against the lump that had formed in her throat. She had told herself that she would not cry about this, but she was losing that battle.

Hermione turned and moved quickly out of the kitchen, heading for the back door. She couldn't be here anymore with all the reminders of her parents. She stepped outside, locked the door behind her and Disapparated.

* * *

"I'll be fine, Remus," Andromeda said. Remus looked at her doubtfully. She was pale and there was a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"No, I don't think you will be," Remus said. "You need to be in bed."

"Remus-" she protested, but Remus held up a hand.

"You cannot watch Teddy when you're this ill," he said.

"I told you, it must have been something I ate at lunch," Andromeda said. "I told Narcissa the fish tasted a bit off." Remus forced himself not to bristle at the mention of Narcissa's name. He had yet to say anything to Andromeda about what he had learned of Hermione's torture. He wasn't going to betray Hermione's trust, no matter how hard it was to see his mother-in-law getting closer with the sister that allowed a teenage girl to be tortured in her home. It was that much harder given the moon was going to rise soon.

"Teddy isn't going to catch anything from me," Andromeda continued.

"That's not what I'm concerned about," Remus snapped. He shook his head. "Sorry. You know how much of a handful Teddy is now that he's crawling." It had only been a few days, but once Remus' son had mastered the skill, he hadn't slowed down. They spent most of their days chasing after him.

"Who are you going to get to watch him at this late hour?" Andromeda asked as she glanced outside at the sun that was slowly starting to set.

"There are still almost two hours until moonrise," Remus said. "I'll call Harry."

"Remus," Andromeda said again but Remus shook his head. He was twitchy and uncomfortable. He wanted this conversation to be over with before he said something he would regret.

"No more arguments," Remus said, a bit harshly. Teddy banged his spoon loudly on the tray of his high chair in emphasis. Remus managed to smile at the boy. "Even your grandson agrees. Please, take a stomach soother and go up to bed. I'll take care of it." Andromeda stared at him for a moment before she sighed.

"Fine," she said. "But if you don't find anyone in the next thirty minutes, you _will_ wake me."

"I promise," Remus said. Andromeda nodded once and left the room. Remus looked over at Teddy.

"Let's try and find someone to mind you, shall we?" Teddy smiled widely and chewed on the spoon he had in his hand. Remus chuckled despite his discomfort and turned to the Floo.

* * *

Hermione landed on the front step of Grimmauld Place and knocked on the door. Harry had told her she didn't need to knock, she was always welcome, but Hermione felt strange about just walking into the house. She shivered as she waited for someone to answer. She had run out without taking her cloak or a coat. After what seemed like an eternity, the door creaked open.

"Miss," Kreacher greeted and opened the door wider, gesturing her to come inside.

"Hello, Kreacher," Hermione said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms to try and warm up. Kreacher closed the door behind her. "Is Harry here?"

"No, Miss, Master Harry takes Miss Weasley out for dinner," Kreacher said. Hermione's face fell.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, the tears threatening once again. She had really wanted to talk to Harry.

"Hermione?" a voice said and Hermione looked up to see Ron coming down the stairs. She glanced away quickly.

After Boxing Day, her parents had so many activities planned, that Hermione had not had a chance to speak with Ron. Her parents had even had a small New Year's Eve party with some of their old friends and colleagues and had convinced Hermione to stay, even though she had been invited to spend the evening at the Burrow. She had wondered why her parents were keeping them so busy, although that made sense now. They were obviously trying to spend as much time with her as possible before they announced their decision to stay in Australia. Hermione felt her eyes fill and swore at herself in her head.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked in concern.

"Nothing," she said. "I just stopped by to talk to Harry, but Kreacher said he's out, so I'll just go." She turned to leave, but Ron grabbed her arm.

"You're freezing," he said. "Where's your cloak?"

"I left without it, I guess," Hermione replied, not turning around.

"In this weather?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione shrugged. "Hermione, what happened? Is it your parents? Did they get off all right?" At the mention of her parents, Hermione could no longer hold in her emotions and she began to cry. Ron moved in front of her, looking worried. "What is it?" But Hermione just shook her head, covering her face with her hands.

She felt Ron pull her into his arms. She knew she should pull away, but she didn't. She couldn't help herself as she cried harder.

"Come on, let's get you warmed up," Ron said, leading her into the drawing room. He took his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the grate. "Incendio." Hermione immediately felt the warmth from the fire at her back and Ron led her to one of the couches and sat down, keeping his arms around her.

It didn't take long to quiet from her tears. She moved her hands away from her face and rested against Ron's chest. She took a deep breath to calm herself further.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Ron said quietly a few moments later. Hermione sighed.

"Before my parents left for the airport today, they told me that they're not planning on moving back to England. They're going to stay in Australia." Ron's arms tightened around her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I know you wanted them to move back here." She shrugged

"It's my fault," Hermione said. "I'm the one that sent them there."

"You did that to protect them," Ron said. Hermione shrugged again. Ron pulled back a bit, but Hermione didn't look at him. "You don't think that's why they're staying, do you? To punish you or something?"

"They say not, but," she trailed off.

"I don't think that's it," Ron said.

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course, it does," Ron insisted. "You're upset, that matters." Hermione stayed silent and Ron gathered her close again. He kissed the top of her head. Hermione knew she should move away, she knew things were awkward between them, knew they should talk, but right now, all she cared about was that she was upset and one of her best friends was trying to make her feel better. The fire was warm and it was comfortable leaning against Ron.

The sat in silence for quite some time until Ron shifted. His tightened his arms again and pulled her closer to him. His fingers began to move lightly up and down her arm. She felt his heart speed up slightly.

' _Move, Hermione!'_ a voice in her head demanded, but she ignored it, feeling far too relaxed and lethargic to do anything. She felt almost drugged by the fire. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch and her emotional outburst had simply exhausted her more. She let her eyes flutter shut, not even caring when she felt Ron's lips graze her forehead.

"Hermione," he whispered a few minutes later. She ignored him, not moving from the position she was in.

"Hermione," he said again, his hand cupping her chin and tilting her head up towards him. She opened her eyes and stared into his. She could see the question in his eyes. She didn't move.

' _Would it be so bad?'_ she wondered. Just a few short months ago, this was what she had been sure she wanted. She knew Ron still did. They hadn't fought since their break-up, although she hadn't seen him all that much. And now, he was taking care of her.

Ron's head dipped lower and Hermione's eyes closed again.

"Harry? Harry are you there?"

Hermione startled and jumped back from Ron who flinched almost as badly. She glanced quickly around the room, but there was no one there

"What was that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Harry?" The voice seemed to be coming from the fireplace, but there was no one in it when Hermione looked.

"It's the Floo," Ron said. "Kreacher did some charm on it after Harry missed a call from Dawlish once while he was working on the house. You can hear it in all the fireplaces, even though the calls actually come into the kitchen."

"It sounds like Remus," Hermione said with a frown.

"Kreacher will answer it," Ron said. "Harry's supposed to see Teddy on Monday. Remus probably wants to talk to him about it." He reached out to pull Hermione towards him once again. She shifted away, standing quickly from the couch.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked in confusion. Hermione bit her lip. She had almost let Ron _kiss_ her. What in the _hell_ had she been thinking?

"Ron, I," but before she could finish sound came from the Floo again. It was a bit hard to hear, but Hermione listened closely.

"Kreacher, is Harry there?"

"Master is out with Miss Weasley," Kreacher said.

"Damn," Remus replied.

"I think we should see what he wants," Hermione said.

"Hermione," Ron protested, but she had already reached the door to the drawing room. Hermione hurried towards the kitchen stairs, Ron close behind her.

"Remus?" she said as she came into the kitchen.

"Hermione?" Remus replied looking surprised to see her. Or as surprised as one could look in the Floo.

"I came to see Harry, but he isn't here," Hermione explained, somehow managing to keep the blush from her face as the dream she'd had a month ago popped into her head.

"Yes, Kreacher's just told me," Remus replied.

"Is there something I can do?" she asked. "Wait, isn't the moon tonight?"

"Yes, that's why I was calling actually," Remus said. "Andromeda is ill and I was hoping that Harry could watch Teddy. Do you know what time he'll be back?" Hermione glanced up at Ron who looked a bit miffed.

"Not until late," Ron said. "I think he's taking Ginny to see a film after dinner."

"I'll watch him," Hermione said.

"You will?" Ron questioned in surprise.

"I couldn't ask you to," Remus said.

"You're not asking," Hermione replied. "I'm volunteering." Remus glanced toward Ron.

"I don't want to interrupt," he began.

"You're not," Hermione insisted. She heard Ron mutter under his breath behind her, but ignored it.

"All right, if you're sure," Remus said.

"I am," Hermione replied. "Do you want me to come there?"

"No, it might be better if I brought him to you," Remus said. "Quieter for Andromeda."

"Of course," Hermione agreed. "I know Harry has a cot in his room."

"Let me just get his things together," Remus said. "About ten minutes?"

"I'll be here."

"Thank you, Hermione." He smiled and disappeared from the fireplace. Hermione stood and looked at Ron.

"You're really going to mind him?" Ron asked a bit incredulous.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Harry's out and I'm available. Who else is Remus going to find this late?"

"Mum would do it," Ron said.

"I thought your parents were gone for the weekend?" Hermione said. Arthur had taken Molly on a short getaway, her Christmas gift this year.

"Oh, right," Ron said, looking disappointed. "Well maybe Bill and Fleur could."

"Ron," Hermione chastised. "There is no reason I can't mind Teddy until Harry gets home."

"Thought there _might_ be a reason," Ron muttered under his breath. Hermione looked away.

"Ron, what almost happened," she said. She took a breath and looked him in the eye. "It shouldn't have." Ron just stared at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know that you want, that you think that," she shook her head and pulled in another breath. "I know that you want to get back together." He smiled.

"I do," he said. "Hermione, I was an idiot before. I know that I was the one that broke things off and at the time it seemed like the only thing I could do, but I realized that I shouldn't have and," He trailed off as she started to shake her head.

"Ron, I," she bit her lip and looked up at him. "I can't."

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Why not?"

"I just," but before she could continue, they heard the roar of the Floo and Remus stepped out with Teddy in his arms.

* * *

Remus stepped out of the Floo, pulling the blanket off Teddy's head and then siphoning the ash off the two of them. He looked up at Hermione, noticing Ron standing off to the side.

"I really appreciate you doing this," Remus began, but stopped, looking from Hermione to Ron and back again. He could sense the tension hanging over the room and he instinctively held Teddy closer to him. "Is everything all right?"

"It's fine," Hermione said brightly. "Isn't it, Ron?" Ron stared at Hermione for a few seconds before he looked at Remus.

"Yeah, fine, everything's fine." Hermione turned back to Remus.

"Hi, Teddy," she said. Teddy gave her a smile and reached towards her, but Remus took a step back, still looking wary. He tried to force himself to calm, but the wolf, so close to the surface, was reacting to the emotions in the room. Remus felt a growl rising in his throat as Hermione glanced at Ron who was scowling at the floor.

"Ron, weren't you going to go and set up the cot for Teddy?" she asked. Ron raised his head and stared at her for a long moment. "Maybe you should put it in the guest room."

Right," he said. He turned and left the kitchen. Remus relaxed marginally once he was gone, swallowing the growl.

"Are you sure this is all right?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "I'm sorry, we were just having a difference of opinion about something. We'll be fine, though, I promise." Hermione held out her arms for Teddy, but Remus was made no move to let the boy go. She put a hand on Remus' arm. The wolf, who had been pacing ever since Remus came out of the Floo, paused.

"I swear, Teddy will be just fine," Hermione said. "You trust me, don't you?" Remus, still confused by the wolf's reaction, finally nodded and relinquished Teddy to her. Hermione smiled at the baby before glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" she asked. Remus kept staring at her. He felt twitchy and the normal nervous energy was thrumming through him, but he wasn't as keyed up as he normally was this close to moonrise.

"Yes," he said. He ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. Teddy's eaten his dinner, there's a bottle in his bag for later. He usually goes down around eight or so." Hermione nodded.

"I hope Andromeda feels better," she said, then frowned. Remus had the urge to reach a hand out and smooth the lines from her brow. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear it. "Will she be able to set the wards for you? I remember them from last time if you want to transform here."

Remus thought about it for a moment. When he left with Teddy, Andromeda had been asleep. Although he was sure that she would be able to get up and set the wards for him, he really didn't want to wake her. She had looked awful when he'd sent her up to bed and the stomach soother always made her groggy. He didn't want to risk her making a mistake with the wards because she wasn't fully concentrating.

"That might be a good idea, actually," he said. "Are you sure you remember how to set them though?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "But you've taken the Wolfsbane, haven't you?"

"I have, but I still prefer to be as safe as possible." Hermione nodded in understanding. "I'll have to go back and leave Andromeda a note." Hermione looked concerned.

"Do you have enough time?" Remus glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Yes, there's still plenty of time. This will only take a few minutes."

"All right," Hermione said. Remus went back through the Floo and wrote a quick note to Andromeda. He crept quietly into her room and set it on her bedside table. She shifted in her sleep, but didn't wake. Remus returned quickly to Grimmauld Place. Ron was nowhere to be seen.

"Do you want me to have Ron watch Teddy while I set the wards?" Hermione asked.

"No!" Remus said forcefully, then turned red. Hermione didn't seem surprised. "I'm sorry, the wolf is very territorial this close to the moon."

"I understand," Hermione said with a smile. "I'll just keep Teddy with me."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked. "I don't want him to distract you."

"We'll be fine," Hermione assured him. Remus finally nodded and headed for the cellar door. He made his way down the steps, his joints already starting to ache. Once he reached the bottom, he walked towards the cage.

"Is that really necessary?" Hermione asked, look of distaste on her face. "You've taken the Wolfsbane." Remus glanced at the cage and then at the door at the top of the cellar stairs. It was reinforced, thick oak and there was no way that Remus would be able to break through it, even without the Wolfsbane. Sirius had told him that often enough when Remus had transformed here during Harry's fifth year. Of course, Sirius had also always been down here with Remus to keep him in line if need be. Still, with the potion and the wards, Hermione was likely right. Remus didn't really like spending the night in the cage anyway.

"No, probably not," he agreed. "Most of the wards will have to be cast on the door then. Just the silencing charm down here." Hermione nodded and handed Teddy off to Remus as she waved her wand and set the privacy charms. Remus, his nose even more sensitive today, could tease out Hermione's scent from Teddy's, even with Teddy in his arms. He swallowed and put his nose directly on top of Teddy's head, trying to make sure it was his son's scent that surrounded him when he transformed.

When Hermione finished, she turned back to Remus and took Teddy from his arms. She stared at Remus for a few moments, looking pained.

"There's nothing you can do," Remus said quietly. She bit her lip and nodded.

"We'll see you in the morning," she said. She turned and began to climb the stairs. Remus watched her go, but called out to her when she reached the door. She looked down at him.

"Can you cast an air cleansing charm once you're upstairs?" Remus would have rather had Teddy's scent to calm him during the transformation, but he wasn't sure what would happen if it were mixed with Hermione's.

"Of course," she said with a smile. She stepped out the door, turned to cast the spell and then closed the door behind her. Remus heard the bolt slide into the lock and then all went silent as she set the wards.

Remus slowly removed his clothes and set them, along with his wand, on a shelf the wolf couldn't reach. As he waited for the transformation to begin, he realized that the wolf hadn't been pacing the entire time Remus had been with Hermione. The wolf had been almost…watchful, as if he was waiting for something to happen. Before Remus could come to any kind of conclusion about that, however, the moon fully rose and he was lost to the pain of the transformation.

* * *

Ron still wasn't in the kitchen when Hermione finished the wards. Kreacher was, however.

"Kreacher, have you seen Ron?"

"Sir has gone to his bedroom," Kreacher said. Hermione sighed. She knew Ron was upset and she really wanted to finish talking to him, but she couldn't do that with Teddy here. Not until he was in bed, anyway. She turned back to the baby in her arms.

"I guess it's just you and me," she said with a smile, tickling Teddy's belly. He giggled and she laughed along with him. "Let's get your bag and find some toys." She picked up the bag Remus had set on the kitchen table and then made her way back upstairs to the drawing room. The new carpet she had found for the room was thick and fluffy. Teddy could safely play on that.

Hermione stepped into the room and sat Teddy down on the carpet before she turned to the bag and began pulling out a few toys. When she turned back to Teddy, he was halfway across the room. Her eyes widened in surprise. Remus had forgotten to mention that Teddy was crawling.

Teddy was heading straight for the fireplace and Hermione quickly picked him up, much to his dismay. He began to protest, reaching towards the fire and squirming in Hermione's arms.

"The fire is hot, Teddy. You'll get burned." As the baby continued his whining, Hermione conjured a screen and set it in front of the fireplace. She secured it magically so that even if Teddy somehow managed to touch it, it wouldn't fall over. He was not pleased with her spell work.

"It's all right," Hermione soothed. "Let's play with your toys." She sat down with Teddy on her lap and handed him the small stuffed wolf she had found in his bag. She smiled when she realized he also had a black dog and a deer. To distract him completely from the fireplace, she made the dog and the stag chase each other around the carpet which caused Teddy to giggle with delight. Hermione was soon able to move him from her lap and kept him entertained with the rest of his toys.

It was a half hour later when he began to yawn and Hermione realized it was nearly eight o'clock. Ron had still not come out of his room. Hermione changed Teddy's nappy and put him into his pajamas. She took the bottle from his bag and he began reaching for it and babbling as she cast a warming charm on it. She picked him up and held him close as he began to drink his bottle, smiling when he grabbed one of her curls and held on.

Hermione carried Teddy up to the guest room Harry had told her was hers, transfiguring the armchair in the corner into a rocking chair and sat down. She had asked Ron to set the cot up in her room as she figured Harry and Ginny were expecting some privacy when they came home. She knew that Molly had left Percy at the Burrow to keep an eye on Ginny while Molly and Arthur were on holiday, but Hermione was also aware of Ginny's persuasion skills where her brothers were concerned.

Hermione began to rock Teddy, singing a lullaby softly under her breath. He stared up at her, rubbing her hair between his fingers. His eyes began to droop as Hermione finished the song and she continued to hum softly to him. The bottle was nearly gone, but when she tried to take it from his mouth, he began sucking on it again. She chuckled when this happened twice more before Teddy's lips finally fell open and Hermione took the bottle from him. Shifting him carefully, she moved him to her shoulder and rubbed his back as she continued to rock. When she was sure he was fully asleep, she laid him gently in the cot and covered him with a blanket, before placing a kiss on his forehead. She watched him sleep for a few minutes before she turned and left the room. Closing the door behind her, Hermione jumped when she saw Ron standing in the corridor.

"He's asleep?" Ron asked quietly. Hermione nodded. Ron stared at her for a few moments.

"Let's go back to the drawing room," she said. "We should talk." She turned and cast a charm on her bedroom so that she could hear Teddy, but he wouldn't be disturbed by outside noise. Ron nodded resignedly and followed her.

When they reached the drawing room, Hermione quickly gathered up Teddy's toys before she turned to Ron.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"I don't understand, Hermione," Ron said. "I thought things were better between us."

"They were, they are," she corrected. "But, us getting back together isn't a good idea."

"Why?" Ron demanded. "We got on so well in Hogsmeade and at Christmas. And tonight, I thought that, that you wanted this as much as I did." Hermione sighed.

"I know and I'm sorry about that," she said. "I shouldn't have let things get that far."

"Why did you let them get anywhere at all?" Ron asked petulantly.

"Because I was upset and you're still my friend, Ron," she said in exasperation. "I'm sorry if I appreciated the comfort." Ron stared at her for a minute before he shook his head.

"Might have been nice to know that beforehand," he muttered.

"Why, you wouldn't have helped me if you knew I didn't want anything more than friendship from you?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"No!" Ron exclaimed. "That's not what I meant."

"That's sure what it sounded like."

"No, I just," he made a noise of frustration. "I just thought we were in the same place. Everything went really well in Hogsmeade and you accepted my gifts and," but Hermione interrupted him.

"So that means I owe you something?" she snapped.

"Of course not!" Ron retorted. "I'm just saying that you never made it seem like they were unwanted."

"Because I didn't want to hurt your feelings!"

"Your dad even offered to replace the bracelet. If you didn't even want it, why did he say that?"

"I never lost the bracelet! He was just covering for me because I wasn't wearing it!" Ron's mouth dropped open in shock and Hermione sighed.

"When your mum asked about the bracelet, I didn't know what to say," she said. "My mum knew that I didn't feel right keeping it, she must have said something to my dad. I never asked him to say that."

"It sure would have been nice to know about this before I made a fool of myself with the necklace at Christmas," Ron said in irritation.

"Well, I'm sorry I thought it would be better to tell you in person than in a letter," Hermione said angrily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And you didn't have any chances to do that before Christmas?" Ron demanded. "We were alone in Hogsmeade in October for _two hours_ , Hermione." Hermione's shoulders slumped.

"I know, I'm sorry," she said. "I know I should have said something, but we were getting along so well and having such a good time, I just, I didn't want to ruin it." Ron snorted in derision.

"Yeah, well, thanks for that." He glared at her for a few moments before turning away. Hermione wasn't sure what to say. It _was_ her fault that she hadn't said anything to him in October, but she also hadn't been entirely sure what his intentions were at that point. She had suspected, yes, but she wasn't sure. Still, that wasn't an excuse for not asking him. She'd been scared to, plain and simple. But he hadn't been entirely forthcoming about his feelings either.

"I am sorry, Ron and I'll take the blame for not saying anything to you," she said. "My reasons were cowardly and I know that. But why didn't you say anything to me about wanting to get back together?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Why didn't I say anything?" he repeated. "I thought I made it pretty clear."

"What, I'm supposed to be able to read your mind?" she asked.

"I gave you all kinds of signals," Ron said throwing his hands up in the air.

"But you never just came out and said it!"

"You never came out and said you _didn't_ want to get back together."

"You're the one that broke up with _me_ , if you remember. How was I supposed to know you'd changed your mind?"

"That wasn't a break up, I just needed to take some time!" Ron insisted.

"That's not what you said!" Hermione yelled back.

"Yes, it is! I told you we should take a break to figure things out!"

"I also asked you if you wanted to break up and you said that maybe we should! What did you expect, that I was just going to be there waiting for you with open arms, once you'd 'figured things out'?" Ron shifted his gaze away from her quickly. "That's it, isn't it?"

"No," Ron said, but he couldn't hold Hermione's gaze. It was Hermione's turn to snort in disbelief.

"Look, it doesn't matter what I thought or what you thought then," Ron said. "What matters is what we think now. And I need to know why, Hermione."

"Why what?"

"Why don't you want to get back together?"

"Ron," she said shaking her head. He stepped closer to her and she looked at the ground.

"I know we fought a lot," he said. "But things were good sometimes, weren't they?"

"They were, but," Hermione trailed off and shook her head again. "We argued all the time, about everything. We're arguing now."

"I still love you," Ron said quietly. She looked up at him and he looked so hopeful, it brought tears to her eyes. "Don't you love me?"

"I do love you, Ron," she said. He started to smile. "I love you because we grew up together and you're one of my best friends." She took a breath. "But I'm not _in_ love with you." The smile slipped from his face.

"When I saw you in Hogsmeade, we'd only been apart for three months," he said. "You fell out of love with me that quickly?" Hermione wasn't sure what to say. "Or maybe you never really loved me at all."

"Of course, I did," Hermione insisted. Ron looked at her disbelievingly. "I can't believe you would say that!" Ron simply shrugged.

"Makes sense to me, since you haven't been able to give me another reason."

"Arguing all the time isn't a good enough reason for you? The fact that we don't share any of the same interests isn't good enough reason for you?" Hermione's voice was rising in anger.

"So what if we don't share interests," Ron said throwing his hands up in the air. "Mum is annoyed by all Dad's Muggle stuff and he isn't too thrilled with her Celestina Warbeck obsession, and they get along just fine." Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron's parents had been married for thirty years; he had no idea what their relationship had been like when they were younger.

"It doesn't change the fact that we always fight!"

"Maybe we wouldn't if you didn't have to be right all the time!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to be right all the time if I trusted you!" Ron gaped at her.

"You don't _trust_ me?"

"You left us!" Hermione's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that, hadn't even realized she _thought_ that.

"This is about the Horcrux hunt?" Ron said incredulously. "I thought you forgave me for that." Hermione said nothing. She couldn't. She thought she had forgiven Ron too, but it appeared she hadn't.

"You told me that it was because of the Horcrux," Ron continued. "You said it was affecting me more than you and Harry. You said, you said you _understood._ " Ron's voice hitched.

"I thought I did," Hermione said quietly. "But then, then you left me again." Her eyes shimmered with tears and Ron's chin began to tremble. "And there was no Horcrux then."

"No," Ron managed. "My brother was just dead."

"Ron, I didn't mean," she began, but he held up a hand.

"No," he said. They heard the front door open and Harry and Ginny's voices coming from the entry. Ron stared at her for another moment before he spun on his heel and left the drawing room. Hermione watched him glance back at her once before he hurried across the corridor and into his bedroom.

Hermione heard Harry and Ginny coming up the stairs and turned towards the fireplace to try and compose herself.

"Hermione?" Harry said in surprise when the two reached the drawing room. "What are you doing here?" Hermione turned towards him and attempted a smile.

"I thought you said I was welcome anytime," she said, trying to be cheeky, but failing as her voice shook. Harry looked at her in concern.

"Of course, you are," he said stepping towards her. "We were just surprised to see you is all."

"Harry, I'm joking," Hermione said. Ginny was watching her speculatively. "And you should know that you have two other visitors tonight as well." Harry gave her a quizzical look. "Remus and Teddy are here."

"Remus?" Harry questioned. "But it's the full moon."

"I know, he's in the cellar," Hermione explained. "Teddy is asleep in the guest room."

"That's your room, Hermione, not a guest room."

"You might not say that after tonight," Hermione said, a hysterical laugh escaping. Harry glanced at Ginny.

"All right, let's sit down and you can tell us what's going on," Ginny said, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders and leading her to the couch. "Take a breath, Hermione." Hermione did as she was instructed, while Harry sat down on her other side.

Hermione explained what had brought her to Grimmauld in the first place and how she had heard Remus on the Floo. She told them that Andromeda was ill and Hermione had offered to watch Teddy, while suggesting that Remus transform in the cellar so Andromeda didn't have to bother with the wards.

"Did Ron watch Teddy with you?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head. "Why not? He loves Teddy."

"He was upset with me," Hermione said quietly.

"Did the two of you talk?" Ginny asked sympathetically.

"Yes, but, not then," Hermione said.

"Why was he upset then?" Harry questioned.

"Because I did something stupid," Hermione said, putting her face in her hands. She proceeded to explain to Harry and Ginny that she had almost let Ron kiss her before Remus called on the Floo, as well as their subsequent talk after she put Teddy to bed.

"We both said some things," Hermione said quietly. "But I," she shook her head. She couldn't tell Harry what she'd said about not trusting Ron. Harry had forgiven Ron for leaving almost immediately when he came back. She was afraid Harry wouldn't understand. Not to mention the fact that she had accused Ron of leaving her again when he was mourning for Fred.

"It's going to be all right, Hermione," Harry said, putting an arm around her. Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder.

"No, Harry, I don't think it will be."


	31. Embarrassment

**A/N - Thank you so much for all the great feedback last chapter! This one is a bit more light-hearted. I thought we could all use a little break. :) I hope you enjoy and as always, thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 31**

 **Embarrassment**

 **3 January 1999**

Hermione woke from a fitful sleep, the sun just peeking over the horizon. Harry had convinced her to stay the night even though she knew it was the last place Ron would want her to be.

Hermione had sat with Harry and Ginny for a while longer after her revelation. Harry didn't pass any judgement, as Hermione knew he wouldn't. Ginny hadn't either, but she hadn't been very talkative and Hermione worried that she had not only ruined her relationship with Ron, but with Ginny as well. Ron was Ginny's brother, after all. It would make sense that she took his side.

Ron hadn't come out of his room before Hermione went up to bed, but she had no idea what had happened after that as she'd set a silencing charm on her room. Harry had convinced her to let Teddy sleep in Harry's room and Hermione hadn't protested too much, fully expecting to wake from nightmares.

Surprisingly, she hadn't had any, although Hermione figured that had more to do with the fact that she barely slept. She had lain awake for hours after retreating to her room, going over the argument with Ron again and again.

Hermione was still a bit shocked by what she'd said about not trusting him, although it made complete sense when she thought about it. She had always known there was something holding her back, she just couldn't grasp what it was. She was positive that it had contributed to their epic rows.

She was still troubled that Ron thought she hadn't ever really loved him. She had, of course. She understood why he'd asked her, although everyone processed break-ups on their own timeline. Just because she wasn't in love with Ron in October, didn't mean she hadn't loved him once. Hell, she was sure she'd been in love with him for years before they ever started dating. It was one of the reasons why she'd been so devastated when he'd left during the Horcrux hunt.

More light began to seep into her room and Hermione realized that the sun was nearly up and Remus had transformed back by now. She rose from her bed and pulled off the t-shirt Harry had given her to sleep in. Redressing in the clothes she'd worn yesterday, Hermione dropped the silencing spell on her room and made her way quietly downstairs.

* * *

Remus groaned as he finished transforming. He sat back and winced at the lingering pain in his joints. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes and took in a breath before letting it out slowly. As full moons went, it hadn't been any more difficult than the usual when he was taking the Wolfsbane. He had paced for quite some time before he had finally laid down to sleep, however. Remus wanted to attribute the restlessness to the fact that he had transformed at Grimmauld instead of at home, but knew it had more to do with what had happened with Hermione in the kitchen.

The fact that her touch had calmed the wolf was a bit disconcerting. There were very few people that had that effect on him. Teddy did, of course, and Andromeda, although that was a fairly new development, only happening the last few months. The wolf knew the two of them were family, obviously, or, if Remus was completely honest, pack. Sirius, James and Peter had once held the same sway over him and Remus had felt the same about them as he did Teddy and Andromeda. The only other person that had ever had that same kind of calming influence on him was Dora.

It was that thought that had unsettled Remus. Hermione was just a friend and a recent one at that. While he had looked out for her and felt concern for her when she was a child, they had not been friends. It wasn't until after the war that their friendship had developed on an adult level. Still, Remus had other friends that he had known for far longer that he knew would not have been able to quiet the wolf as Hermione had.

He shook his head before his thoughts could go further. He was being ridiculous. Harry would probably have the same impact, given their relationship and the fact that Harry was Teddy's godfather. Remus had just never had the chance to put that to the test. He needed to stop this line of thinking right now. Nothing good would come of it.

Remus sighed and looked up at the shelf where his clothes and wand lay.

"Accio, wand," he muttered, his wand flying into his outstretched hand. He summoned his clothes and set them on the floor beside him. Wincing, he managed to get to his knees and then used the wall to support him as he finally rose to his feet. Remus had just picked up his trousers when he heard the bolt slide in the lock of the cellar door.

He whipped his head around in surprise. He had been so lost in his thoughts, he hadn't even noticed the wards coming down. Figuring it was only Harry coming to let him out, Remus forced himself to calm and concentrated on getting into his trousers.

* * *

Hermione reached the kitchen. All was quiet as she began lowering the wards on the door to the cellar. When the last one had fallen, she grasped the bolt and slid it over.

"Remus?" she called as she stepped onto the top step.

"Hermione?" he replied sounding surprised.

"Yes, are you all right?"

"Hermione, don't come down here!" Remus called.

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked in concern. "Remus, are you hurt?"

"No, Hermione, just, just stay where you, ah!" There was a shuffling sound and then a loud thump and a groan.

"Remus!" Hermione hurried down the next few steps.

"Hermione," Remus began. "Shite, please just stay. Dammit!" Hermione hesitated for a moment, wondering what was going on. When Remus hissed in pain, Hermione ignored his order to stay put and hurried down the stairs.

As he came into view, she immediately realized why he had wanted her to stay at the top of the stairs. His eyes widened as he saw her and he immediately grabbed the trousers that appeared to be stuck on one leg and spread them over his lap as well as he could. Hermione turned bright red and instantly spun around.

"I'm so sorry," she said, covering her face with her hands, even though she couldn't see anything with her back to him. "I thought you were hurt, I, gods, Remus, I'm sorry!" There was a shuffling and then another hiss of pain. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself not to turn around. She heard the snick of a zipper and then the rustling of what she assumed was his shirt.

"You can turn around now," he said quietly. Hermione bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. Remus was sitting on the floor, fully dressed now, although his shirt was hanging open. His face was as red as hers likely was. Hermione turned around fully, wringing her hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I thought you would be, be ready to come upstairs and I should have listened and I'm so, so sorry."

"It's all right, Hermione," Remus said.

"It's not," she said. "I should have listened to what you said and waited. I just, gods, I'm such an idiot."

"Hermione," Remus began, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, I am, I just, I, I'm sorry."

"Remus?" another voice called and they looked up to see Harry coming down the stairs. "Hermione? What are you doing down here?"

"I was going to, I just wanted to, I," Hermione shook her head and rushed past Harry up the stairs. Harry called after her but she ignored him. As she reached the kitchen, Ginny walked in, Teddy on her hip.

"Hermione?" she said sleepily. Hermione ignored her and ran up the kitchen stairs. When she reached the entry, she leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, burying her face in her knees.

Ron hadn't been imagining things, she _did_ always think she was right. She had ignored Remus when he'd told her to stay put and she had seen him nearly naked! She was never going to be able to face Remus again.

* * *

"What the hell just happened?" Harry asked after Hermione had rushed up the stairs. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Hermione came to let me out of the cellar," Remus said. "I wasn't dressed yet, but I thought it was you so I wasn't too concerned about it. When I realized it was her, I told her to wait, but in my haste to get my trousers on, I caught my foot and fell over. She thought I was hurt and came down the stairs and well, I'm sure you can imagine what happened." Remus felt his face heat again and he looked at the floor. Harry was silent for a few moments before there was a strangled sort of snorting sound. Remus looked up and saw that Harry was trying very hard to contain his laughter. Remus' eyes narrowed.

"It isn't funny," he said. "Hermione was mortified and I can't say that I was much better." Harry pressed his lips together, his face turning red with the effort to control himself. He lost the battle seconds later and the laughter burst out of him in one loud bark, sounding an awful lot like Sirius. Remus scowled.

"I'm sorry, but," Harry laughed again. "It's a _little_ bit funny."

"It is _not_ ," Remus said through gritted teeth.

"Harry?" Ginny called from the top of the stairs. "Hermione just rushed past me looking like she was running from something. What's going on?" Remus groaned and put his face in his hands. Just what he needed, for the entire household to know.

"It's fine, Gin, come on down." Harry handed Remus a vial of pain potion, still chuckling under his breath. Remus glared at him before downing the potion. Ginny reached the bottom of the stairs, holding Teddy, and despite his irritation, Remus couldn't help the smile at the sight of his son. Teddy began to babble, reaching for Remus and Ginny gently handed him over.

"How was your night, little man?" Remus asked, kissing the top of his son's head. Teddy babbled away, hand patting Remus' shoulder. Remus smiled again, hugging his boy to him. Harry was still grinning widely at Remus and Ginny was looking annoyed at not being let in on the secret.

"Well?" she finally said, hands on her hips and looking eerily reminiscent of her mother. Harry shrugged and looked at Remus. Remus rolled his eyes and sighed.

"You might as well tell her," Remus said. "If you're anything like your father, you'll likely burst if you don't." Harry looked a bit surprised at the reference to James, then grinned widely at the comparison.

"Hermione was the one that opened the cellar this morning," Harry said.

"So?" Ginny replied.

"Well, let's just say that Remus here wasn't exactly ready for her." Ginny looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Remus still heard the giggle.

"Yes, well, I'm glad we've all had quite a laugh at my expense this morning, but I believe that Hermione was truly upset."

"Oh," Harry said immediately. He glanced at Ginny.

"After last night, Harry," Ginny began and Harry nodded.

"One of us should talk to her."

"Let me," Ginny said. Harry nodded. She hurried up the stairs.

"What happened last night?" Remus asked in concern. Harry bent and took Teddy from him so Remus could stand. He still winced as he did so. "Did it have something to do with Ron?"

"How do you know that?" Harry asked.

"They seemed to be in the middle of something when I arrived with Teddy. Ron didn't look very pleased."

"No, he wasn't," Harry said. He glanced at Remus. "Maybe Hermione should tell you."

"I don't want to invade her privacy, Harry," Remus assured him. "I just want to be sure she's all right."

"Physically, she's fine," Harry said. The fact that he didn't elaborate led Remus to believe that emotionally, Hermione was not at all fine. "Let's get you upstairs and we'll have some breakfast. Hopefully, Hermione will join us." Harry shifted Teddy to his left hip and gripped Remus' arm with his right hand. Remus leaned against him slightly as the two of them walked up the stairs. Ginny ran back into the kitchen as soon as they reached it.

"Hermione's gone."

* * *

Hermione landed in her back garden, face still bright red. She still couldn't believe what had happened. Letting herself into the house, she stepped inside to the sight of Crookshanks glaring at her. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Your breakfast isn't even that late," she said as she walked to the kitchen and dumped food into his bowl. Crookshanks gave her a look of disdain before he began to eat. Hermione sighed and sat down at the kitchen table. She crossed her arms and pillowed her head on them as she watched Crookshanks eat.

She had no idea what she was going to do. Ron was still furious with her, she was sure. Hermione wondered if she and Ron would be able to salvage their friendship. As things stood now, she highly doubted it. How often would Molly and Arthur want her around if Ron hated her? Probably never.

She had humiliated herself in front of Remus and doubted that he would want to see her anytime soon. Hermione's parents were gone and if Ginny was upset with her because of Ron, that meant Harry was in the middle as usual.

Crookshanks finished eating and cleaned himself, then looked up at her. He waited a few moments before he walked over and jumped up into the chair next to her, then onto the table.

"You're not allowed on the table," Hermione said, even as she reached a hand out to him. He allowed her to pet him for a few minutes, then moved closer to her and rubbed his face against hers. Hermione sighed and reached out for him, hugging him to her. Realizing how exhausted she was, she picked up Crookshanks and made her way upstairs to her bedroom, only kicking off her shoes before she fell into bed. Crookshanks curled up beside her and Hermione dropped off almost immediately, fingers buried in the fur on the cat's back.

* * *

"She's probably gone home," Harry said. "I should head over there."

"No, I should go, Harry," Remus said. "I want her to know that I'm not upset about what happened."

"Neither of you are going," Ginny said with a huff. "Remus, you need to rest and Harry, you have to work today, remember?" Ginny summoned a bottle from Teddy's bag and warmed it before she handed it over to Harry. "And all three of you need to eat breakfast. Besides, I should be the one to go over there."

"Why?" Harry asked as he shifted Teddy in his arms and gave him the bottle.

"Because I think she's afraid I'm angry with her because of what happened with Ron."

"Are you?" Harry asked quietly.

"Of course not," Ginny said. "I know those two aren't suited, not really. But, I'm still a bit sad about it. I thought she was going to be my sister." Harry smiled and drew Ginny to him with his free arm.

"She's still your sister, love." Ginny sniffled a bit and nodded.

"I know," she said before she kissed Harry quickly. "Now sit down and I'll make some breakfast and then I'll head over to Hermione's." Remus hid a smile at Ginny's command. She had inherited a few things from her mother, that was certain.

Ginny bustled around the kitchen and once Teddy had finished his bottle, Harry put him in his high chair and gave him a bit of banana. Teddy proceeded to pick it up and squish it between his fingers. They all laughed at his antics, which, of course, only caused him to do it more.

Remus dug into the eggs and sausage that Ginny put in front of him, ravenous as always after the moon. Harry fed Teddy bits of egg in between eating his own breakfast and the three of them were talking quietly when Ron walked into the room.

"Hey," Harry said.

"Morning," Ron mumbled.

"Do you want something to eat?" Ginny asked getting up. "There's plenty left."

"Sure, thanks, Gin." Ginny made Ron a plate and set it in front of him before sitting down next to Harry again. Ron smiled slightly when Teddy shrieked and banged on his tray, then looked back to his plate. Remus suddenly felt as if he were intruding.

"I think Teddy and I should get home," Remus said. "Thank you for the breakfast, Ginny."

"Let me come with you," Harry said. "Just to make sure Andromeda is all right."

"You've got to get to work," Remus said. "We'll be fine." He grimaced as he rose from his chair and Harry frowned.

"I don't have to be in for another two hours," Harry said. "I've got time to come with you." Ginny was already casting a gentle cleaning charm on Teddy's face and hands.

"And if Andromeda still isn't feeling well, Harry can bring Teddy back here and I'll mind him for the day," Ginny said. Remus looked between the two of them, knowing it was useless to argue.

"Thank you," he said. Harry nodded and put Teddy's bag in his shoulder before picking the baby up from his high chair. Harry put a blanket over Teddy's face and stepped into the Floo, calling out for Andromeda's before he disappeared. Remus glanced at Ron from the corner of his eye before he said good-bye to both Ron and Ginny and then followed Harry.

"Remus," Andromeda said as Remus stepped from the Floo. She looked much better, although she still seemed a bit worn out.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm much better, thank you," she said. "Just a bit tired."

"Ginny's offered to watch Teddy if you still need to rest," Harry said. Andromeda smiled at him and took Teddy from his arms.

"Thank you, Harry, but we'll be fine." She rubbed noses with her grandson who grinned at her.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked in concern.

"I'm positive," she said. "I will nap later this morning when Teddy does and then I will be right as rain."

"All right," Harry said. He moved to return to Grimmauld Place.

"Harry," Remus said before Harry could throw in the Floo powder. "Please be sure Hermione knows that I'm not upset about what happened. It was an honest mistake."

"I will," Harry said, lips twitching in amusement. Remus glared at him once more before Harry laughed and threw in the Floo powder, then disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Andromeda asked, grabbing Teddy's hand as he reached for her hair. Remus sighed.

"It's nothing," he said, turning red. Andromeda's eyes narrowed and she continued to stare at him. Remus squirmed slightly under her gaze and sighed again. He wondered if she and Minerva had taken intimidation lessons from the same person.

He quickly relayed what had happened this morning when Hermione came to let him out of the cellar. Andromeda's mouth dropped open in shock for a moment before Remus saw the laughter in her eyes. He scowled as she closed her mouth and pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh outright.

"Yes, I know, it's quite hilarious," Remus said dryly.

"I'm sorry, darling, but you have to admit the entire thing is rather amusing."

"Yes, well, Hermione didn't see it that way." Andromeda sobered immediately.

"Was she very upset?"

"She ran out without a word to anyone, so I'd guess that she was." Andromeda's brow furrowed.

"I understand her embarrassment, but surely her reaction was a bit exaggerated?

"Apparently she was already upset about something that went on between her and Ron the night before."

"I thought they were no longer seeing one another?"

"They aren't as far as I know, but there was definitely something going on when I arrived with Teddy. You could have cut the tension with a knife," Remus said. "And Ginny and Harry said something about it this morning. Evidently, she was quite upset when they arrived home last night."

"Perhaps you should speak with her after you've rested." Teddy had begun to squirm in Andromeda's arms and she finally set him down on the floor, quickly waving her wand to set the wards that kept him in the kitchen.

"Ginny is going to talk to her this morning," Remus explained. "I'll speak with Ginny later and see how things went." Teddy crawled under the table and began picking at something on the floor. Andromeda, who didn't even appear to be looking at the baby, summoned the small bit of food and sent one of Teddy's toys to him instead. The impending wail that Remus knew had been coming was abruptly cut off as Teddy happily stuck the toy in his mouth. Remus smiled and shook his head.

"You head up to bed," Andromeda said. "Teddy and I will be fine."

"Thank you," Remus said and bent and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and patted his arm. Remus bent down, biting back a groan as he did so and looked at Teddy. "Be good for your grandmother." Teddy replied by banging his toy against the floor. Remus smiled and stood again, blowing out a breath at the pain. Andromeda gave him a sympathetic look and he left the kitchen, climbing the stairs to his bedroom. As he pulled off his shirt and trousers and sat down on his bed, his face reddened again at what had happened this morning with Hermione. He would have to get that reaction under control before he spoke with her. It was bad enough she was likely mortified, he didn't need her to think that he was as well. Settling under the soft sheets, Remus sighed and closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes sleepily, wondering what had awoken her. Crookshanks was no longer next to her and Hermione lay still, listening intently. A moment later, she heard it again, a knock at the door.

She thought about ignoring it, but figured it was likely Harry and he would simply break in if she didn't answer. Sighing, Hermione pushed the covers off and stood, grimacing when she remembered she was still in the same clothes she'd had on yesterday. She cast a quick cleansing charm on herself.

She hurried down the stairs as the knocking became more urgent. Crossing the living room, she pulled open the back door.

"Ginny," Hermione said in surprise.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Ginny said. "I was getting worried."

"Sorry," Hermione said stepping back so Ginny could come inside. "I was asleep." Ginny immediately looked remorseful.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine, I should be up anyway," Hermione said. She looked nervously at her friend. "Can I get you anything?"

"No," Ginny said. "I just came by to see how you were doing." Hermione sighed and crossed her arms, turning to go back into the living room. Ginny followed her and both took seats on the couch.

"I'm all right," Hermione said.

"You didn't look it when you ran out this morning." Hermione felt her face heat. "Harry told me what happened with Remus." Hermione covered her face with her hands and groaned.

"Gods, I am such an idiot!"

"You're not," Ginny said. "Remus doesn't think so."

"Right," Hermione replied. "He told me not to come downstairs, but I didn't listen. I'm sure he hates me." To her surprise, Ginny laughed.

"Don't you think that's a bit melodramatic?"

"Ginny, I saw him almost _naked_ ," Hermione said as she looked up.

"I know," Ginny said with a grin. Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Ginny!"

"What? Remus is fit." Hermione put her head in her hands again.

"I cannot believe I am having this conversation."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are you going to fill me in or not?" Ginny questioned. Hermione looked up, appalled.

"I can't believe you just _asked_ me that!" Ginny laughed.

"Relax, Hermione, I'm just teasing." Hermione shook her head and leaned back into the corner of the couch. "Although, if you _did_ want to share, I wouldn't object." Hermione grabbed the throw pillow behind her and smacked Ginny with it. Ginny laughed again and Hermione sighed in exasperation. She hugged the pillow front of her.

"What did Remus say?" she asked quietly a few moments later.

"He told Harry to assure you that he wasn't upset. He said that it was an honest mistake." Hermione snorted at that.

"Honest mistake, right," she muttered. "He told me, more than once, not to come downstairs, but I just thought I knew better, like always." Ginny's brow furrowed.

"Where is that coming from?"

"Nowhere, forget it," Hermione said, hugging the pillow a little tighter. Ginny studied her for a minute.

"Hermione, about last night," Ginny began.

"It's fine, Ginny, I know Ron's your brother," Hermione said. "I'm sure your loyalty is to him."

"That's not what-" Ginny tried, but Hermione interrupted again.

"I'm so sorry if you feel like you're in the middle. Harry too. I'll understand if the two of you don't want to talk to me for a while. Or ever." Ginny just stared at her, looking gobsmacked. Hermione shifted her gaze back to the floor. When Ginny didn't say anything, Hermione peeked up at her. Ginny looked furious.

"Have you gone _completely_ mental?" Ginny demanded. She got to her feet and stared down at Hermione.

"Wh-what?" Hermione stuttered.

"You honestly think that Harry and I would stop talking to you because you had a fight with Ron?"

"It was more than a fight, Ginny," Hermione said quietly. Ginny sighed. She sat back on the couch and took hold of one of Hermione's hands.

"I know," Ginny said. "And I know I didn't say much last night, but it wasn't because I blamed you or something. I don't think either of you are to blame, I think it was just something that wasn't meant to be. And that just makes me a little sad." Hermione looked at her quizzically. "I had all these ideas about how the future was going to be with the four of us and now it won't be. That's not a bad thing, it's just, going to be different and I have to get used to it. Do you see?" Hermione nodded. She'd been having the same thoughts herself. Ginny moved closer and pulled Hermione into a hug.

"We're never going to stop talking to you, Hermione," Ginny said. "We're family." Hermione felt her eyes fill and hugged Ginny tightly. When they separated, Ginny's eyes were bright as well and the two of them sniffled at the same time and then laughed.

"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione said, squeezing Ginny's hand.

"Sisters, remember?" Hermione nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"How was Ron this morning?" Hermione finally asked, not looking at Ginny.

"He was…quiet," Ginny said. "But he did come down for breakfast." Hermione smiled softly. It took quite a bit for Ron to miss a meal. "I talked to him after Harry left for work."

"You don't have to tell me what he said," Hermione said quickly. "He's your brother and it's not my business."

"I know," Ginny replied with a smile. "I wasn't planning on it. I just want to tell you that yeah, he's upset right now, but I don't think that he will be forever." Hermione looked up at her. "It's going to take time though." Hermione nodded. Ginny squeezed her hand again.

"Now, back to Remus," Ginny said with a glint in her eye. Hermione groaned and buried her face in the pillow. "How much did you actually see?"

"I told you I am _not_ talking about this."

"Did you see _everything_?" Ginny asked, ignoring her. Hermione blushed again.

"No."

"I thought you said he was naked."

"I said he was _almost_ naked," Hermione corrected. "He'd, covered up, with the leg of his trousers."

"So, what _did_ you see?"

"Ginny, I'm not talking about this!" Hermione threw the pillow at her.

"His arse, you saw his arse, didn't you?" Hermione immediately turned red. "You did!"

"Gods, please shut up," Hermione begged.

"Did you get a full view?"

"Oh, my god, you are insane!" Hermione said, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. "I got a side view, all right?"

"Side view?" Ginny questioned. Hermione made a noise of frustration.

"He was sitting on the ground, with his left side to me, sort of hunched over a little bit, so no, I didn't get a full view." Ginny smirked in satisfaction. "I hate you."

"No, you don't," Ginny singsonged. She stared at Hermione for another minute. "So, are you going to give me the verdict?"

"About what?" Hermione asked.

"Remus' arse."

"I am not talking about Remus' arse," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Why not?" Ginny demanded.

"Because it's _Remus_!" Ginny quirked an eyebrow at her and Hermione saw her eyes widen a second later.

"You fancy him!"

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do, that's why you don't want to answer my questions!"

"It is not!"

"Then why won't you tell me what you think?"

"Because it's not, it's not appropriate," Hermione said lamely.

"Bullshit," Ginny snorted. "You've participated in our gossip sessions in the dorm plenty this year. You've never shied away from discussing a bloke's…assets before."

"They're our age," Hermione protested.

"That new shopkeeper in Hogsmeade isn't," Ginny said. "And you had no problems talking about him."

"That's because, because we don't know him," Hermione said. "Remus is my friend."

"Right," Ginny said.

"I mean it, Ginny, just, just stop, _please_." Ginny stared at her for a few moments.

"All right," she finally said. "I'll stop."

"Thank you," Hermione said in relief. But one glance at her friend let Hermione know that while Ginny would let it go for now, the subject was definitely _not_ closed.

* * *

 **4 January 1999**

"You're certain?" Remus said as Harry put Teddy's bag on his shoulder.

"I'm positive," Harry replied. "I talked to her last night. She's still a little embarrassed, but she knows that you're not angry or anything."

"And you don't think I should speak with her," Remus said.

"She was upset about some things that happened with Ron and about her parents staying in Australia, so she overre-"

"Her parents are staying in Australia?" Remus interrupted.

"You didn't know?"

"No, we didn't exactly have an extended conversation the other night," Remus said a bit exasperated.

"Oh, right, well, yeah, they told her the day of the moon. That's what she had come to Grimmauld to talk to me about," Harry explained. "Anyway, she was upset about all of that and she hadn't slept well, so she just overreacted to, well, seeing you."

"Here he is," Andromeda said as she came into the room with Teddy. Teddy reached for Harry immediately, even ignoring Remus. Remus shook his head fondly.

"Hey, mate," Harry said as Andromeda handed the baby over. Teddy immediately reached for Harry's glasses, but his hand stopped just shy of them. Harry grinned at Remus when Teddy tried again, looking perplexed.

"Arthur taught me that one," Harry said. "Variation on the shielding charm." Teddy, after trying a third time to grab Harry's glasses, began to fuss. "This is the only drawback though."

"Here," Remus said, summoning a toy from the bag Harry carried. He handed it to Teddy who took it happily enough, although he was still eyeing Harry's glasses. "Everything he needs should be in the bag, but one of us will be here all day if you need anything."

"We'll be fine, won't we, mate?" Harry said. Teddy grinned at him. "Gin's coming over in a bit. I'll have him home by supper."

"He's pulling himself up on everything now," Remus said. "So, you may want to use a sticking charm on anything that would fall over easily." Harry nodded.

"Good-bye, darling," Andromeda said, leaning over to kiss Teddy's cheek.

"You behave for your godfather," Remus said, kissing the top of Teddy's head. "Good-bye." Teddy responded by holding out his hand and opening and closing it, his way of waving. Remus chuckled.

"Let's go, Teddy," Harry said, throwing a blanket over Teddy's head before stepping into the Floo.

Remus watched them go, looking pensive.

"They'll be fine," Andromeda said, putting a hand on his arm.

"Oh, yes, I know," Remus said. "I was thinking about Hermione."

"Is she still upset about what happened?"

"Harry says she's fine, she was just overwrought at the time." Andromeda looked at him quizzically. "Apparently, her parents have decided to stay in Australia and she had just found out the night before."

"No wonder she was upset." Remus nodded absently. Andromeda patted his arm and moved into the kitchen. Remus continued to stare into the empty fireplace, wondering if he should talk to Hermione anyway, regardless of what Harry had said. It wasn't that he didn't believe Harry, but Remus felt some strange urge to be sure she was all right for himself. Shaking his head, he pushed that thought away and sighed, moving to the armchair in front of the fire and picking up the book he had been reading. If Harry said Hermione was fine, then she was.

* * *

 **10 January 1999**

Hermione walked through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾. She had never been so glad to go back to school. She had spent the last week at her house, usually alone, save Crookshanks. Harry and Ginny both visited, but Harry was busy with work and Ginny was helping George out in the shop as children came to spend their Christmas galleons before heading back to Hogwarts.

Harry was insistent that she was still welcome at Grimmauld Place, but Hermione hadn't felt right going there. It was Ron's home too and she was sure that the last thing he wanted was to see her. Even after Ginny had given Hermione Ron's work schedule so Hermione could come to Grimmauld when Ron wasn't there, Hermione still hadn't felt right about it.

Remus had occupied her thoughts quite often as well. She was still embarrassed about what had happened the morning after the full moon, but she wasn't upset about it anymore. Now, though, Ginny's insistence that Hermione fancied Remus continually echoed in her brain.

Hermione had admitted that she'd had a bit of a schoolgirl crush on Remus her third year, when he was her professor. So had half of the rest of the school. But Ginny's assertion that Hermione fancied him now was ridiculous. Remus was just her friend.

" _Ron was just your friend, too,"_ a little voice in Hermione's head, that sounded suspiciously like Ginny, liked to remind her. Hermione shoved that voice away whenever it spoke up. To think that she liked Remus as anything else but a friend was absurd.

" _It doesn't stop you dreaming about him,"_ the stupid voice said. Hermione felt her face heat as she remembered the dream she'd had two nights ago. Since the full moon, she no longer had to imagine was Remus looked like naked. Well, mostly.

"Oh my god, stop," Hermione muttered under her breath, scrubbing at her cheeks with her hands. This was getting out of control.

"Hermione!" a voice called and Hermione looked up to see Claire hurtling towards her. Hermione grinned and caught Claire as she flung her arms around her.

"How was your holiday?" Hermione asked.

"It was good!" Claire said. "Annie and Amy and Thomas spent Christmas with us."

"That sounds fun," Hermione replied.

"How were your parents?" Claire asked. Hermione's smile slipped a bit.

"They were fine," she said. "We had a very nice Christmas." Claire cocked her head and studied Hermione in the way that unnerved Hermione sometimes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Hermione insisted, plastering a smile on her face. "I just missed you all." Claire stared at her for another minute before she finally smiled.

"We missed you too." Claire took her hand and led her to where her parents and David stood.

"Hi, Hermione," David said. Hermione smiled at him. Now thirteen, David didn't show the same enthusiasm in his greetings of her as he used to, but Hermione could tell he was still happy to see her. Annie, however, had no such qualms. She moved from David's side and hugged Hermione tightly. Hermione could detect a bit of sadness in both David's and Annie's eyes. Hermione was sure celebrating Christmas without their parents had been difficult.

Hermione's former distress melted away as the three first-years chattered to her about their Christmas gifts and everything they'd done on their break from school. Fifteen minutes before the train was going to leave, Hermione suggested they board, just as Ginny ran onto the Platform, followed by her mother.

"Hermione," Molly said, after greeting Sarah's parents and Annie's sister. "I'm so glad to see you. We missed you at the family dinner last week."

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it," Hermione said.

"It's all right, dear, I understand," Molly squeezed her arm affectionately and Hermione gave her a grateful smile. After exchanging good-byes with everyone, Hermione and Ginny helped the first-years with their trunks and joined Luna in her compartment. Hermione bade good-bye to her friends to head to the Prefect carriage to find out her patrol schedule. She smiled as she walked through the train cars. School was just what she needed.


	32. Birthdays

**A/N - Hello everyone! I'm glad you all seemed to like the last chapter! I haven't thanked my lovely Falcons, MaryRoyale and trollnexus, lately, for reading over my chapters and brainstorming with me, so thank you. And as always, thanks to all of you for reading!**

 **Chapter 32**

 **Birthdays**

 **5 February 1999**

Remus sat at the kitchen table as the sun rose, holding his cup of tea as it slowly grew cold. He had woken nearly an hour before and stared at the picture of Dora on his bedside table for quite some time before he rose from his bed. She would have been twenty-six today.

The pain of losing her, which had been slowly lessening, was back in full force today. Her birthday was simply a reminder of how little time she'd had, how little time _they'd_ had. She had barely gotten to live.

Remus heard a noise on the stairs and knew Andromeda was up as well. She came into the kitchen, still in her dressing gown. Remus could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen his mother-in-law in her nightclothes and knew that she had likely been lying awake as he had.

"Your tea's gone cold," she said as she stood next to him. Remus glanced down at his cup and took his wand from his sleeve to rewarm it. Andromeda put a hand on his arm. "Rewarmed tea never tastes quite right. Let me make a fresh pot." Remus didn't argue with her, knowing she would want to keep herself as busy as possible today.

He should do the same, but the problem was there wasn't much for him to do. He'd only had one day of tutoring this past week, as most everyone he had been working with had seemed to finally be caught up. He had a small group of third years he was still working with on Defense and a few single students in various years he was helping, but he was only seeing them once a week at most. Remus had little to prepare in way of lessons.

Andromeda returned with the tea and vanished the contents of Remus' cup before pouring him another. Remus took a sip and smiled gratefully. Andromeda sat down across from him, sipping at her own tea and staring absently out the kitchen window. Remus knew they needed to make a plan. Sitting around wallowing all day wouldn't do either of them any good.

"Perhaps we should take Teddy on an outing today," he said.

"What did you have in mind?" Andromeda asked. Remus' brow furrowed. What did he have in mind? He thought they might visit the cemetery, but he didn't think that should be their only destination. He wanted to do something to celebrate his wife's life.

"What was Dora's favorite thing to do as a child?" he asked.

"Play in the dirt," Andromeda said immediately and Remus couldn't help the laugh that escaped. Andromeda smiled as well.

"I was thinking more of somewhere she liked to visit."

"Well, Diagon Alley, of course," Andromeda said. "But I'm not sure I'm up for crowds today."

"No," Remus agreed. Given this was the weekend before Valentine's Day, Remus expected the Alley would be busy.

"She did love the zoo," Andromeda said, a smile crossing her face. "We went once when she was about seven. She had just started being able to morph her facial features and she stood in the aviary, watching the birds and suddenly it looked like she had a beak. I don't think she was even aware she was doing it." Andromeda chuckled.

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"Well, thankfully, the only person that noticed was another child and his mother seemed to think he was lying. She rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm and towed him out of there while I hid Dora behind me. We didn't go back again for some time after that. Not until we could be sure she was in total control of it." Remus smiled.

"Shall we take Teddy to the zoo, then?" he asked. "I don't think we need to worry about him morphing his face just yet, but we can keep a cap on him to hide his hair."

"Remus, it's February." Remus shrugged.

"We can cast warming charms," Remus said. He looked outside at the sun that had now risen completely. "And it looks like it's going to be sunny today. It won't be as crowded either." Andromeda glanced outside herself. She seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"I would like to go to the cemetery later," she said.

"As would I," Remus agreed. "And then perhaps we can get the photo albums out and show Teddy some pictures." Andromeda reached across the table and took his hand in hers. She squeezed his fingers.

"I would like that," she said, tears in her eyes. Remus held her hand and nodded, taking another sip of his tea to control his emotions. They sat that way until they could hear the insistent call of "Da!" from Teddy's room.

* * *

 **7 February 1999**

"Hi, Hermione." Hermione looked up from the notes she was taking.

"Hey, Anthony."

"Mind if I sit?"

"Sure, go ahead," Hermione said, moving a few of her books to the side so Anthony could join her at her table in the library.

"Arithmancy assignment?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said with a sigh. "I thought I was finished, but then I found this book," she indicated a large tome next to her, "and I think I might have to recalculate."

"Really?" Anthony said, brow furrowing. "Which book?" Hermione stuck her finger in the book to mark her page and flipped the cover closed. The book was quite old and the method not one that was widely used, but something about it just made sense.

"Hmm," Anthony said thoughtfully, rummaging in his bag and pulling out his own Arithmancy assignment. Hermione opened the book again and pushed it across the table so Anthony could see what she had been talking about. His brow furrowed in concentration as he read, then looked back at his calculations. Hermione knew the exact moment he understood what she was talking about. His eyes widened slightly, his gaze skipping quickly between his assignment and the book.

"I think you're right," he said after a few minutes. "Do you mind if I use this as well?"

"Not at all," Hermione said with a smile. Anthony moved the book so they could both read it and they were silent for a time as they both reworked their assignment.

"So, going to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Anthony asked a bit later.

"I don't think so," Hermione said with a small laugh. "Harry and Neville both have the day off and they're coming to spend it with Ginny and Luna. Valentine's Day and all."

"Ron couldn't make it?" Anthony questioned.

"I have no idea," Hermione said. At Anthony's quizzical look, she sighed. "Ron and I aren't together anymore."

"Oh," Anthony said. "I'm sorry, I didn't know." Hermione waved off his apology.

"Don't worry about it, it happened quite some time ago." Anthony fell silent, looking down at his assignment. Hermione finished the last of the calculations on hers, then rolled it up and put it in her bag. She pulled out her Transfiguration text to begin working on the essay that was due on Wednesday.

"If you like, you can come with Justin, Lisa and me," Anthony said. "We're not doing anything even remotely Valentine's Day related." Hermione chuckled and Anthony smiled. She thought about it for a moment and decided that it might be fun. And she might get to see Harry after all then.

"All right, I think I will," Hermione said as she pulled out a piece of parchment. Anthony's grin widened.

"Great, we'll meet you in the Entrance Hall." Hermione nodded just as Madame Pince cleared her throat and glared in their direction. Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing and dipped her quill into her ink pot. She glanced up at Anthony and noticed that the smile hadn't left his face. Figuring he was reacting to Madame Pince's warning, she went back to her essay and soon forgot the Ravenclaw was even there.

* * *

 **13 February 1999**

"So how did it go?" Ginny demanded, plopping herself down on Hermione's bed. She unwrapped a sugar quill and stuck it in her mouth.

"How did what go?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Your date with Anthony." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I told you, it wasn't a date," she said in exasperation.

"He asked you to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day weekend, Hermione," Ginny said, equally exasperated. "What else would it be?"

"Ginny, we were with two other people, who are also not dating, before you ask," Hermione said.

"So, you never went off by yourselves?" Ginny asked. "Got a bit of privacy?"

"You're ridiculous," Hermione said.

"And _you_ didn't answer the question," Ginny pointed out.

"We were in Tomes and Scrolls for a bit," Hermione admitted.

"The bookstore, how romantic," Ginny said, eyelids fluttering. Hermione just rolled her eyes again, adding a shake of her head.

"Nothing happened, it wasn't a date, end of story."

"That's not what I heard," Ginny said in a singsong voice. Hermione's eyes narrowed. There truly was nothing to tell and the thought that it might be a date had never even crossed her mind.

"What are you talking about?"

"Luna says word around the Ravenclaw Common Room is that Anthony fancies you." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. Ginny smirked and took another lick of her sugar quill.

"He does not," Hermione said. "We're just friends."

"You say that a lot," Ginny replied. Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "Anthony is your friend. Remus is your friend." Hermione groaned. Not this again.

"Seriously, Gin, when are you going to drop that?"

"When you admit that you fancy Remus," Ginny said sweetly.

"I do not fancy Remus," Hermione nearly growled.

"You keep telling yourself that," Ginny said, popping the sugar quill back into her mouth and getting up from Hermione's bed.

"Do you annoy Harry this much?" Hermione groused.

"Believe me, the very last thing I do is _annoy_ Harry," Ginny said with a wicked grin. Hermione groaned.

"Please don't say anything else," she said. "I do not need to know about your sex life with Harry." Ginny waggled her eyebrows, but thankfully kept quiet.

"Well, what about Anthony, then?" Ginny said. Hermione was confused at the abrupt change of topic. "I mean if you don't fancy Remus, then what about Anthony?"

"I've never even thought about Anthony like that," Hermione said.

"Maybe you should start."

"And maybe you should stop trying to force all the single people you know into a relationship," Hermione said.

"Come on, Hermione," Ginny said. "Pretty soon we'll be done with school and we'll have to get jobs and work and be all responsible and everything. Things are over with you and Ron, why not have a little fun these last few months?" Hermione stayed silent. Ginny sighed and sat down on her bed again.

"Look, none of us have had much chance to be kids or teenagers, you less than anyone except for Harry. Let go a little bit and just have some fun."

"Not that I think you're wrong," Hermione said. "None of us ever really got much a chance to be normal teenagers. But I don't see how dating Anthony is going to do that for me."

"Don't you know what a stress reliever a good snog is?" Ginny asked with a grin. "Not to mention a good sh-"

"Okay, I get it," Hermione said, interrupting before Ginny could give her more details about Harry that Hermione definitely did _not_ want. "But like I said, I've never thought about Anthony like that."

"Well, like _I_ said, maybe you should start," Ginny said with a wink. She rose from Hermione's bed again and crossed to her own, picking up her school bag and pulling out her Charms book.

Hermione leaned back against her headboard, mulling over what Ginny had said. Things were well over with Ron and she was not even going to acknowledge Ginny's suspicion that she had any kind of romantic feelings for Remus. The notion was, again, ridiculous. And even if she did, Remus would never feel that way for her, so it was pointless to even think about it.

Hermione had never thought of Anthony Goldstein in any romantic kind of way and she wasn't sure she could start. Still, Ginny did have a point. In just a little over four months school would be over, so maybe she should try and enjoy it a bit more. Maybe.

* * *

 **24 February 1999**

Remus searched through the books in the Restricted Section trying to locate one that Minerva had recommended to him. He knew he could have asked Irma for help, but Remus enjoyed browsing. He had already found two other books that he wanted to read himself.

As he searched, his mind wandered back to their zoo adventure. Teddy, like his mother, had seemed particularly entranced with the aviary. In fact, he'd cried when they tried to leave and they ended up spending nearly an hour there.

After they had visited the cemetery, Andromeda had indeed gotten out the photo albums and they had spent quite a bit of time looking through them. In one photograph, taken just after Dora had finished her Auror training, she had smiled for the camera and then immediately changed her appearance to look like Mad-Eye, sans the magical eye. Teddy, sitting on Remus' lap, chortled in laughter every time the photograph changed. Remus had taken to turning the page and then flipping back to the picture just to get the same reaction from Teddy. Remus smiled at the memory. It had been a wonderful way to spend Dora's birthday.

Remus reached the end of the row of shelves and turned the corner to search the next one. Hermione was standing in the middle of the aisle, look of concentration on her face as she studied the book in her hands. He hadn't seen her since the morning after the full moon.

"Good afternoon, Hermione," Remus said. Hermione jumped and looked up at him.

"Oh, Remus," she said. "You startled me."

"I apologize," he said, smiling at her. Hermione gave him a tentative smile back, even as her cheeks turned red. Remus did not think it was because he had surprised her. He decided to act as normally as possible, in the hope that it would lessen her embarrassment.

"How are your classes going?" he asked even as he continued to search the shelves in front of him.

"Well, thank you," Hermione said.

"No more problems in Defense?"

No, thankfully. I think that Professor Higgins may have learned his lesson." She chuckled as she said this and Remus suspected she was aware that Minerva had read Higgins the riot act.

"That's good to hear," he said with a knowing smirk. Hermione smiled at him as she always had. Perhaps she _had_ gotten over seeing him as she did and things wouldn't be awkward between them.

"Everything else going well, then?" he asked, finally spotting the book Minerva had mentioned. He pulled it from the shelf and flipped through it. Yes, this would do nicely. When Hermione didn't answer, he looked up at her and saw that her face was completely red and she was looking at the floor. Remus bit back a sigh.

"Hermione," he said.

"I'm sorry, I," Hermione began, setting her book back on the shelf and putting her hands to her cheeks. She shook her head.

"There's nothing to apologize for," he insisted. "I assure you, I am not upset about it."

"Gods," Hermione said under her breath. Remus tucked his book under one arm and stepped closer to her. Hermione immediately took a step back. Remus stayed where he was. She finally glanced up at him, only to look away a second later. "I'm sorry, Remus." He suspected she wasn't apologizing for what had happened that morning, but for her current reaction.

"Hermione, it's all right. I know it was an uncomfortable situation for both of us, but we're both adults and truthfully, I am not angry." Hermione drew in a breath and then let it out. She looked up at Remus again and this time did not turn away.

"You're right," she said. "We are both adults."

"Let's just put it behind us, shall we?" he requested. Hermione blushed slightly, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been moments ago.

"All right," she agreed. Remus reached out for the book she had been holding and gave it back to her. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said. Hermione smiled shyly at him and then looked back at the book in her head.

"I should get back to my essay," she said. Remus nodded.

"And I should have Irma check this out for me," he said indicating the book under his arm.

"I'll see you later, Remus."

"Good-bye, Hermione." Hermione gave him one last smile and then turned and walked down the aisle towards the main section of the library. Once she was gone, Remus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. That had been much more awkward than he had thought it would be. He did hope that they could put it behind them now. He knew that Andromeda was planning a large gathering for Teddy's first birthday and he very much hoped Hermione would be there.

* * *

Hermione made her way back to her table, glad that she was by herself today. She could feel her cheeks burning again and it wasn't because of what had happened in January, but her reaction to seeing Remus today. She'd made a fool of herself, again.

She had thought she was over everything that happened after the full moon. She had overreacted that day, but given her emotional state at the time, as well as her lack of sleep, she couldn't completely blame herself. And knowing that Remus wasn't angry with her, had helped quite a bit. But seeing Remus today had brought it all back for her.

Hermione knew that it was her reaction to what had happened, instead of what she saw, that embarrassed her so much. She had acted like she'd never seen a half-naked man before. She had shared at tent with Harry and Ron for almost a year. It had been nearly impossible to get any kind of privacy and it wasn't like there was a door one could knock on before walking into the tent. They had worked out a bit of a schedule as time went on, but she'd still seen both of them in various stages of undress more times than she could count.

She wasn't sure why she had reacted the way she did. Not that she should have stood and ogled Remus either, but she could have been more matter-of-fact about it. She was aware he undressed before he transformed and so would be naked when the process reversed itself. Why then, had she been so upset? Because, while she could blame some of it on her emotional state, that wasn't the entire reason.

' _You fancy him'_ that stupid voice inside her head said. Hermione was coming to hate that voice.

"Shut it," she muttered under her breath as she reached her table and set down the book she had gotten from the restricted section. It hit the table loudly and Hermione winced as all the heads swiveled towards her at the sound. She smiled sheepishly and sat down at the table.

Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out. Remus was right, they were both adults and they just needed to put it behind them and move on. Remus wasn't upset about it, so she shouldn't be either. She pulled her parchment determinedly towards her. She wasn't going to let this bother her again.

* * *

 **10 March 1999**

"Come on," Remus encouraged, holding out his arms to his son. Andromeda was standing a few feet away, holding onto Teddy's hands and keeping him steady. She walked him forward a few steps and let go of one of his hands as Teddy took another two steps, then she let go of the other. Teddy grinned at his father and took three wobbly steps before he fell forward and Remus caught him in his arms. Andromeda clapped her hands in delight.

"Well done!" Remus said, picking up his son and tickling his belly. Teddy giggled for a few moments before Remus set him on his feet and mimicked Andromeda's movements from before.

"Come, Teddy," Andromeda said, clapping her hands twice and holding her arms out to him. This time Teddy managed five steps before he lost his balance and Andromeda pulled him into her arms. "Oh, you're just brilliant, aren't you?" She kissed his cheeks and Teddy giggled again.

"I must say, this is quite the birthday present," Remus said as Andromeda set Teddy on the floor and he crawled quickly to the bin of toys in the room. He held a hand out to help Andromeda up from the floor.

"I don't think anything I've gotten could top that," she agreed as she stood.

"I told you that I didn't need gifts," Remus protested.

"And I told _you_ that it's your birthday. Of course, there will be gifts." They looked at Teddy who had pulled himself to standing next to his box of toys. He held a block in his hands and showed it to Remus.

"Da!" Remus chuckled as Teddy let go of the box and wobbled a bit on his feet before regaining his balance. He looked determinedly at Remus, who immediately kneeled down and held out his arms again. Teddy clapped the block with his other hand, wobbled, and then took seven steps, reaching Remus on the last. Remus picked him up and tossed him lightly into the air. Teddy shrieked in delight, before Remus pulled him in close, nuzzling his neck and making him laugh again.

"Walking," Andromeda said with a shake of her head. "I can't believe how quickly time is passing."

"Nor can I," Remus said, as Teddy offered the block to his father. "Less than a month until his birthday." Remus took the block and then handed it back to Teddy. He put Teddy down when he started to squirm, but instead of walking again, Teddy dropped down to his bum and crawled to his toys. Remus chuckled. Crawling was still much faster.

"I wanted to speak to you about Teddy's birthday, actually."

"I thought the planning was almost finished for his party," Remus questioned.

"It is," Andromeda assured him. "I was speaking of his actual birthday." Teddy's birthday was on the eighth, but they were having his party on Saturday, the tenth, when Hogwarts would be on Easter holidays so everyone they wanted to invite could attend.

"Oh, I thought we'd have a quiet day together, perhaps give Teddy his gifts from us. You know he's going to be inundated at his party."

"Yes, I thought that too, but I'd like to ask if we might do something else as well." Remus looked at her quizzically. "Narcissa has expressed a desire to meet Teddy. I would never invite her to his party, there are too many people invited that wouldn't welcome her presence, not yet. But, I thought we might have her to lunch on his actual birthday."

"No," Remus immediately said. Andromeda looked taken aback.

"No?" she repeated. Remus realized how abrupt he had sounded and he took a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said.

"I don't understand," Andromeda said.

"I just," Remus sighed. "I don't want her around Teddy." Andromeda looked confused and more than a little hurt.

"I hope you know that I would never put Teddy in any kind of danger," Andromeda said quietly.

"Of course, I do," Remus said immediately.

"Then, I am still confused," Andromeda said. Remus sighed. He knew it would be difficult for Andromeda to understand his position without telling her about Hermione's torture.

"I would prefer if she wasn't around Teddy, that's all," Remus said. "I don't think she's a very good influence." Andromeda's eyes narrowed.

"Influence?" she said. "He is a baby. There is little to influence."

"She made her views clear on him during the war," Remus said lamely.

"And you were the one that convinced me to not take things at face value," Andromeda reminded him, her voice growing cold. "You encouraged me to give her a second chance."

"You, yes," Remus said. "I never said anything about Teddy."

"So, these past six months we have been meeting were how you imagined our relationship would continue?" Andromeda challenged. "That I would keep her separate from my life with you and Teddy?" Remus said nothing.

"I told you that Narcissa had changed," Andromeda continued. "She no longer harbors the same feelings she did during the war."

"Actions speak louder than words," Remus said, hating the disappointment he could see on Andromeda's face. She stared at him for a few minutes.

"I do not understand you, Remus," she finally said. "You, of all people, are aware of how hurtful prejudice can be. Yet, you are doing the same to my sister." She stared at him for a few moments. "I am very disappointed." With that, she turned and left the room. Remus could hear her steps on the stairs and then the quiet click of her bedroom door.

Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. He looked at Teddy who was happily taking every single toy out of his basket.

"I really cocked that one up, didn't I?" Remus grimaced at his language, but Teddy just grinned at him and held up one of his toys.

"Da!" Remus smiled and sat down next to his son, running a hand lightly over the boy's hair. It was blond today, very near to the white blond of the Malfoys. Teddy took a few steps and threw himself at his father. Remus picked him up and kissed the top of his head.

"Your grandmother isn't very happy with me," Remus said, laughing as Teddy tried to put his toy in Remus' mouth. "I can't say I really blame her."

"Da-da-da-da-da," Teddy said under his breath, examining his toy. Remus absently rubbed Teddy's back while he tried to find a way out of this situation. He didn't want to break Hermione's confidence, but he needed to come up with a better explanation for not wanting Narcissa around Teddy. He didn't think that the woman would harm Teddy, but Remus didn't know if he could forgive her for her inaction against Bellatrix.

Teddy dropped his toy with a yawn and snuggled closer to Remus' chest. Remus kissed the baby's forehead and rose to his feet. Remus began to sway from side to side as he hummed a lullaby under his breath. Teddy's eyelids began to droop, his mouth falling open when he dropped off to sleep. Remus smiled and carefully climbed the stairs to Teddy's room. Remus settled his son into his cot, covered him with a light blanket and set the monitoring charm on his room.

Remus stood in the corridor, staring at Andromeda's closed door. He should talk to her sooner rather than later, but he didn't know if his mother-in-law would be receptive to a conversation right now. Still, it would be better to do it while Teddy was napping. Sighing again, Remus knocked lightly on Andromeda's door.

"Andromeda?" he called softly when there was no answer. "I'd like to try to explain." Remus waited a few moments and had just turned to go back downstairs when the door clicked open. Remus put his hand back on the knob and opened the door a bit more. Andromeda was standing at the window, her back to him, arms crossed over her chest.

"May I come in?"

"Why else would I have opened the door?" She sounded quite irritated. Remus took a few steps into the room, closing the door behind him. He threw up a privacy charm so they wouldn't disturb Teddy. When Remus didn't immediately start talking, Andromeda turned towards him slightly.

"I thought you wanted to explain," she said, no warmth in her voice.

"I do," he replied. "I cannot tell you everything, but I have information about something that Narcissa was involved in during the war. When I found out, it…disturbed me."

"And just what was this information that disturbed you so much?" Andromeda asked.

"I told you, I cannot tell you," Remus said. "I'm asking you to trust me."

"I do trust you, Remus," Andromeda said. "But if you expect me to understand your position, you will have to give me a little more than that." Remus sighed.

"I can't break a confidence," he said. "It's not my story to tell."

"So, this thing, whatever it is, you didn't witness it personally?"

"No," Remus said. "The story was told to me by someone else." He could see the gears turning in Andromeda's head. There were only a handful of people that would have come into contact with Narcissa in some capacity during the war. She had nearly been a recluse those last two years of the war.

"And was this something perpetrated by Narcissa herself or something that happened in her presence?"

"A bit of both," Remus said. Andromeda's brow furrowed.

"That does not make sense."

"It definitely happened in her presence, but she did nothing to intervene," Remus said. "I can't say anymore." Andromeda nodded. She looked out the window for a moment before she turned back to Remus.

"I assume that you're speaking of Bellatrix's torture of Hermione," Andromeda finally said. Remus stared at her in shock.

"You knew?"

"Narcissa told me about it the first time I met with her," Andromeda said.

"And you continued to meet with her?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Yes," she said simply. "It wouldn't have been much of a second chance, had I not tried to understand why."

"Why?" Remus repeated in disbelief. "She allowed your sister to torture an innocent girl in her home!"

"Do you honestly think that Bellatrix would have _allowed_ Narcissa to step in and try and stop her?" Andromeda asked, just as incredulous. "Bella would have killed Draco without a second thought, just to get Cissy to comply."

"So, it was all right for Hermione to suffer?" Remus asked.

"Of course not," Andromeda snapped. "But my sister's first priority has always been to her family, just as mine has been. Neither of us will apologize for that."

"Narcissa lived the last two years of the war in abject fear," Andromeda continued. "Lucius was in prison. If Voldemort was not in her home, Greyback was, or a myriad of Death Eaters, all more than willing to 'take care' of the wife of Lucius Malfoy at one word from their lord. You and I both know what Draco was tasked to do in his sixth year. Narcissa did everything she had to do in order to survive and protect her son. Even when Lucius came home, he was disgraced. They were terrified that Voldemort would one day decide they were not worth the trouble and go after Draco. After all, why just kill someone when it is so much more fun to break them and watch them suffer?" Remus said nothing. He knew all of this was true.

"Bellatrix was his right hand. Narcissa could not cross her as it would have been no different than crossing Voldemort. Bella knew how much Cissy loved her son." Andromeda paused to gather her thoughts.

"What happened to Hermione was horrific and I do not excuse it. In a perfect world, Narcissa or Lucius would have stepped in and not allowed it to happen. But we do not live in a perfect world."

"I don't know if I can forgive her," Remus said honestly.

"I understand that and I am not asking you to," Andromeda said. "As I said, I would never invite her to Teddy's party knowing that Hermione is likely to be there, not to mention Harry and the Weasleys. But we are no longer at war and Cissy would never, _ever_ do anything to hurt Teddy or you. She is aware I would kill her myself if she even tried." Remus looked at the very formidable woman that was his mother-in-law. He had no doubt that she would never let any harm come to Teddy if it were at all in her power to stop it. And Remus truthfully didn't think that Narcissa intended harm to either of them. But he didn't know if he could stand to be in the same room with the woman, knowing what he did.

"May I think about it?" he finally asked.

"Of course," Andromeda said. "Thank you, for listening." Remus nodded.

"I don't like being at odds with you," he said with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will still give you your birthday presents," Andromeda replied with a smirk. Remus chuckled. She sobered. "I do not like arguing with you either."

"Then perhaps we shouldn't do it again," Remus said. Andromeda laughed.

"Somehow, I do not imagine this will be the last time we disagree."

"No, you're likely right about that."

"Then I suppose we must agree to discuss it when we do," she said.

"Agreed," Remus replied. Andromeda reached for his hand, but Remus pulled her into a hug instead. After a few seconds, Andromeda returned it. They were not often demonstrative with each other, but Remus felt this situation warranted it.

"Thank you, Remus, for explaining," she said.

"You as well." He let go of her and then squeezed her arm lightly before turning and leaving the room. He heard the distinct sound of sniffling, but didn't turn around, knowing that Andromeda would likely be cross with him if he did. Smiling he made his way back to the living room, where he cleaned up Teddy's toys with a wave of his wand and then pulled the novel he had been reading from the shelf, settling in to one of the armchairs to read until Teddy woke from his nap.

* * *

 **1 April 1999**

"Are you sure you won't come?" Ginny asked again. Hermione smiled at her friend. Ginny had been given permission to leave school to spend the day with her family. It was George and Fred's birthday.

"No," Hermione said. "Your family needs to be together today and I don't want Ron to be uncomfortable." Ginny nodded. "Please give George my love though."

"I will," Ginny said. She looked at Hermione, tears in her eyes. Hermione immediately wrapped her in a hug.

"It's going to be all right," Hermione said.

"I know," Ginny sniffled. "I just don't know how George is going to handle this. They loved their birthday."

"I'm sure that had nothing to do with the fact that they were born on April Fool's Day," Hermione said dryly. Ginny laughed and wiped at her tears. "Come on, I'll walk down with you."

"Thanks, Hermione." The two girls left the dorm and crossed through the Common Room. There were only a few students present, most everyone was in class, but Hermione had a free period. They climbed through the portrait hole and walked towards the staircases.

"You're really not going to come home for the Easter hols?" Ginny asked.

"No, too much studying to do," Hermione said. Hermione had elected to remain at Hogwarts during Easter break. She really had no desire to go home to her empty house and while Ginny had told her she was welcome at the Burrow, Hermione didn't feel right about it. Even through Ron was living at Grimmauld with Harry, she knew the boys still went to the Burrow a few times a week for dinner.

She and Ron hadn't spoken since their row in January. Hermione had sat down multiple times and began a letter to him, but she always ended up throwing it away in the end. Everything she would have said, she had already said and she knew from Harry that Ron was still coming to terms with their break-up. There was no need to throw salt in the wound.

"I know this is about Ron, Hermione," Ginny said as they made their way to the Entrance Hall. "You can't avoid him forever."

"I'm not, Gin," Hermione said. Ginny gave her a disbelieving look. "All right, maybe I am, a little. But it's mostly for Ron's benefit." Hermione sighed. "I just don't want to hurt him anymore."

"I understand. But this summer, if I have to drag you to the weekly family dinners, I will," Ginny threatened. Hermione laughed. She knew Ginny wasn't joking.

"I'll be there, I promise."

"Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall greeted. "Miss Granger."

"Good morning, Professor," Hermione replied.

"I understand you have your Apparition license, Miss Weasley."

"Yes, ma'am," Ginny said.

"Then I will escort you to the gates and you may Apparate from there."

"All right," Ginny said. She turned to Hermione and hugged her again.

"Tell everyone I'm thinking of them," Hermione said.

"I will," Ginny said. She turned back to the professor and the two began to walk towards the front doors when a Patronus interrupted their progress.

"Minerva, your assistance is needed in the Potions lab," Professor Slughorn's Patronus said before it faded away. Professor McGonagall sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What has Cooper done now?" she muttered.

"I can walk with Ginny, Professor," Hermione volunteered. "I've got a free period now."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said. "Miss Weasley, please give my best to your family."

"Thank you, Professor," Ginny said as the professor swept down the corridor towards the dungeons.

"Isn't Cooper that first year?" Ginny asked. "The one you had to help out of the trick step last week?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "Apparently, he's abysmal at Potions. Even worse than Neville." Ginny laughed.

The two women walked across the grounds, chatting amiably as they made their way towards the front gates. Just as they reached them, there was the crack of Apparition and Hermione jumped as Remus appeared.

"Hello, Remus," Ginny said, glancing meaningfully at Hermione. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Good morning, Remus," she said.

"Good morning," Remus replied with a smile. "I wasn't expecting a welcoming committee."

"Hermione's the welcoming committee," Ginny said with a smirk. Hermione stifled the urge to stick her tongue out at her friend. "I'm on my way out."

"On a school day?" Remus questioned. Ginny nodded.

"It's George and Fred's birthday," Hermione explained.

"Ah," Remus said in understanding. He put a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Please let your family know Andromeda and I are thinking of them."

"I will, thank you, Remus." Ginny stepped outside the gates and waved before she turned and Disapparated. Hermione and Remus turned back towards the castle.

"How's Teddy?" Hermione asked as they strolled past the Black Lake.

"He's doing very well, walking and into everything," Remus said fondly. Hermione smiled.

"I've missed him."

"You are coming to his party?" Remus questioned.

"Yes, I wouldn't miss it," Hermione replied.

"Are you staying at the Burrow over the Easter holiday then?"

"No," Hermione said. "I've decided to stay at the castle and do some studying. N.E.W.T.S. aren't too far off." Remus glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He remembered how upset she had been after his exam in her third year when her boggart had been Minerva, telling her she failed everything. He hoped that she wasn't getting too stressed about the upcoming exams. They were important, yes, but Remus had no doubt that Hermione would pass with no problems.

"Are you feeling comfortable with all your subjects?" he asked, hoping to get an indication of her stress level.

"Mostly, yes," she said. "Arithmancy has been challenging this year, but I'm still handling it."

"Do you know what you would like to do after graduation?" Remus asked.

"I'd like to work in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Hermione said immediately. Remus bristled. The werewolf registry was part of that department, as was the werewolf capture unit. He wasn't sure why Hermione wanted to work there. Hermione didn't seem to notice his reaction as she continued talking.

"I really want to start with the House-elves. I know that most of them don't want to be freed, but there should be protections in place so they're not abused by their owners, as well as regulations as to pay and time off." Remus vaguely remembered hearing something about her House-elf campaign in her fourth year.

"But, all creatures and beings have rights," she said. "The werewolf laws need to be completely changed as well, not to mention the ridiculous rules regarding goblins and centaurs." Remus found himself smiling. Of course, Hermione was out to change any law she felt wasn't just.

"If anyone can get those things accomplished, it would likely be you," Remus said. Hermione blushed slightly at the compliment. They had reached the steps to the castle and Hermione glanced at her watch as they walked through the front doors.

"I've got to get back to the dorm to pick up my bag before Transfiguration," she said. Remus nodded. "I'll see you at Teddy's party." She waved and hurried off towards the main staircase. Remus watched her go with a smile on his face. The Ministry was going to be lucky to have her.


	33. One

**A/N - Hello all! Teddy's birthday is ahead. This was one of those chapters that just refused to end, so it is longer than usual. Thanks for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 33**

 **One**

 **6 April 1999**

Hermione made her way to the library to do a bit of studying for N.E.W.T.S. She had been studying in her room for the most part, as all her dormmates had gone home for Easter, but she had decided that she wanted a change of scenery. Ginny had begged Hermione to change her mind about staying at Hogwarts, saying that everyone had missed her on George and Fred's birthday. Hermione had once again declined, sure that Ron hadn't missed her that day. Ginny finally admitted that Ron had looked relieved when Ginny had shown up alone.

Hermione was glad that Ginny had only had to return to Hogwarts for a day before the Easter break began. If they hadn't had an exam in Transfiguration, she likely would have just stayed at the Burrow. Things had been very difficult, apparently, during the day they spent with George, and Hermione was already dreading the anniversary of the Final Battle coming up. There was going to be a memorial service at Hogwarts and a dedication of the new monument to the fallen that would be erected on the grounds.

Hermione sighed. Her nightmares had already started to get worse again, and the ceremony was still almost a month away. She was sure she would be asking Madame Pomfrey for more Dreamless Sleep before long.

Hermione shifted her bag on her shoulder and walked into the library. She headed for her usual table and smiled when she saw Anthony already sitting at it. The two of them had taken to studying together quite often. Anthony looked up when she sat down.

"I thought I was going to have to send out a search party," he said quietly, obeying the rules of the library as always. "If I hadn't seen you at breakfast every morning, I might have thought you'd changed your mind and went home after all."

"I've been taking advantage of my empty dorm room," Hermione said with a smile. Anthony stared at her for a moment, eyes seeming to glaze over a bit, before he shook his head and looked back down at his parchment.

"That must be nice," he finally said and Hermione saw his cheeks were pink. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine." He cleared his throat and looked up at her. "So, what are you working on today?"

"I was planning on reviewing Potions for a while, then switching to Charms. You?"

"Transfiguration, but I could do Potions first, if you'd like to quiz one another."

"That sounds good," Hermione said. She glanced up at Madame Pince's desk. The librarian was staring right at them. Although the rules in the library were a bit more relaxed over break, Madame Pince still didn't appreciate much talking.

"Maybe I'll do my Charms first," Hermione said. "Then we can go somewhere else to work on Potions?" Anthony, who had his back to Madame Pince, glanced over his shoulder.

"That's probably a good idea."

The two worked in companionable silence for the next couple of hours, until Hermione sat back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head. Anthony looked up at her, then glanced away quickly. Hermione wasn't sure just what was going on with him today.

"Are you ready then?" he asked when Hermione began to put away her Charms' notes.

"Yes, but I can wait if you're not," she said.

"No, I finished a few minutes ago, actually." He began packing up his things as well. When they had finished, they left the library.

"So where should we study?" Anthony asked. "One of the unused classrooms?" Hermione glanced out a window as they passed. There were only a few fluffy white clouds in the sky.

"Do you mind if we sit outside?" Hermione asked. "Even if it's cool, we can cast warming charms."

"That sounds nice," Anthony replied. Hermione smiled and they chatted a bit as they walked towards the front doors of the castle. They stepped outside and made their way towards the Black Lake. Hermione led Anthony to the beech tree where she, Ron and Harry had often sat. Conjuring a blanket, they spread it out on the ground and then sat down, Anthony casting a warming charm over the two of them while Hermione pulled her notes from her bag.

They spent the next hour reviewing ingredients and their properties, as well as going over some of the potions they might be expected to brew during their N.E.W.T. When they finally took a break, Hermione leaned back on her hands and turned her face up towards the sun. After a few minutes, she felt Anthony's eyes on her and cracked one eye open. He immediately turned his head, his cheeks turning pink again.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked. He had been acting rather peculiar lately. As Hermione studied him, Ginny's words came back to her. " _Luna says word around the Ravenclaw Common Room is that Anthony fancies you."_ He couldn't though. That had been six weeks ago and Anthony had given no indication that it was true. He hadn't been acting any differently towards her until today.

"I, erm, I wanted to ask if," Anthony trailed off, his face getting redder. He pulled in a breath and looked at her. "I wanted to ask if you'd like to go on the next Hogsmeade weekend with me." Hermione stared at him for a moment.

"I, I hadn't really thought about it," Hermione said.

"I know it's a couple of weeks away," Anthony said. "But I wanted to ask before you made other plans."

"Just…the two of us?" she asked. Anthony nodded.

Hermione's mind was whirling. She had not been expecting this at all. After everything with Ron, she hadn't even thought about dating. There wasn't anyone at school that really interested her, to be honest. Even with all that Ginny had said about enjoying her last few months, Hermione hadn't really sought anyone out. She had relaxed a bit in her studying and spent more time with her friends, hence why she had been doing so much studying over the break, but dating had barely crossed her mind.

"It's all right," Anthony said. "I understand."

"No!" Hermione replied quickly. "I just, I was a bit surprised is all."

"We've been revising together so much and I had a lot of fun with you last time," Anthony said, looking hopeful again.

Anthony was awfully sweet and he could certainly carry on an intelligent conversation with her. She did enjoy spending time with him. And it was just Hogsmeade, after all.

"All right," she said.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'd love to go." Anthony's smile lit up his entire face and Hermione couldn't help but smile back. They returned to studying Potions, but Hermione caught Anthony glancing at her from time to time with a small smile on his face. She found herself returning his smile, thinking that maybe this was a good idea after all.

* * *

 **8 April 1999**

"Happy Birthday, little man," Remus said as he lifted Teddy from his cot.

"Da-da!" Teddy said with a smile.

"You're a whole year old, today, did you know that?" Remus asked as he laid the boy down to change his nappy. Teddy happily babbled away as he always did when he first woke up. Remus kept up a steady stream of conversation with his son, but his mind drifted back to those memories from a year ago.

" _One more time," Andromeda said. Dora moaned pitifully._

" _Come on, love, you can do it," Remus encouraged._

" _Easy for you to say," she huffed. He smiled into her hair and kissed the top of her head._

" _Again, Nymphadora," Andromeda demanded. Dora scowled at her._

" _Don't. call. me. Nymphadora," she snapped even as she began to push again._

" _That's it, just a bit more," Andromeda said with a slight smirk. Remus suspected she had done it on purpose. Dora squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed his hand, her face turning red with effort. Just as she collapsed back into him, breath heaving, there was a cry. Andromeda looked up at them with tears in her eyes._

" _It's a boy," she said. She held the baby up and Remus stared at his son in awe. Dora was crying and laughing at the same time when Remus kissed her soundly before Andromeda laid Teddy on her chest._

Remus finished fastening Teddy's nappy as his thoughts returned to the present. He picked his boy up and held him close, eyes immediately going to the photograph of Dora that sat on Teddy's bookshelf. She grinned at waved up at him and Remus smiled back, loosening his grip on Teddy as the boy squirmed.

"Mummy wishes you a Happy Birthday too," Remus said quietly. Teddy looked up at him and smiled. Remus kissed his forehead. "Let's go have breakfast. You've got a big day ahead."

* * *

After much discussion, Remus and Andromeda had decided to take Teddy to the zoo again. They were then going to meet Narcissa for tea. They had decided on the same Muggle coffee shop where she and Andromeda frequently met. Remus had done a lot of thinking about what Andromeda had said to him on his birthday and he realized she was right. While he liked to think he would have stepped in had he been in Narcissa's place, if Teddy's life had been in danger, he couldn't say what he would have done.

"Are you sure about this?" Andromeda asked again as they approached the coffee shop, Teddy asleep in his pram.

"Yes," Remus replied. He smiled reassuringly at his mother-in-law. "If I become uncomfortable, I'll simply say I need to get Teddy home." Andromeda nodded, still clearly nervous. Remus put a hand on her arm. "Truly, I'm fine." She nodded again and led him into the coffee shop. They sat down at a table and Remus loosened the blankets he had put around Teddy when they were outside. The boy stirred a bit, but didn't wake, thoroughly exhausted from his trip to the zoo.

It was only a few minutes later that Remus looked up and saw Narcissa Malfoy come inside. She glanced around, smiling as she saw Andromeda and made her way to their table. Andromeda stood and briefly embraced her sister, the two of them kissing the air next to the other's cheek as Remus had seen many other Pureblood women do. Narcissa turned to him and he rose from his chair.

"Mr. Lupin," she said politely. "Thank you for allowing me to share part of your son's day with you." Remus nodded in acknowledgement. Narcissa turned to the pram. "And this must be little Teddy."

"You were right, Andi," Narcissa continued. "He is quite handsome." Andromeda beamed with pride.

"Please, sit," Andromeda said and Remus moved to help Narcissa with her chair. He still wasn't overly enamored with the woman, but his mother had taught him manners. He sat back in his chair as the waitress approached their table.

After taking their order, the three of them sat in uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Andromeda was glancing between her sister and her son-in-law, clearly searching for something to say.

"Mr. Lupin, Andromeda tells me you have been doing some tutoring at Hogwarts," Narcissa finally said.

"Yes, I have," he replied. "Many of the students were behind after the disruptive year they had last year."

"I can imagine," Narcissa said. "And do you enjoy it?"

"Very much," Remus said. "I have always loved teaching."

"Yes, I remember you taught Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said. "Draco said you were quite an improvement over their previous professor." Remus stared at her, shocked. The Slytherins had done nothing but complain in his class, Draco especially. Of course, it wasn't that difficult to be better than Gilderoy Lockhart, so Remus wasn't sure how much of a compliment that really was.

"Thank Draco for me," he said. Narcissa inclined her head as their waitress delivered the tea and scones they had ordered. The tension lessened a bit as they all busied themselves preparing their tea and arranging their plates.

Remus sipped his tea and watched the two sisters. Andromeda's smile grew wider and Narcissa's posture less rigid as they settled into conversation. They included him from time to time, but he was content to drink his tea and observe.

Teddy began to move and whimper in his sleep and Remus picked him up, knowing the boy would be disoriented when he woke. Teddy settled against his chest, one hand gripping the front of Remus' cardigan. His eyes finally opened fully and he smiled when he saw his grandmother.

"Did you have a nice nap, love?" she asked, brushing a bit of hair from his forehead. Teddy lifted his head from Remus' chest and gave Andromeda another smile, before reaching out for her. Remus passed his son over, even though a part of him wanted to hug Teddy tightly and not let go of him. Andromeda settled Teddy into her arms before turning him slightly so he could see Narcissa.

"This is Nanna's sister," Andromeda said. "Your Auntie Narcissa." Teddy looked at Narcissa who smiled at him. He drew back towards Andromeda for a moment, still studying Narcissa.

"Hello, Teddy," Narcissa said softly. "I've been looking forward to meeting you." Teddy still stared at her, but he did not smile. "Your grandmother told me it was your birthday." Remus was rather impressed that she didn't immediately ask to hold the baby. Some women would have, particularly those that felt they were entitled. Instead, Narcissa seemed to be giving Teddy time to get used to her presence.

Narcissa opened her handbag and pulled out a tiny wrapped gift. She glanced around the shop before moving her hand where Remus could see the tip of her wand. His hand instinctively moved to his sleeve where his own wand was concealed. But before Narcissa could do anything, Andromeda grabbed her hand.

"Cissy!" she hissed.

"What?" Narcissa asked, unconcerned.

"Would you like a visit from the Ministry for doing magic in front of Muggles?" Andromeda demanded quietly as she glanced around the coffee shop. Teddy was watching the entire conversation with rapt attention.

"Well, how am I supposed to give Teddy his gift?" Narcissa demanded.

"Is it magical?" Andromeda asked.

"Well, of course," Narcissa replied, looking at Andromeda as if she were dim. "What else would I have given him?" Andromeda rolled her eyes, giving Narcissa the same look in return.

"Then he can't open it here anyway, can he?" Andromeda gestured around at the very Muggle setting. Remus felt his lips twitch towards a smile at their behavior. He could almost picture a teenaged Andromeda and Narcissa having a similar argument.

"I suppose you are right," Narcissa said with a long-suffering sigh. She picked up the gift to put it back into her bag, when Remus spoke.

"You could come back home with us and Teddy could open it there." Andromeda stared at him in shock. Truthfully, Remus was a bit shocked himself. He had expected this meeting to be quite uncomfortable and while he still could not say that he was Narcissa Malfoy's biggest fan, it was nice to see a more human side of her. Narcissa stared at him for a moment, looking as if she were trying to determine if his offer was genuine.

"I would like that very much, Mr. Lupin," she said with a hint of emotion in her voice.

"Please, it's Remus." She stared at him again before nodding and turning back to Andromeda. Andromeda was still staring at Remus in surprise until Teddy's squirming brought her back to her senses.

"Well, all right then," she said. "Shall we go?" Her voice was too high, her smile too bright, but Remus rose from the table and pulled out her chair as she stood, then did the same for Narcissa. The two women preceded him out of the coffee shop and once they'd reached an alley, Remus ducked inside and shrunk the pram. When he stepped back out, he suggested that Andromeda take Narcissa side-along and Remus would take a taxi to the Leaky Cauldron with Teddy and come home by Floo. He figured the two women could use a bit of time by themselves to collect their emotions before he arrived. Andromeda agreed and handed Teddy back to Remus before taking Narcissa into the alley and disappearing. Remus smiled at Teddy before hailing a cab and heading for the Leaky.

* * *

"Thank you," Andromeda said once Narcissa had disappeared through the Floo. Teddy still sat enraptured by the gift she had bought him – a set of miniature dragons, just the right size for a toddler's fist, that flew and breathed puffs of very realistic looking 'smoke'. Apparently, Draco had a similar set as a child and it had been one of his favorites. Teddy had been mesmerized by the two that Remus had charmed to fly, even as Teddy chewed on a third. All child-proofed, with no small pieces to choke on, Remus had been impressed.

" _I did raise a son," Narcissa said with a smirk at Remus' thorough inspection of the gift._

" _I didn't mean to imply," Remus began, but Narcissa waved him off._

" _You would not be a good parent if you did not worry about such things," she assured him. Remus had given her a grateful smile as she knelt next to Teddy and waved her wand to make the Hungarian Horntail fly._

"For what?" Remus asked.

"For asking her here," Andromeda replied. "For changing your mind."

"I haven't forgiven her completely," Remus said. "But I am willing to try."

"I know," Andromeda said. "I'll get dinner ready and then we can give Teddy his cake." She patted his arm as she passed and went into the kitchen. He sat down next to Teddy, picking up the Swedish Short Snout and waved his wand, adding the third dragon to the two that were already flying. Teddy squealed in delight and clapped his hands, dropping the dragon he'd been holding. He crawled over to Remus and pulled himself up on Remus' side.

"Da-da," Teddy said, pointing to the dragons flying overhead. Remus wrapped an arm around him and chuckled.

"I see the dragons." Teddy reached his arms up, looking as if he was trying to catch them. Remus directed his wand at one and made it fly within Teddy's reach. Teddy grabbed for it twice before he finally caught it. Remus laughed at the surprised look on his son's face. Teddy held the dragon out to Remus.

"Well done," Remus said with a smile, which Teddy returned. He then proceeded to stick the dragon's head in his mouth and gnaw on it. Remus shook his head fondly. They two of them played with the dragons until Andromeda called them to dinner.

* * *

"Go ahead, Teddy," Remus said. "Blow out the candle." Teddy looked from his father to his grandmother and back to the cake on the table, clearly having no idea what he was supposed to do. Remus looked at Andromeda over Teddy's head and she nodded.

"Ready, love?" Andromeda asked Teddy. He stared blankly at her. "One, two, three." On three, both she and Remus leaned toward the cake and blew out the single candle. Teddy immediately burst into tears. Remus and Andromeda looked at each other, then down at the crying baby. He was reaching his hand toward the candle, opening and closing his hand in the good-bye gesture he made. Remus quickly drew his wand and relit the candle. Teddy immediately stopped crying and smiled.

"All right then, I guess the candle stays lit," Remus said as Andromeda laughed. She cut a large slice of cake and set it on the tray of Teddy's high chair.

Teddy looked at it for a moment, then grabbed a large piece of it and shoved it in his mouth. Remus and Andromeda watched and laughed as he smeared his face and hair with icing, bits of cake also making it into his mouth on occasion. When the cake was a mangled mass and all Teddy was doing was squishing it through his fingers, Andromeda vanished it and Remus picked Teddy up from his chair.

"Time for a bath for you," he said. Teddy protested at losing his treat, until Remus summoned one of the dragons from the living room and had it fly ahead of them to the bathroom. Stripping Teddy down, Remus put him into the bath, letting the dragon fly around his head, just out of his reach, while Remus quickly washed Teddy up.

When he was dried, dressed and had a warm bottle in his hands, Remus took Teddy into his room and sat down in the rocking chair. The older he got, the less Teddy let Remus rock him like this before bed, but Teddy had had a long day and his eyes were already drooping when Remus sat down. Remus rocked and smiled softly as his son, who held the bottle with one hand and picked at Remus' shirt with the other.

"I'd say you had quite a good birthday," Remus said. "And just think, you get to do it all again on Saturday." Teddy watched Remus in silence, rhythmically swallowing. "Your mum would be so proud of you." Teddy smiled slightly as if he knew what Remus was saying. "She loved you so much." Remus glanced at the photograph on the bookshelf again and watched Dora wave at him numerous times before he looked back down at his son. Teddy's eyes were almost completely closed and the bottle had fallen from his mouth. Remus removed it and shifted Teddy to his shoulder. Teddy snuggled into the crook of Remus' neck and Remus sighed, resting his head against the back of the chair.

Remus closed his eyes. It had been quite a long day and he hadn't had the chance to process much of it. His son was a year old. The last twelve months had gone so quickly, but dragged by at a snail's pace all at the same time. There were days he thought would never end and weeks that passed in the blink of an eye. Today had been no different. Remus had wanted to savor it, had wanted time to slow down or even freeze, yet it was already over.

Seeing Narcissa today had been difficult. He had kept a tight lid on his emotions when she first came into the coffee shop, something ingrained into him after years of dealing with being a werewolf. Although he'd relaxed a bit over the course of the afternoon, he hadn't completely let go of them until now.

He had been angry, he realized, nearly incensed when she came in and smiled at the three of them. The depth of his anger surprised him a bit, thinking of it now. The more he thought about it, the more he decided that he didn't really want to examine the intensity of it too closely. No good would come of going down that path, as he knew there was no future there. Not to mention the fact that he was nowhere near ready to entertain another relationship. He thought there was a possibility he might never be.

Teddy breathed deeply against Remus' neck and Remus indulged himself, continuing to rock for a bit longer. Sooner than Remus would like, Teddy wouldn't want to be rocked to sleep, or even cuddle on Remus' lap. He was going to enjoy it now, while he still could.

* * *

 **10 April 1998**

"When are you leaving?" Anthony asked. Hermione took a last sip of her pumpkin juice and wiped her lips with a napkin.

"The party starts at eleven, so I thought I'd start heading down to the gates about fifteen minutes before," she said.

"I'll walk with you," Anthony said.

"You don't have to," Hermione said.

"I want to," Anthony replied. "Unless you don't want me to. I don't mean to overstep." He looked unsure.

"It's fine," she said. "I'm happy to have you walk with me." Anthony smiled at her and Hermione returned it. He was rather sweet.

"So, what are you going to do until then?" Anthony asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I'm tired of revising. Maybe I'll just go and sit by the lake, enjoy the sunshine."

"You're tired of revising?" Anthony questioned. He looked surprised, but Hermione thought he must be teasing her.

"Yes, I know, Hermione Granger, infamous know-it-all, is actually _tired_ of revising," Hermione said dramatically. Anthony frowned.

"I don't think you're a know-it-all," he said. Hermione was confused.

"I didn't think that you did."

"Then why did you say that?"

"I was just joking," she explained, still a bit perplexed.

"Oh," he said. His brows furrowed.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I just don't think you should put yourself down like that," Anthony said. "There's nothing wrong with being intelligent." Hermione was a bit taken aback. She and Harry often joked about the monikers they had been given by the press or other students.

"I know there isn't," she said. She was still a bit surprised at the turn the conversation had taken. She supposed though, that Anthony was a Ravenclaw, the house that valued intelligence above all else. She could understand why joking about it would bother him. It was kind of nice, actually, not having to make excuses or defend being smart.

"I wasn't putting myself down, I promise you," Hermione said. "I'm rather proud of my brains."

"You should be," Anthony said, the frown finally leaving his face.

"But, I was serious when I said I was tired of revising," Hermione continued. "Would you like to take a walk by the lake with me before I leave?" Anthony seemed to ponder this, likely calculating how much study time he would lose if he did so.

"All right," he finally agreed. "Shall I meet you in the Entrance Hall at around ten?" It was only half past eight and it wouldn't take Hermione all that long to get ready, but she supposed she could sit and read for a bit before meeting with Anthony.

"That sounds good," she said. She rose from the table and Anthony did the same, shouldering his bag. Hermione hadn't even realized he'd brought it to breakfast. They headed up the main staircase, but Anthony parted ways with her when they reached the corridor that led to the library.

"I'm just going to get a bit of revising time in before I meet you," he said. "I'll see you later." He waved and turned down the corridor towards the library. Hermione watched him go for a moment before turning towards Gryffindor Tower. She never thought she'd meet someone who wanted to study more than she did.

* * *

Hermione landed in the back garden and glanced toward the house. Tables had been set up, decorated with balloons, and a large 'Happy Birthday' banner hung above the back door. She could see Harry and Ginny sitting on a bench near the back door and she smiled as she approached, noticing that the garden got warmer the closer she got to the house. They must have placed a warming charm over the tables.

"Hermione," Harry greeted, standing to hug her as she reached him.

"Hi, Harry," she said, hugging him tightly. "Hey, Gin. How's your holiday been?"

"Very good," Ginny said with a smirk at Harry. Harry immediately reddened.

"Honestly," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes as Ginny laughed.

"Sorry," Ginny said with an expression that said she was anything but. "It has been good though. I've been helping out at the shop a bit."

"How's George?" Hermione asked.

"He's doing okay," Ginny said. "He's coming by later, Verity needed the morning off today."

"How's work, Harry?"

"It's been quiet lately, which is a good thing," Harry said. "I think we've rounded up everyone we're going to find." They all knew that meant there weren't still Voldemort sympathizers still around, just that they'd either never done anything to warrant arrest or they'd managed to cover their tracks thoroughly enough.

"Where's the birthday boy?" Hermione asked.

"Dad and Remus are entertaining him while Mum and Andromeda finish up with the food," Ginny said. She glanced at Harry. "Ron's inside too." Hermione pulled in a breath. She knew that Ron was going to be at the party, she'd prepared herself for it all week. It had been three months since their argument and it was inevitable that they were going to run into each other.

"He's not staying the whole time," Harry said. "His shift starts today at one."

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione said. "We've got to get used to being around one another some time."

"I know, you're right," Harry said. "I just don't want either of you to be uncomfortable." Hermione smiled

"I think that's a bit tall of an order, to be honest," she said. "But the more often it happens the easier it will get, right?"

"Right," Ginny said, standing and looping her arm through Hermione's. "Come on, I'm sure Teddy and Remus can't wait to see you." Hermione's eyes narrowed, knowing Ginny had thrown in Remus' name on purpose. Ginny looked back at her, innocent smile on her face.

They walked into the house and Hermione greeted Molly and Andromeda in the kitchen, then offered her assistance. She was assured that everything was under control and that she should join everyone else in the living room. Harry and Ginny had already gone in, to prepare Ron for her arrival, Hermione was sure. Taking a breath and squaring her shoulders, Hermione walked into the room.

* * *

Remus was sitting on the couch speaking with Arthur as Teddy played at their feet. Harry and Ginny had come in a few moments earlier and were talking to Ron near the fireplace. He assumed Hermione was here, as Harry and Ginny had been waiting outside for her. Bill and Fleur should be arriving shortly and Minerva and Hagrid were planning on coming a bit later, just before lunch. Kingsley had promised to try and make it for cake and gifts. George was coming after lunch. Remus noticed immediately when Hermione walked into the room. He looked up at her with a smile.

"Hello, Hermione," Arthur said when he noticed her standing there. Ron was standing by the fireplace talking to Harry and Ginny and Remus saw Ron's head snap towards Hermione after his father's greeting. Hermione locked eyes with Ron and froze where she stood. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Ron finally dropped his gaze. Hermione fidgeted for a moment and then looked back at Arthur and Remus. Remus rose from the couch.

"Hermione, I'm glad you could make it," he said. Hermione looked relieved.

"Hello, Remus" she greeted. "Arthur." She moved forwards towards Teddy. "Hi, Teddy." Teddy looked up at her and smiled widely, holding up the dragon he had in his hand. Hermione grinned and knelt beside him.

"What's this?" she asked. Teddy held the dragon out to her and then began to babble. Hermione looked up at Remus who was watching his son with a fond smile.

"I believe he'd like you to make it fly," Remus said. Hermione took the dragon figure from Teddy, who clapped his hands in anticipation. "Here, set it on your palm." Hermione did as Remus asked and he waved his wand and cast the charm. The little dragon flapped its wings and took flight and Teddy squealed in delight. Hermione smiled at the boy and then at Remus.

"These are amazing," she said picking up another of the very lifelike looking dragons, that were still, somehow, toddler friendly. Teddy scrunched up his nose and made a noise that sounded something like a snort, then looked at Hermione expectantly. Remus chuckled.

"They also blow smoke," Remus said, activating the charm on the dragon Hermione had in her hand. She looked fascinated and Remus realized she wouldn't have had any experience with magical toys. Teddy scrunched up his nose and made the noise again, then giggled. Hermione made another of the dragons blow smoke.

"These must be a birthday gift," she said, grinning at Teddy who was staring up at the dragon that was still flying, excitement clear on his face.

"Yes," Remus said immediately, deciding not to elaborate. He didn't want to make Hermione uncomfortable with thoughts of the Malfoys.

"Well, it looks like it was a good choice," Hermione said. "Teddy seems to love them."

"That he does," Remus agreed, then decided to change the subject. "So, how are your studies coming along?"

"Would you be surprised to know that I was actually glad for the break today?" she asked. Remus looked shocked.

"What, Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, didn't want to revise?" Hermione looked at him for a moment, then laughed when he smirked.

"Yes, well, even the most scholarly of us need a rest sometime," she said with a sigh, but amusement danced in her eyes. Remus saw that the amusement disappeared a few moments later and she looked a bit troubled. Before he could ask about it, she shook her head and smiled once again.

The Floo flared and Fleur and then Bill stepped out, greeting everyone in the room. Minerva and Hagrid followed a short time later, filling the room to near capacity. Remus picked up Teddy, lest he accidentally get stepped on as everyone moved around, trying to find a comfortable position. He was extremely glad when Andromeda announced that lunch was served and they could move out into the garden.

* * *

Hermione sat with Ginny as they finished their lunch, Harry having gone to speak with Bill and Ron. Hermione still hadn't spoken to Ron, he'd sat at a table with Bill and Fleur when Hermione had sat down next to Harry. She did catch him looking at her, but he looked away as soon as she met his gaze.

"So, what have you been doing this whole week?" Ginny asked, popping a last carrot into her mouth.

"Revising, mostly," Hermione said.

"Wow, I'm completely shocked," Ginny said in mock surprise. Hermione slapped her lightly on the arm.

"It's been nice, actually." She tried to hide a smile. Ginny immediately saw it and her eyes narrowed.

"Nice, huh?" Hermione nodded. "I've never heard studying described as 'nice'." Hermione just shrugged, trying to look innocent. Ginny studied her for a moment. "Spill, Granger."

"Spill what?" Hermione asked.

"I think you know," Ginny said.

"Well, I may have gotten asked to the next Hogsmeade weekend," Hermione finally said.

"What!?" Ginny shrieked. All heads turned toward them.

"Ginny," Hermione hissed, even as her cheeks turned pink.

"By who?" Ginny asked, lowering her voice significantly. "Anthony?"

"Yes," Hermione said, glancing towards Ron from the corner of her eye. He was still looking at them. She moved a bit closer to Ginny.

"What did you say?" the younger girl asked.

"I said yes." Ginny grinned. Hermione glanced at Ron again. He had gone back to talking to Bill. "Please don't say anything in front of Ron."

"Of course, I won't," Ginny said. She kept smiling at Hermione.

"What?" Hermione finally questioned.

"So," Ginny said.

"So what?"

"So, what have the two of you been up to this week?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We've been studying."

"Uh-huh," Ginny said. "Is that what they're calling it these days?" Hermione swatted her again.

"He only asked a few days ago."

"And that's it? Just studying?" Hermione shrugged.

"We took a walk around the lake this morning and he walked me to the gates so I could leave to come here."

"No good-bye snog?" Ginny asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"No," Hermione said, shaking her head in exasperation. Ginny snickered.

"So, are you excited about this?"

"Sure, I mean he always understands what I'm talking about when we're discussing classes, he's very nice, he's polite." Hermione shrugged. Ginny looked at her and then pretended to snore.

"Sounds wonderful," Hermione elbowed her in the side.

"Stop it, he's sweet."

"Well, there's sweet and then there's," Ginny trailed off and looked across the garden. Hermione followed her gaze and landed on Remus, who was holding Teddy and talking to Professor McGonagall. Hermione groaned.

"Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Nope," Ginny said with a grin.

"Let what go?" Harry asked as he sat down next to Ginny.

"Ginny's just been whining again because I decided not to come home for the holiday," Hermione said quickly. Ginny moved slightly so Harry couldn't see her face, then waggled her eyebrows and nodded her head towards Remus again. Hermione gave her a death glare.

"Break's nearly over anyway," Harry said in confusion. "You go back tomorrow."

"I know," Ginny said. "But you know me, I can't resist taking the mickey sometimes."

"Don't tease Hermione," Harry said.

"Yes, don't tease Hermione," Hermione repeated with a significant look at Ginny. Before Ginny could say anything else, Andromeda announced that it was time for cake and they all rose to gather around the table where Teddy and Remus sat.

* * *

Remus held Teddy on his lap as Andromeda placed the cake in front of him. Having already experienced this once, Teddy reached out and scraped his fingers down the side of the cake before Remus could stop him. His fingers now full of icing, Teddy immediately put them in his mouth as the adults around him laughed. Teddy grinned as Arthur snapped a photograph.

Andromeda lit the candle, but knowing how Teddy had reacted the last time they'd blown out the candle, kept her wand out. They all began to sing Happy Birthday and Teddy stared at everyone as he continued to lick the icing from his fingers. When they finished singing, everyone clapped and Teddy did as well, splattering his father with some of the icing that remained on his fingers. When everyone laughed, Teddy joined in.

"All right, Teddy, it's time to blow out the candle," Andromeda said. She mimed blowing out the candle to her grandson. Teddy scrunched up his nose like he had when he wanted the dragons to blow smoke and Remus heard Hermione's chuckle. Remus rose slightly from his chair, holding Teddy toward the cake as he and Andromeda counted down and then blew out the candle. Teddy looked as if he were about to cry again when the party guests began clapping once more. Distracted, Teddy clapped his hands together and Andromeda quickly moved the cake to the side and began to cut it. Hermione approached as Andromeda cut the cake and Molly and Harry began to pass it out to everyone.

"Happy Birthday, Teddy," she said. Teddy smiled at her and held out his arms. Remus passed him over, wiping the last of the icing from his fingers as he did so. Teddy promptly reached out for one of Hermione's curls.

"Teddy," Remus admonished, reaching up to disentangle Teddy's hand, just as Hermione did the same. Their fingers brushed together and Remus immediately pulled his hand back slightly.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's all right," she said, her cheeks slightly pink. She tried for a few moments to remove Teddy's hand, but the boy seemed fascinated by her curls and refused to let go.

"May I?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded and Remus reached forward, gently taking hold of his son's wrist with one hand, untangling Hermione's curls with the other. Remus felt Hermione's eyes on him and when he looked back at her, her cheeks were a bit pinker. Remus had the sudden urge to smooth her hair down where Teddy had grabbed it, but he ignored it, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers instead.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"You're welcome." They stared at each other for another few seconds before Andromeda called over to Remus.

"Is Teddy ready for his cake?"

"Absolutely," Remus said, reaching out for his son. Hermione passed the boy over to him and Remus turned to put Teddy into his high chair. Andromeda set the cake in front of him and Teddy immediately grabbed a large piece of it and tried to shove the entire thing in his mouth. All the party guests laughed and cooed over him as Arthur continue to take photographs. When Remus glanced back at Hermione, she was laughing at Teddy's antics with the cake. Remus couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Hermione walked back through the kitchen to return to the party after using the loo. As she reached the back door, it opened and Ron was in the doorway. They both froze and stared at one another.

"Hello, Ron," Hermione said after a few moments of silence.

"Hi," Ron replied, looking uncomfortable.

"Heading to work?" she asked. Ron looked at her in confusion. "Harry mentioned it earlier."

"Oh, yeah," he said. They stood in awkward silence for a few more minutes.

"Well, I'd better go," Ron said. Hermione moved to the side and allowed him into the kitchen.

"Have a good shift," she said. Ron nodded. He opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it again and walked past Hermione towards the living room. She heard the Floo a few moments later and sighed when all was quiet in the house again. She doubted once more that they would ever be able to be friends again.

Just as she was about to step outside, Ginny came through the door.

"What was that?" Ginny demanded. Hermione was completely confused.

"Um, I just ran into Ron on my way out and was trying to talk to him?"

"Not that," Ginny said impatiently. "Although I do want to hear about it later. No, the thing with you and Remus just now." Hermione still looked confused. "In the garden, before Teddy had his cake?" Hermione's cheeks immediately colored.

"Oh, well, Teddy grabbed hold of my hair and Remus was just, helping me," she finished lamely.

"I'm talking about the look, Hermione."

"What look?" Hermione asked.

"The _look_ ," Ginny repeated. "The one where the two of you stared at each other like you'd never seen one another before."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny made a noise of frustration.

"Of course, you don't," she said. "Just like you have no idea why it took Remus an extraordinarily long time to get Teddy's hand out of your hair."

"Have you seen this bird's nest I call hair?" Hermione demanded, pointing to her head. "Anything could get lost in there." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's not that bad anymore and you know it."

"Teddy grabbed my hair, Remus helped me get his hand untangled, end of story," Hermione said in exasperation. This was getting old.

"Right and that longing look between the two of you afterward had something to do with your _hair_."

"There was no longing look," Hermione protested.

"Again, keep telling yourself that."

"Gin, honestly, you're reading into things. I don't fancy Remus. First of all, he's nearly twice my age."

"So, what? Nineteen years is nothing in the wizarding world."

"He just lost his wife."

"Almost a year ago," Ginny countered.

"He has a baby," Hermione said.

"That you adore," Ginny pointed out.

"You're impossible!" Hermione said throwing up her hands. The back door opened again and Bill stepped inside.

"Mum's been looking for you, Gin," he said. Ginny scowled at Hermione. Bill looked between the two of them. "Everything all right in here?"

"It's fine, Bill, I was just heading back outside," Hermione said. She smiled at him and he stepped away from the door.

"Hermione-" Ginny began.

"We've finished our conversation," Hermione said and then walked back outside, still irritated.

"You okay?" Harry asked when she reached him.

"Your girlfriend is exasperating." Harry chuckled.

"What's she bothering you about now?" Hermione immediately regretted saying anything. Of course, Harry would want to know what was going on. And there was no way she was telling him about this. Because it was ridiculous, not because there was any truth to it.

"Nothing, it's just, she's insistent that I want something that I don't." Harry looked at her in confusion. "I don't really want to talk about it."

"You know I'm here for you, right?" Harry said. Hermione smiled.

"I do, Harry, thanks." Hermione looked up and saw Ginny come out of the house. She slowly made her way towards them and Hermione watched her warily, wondering if she would say anything in front of Harry. Ginny gave her a small smile, then reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand. Hermione smiled back and returned the gesture, knowing it was meant as an apology. Harry looked between the two of them, looking puzzled. Hermione laughed at the expression on his face and Ginny joined in. Harry stared at the two of them and then shook his head. Andromeda announced they were going to open Teddy's gifts and Hermione forgot all about her disagreement with Ginny at the look of joy on Teddy's face.


	34. Anniversary

**A/N - Hi everyone! We are heading back into angsty territory a bit with this chapter. I also just want to say that I am trying to move the timeline forward more quickly so we can get to the Remione, but my Muse fights me every single time and what I write ends up to be complete crap as a result (and then she usually sits and smirks at me with that smug, I told-you-so, look on her face). So thank you for continuing to be patient. It _is_ coming, I promise! **

**Thanks, as always, to Mary for reading over this and reassuring me about it. And thank you all for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 34**

 **Anniversary**

 **24 April 1999**

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She didn't know why she was so nervous about today. It was Anthony, they'd been studying together for months now and nothing had really changed between them since he asked her to Hogsmeade. He did seek out her company a little more often, she supposed, but that was all. Well, maybe he smiled at her more often too. And he did try to walk with her to class more than he had before. Okay, so maybe some things had changed.

"Ready?" Ginny called as she came into the bathroom.

"I suppose," Hermione said, frowning at her reflection.

"Don't look so excited, Hermione," Ginny laughed.

"It's not that, I'm just," she sighed. "I don't even know."

"You're nervous," Ginny said, grin on her face.

"But I don't know _why_ though," Hermione nearly whined.

"Probably because this is the first time you've been asked to Hogsmeade by someone," Ginny said matter-of-factly. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. She realized that Ginny was right. She had always gone to Hogsmeade with Harry or Ron or both. She'd never had an actual date to the village.

But, she was nineteen years old, for Merlin's sake, not some giggling fourth year having her first experience with a boy. She said as much to Ginny.

"So, what?" Ginny said. "Doesn't mean you still can't be anxious about it."

"What if this is a mistake?" Hermione asked, biting her lip.

"I thought you liked him?"

"I do, it's just," Hermione frowned, her brow furrowed in thought. "Sometimes I get the impression that he likes me a lot more than I like him."

"Look, Hermione," Ginny said. "No one's expecting you to declare your undying love for him just because you agreed to go to Hogsmeade."

"I know, but," Hermione sighed again.

"You're thinking about this too much. Just go and have fun. If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out."

Ginny was right. She was overthinking things. She just needed to go and enjoy the day with Anthony and see what happened from there. Hermione took a deep breath and looked back at her friend.

"All right, let's go."

* * *

Hermione's nerves faded as she and Anthony walked to Hogsmeade, chatting like they always had. Reaching the village, they headed straight for Tomes and Scrolls without even discussing it and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. They did seem well suited for one another.

After spending some time in the bookstore, they walked towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Is this all right?" Anthony asked. "We could go to Madam Puddifoot's, if you like." Hermione made a face, having heard plenty about the tea shop from Harry. Anthony chuckled.

"That's rather how I feel about it," he said.

"Have you been there?" Hermione asked.

"Once in fifth year. That was more than enough for me. What about you?"

"No, I just heard about it from Harry," Hermione explained. "I never felt the need to see it for myself." Anthony laughed as they reached the pub and opened the door for Hermione, ushering her inside.

They spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the village and Hermione found she was quite enjoying herself. On the walk back to the school, Anthony slipped his hand into hers. Hermione looked over at him and he looked so nervous that she squeezed his hand and smiled. He immediately relaxed and they had a pleasant walk back to the castle.

"I'll walk you to your tower," Anthony said after being checked in by Filch.

"All right," Hermione agreed. They walked through the castle in relative silence, Hermione's nerves returning a bit the closer they got to Gryffindor tower.

"I had a really good time today," Anthony said when they'd reached the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Me too," Hermione said. They both stood and looked at one another, hands still clasped until Anthony leaned forward. Hermione closed her eyes as his lips brushed softly over hers before he pulled back. He smiled when she opened her eyes again.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class," Anthony said.

"Bye," Hermione replied as he turned and walked away. She watched him for a few moments and he glanced back over his shoulder and smiled at her again. Shyly returning his smile, she waved and then gave the Fat Lady the password before heading into the Common Room.

When Hermione entered, Ginny jumped up from one of the couches and grabbed her arm, towing her towards the dorms.

"So, tell me," Ginny demanded when they reached their room, which was empty.

"It was fun," Hermione said, still smiling.

"Fun?" Ginny repeated. "That's all I get?"

"Do you want to know what we did every moment?" Hermione asked.

"No, I want the good details," Ginny said.

"Gin, it was our first date," Hermione said.

"You've been spending time together for months, Hermione. This may have been your first _official_ date, but it was not your first date."

"Well, I'm not sure how it's any of your business," Hermione said, secretly delighting in teasing Ginny for once.

"Come on, Hermione," Ginny begged. "I haven't seen Harry for two whole weeks. Let me live vicariously through you."

"All right, all right," Hermione laughed. She proceeded to give Ginny the details of her day in Hogsmeade.

"Then, on our way back to the castle, he held my hand," Hermione said.

"Finally," Ginny replied. "I was beginning to wonder if Goldstein knew what the word 'date' meant." Hermione smacked Ginny's arm with the back of her hand.

"Stop, that's mean."

"But, accurate," Ginny said.

"Well, I'd rather that than be groped the entire time," Hermione retorted.

"Fair point," Ginny said. "Continue."

"He walked me back to the tower and then, he kissed me." Hermione smiled again.

"Now we're getting somewhere," Ginny grinned. "How was it?"

"It was nice."

"Nice? Hermione, tea and biscuits are nice." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It was a first kiss, Ginny, not a full-on snog."

"All right, so it was nice," Ginny conceded. "Are you going to keep seeing him?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe," she said, but a small smile played at her lips.

"You are, aren't you?" Ginny said, grinning. Hermione shrugged again, but then giggled. Giggled, like a third year. Ginny smiled wider. "Why, Hermione Granger, are you smitten?" Hermione didn't respond, just shrugged a shoulder again, but the smile wouldn't leave her face.

The truth was, she had thoroughly enjoyed herself today. She and Anthony had always gotten on well, but it had been different when she knew it was a date. And no matter how Ginny made fun of her, the kiss _had_ been nice. She wouldn't mind doing it again.

"Well, I'm glad," Ginny said. Hermione looked at her skeptically.

"Really?" She hadn't forgotten everything Ginny said at Teddy's party.

"Of course, I am," Ginny said, sounding insulted.

"Even after everything you've been saying about Remus?" Ginny sighed.

"I know what you've said, but I do think that you and Remus-" Hermione held a hand up to stop her.

"Gin, just," Hermione shook her head. "That's never going to happen." Ginny studied her for a moment before she nodded.

"Then, I just want you to be happy," Ginny said.

"I think I am," Hermione said, another smile breaking out across her face.

"Good," Ginny said and leaned forward and hugged her. Hermione returned it, thoughts of Remus flitting through her mind again before she pushed them firmly away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 **2 May 1999**

Remus arose with the sun. The ceremony wouldn't start for more than four hours, but he couldn't sleep any longer. Not that he'd done much sleeping at all last night. His thoughts and dreams had been all about that night and early morning – finding Cho Chang with her broken leg, discovering Fred Weasley had died and the horrible moment when Kingsley told him Dora was not at home as Remus had thought, but had come to the battle and lost her life. He could still feel Minerva's arms around him as he insisted that it wasn't true.

Remus pulled on track pants and a t-shirt before making his way downstairs. He heard quiet sniffling coming from the living room and walked in to find Andromeda curled up in an armchair.

"Andromeda," Remus said, so as not to startle her.

"I should have stopped her," Andromeda whispered. "I should have tied her to her bed or stunned her or put her in a body-bind. I should have stopped them both."

"You couldn't have," Remus said, kneeling down next to her. "You couldn't have stopped Dora from fighting any more than you could have stopped Ted from leaving. He needed to protect you and Dora needed to help."

"I could have tried harder," Andromeda insisted.

"I could have too," Remus reminded her. "I could have stayed like Dora wanted and then she wouldn't have had any reason to come."

"You couldn't have stayed away," Andromeda said.

"And neither could she," Remus said. "It took me quite some time to accept that, but I think that I finally have. I blamed myself for months." Andromeda reached out and took his hand. "But, I've never blamed you." Tears ran down Andromeda's cheeks. "Dora and Ted wouldn't blame you either." She didn't respond, simply looked at her lap. Remus took one of her hands, continuing to kneel next to her despite the protest from his knees. The moon had only been two days prior and he still had a few aches and pains.

Remus squeezed Andromeda's hand and she finally looked up at him. He conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She dabbed at her eyes with her free hand.

"I'm sorry," she said. Remus knew she was apologizing for more than just crying.

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for," Remus said firmly. She stared at him for a moment before she nodded. Remus grimaced a bit as he got to his feet. "I'll make tea."

"I can do that," Andromeda said.

"I know," Remus replied with a smile. Then he turned and went into the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione woke with a silent shout, glad again that she had put up the silencing spells around her bed last night. Sighing, she scrubbed at her cheeks which were wet with tears. She had woken crying in her sleep for the last week, although her nightmares had been mostly about the Final Battle instead of Malfoy Manor. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd relived Harry's 'death', as well as the attack on Professor Snape and seeing Fred's lifeless body.

Knowing she wouldn't get anymore sleep, Hermione sat up and slipped on an oversized jumper over her pajamas. As she stood, she realized the hangings around Ginny's bed were open and her friend was missing. Frowning, Hermione made her way into the corridor and checked the loo before heading down to the Common Room.

Ginny was curled up in the corner of one of the couches, facing the empty fireplace. There was a chill over the entire room and Hermione quickly lit the fire.

"Gin?" she said softly, not wanting to startle her. Ginny turned her head towards Hermione. Her eyes were red and swollen, tear tracks marred her cheeks. "Oh, Ginny." Hermione hurried towards her and gathered the younger girl into her arms. Ginny's tears immediately returned.

"I didn't think I could cry anymore," she whispered as Hermione rubbed her back soothingly.

"How long have you been down here?" Hermione asked. Ginny shrugged.

"A while."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Ginny shrugged again. Hermione pulled back slightly from her and met her gaze. "That sister thing goes both ways, you know." Ginny managed a small laugh. They sat, side by side, staring into the fire.

"It's not just Fred," Ginny finally said. "It was that whole year, really, just everything that happened. It was so," she shook her head and shuddered a bit.

"I know," Hermione replied.

"I know that the three of you had it worse," Ginny said. Before she could continue, Hermione shook her head.

"You may have been fed and sheltered, but this is your _school_. You were supposed to be _safe_ here, the professors were supposed to look after you, not let other students practice Unforgiveables on you. Having to deal with everything you all did, it was just as bad."

Hermione knew some of what had happened at the school last year, Neville had shared a bit with them and Luna had as well. But, Ginny never spoke much about it. Hermione assumed she had told Harry, as Harry had likely filled Ginny in on their time on the run.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked quietly. Ginny said nothing, just stared at the fire. Hermione bit her lip before she spoke again.

"I remember always being damp. We were hungry too, of course, but everything was always cold and wet, it seemed like. We didn't want to have a fire because it would attract attention even with the wards. And warming charms only go so far." Hermione waited.

"It's not very Gryffindorish, but I was always scared," Ginny said so quietly, Hermione almost didn't hear her. "I was scared for my family and for the three of you and for the younger students. But, I was also scared for myself." Hermione held her breath, waiting for Ginny to continue. "I just, I wanted my mum." Fresh tears made their way down Ginny's cheeks and Hermione felt her eyes fill. Ginny swiped at the tears, almost angrily.

"I don't think anyone knew that," Hermione said. "Neville kept telling us how brilliant you were."

"When we went into hiding at Aunt Muriel's, I'd never been so relieved," Ginny said. "And I felt horrible about it because we had no idea what happened to Luna and Neville was still here fighting with everyone and you and Harry and Ron were still missing. And there I was, safe with my family, warm, comfortable, with enough to eat."

"Do _not_ feel guilty about that," Hermione admonished.

"How can I not?" Ginny demanded.

"Do you know what Harry spent most of his free time doing when we were on the run?" Hermione asked. "He stared at the Marauder's map, just watching you, constantly. When we found out that you tried to steal the sword, Ron was beside himself, worrying about you. If anything had happened to you, Ginny, it would have broken the two of them and then where would we be?"

Ginny rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. Hermione tightened her arm around her friend's shoulders.

"Today is going to be hard," Hermione said. "Don't make it harder by blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault." Ginny managed a nod and Hermione heard noise on the stairs going up to the girls' dorm. Looking up, she saw Claire, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she made her way down the stairs.

"Claire, what are you doing up?" Hermione asked.

"I couldn't sleep anymore," she said. She looked at Ginny and frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Ginny said with a watery smile. Claire sat down on Ginny's other side, wriggling back into the small space between the older girl and the arm of the couch. She leaned against Ginny's side and Ginny put an arm around her.

"Did you have a dream too?" Claire asked.

"What do you mean?" Ginny questioned.

"Today is the day they let us out of Azkaban," Claire said. "I had a dream that Voldemort won instead and we had to stay there forever." Hermione saw Ginny tighten her arm around the girl. Claire yawned. "I'm glad Harry won and that didn't happen."

"Me too," Ginny said quietly. Ginny turned to Hermione and squeezed her hand. Hermione smiled and the three of them sat quietly together until the sun fully rose.

* * *

Remus and Andromeda walked through the gates of Hogwarts surrounded by other witches and wizards. The crowds had grown quite large already and the ceremony wasn't starting for another twenty minutes. Remus carried Teddy, who snuggled close to his father as they moved through the cluster of people. He had become a bit wary of strangers as of late, something Andromeda assured Remus was quite normal.

It was one of the reasons they had brought Teddy with them. Narcissa had volunteered to mind him, as she wasn't attending the ceremony out of respect for those on the Light side that would have resented her being there, but Teddy had only seen her once since his birthday. Remus was concerned that Teddy would be too upset.

Mostly, though, Remus had simply wanted his boy with him when they honored Dora and the rest of the fallen. They would pay tribute to everyone that had died in both the first and the second wars today and it was important to Remus that Teddy be here, regardless of the fact that he wouldn't remember it.

Aurors ringed the space on the grounds where everyone had gathered. Remus saw Harry, as well as Ron and Neville, keeping an eye on the crowd. Kingsley stood near the dais speaking with Minerva and it didn't take long for Remus to find the Weasleys, most already seated. Molly waved them over and he and Andromeda joined them.

Not long after they arrived, the students were led from the castle to rows of chairs that had been set aside for them, much like they had at Albus' funeral. Remus nodded at many of those he had been tutoring over the course of the year, although those sessions were few and far between these days. He expected to be a bit busier in a month's time before exams began, but for now, he was only coming to the castle once a week, if that.

He caught Hermione's eye as she walked past, and she gave him a small smile. He continued to watch her as she moved down the row of chairs, followed by the Muggle-born first years and Ginny. Hermione settled Claire and Annie on either side of her and Remus noticed Claire lean against Hermione and take her hand once they were seated. Hermione smiled at her before making sure that Annie and then David were settled as well. It wasn't until Teddy squirmed in his lap that Remus dropped his gaze.

Remus shook his head as if to clear it and Andromeda gave him a quizzical look. Remus gave her a reassuring smile and returned his attention to his son who had begun to reach for the bag that sat on the ground between Remus and Andromeda. Remus pulled out one of his dragons, which were never far from Teddy's side these days, and gave it to him.

When everyone had finally settled, Kingsley stepped onto the dais and the memorial began.

* * *

Hermione wiped at her eyes again as Harry finished speaking. He hadn't wanted to give a speech today, had protested vehemently to Kingsley about it, according to Ginny. But in the end, the Minister had convinced him. His speech had been short, mostly about the contributions of others, rather than his own, which didn't surprise Hermione at all. It had also only added to the emotionality of the day and there weren't many dry eyes in the crowd anymore.

"We will now have a moment of silence for the fallen," Kingsley said as he stepped back to the podium. Those in attendance, who had already been quiet, fell completely silent. Hermione tightened her arm around Claire and squeezed Annie's hand. She could see Ginny putting a hand on David's shoulder and the boy leaned into her slightly. The silence was only broken by the call of birds in the forest.

Kingsley cleared his throat and Hermione looked up towards the dais. Professor McGonagall stood and moved to the back of the dais. She waved her wand in a series of patterns that Hermione had never seen before. Moments later, a large white marble monument appeared, obviously having been Disillusioned before the ceremony.

The professor joined the Minister at the front of the dais and Professor Flitwick handed them a scroll of parchment.

"We will now read the names of those who gave their lives in the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

As Kingsley read a name, it etched itself on the side of the monument. Hermione marveled at the magic which could still take her breath away from time to time. The first-years beside her looked absolutely enthralled.

As James and Lily Potter's names were read, Hermione and Ginny looked towards Harry. He stood stoically next to the platform, hands clasped behind his back, but Hermione could see the emotion on his face.

The list continued, Professor McGonagall taking over the reading of the names as Kingsley stepped back to take a sip of water. When they reached Bertha Jorkins, Hermione knew they had moved from the first war to the second. She watched Harry closely as first Cedric's name was read and then Sirius'. Harry bowed his head slightly. Hermione glanced at Remus and saw that his jaw was tight until Andromeda put a hand on his shoulder.

"Elizabeth and Patrick Harrison," Kingsley said a few minutes later. Annie gasped and gripped Hermione's hand harder. David looked at Annie wide-eyed. Ginny and Hermione's eyes met over the children's heads. Neither of them had known that the Muggle-borns' parents would be included.

"Margaret Campbell." David let out a low whine, closing his eyes and leaning into Ginny. Ginny wrapped an arm around him and Hermione reached around Annie and put a hand on his shoulder. The sniffles and throat clearing in the crowd grew a bit louder the more names that were read. When they reached Ted Tonks, Hermione looked at Remus again. He had an arm around Andromeda's shoulders and Hermione could see the older woman bow her head.

"Fred Weasley." Ginny hitched in a breath and Hermione didn't even try to stop the tears that were running down her own cheeks.

"Nymphadora Lupin." Remus' head bowed, kissing the top of Teddy's head, who looked at his father and grandmother, concern on his little face.

"Lavender Brown." Hermione wiped a few tears from her face.

"Colin Creevey." Hermione located Dennis down the row. His hands were fisted and resting on his knees. Cassandra, one of the girls in his year, took hold of his arm and gave it a squeeze

"Severus Snape." There was a small hush over the crowd and a few mutters began. Hermione knew that there were still people that thought Professor Snape was nothing but a Death Eater that had killed Dumbledore. Kingsley's glare at someone in the crowd silenced the protests.

As the list was finished, the last name etched itself into the side of the monument.

"Let us always remember those who suffered and died, so that an evil like this can never rise to power again. Thank you all for coming."

Kingsley, and the rest of those that had been on the dais, stepped down to the ground. The platform was shrunk and moved away from the monument, allowing those in attendance to step closer to it. Hermione looked around the crowd and saw Harry approaching. When he reached them, he drew Ginny into his arms and hugged her tightly, closing his eyes and burying his face in her hair. Ginny clung to him, her hands fisted in his robes at his back, her shoulders shaking slightly as she cried.

Hermione ran a hand over the top of Annie's head, feeling an uncharacteristic spike of jealousy as she watched Harry and Ginny. Sighing, she looked down at Annie and then at David.

"Do the two of you want a closer look at the memorial?" David immediately shook his head, almost violently, until Hermione squeezed his shoulder. Annie looked unsure. "It's all right if you don't want to right now, Annie. It will always be here."

"Will you go with me?" Annie whispered.

"Of course," Hermione said. She looked to Harry and Ginny who had finally pulled apart from one another. "I'm going to take Annie up to the monument."

"We should find Mum," Ginny said to Harry. Hermione glanced at David in concern. He had sat back down in his chair and Claire had come to sit beside him. She held his hand and leaned a head on his shoulder, but he looked stricken. Harry caught Hermione's eye and nodded.

"Gin, you go ahead," Harry said. "I'll be there in a bit, yeah?" He sat down next to David. Ginny smiled.

"All right," she said, then turned and made her way towards her family. Hermione took Annie's hand and led her towards the memorial.

* * *

Remus finally approached the large memorial, searching for Dora's name. When he found it, he ran his fingers over it lightly, feeling the tug of grief once again. Andromeda stood back a few feet with Teddy, having already spent her time in front of Ted's and Dora's names. Hearing a familiar voice, Remus turned around and saw Hermione leading one of the Muggle-born first years towards him.

"Hello, Remus," she said, a look of sadness on her face.

"Hermione," he replied.

"Annie wanted to find her parents' names," Hermione explained. Remus nodded in understanding.

"Your last name is Harrison, isn't it?" he asked. Annie nodded. Remus remembered the two names being read, just a bit before Ted's. He looked up at the monument and finally saw them, Elizabeth and Patrick Harrison.

"They're just there," he said pointing upwards. Annie looked up at stared at the two names. Remus could see her mouth trembling and Hermione put an arm around her. Annie stepped forward and reached up, but wasn't quite able to touch them.

"Here, let me help," Remus said and conjured a small stool. He held Annie's arm as she stepped up onto the stool and ran her finger across her mother's name and then her father's. Remus saw the tears begin to roll down her cheeks and soon she was crying in earnest. He gently lifted her down from the stool, expecting her to go to Hermione, but to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed.

"It's all right," Remus said quietly, rubbing the girl's back. He looked at Hermione who was quickly wiping away the tears that ran down her own face. Keeping one hand on Annie's back, he reached the other out to Hermione. She took it and gave him a grateful squeeze.

"Hermione?" a voice said and Hermione looked behind her, dropping Remus' hand a moment later.

"Anthony," she said, smiling at him.

"Professor Lupin," Anthony said in surprise as he realized who Remus was.

"Mr. Goldstein," Remus replied, not even bothering to correct him about the moniker. Most of the older students still called him professor, even though he hadn't been for five years. Annie's sobs had finally slowed down and she pulled away from Remus, her face red.

"Sorry," she whispered.

"It's quite all right," Remus replied with a smile.

"Did you lose someone too?" Annie asked in a small voice, looking up at him.

"Yes," he said, throat tight. "My wife and my father-in-law." Annie nodded.

"I didn't know they were going to let Muggles be on the memorial," Annie said. "But I'm glad they did. Now I can come here whenever I want." Remus smiled at her and looked towards Hermione. Anthony had his hand on the small of her back and she was leaning into him. Remus stared at the two of them.

"Hermione, can we go back to David and Claire?" Annie asked, looking apprehensively at the large crowd of people she would have to make her way through to find her friends.

"Of course," Hermione said. "You don't mind if Anthony comes with us, do you?" Annie shook her head. Hermione took a few steps towards Remus. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you, Hermione," Remus said, his voice tight. Her brow furrowed at his tone, but she must have decided it was due to his grief, for she smiled and then hugged him a moment later. He let his arms come around her for a few seconds before letting go and taking a step back. He watched, eyes narrowed, as Anthony took Hermione's hand and began to lead her and Annie back through the crowd.

"Remus, are you ready to go?" Andromeda asked as she stepped up beside him. Remus startled as he looked down at her, Teddy smiling up at him. Andromeda frowned. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Remus said, glancing back to follow Hermione and Anthony's progress. When he noticed Andromeda trying to determine what he was looking at, he dropped his eyes to his son, running a hand over Teddy's head, his hair brown today.

"Shall we make our good-byes?" he asked his mother-in-law. She was still searching the crowd, obviously wondering what had captured Remus' attention. She finally looked back at Remus.

"Yes, I think Teddy is ready for his lunch." They had kept him plied with small snacks throughout the ceremony to keep him quiet, but Remus knew they should feed him a proper meal.

"Remus," Harry said as he walked up. "Hey, Teddy." Teddy grinned widely and reached for his godfather. Harry was happy to oblige the toddler.

"Have you had a look at the memorial?" Remus asked. Harry looked up at him.

"Not yet," he said. Remus studied the boy, no man, before him. He looked so much like James, but the way he carried himself, the way he smiled, that was Lily, not to mention the eyes. It physically hurt sometimes to look at Harry and see two of his best friends staring back at him. But it was also a gift that Remus would forever be grateful for. He had the same thing in Teddy.

"You should," Remus said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded and Teddy looked at Harry so solemnly that Remus couldn't help but chuckle. "You see, even Teddy agrees." Teddy grinned a second later, making Harry laugh as well.

"Maybe I will," Harry said, with a small smile.

"Maybe you will what?" Ginny asked as she came up beside them. She tickled Teddy and made him laugh. His hair immediately turned red.

"Have a look at the memorial," Harry said. Ginny looked at him and wrapped a hand around his arm.

"We can go together." Harry gave her a soft smile and nodded, before he handed Teddy back to Remus.

"She's good for him," Andromeda said as Ginny led Harry towards the monument.

"She is," Remus agreed, even as his gaze returned to the place he had last seen Hermione.

* * *

 **22 May 1999**

"Harry!" Hermione said with a smile as she and Anthony neared the pitch. Harry grinned back and hugged her. "I'm glad you made it." Harry said hello to Anthony.

"I wouldn't miss the last Quidditch match," Harry said with a secretive grin. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"I know that look, what are you up to?" she demanded. Harry looked around, then pulled Hermione and Anthony off the path and cast a Muffliato around them.

"Gwenog Jones might be here," he said, smug grin on his face. Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Whoa," Anthony whispered. Even the non-avid Quidditch fan knew who Gwenog Jones was.

"She's scouting Ginny?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded with a grin. "How in Merlin's name did you manage that?" Anthony looked impressed.

"I talked to Oliver first," Harry explained. "But he told me that Puddlemere wasn't looking for anyone, even their reserve team is full. He said he thought the Harpies were looking though and I should talk to Gwenog."

"So, what, you just sent Gwenog Jones an owl?" Hermione asked. Harry's grin slid off his face.

"I talked to Slughorn," he muttered. "He put me in touch with her." Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"And what did you have to give him in exchange?" she asked. Harry sighed.

"I promised I'd go to his next Slug Club party as his 'special guest'." Hermione laughed.

"You know that's right after N.E.W.T.S.?"

"Yes," Harry groused. He brightened a moment later. "It's worth it though." Hermione just smiled at him. "What?"

"You don't even realize how wonderful you are, do you Harry Potter?" Harry shrugged, looking uncomfortable. He dropped the privacy charm.

"C'mon, let's go get seats."

* * *

"I still can't believe this is the last Quidditch match we'll watch here," Hermione said once they sat down. Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff, so Anthony felt no disloyalty sitting with the Gryffindors.

"Speak for yourself, Hermione," Harry said. "I fully intend to have a kid playing out there someday."

"With the way you and Ginny throw yourselves about on a broom, I fear for your child's safety." Harry tried to look affronted, but Hermione could see the happiness in his eyes. Of course, everyone knew that Harry and Ginny were going to get married and have a bunch of Quidditch-mad children. Just because no one had said it out loud yet, didn't mean it wasn't true. Harry bumped her with his shoulder. She grinned back at him.

"Hopefully, this match isn't as nerve-wracking as your first one," Hermione said.

"What, catching the snitch in my mouth made you nervous?" Harry joked. Anthony laughed.

"I remember that. It was brilliant," Anthony said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, yes, but I was referring to the fact that your broom was jinxed and you nearly plummeted to your death."

"At least I didn't set a professor on fire," Harry retorted. Hermione glared at him.

"Who set a professor on fire?" Anthony asked in confusion.

"Hermione set Snape's robes on fire," Harry said with a grin. Anthony looked horrified.

"You set Professor Snape on fire?" he asked.

"Well, I _thought_ he was jinxing Harry's broom," Hermione said.

"So, you _set_ him on _fire_?" Anthony said incredulously. Hermione huffed.

"It wasn't an Incendio or anything," Hermione said defensively. "It wouldn't have actually hurt him. I just wanted to break his concentration."

"I can't believe you did that," Anthony said, shaking his head.

"Well, I was trying to save Harry's life, wasn't I?" Hermione said. She was getting a bit irritated that Anthony was making such a big deal out of it.

"Of course, it wasn't even Snape that was doing it," Harry said, laughing. "He was actually trying to save me." If it was possible, Anthony looked even more appalled. Hermione's eyes narrowed at Harry, who hadn't stopped laughing.

"We didn't know that at the time," Hermione said through gritted teeth. She glanced at Anthony, who was looking at her like he didn't even know who she was. She rolled her eyes again. If he was this shocked, he had better never hear the story about the Polyjuice potion.

"Thank you, Harry, for that _lovely_ trip down memory lane," Hermione said. Harry snickered. Before she could say anything else, the teams walked onto the pitch and the match began.

Anthony was quiet through the first three goals. Hermione wasn't sure why he was so affected by this. It had happened nearly eight years ago and it wasn't as if anyone got hurt. It had no bearing on their relationship at all. She finally reached over and took his hand. He stared at her for a moment before he smiled and kissed her cheek. Hermione relaxed and focused on the game, hoping Ginny did well.

* * *

Hermione walked with Anthony up to the castle. Gryffindor had flattened Hufflepuff 370 to 50. Ginny had scored twelve of the teams twenty-two goals. Harry was waiting for her outside the changing rooms, having seen Gwenog Jones go inside.

Hermione glanced at Anthony from the corner of her eye. While he had perked up a bit at the match, he was still quieter than usual. She was unsure exactly what was going on, but sincerely hoped it had nothing to do with Harry's revelation at the game.

"Do you want to join me for the celebration?" she asked, knowing that the party would be in full-swing in the Gryffindor Common Room as they'd also clinched the Quidditch Cup with their win.

"No, I think I'm going to head to the library for a bit," he said. They reached the Entrance Hall and Hermione tugged lightly on his hand, pulling him towards a small alcove.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Of course," Anthony replied. "Why?"

"You've just been rather quiet," Hermione replied. She looked down at the floor and then back at him. "It's not about what Harry said, is it?"

"Well, it was a bit disconcerting to find out that my girlfriend once set one of our professors on fire, I'll admit."

"I was twelve," Hermione reminded him. He smiled.

"I know," he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "No other misdeeds you want to confess to, are there?" Hermione tried to keep the smile on her face, but she knew it looked forced.

"Did you set someone else on fire?" he joked.

"No," she replied.

"But, there were other misdeeds?"

"I was best friends with Harry and Ron," she said. "I thought everyone knew what we got up to."

"Harry, yes, even Ron a bit, but I guess I always thought you were the voice of reason in that trio."

"I was, most of the time," she admitted.

"But not all the time," he said.

"I don't think anyone could reign in Harry and Ron all the time," she laughed. He smiled. "Is this…a problem for you?"

"No, of course not," he said, but too quickly in Hermione's opinion.

"Really?" she pressed. Anthony smiled again.

"Really." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I should really get to the library and you have a party to go to."

* * *

"Hermione!" Ginny squealed as she and Harry came into the Common room. She ignored the cheers from the rest of their housemates and threw her arms around Hermione. If Dean hadn't been standing next to Hermione and grabbed her, the two women would have toppled to the floor.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked with a laugh.

"I've got a try-out with the Harpies!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione grinned widely.

"Congratulations!"

"Wow, how did that happen?" Dean asked. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks," Ginny replied, excitement radiating from her. "Gwenog Jones was at the match today and she came and spoke to me afterwards."

"Gwenog Jones was here?" Dean said in surprise. Ginny nodded.

"Harry got her here. He used his Chosen One status to get her to meet with him," Ginny said, turning and glaring slightly at Harry. Hermione could see the fondness in her eyes though. Harry, however, looked a little nervous.

"I swear, Gin, she came to see you, not because I'm, well, me. I didn't even sit with her at the match." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and tried to look annoyed, but she couldn't hold back her smile. Harry relaxed and put an arm around her waist, kissing her temple.

"Good on you, mate," Dean said, slapping Harry on the shoulder.

"When's the try-out?" Hermione asked.

"Right after N.E.W.T.S.," Ginny said. "I'm so excited, I can't stand it." She turned to Harry, grabbed him by the front of his robes and pulled him towards her, snogging him thoroughly. Both ignored the cat-calls and whistles that began moments later and Hermione wasn't sure if they were ever going to come up for air.

"All right, you two, children in the room," she finally said. Harry pulled away from Ginny, love shining in his eyes.

"No one deserves it more than you do," he said quietly, resting his forehead against hers. Ginny closed her eyes and gripped his robes again. Hermione edged around the two of them, pulling Dean with her and forcing Harry and Ginny back into their own shadowy corner where Harry could whisper all the endearments he wanted without anyone overhearing them.

"It doesn't bother you, does it?" Hermione asked.

"Ginny and Harry?" Dean clarified and Hermione nodded. "Maybe back in sixth year, right at first. But no, not anymore. You'd have to be completely daft to not see how much he loves her. Her too."

They stood in companionable silence for a while, surveying the party going on.

"Kind of strange, isn't it?" Dean finally said. "That it's almost over?"

"Yes," Hermione agreed. She looked back at him. "Are you glad you came back this year?"

"Honestly, it was weird," Dean said. "I really tried to convince Seamus to come back too, but after everything that happened last year, he just, he couldn't."

"I've heard that from a few other people too," Hermione said. It was why Parvati hadn't returned, she knew.

"Anyway, the blokes in my dorm are great, but they're not," Dean trailed off.

"Your mates?" Hermione prompted.

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "I almost didn't come back after Christmas. My mum was the one that convinced me. School's always been important to her." Hermione nodded.

"It is strange," she agreed. "I'm glad I came back, but I'm really ready to leave now. I think if I hadn't returned it would have always felt…unfinished somehow. Even if I had taken my N.E.W.T.S." Dean nodded as if he understood. Hermione saw Ginny and Harry slip away and out of the Common room, headed for somewhere a bit more private she assumed. Smiling, Hermione briefly thought about joining Anthony in the library, but ultimately decided if it was the last Hogwarts Quidditch Cup party she would attend, she might as well enjoy it.


	35. NEWTS

**A/N - Hi all! Well, Anthony got quite the reaction last chapter! ;) He's not a bad guy, just a bit rigid in his thinking of right and wrong. More will be explained in this chapter. Thanks everyone for reading!**

 **Chapter 35**

 **N.E.W.T.S.**

 **30 May 1999**

Hermione looked up from her parchment and sat back in her chair with a groan. They had been studying for hours and she needed a break. Ginny looked up from her Potions book.

"Break?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said in relief. She looked over at Anthony who was scribbling away at something. Hermione suspected he was rewriting his notes again, a revising technique that he swore by. He didn't even look up as the two women spoke softly.

"Do you want to go sit by the lake for a bit?" Ginny asked.

"That sounds wonderful," Hermione agreed. "Anthony?" He held up a finger to ask her to wait a minute and Hermione sat patiently until he finished his paragraph.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Do you want to come with us? We're going to go outside for a bit." Hermione said.

"No, I'm fine," he said.

"Anthony," Hermione said gently. "You've been here for six hours. You didn't even stop for lunch."

"I want to finish these Transfiguration notes," Anthony said, already going back to writing. Hermione put a hand over his and stopped the motion of his quill.

"I think you should stop for a while."

"I don't need to take a break," he said, brow furrowed in confusion. Hermione glanced at Ginny.

"I'll meet you outside, yeah?" Ginny said. Hermione nodded.

"I'll see you in a few minutes." Ginny picked up her bag and gave Hermione a sympathetic look before she left the library. Hermione turned back to Anthony.

"Please come outside with me," she said. Anthony sighed and put his quill down.

"You do realize that N.E.W.T.S. begin in a week?"

"Of course, I do," Hermione said.

"Then why would you insist that I stop revising to sit outside?" he asked calmly. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. She and Anthony didn't disagree about things very often, but when they did, this was the stance he took. He stayed calm and tried to point out the holes in her argument. While Hermione did _not_ miss the screaming rows she and Ron used to have, the lack of emotion Anthony showed was almost as irritating. Still, she inwardly took a breath and looked back at him.

"I just think that it would be a good idea if you rested for a bit, maybe got something to eat," she said calmly.

"I ate a large breakfast this morning in anticipation of skipping lunch," he said. "As for resting, you are aware that the library closes at midnight. And you know that I go straight to my dorm after that, where I sleep for at least six hours. I don't need rest or food right now." He picked up his quill again. "Your argument has no merit."

Hermione immediately bristled. If there was anything she hated, it was being told she was wrong, even in the calm, matter-of-fact way Anthony did it. The fact that he always looked at everything so rationally drove her mad sometimes. When she didn't get up from the table, Anthony sighed again. It was his disappointed sigh.

"Hermione," he said. "I missed quite a bit of studying time last weekend when I went to the Quidditch match. I calculated how much revising time I would likely miss, given the likely length of the match, and I knew I could get that time back if I skipped lunch this week." Hermione stared at him. He _calculated_ how much study time he could miss? He returned to his notes.

"Thirty minutes, that's all I'm asking," she finally said.

"And I am asking you to respect my revising time," he said. Hermione sighed.

"Fine," she said, shoving things into her bag and getting up from her chair. "Enjoy yourself." She looked back over her shoulder at him as she left the library, shaking her head in exasperation.

* * *

"Everything all right?" Ginny asked as Hermione joined her near the lake.

"No," Hermione said petulantly, dropping to the ground next to Ginny.

"He's not coming, I take it."

"No," Hermione said again. "He says he doesn't need a break."

"Maybe he doesn't," Ginny said. Hermione looked at her in surprise and Ginny shrugged. "I mean, he is a Ravenclaw and some of them, all they do is study. I don't think I ever spent more time in the library than I did when I was dating Michael. Sometimes, he didn't even _have_ homework, he just went in there to read." Hermione snorted in laughter and Ginny smirked.

"I can't believe I'm sitting here saying that I think someone is revising too much," Hermione said with a shake of her head.

"Do you think he's really overdoing it?" Ginny asked seriously. "Like needs a visit from Madame Pomfrey overdoing it?" Hermione furrowed a brow and thought about it.

"I guess not," she finally said. "I mean, he doesn't look overly tired or anything. And he's not getting snappish."

"Really?" Ginny said, sounding a bit surprised. Hermione shrugged.

"Anthony discusses, he doesn't argue. He's rational and calm about everything. Well, almost everything." She paused and looked out over the lake. "It's a bit irritating to be honest."

"What do you mean, almost everything?" Ginny asked.

"I told you how shocked he was when he found out I set Professor Snape's robes on fire first year."

"Is he still upset about that?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione said. "He said he was just surprised that I did it."

"Why?"

"He said he always thought that I was the voice of reason amongst Harry, Ron and me." Ginny snorted.

"Better not ever tell him you kept Rita Skeeter in a jar for a few months." Hermione burst out laughing and Ginny grinned at her.

"No, I suppose I shouldn't," Hermione agreed. "He is a bit of a stickler for the rules."

"But, he was in the D.A.," Ginny said. "If that wasn't breaking the rules, I don't know what was."

"That was different," Hermione said. "Umbridge coming in and just arbitrarily setting absurd rules for the sole purpose of trying to undermine Dumbledore made them invalid. Or something like that." Ginny stared at her.

"How does your brain not hurt after having a conversation with him?" Hermione hit her lightly on the arm.

"Stop," Hermione said, but she was struggling to hold back a smile. "Just because he's serious and hard-working, doesn't make him boring."

"Right," Ginny said. "Remember when I told you that you should _enjoy_ your last few months of school? I meant have _fun_ , Hermione."

"You're horrible," Hermione said. "Besides, who says I'm not having fun?" Ginny turned to stare at her, eyes narrowed.

"Have you been holding out on me, Granger?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said primly, but her eyes danced.

"You _have_ been!" Ginny exclaimed. "I want details. Now."

* * *

"Hermione, can I speak with you?" Hermione looked up from her supper. Anthony was standing there, his bag on his shoulder. She hadn't returned to the library that afternoon, choosing instead to sit outside with Ginny. Luna and a few of the others from their year joined them. The initial guilt she felt at not revising the entire day faded quickly as she enjoyed her friends' company.

"Of course," she said, putting her napkin on her plate and getting up from the table. Anthony led her out of the Great Hall to the same alcove they had spoken in after the Quidditch match.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine, why?" Hermione replied in confusion.

"When you didn't return to the library, I was concerned."

"Oh, well, I ended up sitting outside for the rest of the afternoon, talking with my friends." Anthony stared at her as if he didn't understand what she'd just said. She sighed.

"Anthony, do you remember our Defense Against the Dark Arts exam in third year?"

"Of course, the obstacle course of sorts that Professor Lupin set up," he replied looking a bit confused about her change in topic. "It was a rather ingenious way to test us on everything we'd learned."

"Right, well, there was a boggart at the end, remember?" Anthony nodded. "My boggart turned into Professor McGonagall and she told me that I'd failed all my exams. I was so upset that I had a panic attack. Madame Pomfrey had to give me two Calming Draughts before I finally calmed down." Anthony looked concerned and took her hand.

"During O.W.L.S. I was like a crazy person. I made color-coded studying charts for myself and Harry and Ron and I was incensed when they didn't follow theirs. After every exam, I spent hours poring over my notes to make sure I had gotten everything right, as well as trying to study for the next one. But, after everything that's happened over the last two years, I just," she shook her head. "Classes are still important, as are exams, but they're not the _only_ things that are important." She looked back up at him. "You do know what I mean, right?"

"I assume you're trying to tell me that you think I'm studying too much," he said.

"Well, yes." Anthony smiled.

"I appreciate that you're concerned about me," Anthony said. "It's rather sweet, actually." Hermione blushed slightly. "But, I promise you that I'm fine."

"It's not healthy to sit in the library for ten hours at a time," Hermione protested.

"You know that I want to be an Unspeakable," Anthony reminded her. "Do you know how difficult it is to even get an interview for that department? If I want to even be considered, I have to have top marks on my exams."

"I know, but," Hermione began but he shook his head to interrupt her.

"After N.E.W.T.S. are over, I'm all yours," he said. "But I'm asking you to please trust me enough to know that I will not have a panic attack or make myself sick or drive myself into exhaustion. I want to be able to actually _take_ my N.E.W.T.S., not just study for them." He smirked and Hermione smiled. His thumb began to rub over the back of her hand. "Like I said, I am glad that you're worried about me, though."

"Of course, I worry about you," Hermione said. Anthony smiled and Hermione moved forward. When she kissed him, he pulled back from her after only a few seconds.

"Hermione, we're Prefects," he said, looking around to see if anyone was nearby.

"That's not what you said a few days ago after Charms," she replied. He'd snogged her breathless in one of the short-cuts to the library Hermione had showed him. Anthony reddened and she smiled.

"But we're right outside the Great Hall," he said. Hermione rolled her eyes and waved her wand over the two of them.

"There, now no one can see us," she said.

"Did you just cast a notice-me-not charm?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, wondering if he would protest. He looked like he was going to before he pulled her towards him and kissed her. Hermione relaxed into the kiss and they stood in the shadows of the alcove, snogging for a few minutes before he finally pulled away from her.

"I do need to get back to the library," he said. Hermione was gratified to see that he looked disappointed about leaving.

"All right," she said, cancelling the charm.

"Will you be joining me?" he asked.

"In a bit," she said with a nod. "I have to go back to my room to get my bag." Anthony smiled and kissed her chastely one more time before heading for the library.

* * *

 **10 June 1999**

"Well done," Remus said. He patted the third-year on the shoulder. Garrett grinned up at him.

"Thanks, Mr. Lupin."

"You're quite welcome." Remus glanced at his watch. "That's it for today, I think. Are you feeling better about the spell now?"

"Yes, sir."

"You'll do fine on your Transfiguration exam," Remus said. "Confidence, don't forget that."

"I won't, sir," Garrett said, shouldering his bag. "Thanks again." The boy left the classroom they had been using for practice. Remus gathered up his books and shrunk them before slipping them into the pocket of his robes. He extinguished the lamps with a wave of his wand and left the classroom as well.

Garrett had been his last tutoring session of the day. While O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. were currently being administered, regular exams wouldn't start for another few days and Remus had been busy with last-minute questions from students all day. He was eager to get home.

He made his way down the corridor and stepped onto one of the moving staircases. He had only made it to the third step before the staircase decided to move and swung in the completely opposite direction that Remus wanted to go. Cursing under his breath, he waited for the staircase to stop moving and then hurried down it, regaining his bearings as to where he was. The section of the castle he was in was relatively unused and when Remus looked around, he remembered that Sirius used to bring girls here for privacy.

"Stupid staircases," a male voice said. Someone laughed.

"At least it was _after_ the exam," the second person replied and Remus realized it was Hermione. "I'm glad it's over." Remus could hear two sets of footsteps moving towards him.

"It was worse than I thought it was going to be," the first voice said.

"Well, we knew Arithmancy was going to be the most difficult," Hermione replied. "At least we've got the day off tomorrow." Remus' brow furrowed as he tried to remember the N.E.W.T.S. schedule for the next day. Divination and something else, Astronomy perhaps? Regardless, obviously Hermione and whoever her companion was didn't have either class. Their footsteps stopped.

"Library, then?" he asked. Remus heard Hermione sigh.

"Anthony, it's only an hour until supper and we've got all day tomorrow to revise." It was Goldstein then.

"Hermione," Goldstein said, a bit of warning in his voice.

"I know what you said and I've left you alone about it, haven't I?"

"Yes," he agreed.

"Then can't you, just this once, take an hour off?" There was silence and Remus knew he should leave and stop eavesdropping on them, but something wouldn't let him move.

"It's only an hour," Hermione said again and Remus heard movement, but no footsteps. They were quiet again. Why was he still here? Remus felt like someone had used a sticking charm on his feet.

"You make it very difficult to say no," Goldstein said with a bit of humor in his voice.

"Then, don't," Hermione replied cheekily. Goldstein laughed lightly. Remus heard the rustling of robes and more silence. Well, not complete silence, he thought, eyes narrowing. Something tightened in his chest and without thinking about it, Remus walked quickly around the corner.

He had made enough noise that the two of them pulled apart abruptly. Hermione's face immediately turned red.

"Professor," Anthony said in surprise. He stood up straighter, dropping his arm from around Hermione's waist.

"Remus," Hermione stuttered out. "I didn't know you were here today."

"Just finished my last tutoring session," Remus said, his voice clipped and his eyes on Goldstein as he spoke. The boy visibly swallowed. Remus glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye. She still looked embarrassed, but also confused, likely at his tone. Remus forced himself to calm; he had no idea why he was so upset in the first place. Hermione and Goldstein were adults and if they wanted a bit of privacy, it was none of his business. He couldn't take points or give detention, he wasn't a professor, despite Goldstein still insisting on calling him so.

That was another thing. Why did Remus keep referring to him as Goldstein in his head? He had always been cordial with his students, even calling them by their first names in some cases.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," Remus said. "I got turned around by the staircases."

"So did we," Hermione said. "We just finished an exam." Goldstein, no Anthony, took hold of Hermione's hand. He still looked nervous and Remus felt a growl forming in his throat. He swallowed it down.

"I would just like to remind the two of you that the staircases often shift without warning," Remus said. A voice inside his head, that sounded quite like Sirius, was screaming at him to stop talking, but Remus couldn't help himself. "I wouldn't want any of the younger students to…happen upon you." Hermione's cheeks, which had finally lost their color, bloomed red once again. Remus cursed himself in his head. What the hell was he doing? Goldst-, _Anthony,_ looked a bit horrified.

"Of course not, Professor," Anthony said, "I apologize." Hermione mumbled an apology as well and Remus felt horrible.

"No harm done," he said, trying to smile and failing miserably. "I should get going." He looked at Hermione again.

"Have a good evening, Hermione, and good luck on the rest of your N.E.W.T.S." Remus nodded at Anthony. "Mr. Goldstein." Remus turned and the staircases finally cooperated, one swinging into place just as he reached it.

Remus hurried down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall. He had no idea why he had been so upset at encountering Hermione and Gold-, _Anthony_. She obviously hadn't been upset by the boy's attentions and Hermione was free to date who she liked. Remus had always found Anthony Goldstein to be a polite, intelligent student, who was never in any trouble as far as Remus knew. Remus had no reason to be jealous of him.

Remus stopped abruptly as he reached the front doors of the castle. Jealous? Of Anthony Goldstein? Surely not. What possible reason could he have to be jealous? Before his traitorous brain could come up with a reason, Remus shoved it away and hurried out to the grounds, more anxious than ever to get home to his son.

* * *

Hermione groaned once Remus was out of sight.

"That was _horribly_ embarrassing," she said. Anthony still looked nervous.

"Why do I get the feeling that Professor Lupin hates me?"

"He doesn't hate you," Hermione said.

"Did you see the looks he was giving me?" Anthony asked. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"He did look a little," she trailed off, not sure how to explain what she'd seen.

"Intense? Furious? Murderous?" Anthony supplied.

"I think you're getting a little carried away," Hermione scoffed.

"Well, he didn't look pleased to see me, that's for sure," Anthony said.

"I think it was more the situation he found us in, than you."

"Really? Did you notice that he only wished _you_ luck on your exams?"

"We're friends," Hermione said, knowing it was a weak excuse. Remus had always been kind to all his students. Normally, he would have wished them both luck.

"It almost seems like he was-" Anthony stopped and shook his head.

"Was what?" Hermione pressed.

"Nothing," Anthony said.

"No, tell me," Hermione requested.

"It's like he was…jealous."

"Jealous?" Hermione repeated. "That's ridiculous."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," she said. Anthony studied her for a moment before he nodded.

"Shall we head down to supper?" he asked.

"We've still got more than a half hour," Hermione said taking his hand again.

"I think the mood has been well and truly killed, Hermione." She sighed. He was right she supposed.

"We could take a walk first," she suggested, giving him a smile.

"All right," he agreed. Again, the staircases seemed to cooperate and one swung into place as soon as they made their decision. Hermione wondered, not for the first time, just how sentient the castle was.

As she and Anthony strolled across the grounds toward the lake, Hermione wondered just what _had_ gotten into Remus. The moon had been eleven days ago, so it couldn't have been that. Hermione was sure he was tired from tutoring all day, but he had been just as friendly with her as he always was. It seemed as if it was only Anthony Remus had issue with. But it couldn't be what Anthony said. Remus must have just been concerned that Anthony was taking liberties with her or something. That must have been it, it was the only explanation that made sense.

* * *

 **18 June 1999**

Hermione looked up from her breakfast as the owls began to fly in. As she no longer subscribed to the Prophet, which still tended more towards sensationalism than actual fact, Hermione wasn't expecting anything. She was surprised, therefore, when an owl landed next to her plate. She removed the letter from his leg and saw the official Ministry seal on the back of the envelope. Her heart began to beat faster as she fed the owl a bit of bacon and it flew off.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"It's from the Ministry," Hermione said. Ginny sat up straighter.

"It's an interview," Ginny said. "I know it."

"Oh, don't say that," Hermione begged. "I don't want to jinx it."

"Well, open it," Ginny said.

"Yes, open it," Anthony said. Hermione looked up and saw Anthony standing behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How did-" she began, but stopped at Anthony's chuckle.

"I _could_ tell you I'd had a premonition," he said. Hermione made a face and Anthony laughed again. "But I was on my way over already and I saw the seal."

"Open it, already," Ginny demanded, getting impatient. Hermione took a deep breath and broke the seal on the envelope. She pulled out the letter inside, her eyes scanning quickly across the parchment.

"Well?" Anthony said after a few minutes.

"It's an interview, right?" Ginny questioned.

"No," Hermione replied. "It's not an interview." Ginny's face fell and Anthony sat down next to her, putting a hand on her arm.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No, it's," Hermione shook her head, still in disbelief. "It's not an interview, they, they offered me the job."

"What?" Ginny said. Hermione's shock was slowly giving way to elation. A smile started forming on her face.

"The head of the department said that he doesn't feel the need to interview me, that my grades and actions during the war speak for themselves. He wants me to come in and have a meeting to discuss the position, but it's mine if I want it."

"Hermione, that's amazing!" Ginny said.

"Congratulations," Anthony said with a smile. "I'm so proud of you." Hermione beamed.

"Now you don't even have to worry about your Runes N.E.W.T. today," Ginny said with a laugh. Anthony looked at her in shock.

"She should still strive to do her best," Anthony admonished. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Relax, Goldstein, I was just teasing." Anthony looked as if exams were nothing to joke about. Hermione, wanting to avoid the lecture she was sure that Anthony was about to give Ginny, turned to him.

"I should reply to this," she said. "Will you help me, make sure it sounds all right?"

"Of course," he said with a smile, rising from the bench and holding out a hand to her to help her up. Ginny gave her a quick hug before Hermione and Anthony left the Great Hall.

* * *

Hermione looked at the letter in her hand again. She could hear the party going on in the Common Room, celebrating the end of exams, but she had been sitting here rereading her letter from the Ministry for quite some time.

Despite her initial excitement about the job offer, she was now feeling a bit guilty. She should have at least had to go through an interview, not just been hired because of her name.

"There you are," Ginny said as she came into the room. "Why aren't you downstairs at the party?" When Hermione didn't answer, Ginny moved further into the room and looked down at the letter in Hermione's hand. "Why are you reading your letter from the Ministry?"

"I'm having second thoughts," Hermione said with a sigh. Ginny sat down beside her.

"I thought you wanted to work for the DRCMC?"

"I do, it's not that," Hermione replied. "It's just, why aren't they making me interview?"

"They told you why," Ginny said in confusion.

"I know, but," Hermione trailed off. "I want to get a job because I deserve it, not because of my name." Ginny stared at her, gobsmacked, before she started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"You," Ginny said, still laughing. "Thinking you don't deserve this job." Hermione scowled.

"Honestly, Ginny, it's not _that_ funny," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry, but it is," Ginny said, wiping a tear from her cheek as she regained her breath. "Hermione you're the top student in our year, have been since you were a firstie. You got ten O.W.L.S. You helped Harry defeat Voldemort. If anything, you're overqualified."

"My N.E.W.T. scores aren't even in," Hermione protested. Ginny scoffed.

"As if you're not going to pass every single one. Besides plenty of people have gotten hired at the Ministry before N.E.W.T.S. are in."

"Really?" Hermione questioned. Ginny nodded.

"Percy did," she said with a shrug.

"I thought Percy's hiring was conditional depending on what he got on his N.E.W.T.S.," Hermione questioned.

"Like he wasn't going to pass all his too," Ginny said, with a wave of her hand.

"Still, Gin," Hermione began, but Ginny interrupted her.

"Look, Hermione, I'm sure that the department head nearly wet his pants when he got your letter asking about a position," she said. Hermione rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean that you're not qualified."

"I don't want special treatment," Hermione mumbled.

"Then just go in and do your job and prove to everyone that you deserve to be there, interview or not."

"I supposed you're right," Hermione said.

"Of course, I am," Ginny said. "Now, come on, exams are over, school is over, it's time to celebrate." Hermione tucked the letter into her school bag and followed her friend from the room.

* * *

 **20 June 1998**

Hermione and Anthony reached the last car on the train as they did their final patrol as Prefects. Anthony glanced at his watch.

"Five more minutes and we're officially no longer in charge of anything," he said.

"But we're only halfway to London," Hermione said in confusion.

"True, but we are finished with school and I informed Declan that once our patrol was over, we were no longer Prefects either." Hermione stared at Anthony in surprise. He had told the Head Boy that they weren't going to fulfill any Prefect duties for the second half of the train ride?

She studied Anthony carefully. He was much more relaxed than she had seen him in the last three weeks, likely because not only were they finished with school and exams, but he had gotten an interview at the Ministry for the Department of Mysteries.

Anthony opened the door to the final compartment on the train. Surprisingly, it was empty.

"Would you like to join me for a bit?" he asked, looking slightly nervous. Hermione smiled.

"I would, thank you," she said. They stepped into the compartment and Anthony led her to one of the seats. He put an arm around her when they sat down and Hermione leaned into his side. He kissed her temple and when she looked up with a smile, he lowered his head and snogged her breathless. Given that he'd given her nothing but chaste kisses since Remus had caught them a week earlier, she was a bit surprised.

"You know," she said when she had finally caught her breath. "I think I remember you telling me a week or so ago, that you were all mine once N.E.W.T.S. were over."

"I believe I recall that conversation," he said with a smile. Hermione returned it.

"And since we're officially no longer Prefects or students," she said, trailing off and looking up at him, hoping he would understand what she meant. He looked at her quizzically. "I mean, we're all alone here." Hermione blamed her boldness on still being a bit giddy about her job offer two days ago, as well as the excitement of finally finishing school and her N.E.W.T.S. Anthony stared at her for a moment.

"I'm not sure what you're suggesting," he said slowly, but Hermione had the feeling that he had a bit of an idea. Hermione's heart started beating faster, wondering if _she_ was sure what she was suggesting.

"I'm suggesting that we…find something to do," she said after a pause. Anthony visibly swallowed. He closed his eyes and took a breath, then looked at her again. She thought he was going to say something about breaking the rules, but he kissed her instead.

"Hermione," he said when they parted again, sounding a bit breathless. "I, are you, I mean, on the train?" Hermione opened her mouth to say yes, then closed it again.

While she and Ron had done more than just snog, there were always so many people at the Burrow that Hermione hadn't ever let it go _too_ far, mostly for fear they'd be interrupted. She wouldn't have been able to live with the humiliation of Molly or Merlin forbid, Arthur, walking in on them.

If she had been nervous about being interrupted at the Burrow, why on earth would she suggest the train? Sure, they were alone for the time being, but that could change quite quickly. Despite Anthony saying that they were no longer Prefects, officially they _were,_ until the train arrived in London at any rate. Feeling incredibly foolish, she turned red and pulled away from him.

"Forget I said anything," she muttered.

"No," Anthony said, reaching for her hand and tugging gently to get her to look at him. "I don't want to forget it."

"You, you don't?" she asked tentatively.

"Gods, no," he said, laughing a bit breathlessly. "It's just,"

"The train," she finished for him.

"Right," he said. "I don't want, I mean, I wouldn't want anyone to interrupt."

"No," she agreed, blushing and looking down at her lap. She looked up at him from under her lashes and gathered her courage once again. "You know that my parents are in Australia and will be for the foreseeable future," she said. Anthony stared at her. "So, I'll be going home by myself this afternoon." She saw him pull in a breath. "Your interview at the Ministry isn't until Thursday and I don't start my job for another week."

"My, my, uh, parents are meeting me at, at the station," he stuttered out. Hermione took his hand and he seemed to calm somewhat. "But, tomorrow," he trailed off and looked at her. She smiled and he surged forward and kissed her.

"Yes," he said when he pulled away.

"Yes," she repeated.

* * *

 **22 June 1999**

Anthony kissed the top of her head and Hermione smiled from her position against his side, her head on his chest.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"That I'm glad we don't have to leave this bed anytime soon," he said. She laughed. The first time yesterday afternoon had been a bit awkward and painful, at least on her end, not to mention over rather quickly. The second time, later last night, had been much more enjoyable. She wouldn't protest giving it another go this morning, however.

Anthony had arrived yesterday afternoon and after nervously smiling at one another and making small talk for nearly an hour, Hermione had finally taken measures into her own hands and made the first move. Anthony had responded enthusiastically and quickly and they hadn't made it off the couch. Later, after eating takeaway, she'd brought him upstairs to her bedroom where they had taken their time and then fallen asleep wrapped around one another.

She propped her chin on his chest and he leaned up and kissed her, before lying back again. He ran his fingers up and down her back when she continued looking at him.

"Where do you parents think you are?" she asked. Anthony looked at her incredulously.

"You're asking me about my parents while we're naked in your bed? Are you _trying_ to kill the mood?" he asked and she laughed again.

"No, I'm just curious."

"Well, considering I'm well over age, they don't really have much say in what I do," he replied, propping an arm behind his head. "But, my mum still worries, so I told her I was going to Michael and Terry's."

"They have a flat on Diagon Alley, right?" Hermione asked. Anthony hummed in agreement.

"Yes, and actually Terry asked me if I might like to move in," he said. "Apparently Michael is moving out, he's getting a flat with Sally-Ann Perks."

"I didn't know they were dating," Hermione said.

"Since just after the war, so a little over a year," Anthony said. "Terry thinks Michael is being foolish, but I've seen the two of them together. They're so adorable, it's nauseating." Hermione grinned.

"Enough about my friends though," Anthony continued, leaning forward to kiss her again. The kiss deepened and Anthony shifted so they were lying side by side. They were so wrapped up in one another, Hermione almost didn't hear the noise from downstairs. Almost.

She froze and Anthony pulled back to look at her in confusion.

"Hermione, what," he began.

"Shh," she hissed, straining to hear. There was a click, sounding like a door closing. Anthony's eyes widened and he turned to grab for his wand on the bedside table. Hermione summoned hers and Anthony struggled to get out of the bed, his leg twisting in the sheet.

"Shh," Hermione hissed again, hearing quiet voices and footsteps from the floor below. She jumped out of bed, grabbing Anthony's shirt from the floor and slipping it on even as she made her way to her trunk. Opening it, she summoned the box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes George had sent her for her birthday and quickly rummaged through it, pulling out the Extendable Ear.

Anthony had managed to untangle himself from the sheets, gotten into his pants and currently had one leg in his trousers. When he saw the ear, he abandoned the trousers and followed Hermione to the door, wand still in his hand.

While the Ear would likely work better if they would have gone out into the corridor, Hermione didn't want to risk opening the door and attracting the attention of whoever was downstairs. Why hadn't the wards pinged? Or maybe they had and Hermione just hadn't noticed as distracted as she had been by Anthony's lips.

She shook her head to clear it and shoved the Ear under her bedroom door and out into the corridor. The voices immediately became louder, but she still had to concentrate to hear.

"Of course, she's here," a man's voice said. "The cat's here."

"Maybe she's still asleep," said a woman's voice.

"At ten o'clock on a weekday?" the man's voice said, getting louder. Hermione's eyes widened as she recognized it.

"Well, maybe she's gone out," the woman said. Hermione groaned.

"Who is it?" Anthony whispered.

"It's my parents." The look on Anthony's face was so comical that Hermione had to fight the urge to laugh, despite the situation. He was horrified and terrified all at once.

"I thought they were in Australia."

"So did I," Hermione muttered. She yanked the Ear back inside her room, realizing that the reason the voices were getting louder was because her parents were on their way upstairs.

Anthony was hurriedly trying to get his trousers on once more and the sight of him hopping around the room was more than Hermione could stand. She started to giggle, clapping her hand over her mouth to stifle the noise. Anthony's incredulous look only made her laugh harder. She quickly cast a silencing charm on the room.

"I can't believe you're laughing," Anthony hissed as he finally got his second leg in his trousers and yanked them up.

"I'm sorry," she said, still shaking with mirth.

"Hermione," he snapped. "What are we going to do?"

"Do you want to hide in the wardrobe?" she asked, only partly joking. She could hear her parents going into their bedroom, likely to put away their suitcases. She knew they would be knocking on her door in only a few moments.

"I'm just going to Disapparate. Keep the silencing charm up," he said. "Can I have my shirt?" Hermione didn't miss the way he stared at her when she shrugged it off her shoulders and she hid a smile. She picked up her own shirt and transfigured it into a nightgown and slipped it over her head.

"Hermione?" there was a knock at the door. Anthony picked up his shoes and socks and began to turn, then stopped and pulled Hermione quickly to him, kissing her soundly before letting her go. He disappeared a second later and Hermione dropped the silencing charm.

"Princess, are you in there?" her father called. Hermione took a breath and opened her door, trying to look sleepy.

"Dad?" she questioned. "Mum? What are you doing here?"

"Surprise," her father said with a smile. "We thought we'd come and spend some time with you before you started your new job."

"Oh," Hermione replied.

"What's the matter?" her mother asked. "You don't look very happy to see us."

"I am," Hermione insisted. "I'm just a bit shocked you're here is all." She moved forward and hugged them both. "Let me just get dressed and I'll come downstairs. We can have breakfast."

"You haven't eaten yet?" her dad asked in surprise.

"No, um, late night last night," Hermione said. Her mum's eyes narrowed in suspicion and Hermione forced herself not to react. "You know, celebrating the end of school and all."

"On a weeknight?" her dad asked.

"Well, hardly anyone is working yet," Hermione said. "And most everyone spent time with their families on Sunday night when we got home, so yes." She saw her mother studying her closely. "I'll be right down. It's so great that you're here!" Hermione stepped back into her room and closed the door. When she heard her parents move back downstairs, she leaned against the back of the door and blew out a breath. Ginny was going to laugh for days when Hermione told her about this.


	36. Jobs

**A/N - Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing the last chapter! You may or may not see jealous Remus again this chapter. ;) Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 36**

 **Jobs**

 **28 June 1999**

Hermione looked in the mirror one last time, letting out a breath. She was trying not to be nervous, but she wasn't having much success. Thinking about her first day at her new job had her stomach in knots.

"Hermione, sweetheart, I've got breakfast ready," her mum called upstairs. Hermione groaned. Knowing her mother, she'd made a full English and Hermione didn't even know how she was going to stomach a cup of tea.

"I'll be right down, Mum," she called back, turning back to the mirror again. She had enjoyed spending the last week with her parents, although it had ruined her plans of a lazy week with Anthony. She had communicated with him solely by owl until Friday when he had Apparated into her back garden.

When she'd answered the door, he had picked her up and spun her around before snogging her quite thoroughly. Anthony had indeed gotten the job as an Unspeakable, on a trial basis, of course, as was their protocol, and had come to tell Hermione about it. Or snog the life out of her, apparently. It wasn't until Hermione's mum cleared her throat, rather loudly, that the two of them had broken apart. Thankfully, her dad had been out.

Anthony had been horribly embarrassed, but Hermione had seen the amusement in her mum's eyes even as she was asking Anthony quite a few pointed questions before giving the two young people some privacy. Before she had left the room, Hermione's mother had invited Anthony to join them for dinner the following evening.

The dinner had been a bit stilted and awkward. Anthony was still self-conscious about Hermione's mum walking in on them and was sure that she had told Hermione's dad. Hermione felt like Anthony spent the entire evening waiting for her dad to throw him out for daring to touch his daughter. Anthony had relaxed a bit as the evening went on, but Hermione still felt like he hadn't been completely himself. She hadn't had a chance to speak to him about it, but intended to have him over after her parents returned to Australia Tuesday morning.

Taking one more deep breath, Hermione left the loo and walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Don't you look smart," her mother said, taking in the French twist Hermione had forced her hair into and the new robes she had purchased specifically for today.

"Thanks, Mum," Hermione said.

"Sit down, I'll get you something to eat," her mother said. Hermione looked around, surprised not to see plates of food everywhere. Her father was eating an omelet, but there was nothing else on the table.

"I really don't think I could eat anything," Hermione said, even as she pulled out the chair next to her father.

"Just some tea and toast," her mum said setting a plate in front of her and pouring her a cup of tea. "I know your stomach is likely protesting, but try to put a little something in it, all right?" Hermione nodded, unable to speak. Her mum simply patted her arm and moved to her own chair. Hermione smiled at her fondly before managing a few bites of toast and drinking half of her cup of tea. Looking up at the clock, she set down her tea and stood.

"I should really get going," she said. She wanted to be a bit early on her first day. Her parents rose from their chairs.

"We'll celebrate when you get home," her mother said, giving her a hug. "Good luck."

"She doesn't need luck," her father declared, pulling her into his arms after her mother released her. "That department is lucky to have _her_." Hermione smiled.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm glad you're both here." Her dad kissed the top of her head and Hermione grabbed the new briefcase her parents had bought her. She waved to her parents, walked out into the garden, took a deep breath, and Disapparated.

* * *

Hermione got her Ministry identification badge from the man at the wand check-in and made her way to the lifts. Riding to the fourth floor in silence, Hermione exited the lift along with three others. She knew that Mr. Satterfield's office was at the end of the main corridor, but found herself glancing around the rest of the department.

"You look a bit lost," a voice to her left said. Hermione turned to see a woman about ten years older than her.

"I'm on my way to Mr. Satterfield's office," Hermione said. "I start work today."

"Hermione Granger," the woman said, her eyes widening a bit. Hermione bit back a sigh.

"Yes," she replied instead, smiling brightly. "And you are?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gwendolyn Newberry, Being Division." She held out a hand and Hermione shook it.

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said.

"Mr. Satterfield's office is just there," Gwendolyn said, pointing to a door at the end of the corridor.

"Thank you," Hermione said. "I'm sure I'll see you around later." Gwendolyn nodded and then entered the Being Division office. Hermione saw a few cubicles with desks before the door closed behind her. Hermione reached the door to Mr. Satterfield's office, took one more deep breath and walked inside.

* * *

"Miss Granger," a booming voice said. Hermione looked up. Barnaby Satterfield was a huge wizard, taller than even Ron, but nearly as wide as Professor Slughorn.

"Mr. Satterfield," she said as she stood. "It's so nice to meet you, sir."

"Yes, yes, come along to my office," he said. "Victoria, bring us some tea, won't you?"

"Right away, Mr. Satterfield," his secretary said, jumping up from her desk. Hermione followed her boss into his personal office and sat in the chair in front of his desk.

"I was quite surprised to hear you wanted to work in our lowly division, quite surprised indeed," Mr. Satterfield said. "I expected a witch such as yourself would want to do something more exciting or prestigious. Be a Healer or an Unspeakable or an Auror or some such." Hermione wanted to frown. While those were all very important careers, they weren't the only ones. Still, she kept a smile on her face.

"I'm very interested in the rights of all creatures, sir," she said. He seemed to harrumph, something she thought was odd, given that he was head of the creature department. He smiled again moments later though.

"Very admirable, Miss Granger, very admirable. Let me give you a bit of information about our department." He spent the next few minutes giving her an overview of the different divisions, as well as their sub-departments, something Hermione was already quite familiar with. She listened politely, however, and accepted the cup of tea that Victoria brought her a few minutes later.

"You mentioned House-elves in your initial inquiry letter," Mr. Satterfield said once Victoria had left.

"Yes, sir, the treatment of House-elves is deplorable in some cases and I really feel that they deserve-" but Mr. Satterfield cut her off.

"Slow down there, Miss Granger," he said with a chuckle. "Why don't you get acquainted with the department first before we get into all of that, hm?"

"Of course, sir," Hermione said, cheeks coloring slightly.

"Now, I hadn't decided on a permanent position for you here in the office as of yet," Mr. Satterfield continued.

"Sir?" Hermione questioned, thoroughly confused. In her letter of inquiry, she had mentioned she wanted to work in the Being division, as she had a particular interest in helping House-elves, as well as werewolves. The Werewolf Registry as well as the capture unit was part of the Beast Division, but Kingsley had recently reopened the Werewolf Support Services department which was part of the Being Division. Having the support services in the Being Division made sense as it was in place to help with housing and obtaining employment, but having the Registry in the Beast Division alongside the Capture Unit didn't seem very logical. If the Registry was in the Being Division, those that came in to register, could then immediately be directed to Support Services. She intended to suggest this to Mr. Satterfield at some point.

But, Hermione had assumed that there had been a position available in the Being Division, given the letter Mr. Satterfield had sent back to her offering her the job. Why then was he saying that he hadn't decided on a permanent position for her?

"Not to worry, not to worry," he said. "I'm sure you'll fit in quite nicely wherever you end up." He heaved his considerable bulk up from his chair. "Now, let me give you a tour of our little department." Hermione followed him out of his office, quite upset about what had just happened. She wouldn't be able to anything about the House-elf issue if she ended up, in say, the Spirit Division. She didn't understand why Mr. Satterfield hadn't explained this in his letter.

* * *

"So, you're not in the Being Division?" Harry asked as they ate lunch in the Ministry cafeteria.

"Well, my desk is, for now anyway," Hermione said. "And Mr. Satterfield introduced me to Gwendolyn Newberry, who is the head of the House-Elf Relocation Office. She's my direct supervisor, I guess. My desk is actually in her office. Which is odd because everyone else is out in the main office area in cubicles." Hermione sighed and picked at her salad.

"Something else is bothering you," Harry said.

"I don't know, I sort of get the feeling that there _was_ no job available and Mr. Satterfield is trying to create one for me or something," Hermione said. Harry grimaced.

"What?"

"Nothing," Harry muttered.

"That look wasn't for nothing, Harry," Hermione said. "Out with it." Harry sighed.

"Even though I'm an Auror, I still get Department Heads offering me jobs all the time," he said. "They offer all kinds of perks too, my own office, my own secretary, what have you. When I finally said something to Kingsley about it, he told me that everyone wants to say that Harry Potter works in their Department. Ron said it's happened to him too, although not near as often."

"So, you think that Satterfield hired me just so he could say he had Hermione Granger working for him?" Hermione asked dejectedly.

"It's just, it sounds like he kind of made up a position for you and he's given you an office, sort of, and well," Harry shrugged. "I don't know for sure, of course, and you're brilliant Hermione, you could get any job you applied for, regardless of your name."

"No, Harry, you're right, that's exactly what it sounds like. I never had to interview and he didn't even make the position contingent on my N.E.W.T. scores like so many others have."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Harry said.

"You didn't," Hermione said. "I sort of knew that already, I guess."

"So, what are you going to do?" Hermione shrugged.

"If he wants to create a position for me, then I'm going to do everything I can to deserve it," Hermione said with determination. "Starting with the House-Elf proposal." Harry smiled and Hermione grinned back. She would give her boss more reason to keep her around than just being Hermione Granger.

* * *

 **11 July 1999**

Remus sat on the floor of Teddy's bedroom as his son pulled another book from his book shelf. Running back to his father, for he was now running, _everywhere_ , he dropped down into Remus' lap and held up the book. It was one of the Muggle books Remus had bought for him, the pages full of animals to touch or pat, all with different textures and materials. It was such a favorite that Remus had gone back to the bookstore and purchased four more in the same style. They now rotated through the five books almost exclusively. Teddy rarely chose anything else.

"Can you feel the dog's fur?" Remus asked, turning to the first page of the book. Teddy reached out and ran his little fingers through the patch of fur on the back of the dog. He then abruptly stood, Remus having to reach out to steady him, ran to his cot and tried to pull his stuffed dog out of his bed.

"Pa!" Teddy said, looking back at Remus for help. Remus hauled himself up from the floor and reached into Teddy's cot for the stuffed black dog that was, of course, called Padfoot. Teddy hugged the dog to his chest and toddled back over to the book. He pointed at the open page with the picture of the dog. "Pa!" The dog in the book looked nothing like Padfoot, given it was a golden retriever. Still, Remus was not about to discount the connection his son had made.

"Yes, that's a dog just like Padfoot, isn't it?" Remus asked with a smile. Teddy looked extremely proud of himself and dropped back into Remus' lap once Remus had settled himself back on the floor. Teddy quickly turned the page of the book and they continued reading.

Given the book was more pictures than words, Remus' mind wandered as they flipped through the pages. He idly ran a hand through Teddy's hair, sandy brown today to match Remus' own, and thought about Dora. Today would have been their second wedding anniversary.

None of their family and friends had been in attendance, their witnesses were strangers from the local wizarding pub. Remus hadn't had any dress robes and Dora hadn't had a fancy dress, although Remus really couldn't picture her in some flowing set of bridal robes. They only had one photograph, taken by one of the patrons in the pub, which was a bit dark and slightly off-focus. Remus had been deliriously happy and absolutely petrified all at the same time. He was completely in love with his wife and still couldn't quite believe that he was the one that she wanted. But he was also terrified that the wrong people would find out about their marriage and the two of them would be ripped apart, imprisoned for marrying. Remus likely would have gotten the Kiss.

His fear of reprisal, as well as the general fear and stress the war brought, had made Remus cling to his wife and unborn son after Harry had read him the riot act for leaving, Remus' only priority keeping them safe. He rarely ventured out of the house except to do the Potterwatch broadcasts. He and Dora had spent more time together in the few short months of their marriage than some couples did in years. For that, he would be forever grateful. They hadn't loved long, but they had loved well.

Teddy was up from his lap again, off to pull another book from the shelf. Remus smiled fondly at the boy as he ran back towards him. Teddy echoed his grin and when he reached his father, Remus set the book on the floor before throwing Teddy lightly into the air, as his son shrieked in delight. When Remus caught him again, he brought the boy close and Teddy giggled as Remus tickled his sides. Teddy's hair began to cycle quickly through colors, as it was wont to do when the boy was particularly happy. Remus smiled, thinking of his wife, and the stab of pain that was normally there was less sharp, its edges blunted by the joy on his son's face.

* * *

 **12 July 1998**

"So, how was your first day?" Hermione asked once they had settled on her couch with their take-away.

"Hermione, you know I can't talk about that," Anthony chastised gently. Hermione nearly rolled her eyes. He had been reminding her for days now that he wasn't going to be able to discuss his work in the Department of Mysteries. She wasn't an idiot. She was aware _why_ they were called Unspeakables.

"I'm not asking for specifics," she said, trying not to sound snappish. "I was just wondering how it went in general." Anthony frowned for a moment, clearly, she hadn't been entirely successful in keeping the snippiness out of her tone. He seemed to dismiss it, though, as he smiled a second later.

"It was actually quite exciting," he said.

"So, what did you do?" she asked, then continued before he could scold her again. "Generally."

"Well, they gave me a tour, of course. And I met everyone in the Department, or at least those that could leave what they were doing at the moment. We discussed a bit about what I'd be working on to start and went through all the required Ministry paperwork."

"There's quite a bit of that," Hermione said with a laugh, taking a bite of her curry.

"Yes, that's an understatement," Anthony chuckled. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"How was your day?" Anthony asked. Hermione sighed and tipped her head back onto the couch. "That good?"

"It was fine," she said.

"More reports?" Anthony asked. For the past two weeks, Hermione had been reviewing reports from various divisions of the department, 'to familiarize' herself, according to Mr. Satterfield. Some of them were interesting, but most were dead boring, not to mention horribly written. If she saw one more misuse of 'their', 'there' and 'they're' she was going to scream. When she had given the first one back to him with a few notes written in the margin correcting the grammar and wording, his eyes had lit up and he'd asked her to revise every report she read through. Hermione had become the resident editor.

"Now I know why Professor Snape was always in such a bad mood when he handed back our essays," she said. Anthony laughed. Hermione tried to smile, but she couldn't. Her job was not at all what she had been expecting and she was getting a bit tired of it. She wasn't doing anything but correcting other people's work.

Gwendolyn, whom Hermione had thought would be a resource and an ally in her fight for House-Elves rights, seemed to use her as a personal assistant more than anything else. The fact that Hermione's desk was in her office seemed to make Gwendolyn think that Hermione was her secretary and often had her fetching and filing things. It wasn't that Hermione felt as if she was above such work or didn't want to help the woman out, but she hadn't been hired to do this. Or least she thought she hadn't.

"Have you tried to talk to Mr. Satterfield about your proposal again?" Anthony asked.

"He's much too busy right now, perhaps next week," Hermione said in a near perfect imitation of Victoria, Mr. Satterfield's secretary.

"I'm sorry," Anthony said with a frown. Hermione sighed.

"It's fine, I just have to put in my time like everyone else," she said, trying to stay positive about it. "Once I'm up to speed on everything, I'm sure Mr. Satterfield will be more open to my proposal." Anthony gave her a smile and Hermione knew that she was trying to convince herself as much as she was him.

* * *

 **27 July 1999**

"She'll do fine, Harry," Hermione said at lunch. Harry's nervous energy was enough to drive her over the edge after the morning she'd had. She had finally cornered Mr. Satterfield on his way to lunch and asked him about her House-Elf proposal. She had been working in the DRCMC for nearly a month now and she was still reading and rewriting reports and acting as Gwendolyn's secretary. Her boss still hadn't even told her which division she was going to be assigned to.

Mr. Satterfield had given Hermione a metaphorical pat on the head, telling her not to worry about such things just now and concentrate instead on learning everything there was to know about their department. He had hurried away despite Hermione's protests.

"I know," Harry said, his left knee bouncing up and down. "She just wants this so much, Hermione."

"And she's going to get it," Hermione said. "Ginny's the best Chaser I've ever seen." Ginny's try-out with the Holyhead Harpies was today and Harry had been going spare. She certainly hoped that he didn't get sent out on a case today, he wouldn't be able to concentrate at all.

"When is she supposed to be back?" Hermione asked, pushing her food around on her plate. She had little appetite after her run-in with Mr. Satterfield.

"Not until dinner or after," Harry said with a sigh. "She is going to come to Grimmauld first, before she goes home. You know Molly will try to keep her at the Burrow, otherwise."

"Is she still giving you two grief?" Hermione asked. Molly had been quite upset at the number of nights Ginny was spending at Grimmauld Place with Harry. Molly had made a few comments about the appropriateness of her daughter spending the night at her boyfriend's home and Ginny had retorted by telling her mother she had better start checking up on George and Percy then. Hermione knew that George was occasionally seeing Angelina, but she hadn't realized that Percy had a new girlfriend.

"Not in so many words," Harry said. "And you know Gin, she does what she wants most of the time."

"But you feel guilty," Hermione guessed. Harry ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I can't help it," Harry said. "She's like my mum, Hermione. I hate disappointing her."

"She's not disappointed in you, Harry," Hermione said. "Honestly, I think she's just trying to keep some control over her life. Molly has been raising children for almost thirty years and now the last one has grown up. I don't think Molly knows what to do with herself."

"You're probably right," Harry said.

"Probably? I'm always right," Hermione quipped. Harry laughed.

"So humble too," he said wryly. Hermione grinned, glad she had agreed to lunch with her best friend. He could always make her feel better.

* * *

 **7 August 1999**

Remus came through the Floo, Teddy in his arms. He made a note to try Apparating short distances with his son to see how the boy handled it. It was getting harder and harder to get Teddy to hold still and keep his mouth closed while they Floo'ed. When he was a baby, they could keep a blanket over his head, but Teddy would have none of that now. Not even when Remus had tried to make it into a game. At sixteen months, Teddy definitely had a mind of his own.

"Hey, Ted," Harry said.

"Ha-wy!" Teddy cried, reaching his arms out for his godfather immediately. Remus passed the boy over and Teddy's hair shifted to black. Remus turned back to help Andromeda from the Floo and siphoned the soot off all of them as his mother-in-law stepped into the Burrow.

"Hello, Harry," Andromeda said.

"Andromeda," Harry greeted, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. Teddy watched Harry and then mimicked him, placing a sloppy kiss on his grandmother's other cheek. Andromeda laughed.

"Well, we know who to call the next time we can't get Teddy to eat his vegetables," she said.

"Everyone's outside," Harry said, carrying Teddy through the kitchen. Andromeda stopped to talk to Molly and Remus followed Harry into the back garden. A large banner emblazoned with "Congratulations, Ginny" was hung over a table laden with food. The woman in question was laughing with George and Angelina on the other side of the garden.

Teddy was squirming to be put down and Harry obliged him, taking the toddler's hand instead. When Teddy moved to get away, Harry squatted down next to him.

"Do you want to say hi to Ginny?" he asked.

"Gi!" Teddy replied with a wide grin.

"Then hold my hand, all right?" Teddy nodded and obediently took Harry's hand. Remus shook his head fondly. If there had ever been any doubt that Harry would make a good father, seeing him with Teddy would prove otherwise.

"Teddy!" Ginny exclaimed when they were close enough to see her. Harry let go of Teddy's hand and he ran to Ginny who scooped him up and hugged him. His hair shifted again, switching to the same deep auburn as Ginny's.

"Congratulations," Remus said as he reached the group.

"Thank you, Remus," Ginny said with a smile. "It's only the reserve team, but it's a start."

"Reserves," George scoffed. "You can outfly Gillian Williams on a bad day."

"Well, she knows all the plays and I don't, so it's the reserve team for now," Ginny said, nuzzling Teddy's cheek with her nose and making him laugh. After a few more minutes of small talk, Teddy began squirming to be put down. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he took off running, Remus following him at a bit slower pace. He kept the boy in sight, but Teddy seemed happy investigating the grass and a bush here and there. Remus watched him in amusement as he picked up a bit of dandelion fluff and inspected it rather thoroughly before moving his hand towards his mouth. Remus immediately summoned the bit of fluff, much to Teddy's displeasure.

"Oh no, what's the matter?" a familiar voice said and Remus looked over to see warm brown eyes looking down at Teddy. Remus couldn't help the smile that spread over his face. Teddy sniffled and looked up at Hermione, tears ceasing and being replaced with a smile.

"My!" he shouted and Hermione laughed before she bent down and picked him up.

"Now, what are all these tears about?" she asked, wiping at Teddy's cheeks.

"Da-da," Teddy replied with a pout of his lips and then continued to babble away to Hermione about the perceived injustice. Remus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Is your Daddy being mean to you again?" Hermione teased. Her eyes were sparkling with amusement.

"Yes, his father was preventing him from eating a dandelion seed," Remus said dryly. "Clearly, I am a horrible human being." Hermione's laughter brought another smile to Remus' face and Teddy began to laugh as well, although he had no idea what he was laughing at.

Teddy began to squirm again and Hermione kissed his forehead before putting him down. He didn't wander far, examining something else in the grass.

"It's good to see you," Remus said.

"You too," Hermione replied with a smile. "I feel like it's been ages." They had run into one another at the Ministry just after Hermione began working there. Remus had been escorting a young man to the Beast division to register as a werewolf. They hadn't had much time to talk as the man was very nervous and wanted Remus with him.

"How is the job going?" Remus asked as Teddy toddled off towards the flower garden. Andromeda and Molly came outside just then and with a wave of her hand, Andromeda let Remus know that she would look after him. Hermione sighed heavily and Remus looked at her in concern.

"It's just…not what I expected," Hermione finally said.

"How so?" Remus asked.

"I don't really have a position," Hermione said.

"I thought you were working in the Being Division," Remus said in confusion.

"So did I," Hermione replied crossing her arms over her chest. "But it turns out that Mr. Satterfield hired me with no real position available. He's said we'll figure out 'where I'll fit in best' soon enough. But it's been six weeks now and I'm still at a desk in the House-Elf Relocation office reading and editing reports and doing secretarial work. Not that there's anything wrong with being a secretary, but I wasn't aware that's what I was being hired to do."

"Have you spoken to Satterfield about it?" Remus asked. Hermione snorted.

"I've tried," she said. "But either he's busy and doesn't have time to meet with me or tells me that we'll work it out 'soon'. Meanwhile, that time never seems to arrive." Remus was irritated on her behalf. She had discussed her House-Elf right proposal with him at length and while her initial S.P.E.W. campaign had been misguided, she had really done her research.

No longer wanting freedom for all elves, as she now understood that's not what most of the elves wanted, she instead wanted to ensure their fair treatment and establish punishments for those that abused them. While she still felt they should be paid, Remus knew that Hermione had accepted the fact that not only was that unlikely to pass in the Wizengamot, but that most elves would refuse any kind of monetary payment. House-Elves had no real use for wizarding money and it made more sense to offer them other rewards such as nicer quarters or days off or allowing trips to other households to visit with family and friends. Remus had been very impressed with her ideas and felt they had a real chance of becoming law. Hermione was brilliant, she deserved an opportunity to present her proposal.

"Perhaps you should talk to Kingsley. He could schedule a hearing with the Wizengamot directly," Remus suggested. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't want to go over Mr. Satterfield's head and be accused of getting special treatment. I want to succeed in this job by my own merits. I'll just have to figure out a way to get my boss to listen." Remus couldn't help but be proud of her, even if he still wanted to find the Head of her department and _persuade_ him to see reason.

"I admire your resolve," he said, putting a hand on her arm. Hermione looked up at him with a smile. Remus returned it, staring down at her and unable to look away. Hermione stared back at him for a few moments, as Remus' hand slowly moved down her arm of its own volition until he was grasping her wrist.

"Hermione!" a voice called. Hermione turned around, breaking eye contact with Remus. He took a step back, shaking his head as if to clear it, releasing her wrist as if he'd been burned. He looked over at whoever had said her name and frowned when Anthony Goldstein walked towards her. Anthony took Hermione's hand and kissed her cheek before looking at Remus.

"Professor," Anthony said. "I didn't realize you were going to be here."

"I am no longer your professor, Mr. Goldstein," Remus said, almost growling. Anthony looked a bit taken aback and Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Right," Anthony said looking a bit nervous. "Sorry, old habit, I suppose." Remus forced himself to calm and pasted a smile on his face.

"No harm done," he said. "I'll just go check on Teddy." Remus walked away, forcing himself not to look back, although he could feel Hermione's eyes on him.

* * *

"What was that about?" Anthony asked once Remus had walked away.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, still following Remus' retreating back.

"I told you that he hates me," Anthony said. Hermione turned back to her boyfriend.

"He doesn't hate you," she said, a bit exasperated.

"Were we in the same conversation just now?" Anthony asked.

"Of course, but," Hermione shook her head. "Let's just forget it. Come on, we should congratulate Ginny."

* * *

Remus sat at a table sipping a glass of wine, pretending he wasn't watching Hermione and Anthony across the garden. They were talking to Percy and his new girlfriend, Audrey. It had been easier to pretend when Remus had been speaking to Bill and Fleur, but the pair had gone home.

"Hey, Remus," Harry said as he sat down, a sleeping Teddy cradled in his arms.

"Do you want me to take him?" Remus asked, smiling at his son whose hair was still black and as messy as Harry's.

"Nah, we're fine," Harry said. Ginny joined them moments later, plopping down in a chair next to Harry and giving Teddy a fond look.

"Finally tired him out, I see," she said. Harry had been chasing his godson through the garden, as Teddy had squealed in delight, running to various guests at the party to 'save' him from Harry. Teddy would squirm to be put down moments later and the game would start again. Remus admired Harry's stamina.

"Took a while," Harry said.

"He does seem to have a limitless supply of energy," Remus agreed, grateful again that his son had younger, more energetic people in his life.

"When do you start practice, Ginny?" Remus asked, trying to keep from glancing at Hermione.

"Next week," she said. "I have to report to the training facility in Wales on Wednesday." Harry looked a bit unhappy about this. "We train for a couple of weeks at a time, then I'll have a few days off." Harry reached over and took her hand, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. Remus was aware that they'd basically been living together since Ginny had finished at Hogwarts. He was sure that Harry was going to miss her terribly.

"And, of course, I'll travel with the team when they have a match, in case someone gets injured and needs a replacement." Remus nodded.

Ron joined their table, drinking a glass of Firewhiskey and carrying the bottle. He had been at work when the party started and just arrived a little over an hour ago. Unlike Remus, Ron had made no secret of his staring at Hermione and Anthony. Even now, he looked over at them with a glower. Ginny slapped the back of his head.

"Oi!" Ron protested. "What was that for?"

"Stop being such a git," she said. "Everyone has noticed you glaring at Anthony, including Anthony." Remus shifted in his chair, cursing in his head when his eyes darted back to Hermione and Anthony.

"I can't believe she's still dating that tosser," Ron grumbled. He threw back the rest of his drink and poured himself another. Harry glanced at Ginny.

"Is it really Anthony you object to or just the fact that Hermione's dating someone that isn't you?" Ginny asked. Remus shifted uncomfortably.

"It's him," Ron insisted. "I don't know what she sees in him. He's so uptight it's ridiculous."

"Just because he's serious, doesn't mean he's uptight," Ginny argued.

"Really?" Ron said. "I overheard you telling Harry that he got all bent out of shape when he found out about Hermione setting Snape on fire." Remus' eyes widened. Hermione had done _what_?

"You overheard? Were you eavesdropping?" Ginny demanded. Ron rolled his eyes.

"You and Harry were in the sitting room," Ron said. "It's not like I was standing outside your bedroom door or something." Ginny glared at him.

"It's still eavesdropping," she said. Ron shook his head and waved a hand, sloshing some of his drink over the rim of the glass.

"If you want it to be private, put up a spell or something," he said. "How I heard it doesn't change the fact that he said it." Ginny sighed.

"Fine, that was a bit over the top, but he got over that," Ginny said. "Just leave them alone, Ron."

"Excuse me, but can we go back to where Hermione set Severus on fire," Remus said.

"First year," Ron said, taking another sip of the drink that he clearly did not need. "Harry's first Quidditch game and his broom starts acting all wonky. Jerking him around and throwing him about. Pretty soon Harry's hanging from it by one arm." Ron accentuated his story with hand and arm movements, spilling more of his Firewhiskey. "We all thought Harry was going to fall off his broom, right? So, Hermione starts scanning the crowd and sees Snape staring at Harry and reciting some incantation. Hermione thinks Snape's cursing Harry, so she runs over to the teacher's box and hides under the stands and sets Snape's robes on fire. As soon as it breaks Snape's concentration, she scoops the flames into a jar and runs away. It was fucking brilliant!" Ron threw back the rest of his drink. Ginny summoned the bottle before he could pour another and he scowled at her.

"So then, Harry, he gets back on his broom and goes for the Snitch. And he catches it, in his _mouth_! Fucking brilliant mate, fucking brilliant." Ron reached clumsily over the table to try and clap Harry on the back, but missed. He shifted on his chair and nearly fell out of it. Ginny rolled her eyes again. Remus was extremely glad that Teddy was asleep.

"So, Hermione actually set Severus on fire?" Remus clarified, still gobsmacked that this had even happened. Harry grinned.

"Yeah," he said with a laugh. Remus' lips twitched and a burst of laughter escaped him seconds later. Soon, he was laughing so hard, tears were running down his face. The rest of them were laughing as well, although no one as hard as Remus. To imagine Hermione as a tiny first year, setting the robes of the most-feared professor on staff on fire was too much. Remus' sides ached. Teddy began to stir and they all immediately muffled their laughter as Harry soothed Teddy back to sleep.

"And it turns out that it wasn't even Snape that was cursing me," Harry said a few minutes later when Remus had finally collected himself. "It was Quirrell and Snape was trying to cast the counter-curse."

"And Severus never knew?" Remus asked, wiping at his eyes again.

"Not that we know of," Harry replied, wide grin still on his face.

"Sirius would have loved that story," Remus said fondly. Harry's smile faltered a bit, but Ginny squeezed his hand and he gave her a grateful look.

"But that pillock," Ron said, jabbing a thumb in Anthony's direction, "finds out about it and is all 'You set a teacher on fire?' and 'I can't believe you did that'." Ron had raised his voice to a higher pitch that sounded nothing like Goldstein, but was amusing nonetheless.

"Give it a rest, Ron," Ginny said tiredly. "Obviously, it doesn't bother Hermione." Ron muttered something under his breath and went to take another drink when he realized his glass was empty. Sullenly, he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's not good enough for her," Ron said.

"No one is," Remus said softly and Ron turned to look at him blearily.

"Too right, mate, too right." Remus' gaze had settled on Hermione again and when he looked up, Harry and Ginny were staring at him. Harry looked confused, but Ginny had a knowing glint in her eye that Remus did not like at all.

"I had better get Teddy home," he said, standing from his chair. Harry rose as well and managed to pass Teddy to Remus without waking him.

"See you Wednesday, mate," Harry said to Teddy, rubbing Teddy's back for a moment. Remus nodded in acknowledgement.

"Congratulations again, Ginny," he said. "The Harpies are lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Remus," Ginny said, knowing smile on her face. "Shall I tell Hermione you said good-bye?"

"Oh, er, yes, thank you," Remus said feeling a bit flustered. He crossed the garden to where Andromeda sat with Molly. Seeing her sleeping grandson, Andromeda made her good-byes and the two of them walked into the house to use the Floo. Remus forced himself not to glance back. Andromeda grasped his arm as she stumbled slightly over a small rock near the flower garden. Likely Teddy's work that Remus hadn't noticed. He saw her look up at him with a strange expression on her face.

"Are you all right?" Andromeda asked when they had reached the fireplace.

"Yes, why?" Remus replied.

"Your arm is tight as a bowstring," she said. Remus forced himself to relax.

"Just trying not to jostle Teddy," Remus said. She stared at him for a moment, clearly not convinced, but didn't ask any other questions.

* * *

Remus settled Teddy into his cot, using magic to change him into his pajamas and kissed his son's forehead before leaving the room.

Making his way back to his own bedroom, Remus closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. The entire evening had him disconcerted. He went over everything that had happened from his initial conversation with Hermione to his reaction to Goldstein's arrival to his final comment of the night.

Remus never thought that he would sympathize with Ron Weasley of all people, when it came to Hermione, but he found himself doing just that. Ron was clearly jealous of Goldstein and Remus was…what? He was concerned about Hermione, that much was true. She was a friend and Remus didn't want her to be hurt. Surely, it didn't go any further than that.

Not that he had any indication that Goldstein would hurt her. By all accounts and appearances, he treated her well and Hermione appeared to be happy. Still, Gold-, _Anthony_ , Remus _had_ to stop doing that. _Anthony_ had been upset to hear about the incident with Severus. Remus couldn't understand why. He had thought it hilarious, not to mention the fact that it had been seven years ago. Hermione had been _twelve_. Remus wondered what Anthony would think if he found out about Hermione's and Harry's exploits with the Time-turner.

Remus began to pace. He didn't want to think about his conversation with Hermione when he had lightly grasped her wrist or that he had tried to keep her in his line of sight for the rest of the night. He didn't want to contemplate what it meant that he agreed with everything Ron said about Anthony, even though he hadn't had any negative thoughts about the boy before he started dating Hermione. Remus especially didn't want to think about what it meant when he'd said that no one was good enough for her.

Groaning, Remus put his head in his hand and sunk down onto his bed. He _was_ jealous. Jealous of a nineteen-year-old wizard. Jealous because Remus cared about Hermione Granger. Cared about her as more than just a friend. Fuck.

No, he thought as he stood abruptly. No, this was not going to happen. Hermione was half his age, she was Harry's best friend, she had her entire life ahead of her. She was happily in a relationship with someone else, someone far more suited to her than Remus would ever be. He was old, scarred, unemployed, a werewolf, and had a child to raise. He was not going to even _entertain_ the idea of another relationship, _especially_ with Hermione. She deserved far better than him.

Ginny was going to be a problem. Remus had seen the look in her eye when he'd made that idiotic statement. Idiotic not because it wasn't true, but because he'd said it out loud. Ron likely wouldn't remember it and Harry had looked confused enough that Remus could explain it away if Harry asked. But Ginny, Ginny wasn't likely to let this go. She was like Molly in that way. Molly had been the biggest catalyst in getting Remus to finally admit his feelings for Dora. Thankfully, Ginny was leaving for Wales in a few days and would be extremely busy. Hopefully, she wouldn't have a chance to say anything.

Remus had to put this entire thing out of his head right now. No good would come of dwelling on it because it was _never_ going to happen.

He quickly readied himself for bed, his mind still swirling with thoughts that he didn't want to be having. He crawled between his sheets and put an arm behind his head. Turning slightly, he picked up the photograph of Dora holding Teddy and stared at it. Remus had had his chance at happiness and even though it had been short, he wasn't going to ask for anything else. He didn't deserve to.

Remus set the photograph back on his bedside table and turned over on his side. He adjusted his pillow and settled down to sleep with a sigh.


	37. Frustration

**A/N - I'm glad you all seem to like jealous Remus. I hope you enjoy this chapter in which Ginny meddles, Anthony is still uptight and Hermione plots. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 37**

 **Frustration**

 **8 August 1999**

"Why do you keep a glamour on your arm?" Anthony asked after Hermione had stepped into her knickers. She looked back at him, still lying in his bed, as she fastened her bra. She was honestly surprised he hadn't asked her about it before now. She knew that he'd noticed it weeks ago.

"It's…a scar," she said, pulling her shirt over her head.

"I gathered that much," Anthony said. "That still doesn't explain the glamour."

"I just don't want anyone to see it," she said, looking around for her jeans. They'd woken late and she needed to get home to feed Crookshanks. Anthony sat up in bed, the sheet pooled around his waist.

"You've got other scars that I've seen," he said.

"This one is…different," Hermione said, pulling on her jeans.

"Different how?" Hermione sighed. They'd gotten very little sleep last night, not that she hadn't enjoyed herself, but she didn't want to be having this conversation right now.

"It's just different," she said picking up her sandals. She walked back to the bed and leaned down to kiss him. He let her, but she knew he wasn't going to let this go. "We'll talk about it later, all right?" Anthony studied her for a moment before nodding.

"All right, Hermione, whatever you want."

"I'll see you later?" Hermione asked. Anthony nodded again. She kissed him one more time, then left his bedroom to use the Floo in the living room.

* * *

 **19 August 1999**

Hermione rubbed at the headache that was settling in between her eyes. She hadn't slept well the night before, her nightmares making another appearance. Likely, they had been triggered by an old report that had somehow gotten into a stack from the Werewolf Capture unit. There had been a rash of attacks on children in a small village in Scotland just after Voldemort's return. The two werewolves that had been captured and charged with the attacks had both insisted it was Greyback. They hadn't been believed of course, the Beast Division always took a hardline when it came to werewolves, but Hermione had read the details of the attacks and had no doubt Greyback was involved. Whether the other two had been innocent, Hermione couldn't tell.

Her dreams the previous night had featured the werewolf prominently. Bellatrix had turned Hermione over to him and Hermione's mind supplied all kinds of horrific scenarios, taken straight from the pages of the report she had read. She shuddered now just thinking about it. She glanced at the clock and while it was a bit early for lunch, she knew she wasn't going to get anything more accomplished.

Saying good-bye to Gwendolyn, Hermione made her way to the Auror department to see if Harry wanted to have lunch with her. Harry had been in his own funk since Ginny had gone to Wales. Maybe the two of them could cheer each other up.

Hermione was alone in the lift when it reached level two and she looked up as the doors opened. Ron was looking back at her.

"Oh," she said in surprise. "Hi, Ron."

"Hey," he replied, his eyes darting from side to side as if he was afraid to make eye contact with her.

"I, um, just came to see if Harry wanted to have lunch," Hermione said awkwardly.

"Oh, right," Ron replied. "He's, uh, he's at his desk." His gaze finally settled on her.

"Are you, I mean, do you want to, to join us?" Ron looked at her in surprise. "Or if you and Harry already had plans I don't have to, I could just eat at my desk, or," she trailed off, feeling foolish.

"No, it's, it's okay," Ron said. "I'm on my way to meet George, actually."

"Oh, well, enjoy your lunch then."

"Thanks," Ron said. Hermione finally stepped out of the lift and Ron walked in. She gave him a small smile and began to walk away. "Hermione?"

"Yes?" she said looking back over her shoulder.

"Thanks for inviting me." Hermione smiled.

"You're welcome." Ron nodded as the door to the lift closed. Hermione stared at it for a moment before turning and making her down the corridor to the Auror office.

* * *

 **21 August 1999**

"Hermione!" Claire called as Hermione stepped into the Leaky Cauldron. She grinned, as Annie waved from their table.

"Hi," Hermione said as she reached them. The two girls immediately hugged her, but David hung back. Hermione smiled and squeezed his shoulder. "You've grown a foot!"

"Tell me about it," Sarah said with a laugh. "He'll need new robes again." David blushed slightly when Sarah ruffled his hair, finally giving Hermione a smile.

"Where's Amy?" Hermione asked.

"She got a new job," Annie said with a smile. "And we got a new flat."

"That's great, Annie," Hermione replied, happy that things seemed to be turning around for the girl.

"I'm glad you could come and help again, Hermione," Sarah said. "There are a few new things on their lists that I'm not sure about."

"Like a broom," David said. Sarah sighed.

"Yes, like that," she agreed.

"They're required to bring brooms this year?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"No, they're _allowed_ to bring them this year and David is insisting that he needs one."

"I want to try out for the team," David explained.

"Ah," Hermione said in understanding. "Well, I don't know much about brooms, to be honest. But, I'm sure the shop owner can help us." The group left the Leaky and proceeded to Diagon Alley to shop for their supplies. Hermione was glad she had been invited along. It wasn't that she wanted to return to school, but she did miss the excitement of shopping and looking forward to a new year.

"My question is, does he really _need_ a broom?" Sarah asked quietly as the children walked a few feet in front of them.

"If he wants to try out for the Quidditch team, then he should probably have his own," Hermione admitted. "The school brooms have all seen better days." Sarah sighed again. "If it's the expense, I know that Hogwarts has a war orphan fund that was set up last year to help with supplies and robes. I'm sure David would qualify."

"No, it's not that," Sarah assured her. "It's just the whole idea of it, I suppose. I mean, flying on brooms to play some kind of sport?" Hermione laughed. She had wondered the same thing when she had first read about Quidditch.

"It can't be safe," Sarah continued.

"There are injuries sometimes," Hermione said. "But that could happen in any sport."

"Somehow, I don't think David could fall to his death playing football or cricket," Sarah said dryly.

"No," Hermione agreed. "But there are plenty of teachers, not to mention older students, present during the matches. There are spells they can cast to stop them from getting hurt."

"You mean, it's actually _happened_?" Hermione immediately regretted saying anything.

"Well, only to my friend Harry and there were extenuating circumstances that had nothing to do with Quidditch and won't be present now," Hermione assured her.

"Something to do with the war?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, deciding a simpler explanation was better.

"Still," Sarah said.

"Do you remember meeting Molly Weasley on the platform? My friend Ginny's mother?"

"Yes, of course," Sarah said.

"Well, she had seven children, five of whom played on Gryffindor's team at Hogwarts, and none of them ever got seriously injured playing the sport. Ginny is playing professionally now, actually," Hermione said. She never thought that she would be defending Quidditch of all things, but she had seen how fascinated David had been with it last year. Sarah seemed to waver.

"He does seem to be completely enamored with it," she said. "I think he's read that Quidditch book about ten times this summer alone."

"How have things been going this summer?" Hermione asked. She had been a bit worried about David after the anniversary memorial. As far as she knew, he hadn't even gone out to look at the monument with his mother's name on it.

"Better," Sarah said. "David asked if we could have a small memorial service for his mother when he got home and our minister was happy to do so. We finally got hold of the things from his old flat, the manager had them in storage. So, he's got photographs and such now. It's helped a lot, I think."

"I'm so glad to hear that," Hermione said. They had reached Quality Quidditch Supplies and David was looking longingly in the window.

"Oh, all right, we might as well see what all the fuss is about," Sarah said. David's grin was so wide, Hermione thought it might split his face.

It took a bit of looking, but Sarah finally agreed to a broom. It wasn't a Nimbus or a Firebolt, but Hermione knew the Cleansweep was a decent model, especially for a beginner. It's what Ron had used in their sixth year and he had been pleased enough with it. David was thrilled, to say the least. After the broom had been purchased and wrapped, he hugged Sarah tightly. Seeing the surprised expression on the woman's face, Hermione concluded that it didn't happen very often. In fact, there were tears in Sarah's eyes when she hugged David back, kissing the top of his head.

They finished up their shopping and walked back to the Leaky Cauldron for a late lunch. David hadn't let his broom out of his sight, refusing even to leave it in the Quidditch shop while they got the rest of their supplies. Hermione could tell he was itching to try it out.

"Only a week and a half and then you can fly until your heart's content," she said.

"I know," David said with a sigh. "It just seems like forever." Hermione chuckled.

"I wish you were coming with us again this year, Hermione," Claire said. "It won't be the same without you there."

"I'll miss you all too," Hermione said. "But you're going to be so busy and have so much fun you won't have time to miss me."

"Are you still dating Anthony?" Claire asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, her smile tightening a bit. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what she was doing with Anthony anymore. She had only seen him a couple of times since Ginny's party. He had never brought up her scar again, but he always seemed to be too busy with work to see her. Hermione was aware that Unspeakables didn't always keep regular Ministry hours, especially if they were in the middle of an experiment or important research, but Anthony seemed to take it to the extreme. Not that that was anything new. Hermione knew how obsessed he had been about N.E.W.T.S. Still, she wondered if it was really work that was keeping him away or the discussion they'd had the morning after Ginny's party about the scar. She was supposed to see him tonight, if he didn't cancel on her again.

"Is Mr. Lupin going to be at school again this year?" Annie asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "Why, do you think you might need a tutor?"

"No," Annie replied. "At least I don't think so. I just thought he was nice."

"He is nice," Hermione agreed, smiling.

"Do you like him?" Claire asked.

"Of course, I do, he's my friend," Hermione said.

"No, I mean _like_ him," Claire said.

"Claire," Sarah admonished. "That isn't any of your business. Besides, didn't Hermione just tell you she was still dating Anthony?" Claire shrugged.

"That doesn't mean she can't like Mr. Lupin." Hermione, who had taken a sip of Butterbeer for her suddenly dry throat after Claire's question about Remus, choked and spluttered. David thumped her on the back a few times until she had regained her breath. Claire was still looking at her expectantly.

"Remus is my friend," Hermione said firmly.

"That's enough now, Claire," Sarah said. She glanced at her watch. "We should get going, we've still got to take Annie home." They all stood and said their good-byes, Hermione promising to write to all of them at Hogwarts. Hermione waved as Sarah led the three children from the pub. After settling the bill with Tom, Hermione walked towards the Floo, Claire's question still ringing in her ears.

* * *

Remus walked into the kitchen to find Andromeda sitting at the table, letter in her hands. She seemed to be contemplating the contents quite seriously.

"Everything all right?" Remus asked.

"Minerva's written to me again," Andromeda said. "Apparently, another of the Board members has decided to retire."

"And she's asked you to take his place?" Remus asked. Minerva had asked Andromeda to join the Board of Governors after Lucius Malfoy had been arrested. Andromeda had declined at the time, too caught up in her grief over Dora and Ted to even contemplate serving on the Board. Augusta Longbottom had taken the position instead.

"Yes," Andromeda replied.

"And?" Remus prompted.

"And I'm considering it," Andromeda said.

"Good," Remus said. "As I said before, I think you'd be a wonderful addition."

"I wasn't ready before," Andromeda said. "I'm not sure if I'm ready now."

"What's keeping you from accepting?"

"Teddy is still so young," Andromeda said.

"Considering that I don't have many prospects for full-time employment, I don't think that Teddy is a valid excuse."

"But you're registered," Andromeda protested. "Anyone can hire you now."

"Anyone _can_ hire me, but that doesn't mean that they will," Remus said. "And regardless, I'm sure Molly would love to mind Teddy if we ever have a need. Not to mention Harry or Ginny."

"Or Hermione," Andromeda added. Remus shifted in his chair.

"Right, or Hermione," he agreed, clearing his throat when his voice cracked a bit. Andromeda looked at him quizzically.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Fine, fine," Remus said. "Just a tickle in my throat." He coughed again and got up to get a glass of water. He took a drink, avoiding Andromeda's gaze which was still studying him.

"So, now that we've got any childcare for Teddy covered, what do you think?" Remus asked, trying to direct his mother-in-law's attention away from him.

"Well, I know that Minerva wants to make some changes, cracking down on that inter-house rivalry especially," Andromeda said. "Merlin knows Albus never did."

"No, he certainly didn't," Remus said. As grateful as he was to Albus for allowing him to attend Hogwarts and giving him a job later, the man had been far from perfect.

"I'd like to help if I can," Andromeda said.

"I think you would do a wonderful job," Remus said with a smile.

"I suppose I had better send Minerva an owl then," she said, rising from the table. "Thank you, Remus."

* * *

Hermione wasn't going to deny that she was a bit surprised that Anthony had come over and not cancelled again. She'd let him in and they'd eaten the pasta she'd made in relative silence, punctuated by a bit of small talk about Hermione's trip to Diagon Alley.

"How's work?" Hermione asked once they were seated on the couch after they had finished eating.

"Busy," Anthony said. "I'm sorry I've had to cancel our plans so often. It's just that I can't always predict when I'm going to have to go in and work on something."

"It's all right," Hermione said. "You can't help if you have research to do," she said with a shrug. He reached over and took her hand.

"I have," he said.

"I wasn't doubting that you did," Hermione said. Anthony looked at her skeptically.

"It doesn't sound like it." She sighed.

"After the conversation that we had the morning after Ginny's party, I just thought that maybe, I don't know." She trailed off and shook her head.

"That maybe I'd been avoiding you because you won't tell me about the glamour?" he guessed. Hermione shrugged again. "I do wish you'd tell me. I'm not sure why you won't."

"I just, I don't want to get into it," she said. Truthfully, she wasn't sure _why_ she didn't want to tell him. The word carved into her arm wasn't going anywhere and anyone she was going to be with would have to accept it as well. "I'm not ready." Anthony nodded.

"I understand," he said, but Hermione didn't really think that he did. She could tell that he was upset she wouldn't tell him.

"So what division are you working in?" she asked quickly to change the subject, not thinking about what she was saying. He'd been so excited about his work when they'd spoken before Ginny's party that Hermione thought she could rule a couple of divisions out. She doubted he was working with the Death room or Prophecies, Anthony never did hold much stock in Divination. That left the Time, Thought or Space rooms or that locked door they hadn't been able to get open, which Hermione suspected was where they studied love. While she knew that Anthony didn't necessarily get to decide where he wanted to work, her guess was either Time or Thought. Both would fascinate him, she suspected.

"Hermione, you know I can't tell you that," Anthony said, somewhat exasperated. She rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Anthony, I know you Unspeakables think that you've kept all your secrets, but everyone in the Ministry knows what the basic concepts are that you study."

"Still, I can't tell you what I'm doing," Anthony said. Hermione ignored the warning in his voice and continued.

"Is it the Time room or the one with all the brains, where they study Thought? Oh, are you working on repairing all the Time-Turners?" Anthony was looking at her with something akin to horror on his face.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" he stuttered out. She immediately realized her mistake. While she might have known about the broader concepts that the Department studied, she shouldn't have known any specifics. Still, she was a bit confused as she was sure that everyone knew about their trip to the Department of Mysteries. It was when Fudge finally saw Voldemort was back, after all.

"Surely you know that I've been there," Hermione said. "Fifth year, with Harry."

"Well, of course I do, but, they didn't, no one Obliviated you?" It was Hermione's turn to look horrified.

"No, of course not!"

"But they should have," Anthony insisted. "If they decide not to keep me on after my trial period is over, I'll be Obliviated."

"But that's of the specific research you've done, not the entire Department entirely, surely."

"Well, you know you've worked there so you don't try to apply again, but yes, they Obliviate everything. So, they should have done the same to all of you."

"There were too many people there," Hermione said. "Death Eaters, members of the Order, the six of us." She shook her head. "This wasn't like a bunch of Muggles accidentally seeing magic. They couldn't have Obliviated us safely."

"They could have taken the specifics," Anthony insisted. "About the Time-Turners and the brains and whatever else you saw."

"But we saw everything!" she protested. "We were in every room except the locked one. And Sirius Black died! How were they supposed to Obliviate some things but still leave us with enough memories to remember what we needed to?"

"There had to have been a way," Anthony began, but Hermione was already shaking her head. She had done extensive research on memory charms when she had decided to hide her parents.

"Trust me, it wouldn't have worked without completely destroying our minds."

"I just, I can't believe they just let you leave without at least trying _something_." He looked at her. "You shouldn't know these things, Hermione."

"Anthony," she said, trying to hide the exasperation. "We really don't know anything specific. I mean it's not that much of a stretch to think that the Time room has something to do with Time-Turners."

"Still, secrecy is the key to our Department," Anthony said. "To know that the six of you and who knows how many other people are walking around knowing something about what we do." He shook his head. "There are _rules_!"

"Sometimes rules need to bend depending on the situation," Hermione said quietly. Anthony looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. Hermione rubbed tiredly at her forehead. She could feel another headache coming on.

"Obviously, you and I are never going to agree about this, so if I promise not to ask you specifics about your work again, can we just not talk about it anymore?" she said.

"Why not?" he said. "That seems to be your solution to everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Nothing, Hermione, it means nothing," he said as he stood from the couch. "I'm really tired, it's been a long week. I think I'm just going to go back to my flat."

"But," she started to protest, then closed her mouth. Truthfully, she wasn't really all that excited about spending the rest of the evening with him either.

"I'll see you later," he said, giving her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and striding towards the back door. She heard the pop of Disapparition seconds later. Sighing, Hermione sat back down on the couch, leaning her head against the back of it. Crookshanks wandered into the room and jumped up into her lap. Hermione absent-mindedly stroked the fur on his back, knowing that despite what Anthony had said earlier, his comment was definitely about her reluctance to discuss the scar on her arm.

* * *

 **27 August 1999**

"Ginny!" Hermione said as she came through the Floo at Grimmauld Place. She hugged her friend tightly. As much as she'd teased Harry, Hermione had missed Ginny as well. Especially after everything that had happened with Anthony last week. "How's training?"

"It's so amazing," Ginny said with a wide grin. "I mean, it's tough as hell, but I love it!"

"I'm so glad," Hermione said, smiling herself. Harry, who had stepped back while Ginny greeted Hermione, moved forward again and put his arm around Ginny's waist.

"I'm not going to steal her Harry," Hermione teased. Harry looked sheepish, but Ginny wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. He smiled at her lovingly. It was so sweet, Hermione felt like crying.

"All right, Potter, enough groping me," Ginny said cheekily. Harry just rolled his eyes. "I want to talk to Hermione. Girl stuff, yeah?"

"Fine, fine," Harry said. "I'll go upstairs and wait for Ron." He kissed Ginny sweetly on the mouth, then hugged Hermione before he left the room.

"All right, spill," Ginny said as soon as Harry was gone.

"Spill what?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Whatever's got you all weepy eyed." Hermione stared at Ginny in shock. Her eyes hadn't watered, she hadn't even blinked or anything.

"It's really scary how you can do that," Hermione muttered. Ginny shrugged and looked at Hermione expectantly. Hermione sighed.

"Anthony and I had a…disagreement," Hermione said.

"A disagreement?" Ginny repeated. "Not a row?" Hermione snorted.

"Anthony doesn't argue," she said. "You know that."

"Right, continue," Ginny said. Hermione proceeded to explain their conversation about the Department of Mysteries and how upset Anthony had been that they weren't Obliviated.

"Would that even have been possible?" Ginny asked. "I mean, so much happened that night and it's not like they could have just wiped it all out. Sirius died."

"I know, I tried to tell him that, but he was so stuck on it being against the rules that I don't know if he was even really listening to me."

"Have you talked to him about it since?" Ginny asked.

"I sent him an owl a few days ago, but he told me he was busy and I haven't heard from him since."

"I don't understand why he's upset with _you_ about this," Ginny said. "It's not like you were supposed to get Obliviated and you ran away and hid or something. The Ministry made the decision not to do it."

"I think it's more that we shouldn't have been there in the first place," Hermione said. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.

"What do you want to do, Hermione?"

"I don't know," Hermione said with a sigh. "I mean, I like him, but, he's so uptight about some things. Sometimes I feel like I have to censor what I say so he doesn't get upset."

"Like what?" Ginny asked.

"Well, take the whole thing about me setting Professor Snape on fire," Hermione said. "I don't dare say anything about the Polyjuice incident or the Time-Turner or Rita Skeeter."

"Gods, no, you definitely can't tell him about Skeeter," Ginny agreed with a laugh.

"That's what I mean," Hermione said. "I can't even imagine how he'd react if he found out about that."

"I want you to be happy, Hermione," Ginny said. "Maybe Anthony isn't the one that's going to do that for you."

"Maybe not," Hermione said with another sigh.

"I mean you were twelve when the thing with Snape happened," Ginny said. "Not to mention it was funny, even Remus thought so. I can't believe that Anthony would hold that against you."

"Wait, what?" Hermione said.

"I said I can't believe he'd hold something that you did at twelve against you."

"No, not that, what you said about Remus."

"Oh, Remus thought that story was hilarious," Ginny said.

"How did he hear about it?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Oh, well at my party, Ron was pretty drunk. And he was, well," Ginny hesitated.

"Ron was what?" Ginny looked away. "I know he was glaring at Anthony all night. I caught him at it myself." Ginny sighed.

"He said he didn't know why you were dating Anthony," Ginny admitted. "But like I said, he was drunk and that's not the important part of the story. Ron overheard heard Harry and I discussing how Anthony reacted to the story about Snape. So, of course, Remus asked what we were talking about and Ron told him the story." Ginny grinned.

"You should have seen Remus, Hermione. He was laughing so hard he was crying. I've never seen him like that before."

"Really?" Hermione said, lips quirking up into a smile. She had never seen Remus laugh that hard either.

"He thought it was brilliant, said that Sirius would have loved it."

"I'll bet," Hermione said with a chuckle. "Remus really thought it was funny?" Ginny nodded. Hermione smiled and looked across the room. She didn't notice the gleam in Ginny's eye.

* * *

 **28 August 1999**

"We're back," Harry called as they came in the back door. Remus looked up from his tea and smiled at his son.

"Da-da!" Teddy said with a grin. Ginny set him on the ground and he ran to Remus. Remus picked him up with a wince and set the boy on his lap.

"How was the park?" he asked. Teddy looked up at him and began babbling away about his trip to the park with Harry and Ginny. Remus even caught a few words, ball and go and Teddy's version of Padfoot amongst them.

"There was a dog at the park, I'm guessing?" he asked when Teddy had finally quieted.

"Pafo, Pafo!" Teddy called. They all laughed.

"Yeah, just a little thing, but the woman let Teddy pet it," Ginny said. "He kept insisting it was Padfoot."

"I appreciate you taking him," Remus said. "Andromeda doesn't sleep much on full moon nights, so I know she's nearly as tired as I am today."

"That's why we came over," Ginny said. "Thought she could use a nap." Remus hadn't been up when they arrived to take Teddy for lunch and to the park. Andromeda had left him a note when she had gone to take a nap herself.

"Well, you didn't have to, I know you're likely in high demand since you're only home for a few days," Remus said to Ginny.

"It's no trouble," Ginny said. "We love Teddy."

"Would you like some tea?" Remus asked. Teddy had already helped himself to Remus' half-eaten biscuit.

"I'll make it," Harry said as Ginny sat down at the table next to Remus.

"So, how's training?" he asked as Teddy dunked the biscuit into Remus' tea. Ginny smiled at the boy before she answered.

"It's great. Hard work, but I love it." Remus smiled.

"That's wonderful to hear." Harry returned with the tea tray and Teddy reached for another biscuit. His godfather was happy to oblige him. The three adults chatted more about Ginny's training and how things were going for Harry at work, Teddy interjecting a word now and then. It wasn't until he was nearly asleep on Remus' lap that Ginny stood.

"We should get going, Harry," she said. "I want to stop by Hermione's before supper and make sure she's all right."

"Right," Harry said. "Here, Remus, I'll put Teddy down." Harry carefully picked the toddler up from Remus' lap and carried him upstairs to his room.

"Is something wrong with Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Oh, no, she's fine," Ginny said. "I mean she's not sick or hurt or anything. Well, not physically, anyway." Remus was immediately concerned.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, she and Anthony are having a bit of a rough time of it," Ginny said. Remus' brow furrowed.

"They seemed fine at your party."

"They were," Ginny said. "Then. Things seemed to have changed recently."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Remus said.

"Me too," Ginny said with a sigh. "But, I never thought he was quite right for her. I mean he's more mature than Ron ever was, but he lacks a bit in the knowing how to have fun category. She needs someone mature that also knows how to laugh, you know?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Remus said, clearing his throat and looking away from her. Ginny smiled.

"If you know anyone like that, be sure to let me know. I have a strong feeling she and Anthony aren't going to be together much longer." Remus looked off at a point somewhere over Ginny's head and didn't see her smirk.

"Teddy's asleep," Harry said as he came back into the kitchen. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," Ginny said glancing at Remus with a knowing look. He shook himself out of his reverie.

"Thank you again, Harry, Ginny."

"Anytime," Harry said, opening the back door for Ginny.

"Don't forget what I said, Remus," Ginny called as the two of them left. Remus waited until they had Disapparated and then sat down slowly, staring at the tabletop.

* * *

 **30 August 1999**

Hermione waited until Victoria left her desk for her mid-afternoon break and then snuck into Mr. Satterfield's outer office. She had tried three different times today to speak to her boss, but each time Victoria had told her that he was busy. Hermione had seen Mr. Satterfield go into his office thirty minutes ago and he hadn't come out yet. With Victoria gone, Hermione could finally get into his office and talk to him about her position. She was not going to let him brush her off again.

She walked past Victoria's desk and approached Mr. Satterfield's door. It was slightly ajar and Hermione had just raised her hand to knock when she heard voices coming from inside. She barely held back a noise of frustration. Someone must have arrived in the minute Gwendolyn had stopped to speak with Hermione and she hadn't been watching the office. Dejected, she turned to leave when she distinctly heard her name. Knowing she shouldn't, but ignoring her common sense, Hermione stepped back near the door and listened.

"…quite a coup, getting Hermione Granger to work for you," whoever the other man was said. Mr. Satterfield chuckled.

"No coup at all, I didn't even have to pursue her, she came to me," he said.

"She wanted to work in the DRCMC?" the other man asked, somewhat incredulous.

"Some bleeding-heart nonsense about House-Elves and integrating werewolves into society."

"Werewolves? You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am," Mr. Satterfield said with a laugh. "She thinks they've been maligned because of the actions of a few. I've heard she's close to Dumbledore's pet wolf. You know the one he let teach children for a year, Lupin? He was in here a month ago to help another one of their kind register. I can't believe the Minister is allowing them jobs as long as they've registered." He sounded disgusted.

"And House-Elves?" the other man asked.

"I don't know, something about mistreatment and regulations. To be honest, I don't really listen when she's going on about it." They both laughed.

"So, what position did you give her?" the other man asked.

"That's the beauty of it," her boss replied. "There really was no position available, but there was no way I was going to let another department snap her up. Gwendolyn had been badgering me about needing a secretary, although she doesn't really. I put Granger in with Gwendolyn who thinks Granger's her secretary. Granger thinks she's learning the ropes and sharing an office with Gwendolyn because of Granger's interest in House-Elves. Neither is the wiser. I knew I'd never get Potter or even Weasley once they joined the Auror corps. Granger isn't as high profile, but still, as you said, a coup."

Hermione couldn't breathe. While she'd suspected as much, it was another thing altogether to hear Mr. Satterfield say it.

"I've heard she's intelligent," the other man said. "Surely she's questioned her position?"

"Ad nauseum," Mr. Satterfield said with a sigh. "She's been trying to get an appointment with me to discuss it for the past three weeks. Thankfully, Victoria is very good at what she does."

"Still, I can't imagine Granger will let it slide forever."

"No," Mr. Satterfield agreed. "I'm going to have to come up with something soon. Hell, I'll invent a title if I have to. That should pacify her enough to stop asking me to listen to her House-Elf proposal. Ridiculous tripe." Hermione's hands clenched into fists and it was all she could do to stop herself from marching into her boss's office and hexing him into next week. The two men laughed and talk turned to the upcoming Quidditch matches of the weekend.

Hermione forced herself away from the door and past Victoria's desk to the outer corridor. Leaning against the wall, she took a breath and let it out, trying to stop the hammering of her heart against her ribs. She had been such an idiot, thinking that if she just waited a bit longer, read a few more reports, her boss would soon see that she was an asset to the department and listen to her ideas. To find out that not only had he hired her simply because of her name, but had also intended to give her a fake title just to shut her up made her more than angry. Not to mention the fact that he had also deceived Gwendolyn in his little game. Hermione had come to like the woman, even if she did think Hermione was her secretary, which obviously made sense now.

What was she going to do? Her first instinct was to march into Satterfield's office and tell him what he could do with his fake offer, but she refrained. Her House-Elf proposal was still extremely important to her and she had to figure out a way she could present it, while still getting back at her boss. Hermione pushed herself away from the wall and walked back to her office. She was going to have to think about this.

* * *

 **3 September 1999**

Hermione stood outside Mr. Satterfield's office, Disillusioned, waiting to catch her boss on his way home. Despite his previous rebuffs, she had to get him to at least listen to her House-Elf proposal if she wanted to try and get it in front of the Wizengamot. Mr. Satterfield had to sign off on it before it could be put on the schedule. She had a few ideas on how that was going to get around that, because she had no doubt that he would reject it, even if he had heard it. But first, she had to at least present it to him.

Hermione had left her office with a stack of files a half hour prior, mumbling something to Gwendolyn about the archives. Once in the corridor, Hermione had stashed the files in a cupboard and Disillusioned herself, taking up watch outside Mr. Satterfield's office. She was glad she had overheard him saying that he intended to leave a few hours early that afternoon.

She finally heard Mr. Satterfield saying good bye to Victoria and Hermione held perfectly still as he came out of his office. She followed him until he had nearly reached the lifts and then dropped the Disillusionment.

"Mr. Satterfield," Hermione said and her boss jumped a foot.

"Miss Granger," he said, looking around as if trying to determine where she had come from.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No matter," he said, pasting a fake smile on his face. "I'm afraid this will have to wait until Monday, Miss Granger. I need to get home."

"That's all right, sir, this won't take long."

"Miss Granger, I-" but Hermione cut him off.

"I'd like to ask when you think I might be able to present my House-Elf proposal," she said. "It's been over two months now."

"Oh, well, yes," he said, clearly flustered. The lift pinged and the door slid open.

"Level Four," the lift voice said. "Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures incorporating the Being Division, Beast Division and Spirit Division." Mr. Satterfield stepped into the lift.

"So sorry, Miss Granger, we'll discuss this Monday."

"That's all right, sir, we can discuss it now," Hermione stepped inside just before the lift doors began to shut. Mr. Satterfield looked nervous. Hermione pretended to trip and reached a hand out to steady herself, pushing the button for level one at the same time. Mr. Satterfield was, of course, heading for the Atrium on level eight.

"Oops, how clumsy of me. Sorry about that, sir." Mr. Satterfield looked irritated. "Well, I suppose you have time to answer my question now."

"Miss Granger, this is highly irregular," Mr. Satterfield said. "If you'll just make an appointment."

"I've tried that, sir," Hermione said calmly. "You always seem to be busy."

"Yes, well, I am a very busy man."

"I'm sure," Hermione said. "But back to my question."

"Well, I can't say that I've made a decision as of yet," her boss said.

"When do you think you might decide? As I said, it has been over two months."

"Two months? Has it been that long already?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione said, knowing he was just stalling for time. The lift continued to move, but Mr. Satterfield looked hopeful that they would stop and be interrupted. Hermione knew better; she had charmed the lift, of course.

Her boss continued to stall and when they reached Level One and the door slid open announcing the Office for the Minister of Magic, Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Oh, maybe I'll just stop in and pay the Minister a visit. It's been ages since I've spoken to him. He did want to know how my job was going." Hermione made to get off the lift, but felt Mr. Satterfield's hand on her arm.

"Now, wait a minute, Miss Granger," he said. "I thought you wanted to discuss your proposal."

"Oh, of course, sir," she said. The lift doors slid shut and Mr. Satterfield hurriedly pressed the button for Level Eight and the Atrium. Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"Perhaps you would like to make a presentation at the staff meeting on Monday," Mr. Satterfield said. The monthly staff meeting included the individual division heads, as well as the heads of the sub-departments.

"Oh, Monday?" she questioned, looking unsure, although inside she was grinning widely. "That's not very much time."

"If you don't think you're up to it," Mr. Satterfield said, "I'm sure we could discuss this at a later date."

"Oh, no, sir, that's all right," Hermione said, biting her lip. "I'll do my best."

"I'm sure that you will," he said. "And afterward, we can discuss your permanent position in our department."

"Oh," Hermione said, trying to appear nervous. "After the presentation?"

"Yes, Miss Granger."

"A-all right," she said. "Thank you, sir." Her boss' smile was a bit predatory as they reached the Atrium. He nodded to her and stepped out of the lift.

"Ten o'clock, Miss Granger."

"Yes, sir." The door to the lift slid shut and Hermione smirked. Mr. Satterfield had no idea she'd had a presentation ready before she'd even started working for the Ministry. Her free time in the last month, and she'd had quite a bit of it, there were only so many reports to read after all, had been spent researching everything the Ministry had in its archives about House-Elves and their treatment and relocation numbers. Hermione would be more than ready with her proposal on Monday.

Grinning as the lift returned to level four, she stepped off and made her way back to her office. Now, it was time to speak to Gwendolyn.


	38. Plotting

**A/N - Hello all! I'm sorry to say that Remus does not make an appearance in this chapter. Hermione had a few things to take care of. But he will be back next chapter. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 38**

 **Plotting**

 **6 September 1999**

Hermione checked the clock once again, although only another minute had passed. Even though it was only half nine, she was already in the conference room that was used for staff meetings. Hermione didn't want to risk Mr. Satterfield changing the time of the meeting.

Although, she supposed, Gwendolyn would have informed her if this was the case. The older woman had been incensed when Hermione told her what she had overheard.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Gwendolyn had said. "If I'd had any idea you weren't really supposed to be my secretary, I never would have given you all that filing to do."

"It's all right," Hermione had assured her. "You had no idea and it actually gave me some time to do more research for my proposal." Hermione had then explained her proposal to Gwendolyn in detail.

At first, the other woman had been hesitant. If Hermione's ideas were implemented and successful, it would eventually make the House-Elf Relocation office only needed when a witch or wizard with House-Elves died with no heirs. However, when Hermione indicated that she was going to suggest the new policies be overseen by Gwendolyn's office, therefore giving her more responsibility, Gwendolyn was completely on board. She had promised her help in today's meeting. Now, Hermione just needed to convince Mr. Satterfield.

As the clock neared ten, the division and subdivision heads began to arrive. Most looked surprised to see Hermione there, but no one asked any questions, especially after Gwendolyn sat down next to her. When Mr. Satterfield finally arrived, Hermione gave him a smile. He looked almost disappointed to see she had shown up.

The meeting droned on and Hermione began to wonder if her boss had any intention of giving her a chance to speak. When she saw a few people glancing at their watches, Hermione knew that Mr. Satterfield had dragged the meeting out on purpose.

"I suppose that's all for this month," Mr. Satterfield finally said. Hermione's mouth dropped open. He was really going to pretend that he hadn't scheduled her proposal? She and Gwendolyn had suspected this, but it still hurt.

"Mr. Satterfield," Gwendolyn said. "I thought Miss Granger was going to give a presentation today." Mr. Satterfield looked less than pleased.

"Yes, well, that was the intention, but considering how long the meeting has run, we will have to put that off until next month." Hermione was furious. She opened her mouth to say something, but Gwendolyn nudged her foot under the table.

"I don't think anyone has anywhere they need to be that urgently," she said, looking around the room. No one protested. Mr. Satterfield was glaring at Gwendolyn.

"Fine. Miss Granger, are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," Hermione replied. She stood, took a deep breath and began her presentation.

* * *

 **10 September 1999**

It had been four days since Hermione's presentation and she still hadn't heard from Mr. Satterfield. She had anticipated this, knew that he would likely ignore her proposal and hope that she didn't bother him about it. But a small part of Hermione hoped that he would have been impressed enough to follow through. She had looked around at the rest of the division heads after she had finished and many had looked interested. A few had even shaken her hand afterward and complimented her on the thoroughness of her research. Not her boss, of course, but Hermione hadn't expected him to. She was likely going to have to follow through on her plan to get around him.

Hermione had discussed things with Gwendolyn and was a bit surprised to find that the woman was completely on board with navigating around their boss. It turned out that there were more than a few people in their department who couldn't stand Mr. Satterfield. Hermione began to wonder why he had been made head of the department in the first place. He certainly didn't seem to care about any of the creatures their department was supposed to protect or work with. He was a holdover from the Fudge days, never outwardly supporting Voldemort, but never denouncing him either. The Ministry had been in such disarray after the war that Kingsley and Arthur had been focused on clearing out the Death Eaters and true supporters like Umbridge. People like Mr. Satterfield were kept in place simply out of need. Hermione hoped her plan was the beginning of exposing the man for what he really was.

"Is Mr. Satterfield in?" Hermione asked Victoria as she stepped into the office. The secretary barely glanced up from the stack of parchment she was assembling. Hermione knew from talking with Gwendolyn that these were the reports and memos that Mr. Satterfield had to sign for the week. For some reason, the man preferred to do everything at once, unless it was urgent, and every Friday without fail, Victoria brought him a stack of papers to sign just before lunch.

"Yes, but he's busy," Victoria said.

"That's all right, I'll wait," Hermione said. Victoria looked up and sighed loudly.

"He's going to be busy until lunch and then he has a lunch appointment," she said. Hermione doubted that he was busy straight through until lunch, but she didn't argue.

"What about after lunch?" Hermione asked. Victoria sighed again and continued adding parchments to the stack.

"He's busy all afternoon," the secretary said. Of course, he was, Hermione thought.

"I only need a few minutes," Hermione pressed. Victoria added a last piece of parchment, tidied the stack and looked up at Hermione.

"He doesn't have a few minutes," she said, irritation clear in her voice. "When he has time in his schedule, I'll let you know." Hermione let her shoulders slump.

"All right," she agreed dejectedly. "Thank you." Victoria nodded and stood from her desk, picking up the pile of parchment. She watched until Hermione left the office. Hermione grinned as she hurried back to her own office, closing the door behind her.

"Well?" Gwendolyn asked.

"He's going out for lunch just like you said." Gwendolyn nodded.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to get in?" she asked. "The Golden Phoenix is booked weeks in advance." Hermione smiled.

"You forget who my best friend is." Gwendolyn smiled.

"Good luck."

* * *

"Harry, I need a favor," Hermione said. She had hurried to the Auror department immediately after her talk with Gwendolyn.

"Sure, Hermione, whatever you need."

"I want you to come to lunch with me at the Golden Phoenix." Harry's brow furrowed.

"You got reservations at the Golden Phoenix?"

"Not exactly." Hermione bit her lip. Harry looked confused for a moment and then his eyes widened.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Hermione, you know I hate doing that."

"I know, Harry, I do, but this is important."

"The press is always there. They'll be photographers," Harry whined.

"Please, Harry, it's about my House-Elf proposal."

"We have to have lunch at the Golden Phoenix for your proposal?" Hermione nodded. "Do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," Hermione said brightly. Harry groaned.

"Fine." Hermione leaned down and hugged him.

"Thank you. Meet me in the Atrium at half twelve."

* * *

Harry and Hermione walked into the Golden Phoenix shortly after half twelve. Mr. Satterfield had left the office at twelve, so Hermione knew he would be well into his lunch and his Firewhiskey by now. They approached the maître d, whose mouth dropped open when he realized Harry Potter had walked into his establishment.

"Mr. Potter, what an honor to have you here," the man gushed. He glanced at Hermione and his smile widened. "And Miss Granger. Truly a delight."

"We don't have a reservation," Harry said.

"Not to worry, Mr. Potter, not to worry," the man said picking up two menus. "If you'll follow me?" Hermione pinched Harry's arm and he jumped, then glared at her.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to keep this quiet," Harry said. The maître d's face fell momentarily, likely disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to parade Harry and Hermione through the restaurant like a pair of show dogs. Then he glanced between the two of them, knowing smile on his face. Hermione nearly rolled her eyes at the headlines she was sure would be in the Prophet tomorrow. It was a good thing Ginny was completely secure in her relationship with Harry. Anthony likely would have something to say about it, but then again, maybe he wouldn't as Hermione hadn't spoken to him in weeks, besides a short note from him telling her he was busy with work and would contact her when he had time.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. Right this way." They followed the man down a short corridor, which brought them into the back of the dining area, away from most of the other patrons. Hermione scanned the tables until she spotted Mr. Satterfield. Nudging Harry, she nodded towards a table in a far corner that would give her a view of her boss' table, but not allow the man to see her. Harry looked at Hermione incredulously. The table was tucked into a small nook, well away from any others and clearly where those trying to enjoy a bit of privacy would want to sit. Hermione gave him a look and Harry closed his eyes in defeat.

"Might we have that table?" he asked, pointing to the one in the corner. The maître d's smile grew wider and there was a glint in his eye.

"Absolutely, Mr. Potter," he said leading them to the table and pulling out Hermione's chair for her. She thanked him and took a menu. When the man had left, Harry glared at Hermione.

"Do you even _know_ what the headlines of the Prophet are going to say tomorrow?" he hissed.

"I know, Harry, I'm sorry, but this is important."

"Just what are we doing here anyway, Hermione?"

"Spying on my boss," she said. A server approached and took their drink orders, stumbling over himself when he realized who they were.

"And why are we spying on your boss?" Harry asked once the server had left.

"Because it's part of the plan."

"The plan for what?" Hermione sighed.

"The plan to get my proposal in front of the Wizengamot, Harry. Keep up." Harry rubbed his forehead with his fingertips.

"Hermione, you're giving me a headache. Can you just explain what's going on?" Hermione sighed and proceeded to give Harry a summary of what had happened since she'd started working at the Ministry.

"He should not be running any department, let alone the DRCMC," Hermione said with a huff when she'd finished. "He doesn't seem to care a whit about any magical creatures or beings."

"So, you're going to what? Blackmail him into letting you present your proposal?"

"Blackmail is such an unpleasant word, Harry." Harry snorted.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it when it came to Rita Skeeter."

"She deserved it," Hermione said simply. "And anyway, this isn't so much blackmail as…insurance. And an alibi."

"Okay, I definitely _don't_ want to know," Harry said. Hermione smiled sweetly.

The two ate their lunch relatively undisturbed. Hermione kept an eye on Mr. Satterfield's table. He and his friends, of which there were two, had ordered another bottle of Firewhiskey and were now laughing jovially together. Hermione noticed that while the other two men were sipping slowly and almost nursing their drinks, Mr. Satterfield had no such compunction. He continued to refill his glass without reservation. Hermione's lip curled in disgust.

"Finished?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded and Harry motioned for the check. Hermione continued to watch her boss as Harry paid the bill. She had tried to pay her share, but Harry wouldn't let her. She hadn't protested too much, too busy making sure they left before her boss did. Part of the plan was to make sure he'd seen her.

"All right, let's go," Harry said. The two of them stood, but instead of walking out through the same corridor they had come in, Hermione headed straight for Mr. Satterfield's table. She kept up a steady stream of conversation with Harry as they walked.

Just as they reached her boss' table, she glanced to her right and feigned surprise.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Satterfield." Her boss looked up at her a bit blearily, clearly on his way to being pissed.

"Miss Granger," he said looking a bit stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, we've just had lunch," she said turning to Harry. "Have you met my friend, Harry?" Mr. Satterfield's eyes widened comically and the two men with him immediately stood to shake Harry's hand.

"Harry, my boss Mr. Satterfield." Mr. Satterfield managed to stand, although Hermione saw him sway a bit.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter." He shook Harry's hand. "We're very lucky to have Miss Granger in our department. Very lucky."

"Yes," Harry said. "You are." Hermione could tell by Mr. Satterfield's grimace that Harry had squeezed his hand just a bit too hard. She pinched Harry again.

"We had better get back to the Ministry, Harry," she said. "Lots of work to do. Enjoy your lunch, sir." She nodded at the other men and she and Harry left the dining room.

"Do you have to keep pinching me?" Harry snapped as they stepped out into Diagon Alley. Hermione shrugged.

"I was just trying to keep you on track."

"I still don't understand exactly why we had to do that," Harry said. "So, your boss is a drunk, how's that going to help you?"

"Don't worry, Harry," she said with a grin. "I have a plan."

* * *

"How did it go?" Gwendolyn asked once their office door was closed.

"Smoothly," Hermione said. "Although, there are likely to be a few headlines in the Daily Prophet tomorrow about Harry and I having some clandestine affair. But that's nothing new." Gwendolyn looked a bit shocked that Hermione was so blasé about it.

"And Mr. Satterfield?"

"Half drunk as you said, but I made sure that he saw the two of us. Fell all over himself trying to compliment me to Harry." Hermione rolled her eyes. "What now?"

"Now, I catch him as soon as he gets back from lunch," Gwendolyn said. "Right after he sends Victoria out for sobering potion." Hermione nodded, but began to feel a bit nervous. Gwendolyn put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," Gwendolyn said. "This is going to work."

"Thank you for helping me," Hermione said.

"You don't have to thank me," Gwendolyn said with a grin. "I haven't had this much fun for a long time."

* * *

Hermione had been watching the door for the last fifteen minutes, hands twisting nervously in her lap. She looked up expectantly when Gwendolyn came back into their office. Gwendolyn pulled a piece of parchment from the pile in her hand and presented it to Hermione with a flourish.

"He barely even looked at it," she said with a grin. Hermione stared at the form in her hand. Mr. Satterfield's signature, although a bit messier than usual, was right there on the bottom of the parchment. The form that would be turned into the Wizengamot, directing Hermione's proposal be put on the schedule.

"I can't believe it," Hermione said. "It actually worked." She looked up at Gwendolyn with a grin.

"So far, it's worked," Gwendolyn said. "When he sees the schedule on Monday, you know he's going to be livid."

"Of course, he is," Hermione agreed with a shrug. "But I don't think he's going to do anything about it." The two women shared a smile.

* * *

 **13 September 1999**

The department was quiet when Hermione arrived, although she hadn't expected any less. The new schedule for the Wizengamot was not delivered until mid-morning. Hermione might have been concerned that Mr. Satterfield wouldn't even look at it if she hadn't known that the Wizengamot sent a separate memo to the departments that had proposals scheduled.

Gwendolyn smirked at Hermione when she entered their office. Hermione glanced at her desk and groaned when she saw the copy of Saturday's Daily Prophet lying there. Although Hermione had already seen it, Harry had been sure to stop by with a copy on Saturday, it didn't make it any less embarrassing. Hermione was sure she would be getting looks from people all day. At least the photograph they'd run with the story hadn't been at all compromising, just the two of them leaving the restaurant. Obviously, there had been no photographer inside as there were plenty of moments that they had leaned close together to talk. Hermione was sure the press would have had a field day with that.

As it was, the article was simply speculation on why Harry and Hermione would have been seated in a quiet corner of the Golden Phoenix, given they were both dating other people. Of course, it was suggestive and full of innuendo, but it didn't come right out and accuse the two of having an affair. People would obviously draw their own conclusions, as the Howlers Hermione had begun to receive could attest to. Harry had reset her wards and rerouted all her mail to Grimmauld Place so everything could be scanned by Auror level spells.

There was a tap at the door and Hermione looked up to see Neville standing in the doorway.

"Neville," she said. "It's good to see you." She hadn't seen her friend since Ginny's party a month ago.

"You too, Hermione," Neville said as he stepped into her office. Hermione introduced him to Gwendolyn. "Harry wanted me to bring you this." He handed Hermione a large envelope. "Said he didn't want to feed the rumor mill by delivering it himself." Gwendolyn snorted. Hermione opened the envelope to find a stack of mail that Harry had obviously deemed safe.

"Thanks, Neville."

"Anytime," he said. "Harry said Ginny's coming home this weekend so a bunch of us are planning on meeting at the Leaky after work on Friday. Are you free?"

"I should be," Hermione said. "Sounds fun."

"Great, I'll see you then." Hermione sat down at her desk and pulled out the contents of the envelope. Most were from people she didn't know, likely either letters congratulating her on landing the Boy-Who-Lived or full of insults about what a home-wrecker she was. At least she knew none of them were cursed or full of Bubotuber Pus.

Flipping through the stack, there was one with familiar handwriting. Hermione pulled out the note from Anthony. She had sent him three owls after their last disagreement and had only received the one short note about being busy. As it had now been over three weeks since they'd spoken, she was a bit surprised that he had decided to finally break his silence.

The note was short, simply asking if they could meet that evening. Hermione reached for an interdepartmental memo, then stopped. While not strictly against the rules, using memos for personal correspondence was frowned upon. Anthony likely wouldn't appreciate her using it, but as she didn't have any other way to contact him, she grabbed the memo anyway. She wrote a quick note inviting him to her place at seven, folded it and sent it on its way. She then pulled the report she had been working on last week towards her and tried not to look at the clock.

An hour had passed when Gwendolyn stood and, giving Hermione a wink, left their office. It wasn't more than ten minutes later that Hermione heard heavy footsteps heading towards her. She glanced back down at the report on her desk, pretending to be busy with her work.

Their office door flew open moments later without so much as a knock. Mr. Satterfield stood in the doorway, fuming. Hermione looked up at him in surprise.

"Good morning, Mr. Satterfield," Hermione said as he continued to stand there glaring at her. Her boss said nothing, but stepped into her office, slamming the door behind him. He then cast a privacy charm on the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"Of what, sir?" Hermione asked. Mr. Satterfield shoved the piece of parchment he was holding towards her.

"This!" Hermione took the parchment and looked at it, unable to help the smile when she saw that her proposal had been scheduled to be heard by the Wizengamot a week from Wednesday at ten o'clock.

"You submitted my proposal, sir?" Hermione questioned.

"No, I most certainly did not!" Hermione frowned.

"Then, I don't understand."

"Don't play innocent with me, Granger," he snapped. "I know you had something to do with this."

"But, sir, _you_ have to sign off on any proposals to be submitted to the Wizengamot," Hermione said in confusion. "How could I have done this?"

"I'm sure you went over my head!"

"I didn't, I swear."

"We'll see about that," he growled and snatched the parchment from her hand. He wrenched open the door and slammed it behind him, causing the frosted glass to rattle in its frame. Gwendolyn returned a few minutes later.

"He's sent Victoria to get him the copy of the request," she said quietly. "I wish we could see his face once he realizes it's his signature." Hermione grinned at her. Gwendolyn glanced out the door. "It won't take long for him to come back here."

"You'd better go then," Hermione said. Gwendolyn nodded and slipped back out the door, moving into the outer office and back towards one of the cubicles.

Hermione waited and wasn't disappointed when Mr. Satterfield came storming in again about ten minutes later.

"How did you do it?" he demanded. "Did you forge my signature?"

"No!" Hermione insisted. "I would never!"

"Victoria told me you were in my office as she was assembling the weekly reports I needed to sign," he said. "You must have slipped this in somehow."

"Is that what Victoria is accusing me of?" Hermione asked in shock.

"No," Mr. Satterfield admitted. "She insists that you couldn't have, but you must have tricked her."

"Mr. Satterfield, I swear to you that I didn't," Hermione said earnestly. Her boss narrowed his eyes.

"You've been hounding me about that proposal since you started working here."

"Of course, I _hoped_ that after my presentation last week that you would submit it to the Wizengamot," Hermione said. "That's why I came to your office on Friday. I wanted to know if you had made a decision."

"I know you had something to do with this!" He stared at her for a few moments, as if he were thinking hard. "Lunch, you must have slipped into my office at lunch."

"Sir, I had lunch at the Golden Phoenix on Friday with Harry Potter," Hermione said gently. "Don't you remember seeing me there?"

"You left before I did," he accused.

"Yes, but you'd already signed all the reports for that day, hadn't you?" He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again, brow furrowing. "Even if I had slipped this in without Victoria knowing, you would have seen it when you were signing everything. If you feel this strongly about it, I'm sure that you wouldn't have signed it." Mr. Satterfield's expression didn't change, but Hermione saw the slight shift in his eyes, confirming her suspicions. He rarely read everything that came across his desk. Hermione bit her cheek to keep from smirking.

"I know that you-" but he was interrupted as Gwendolyn opened the door. She looked surprised to see her boss standing there, looking incensed.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I'll tell you what's going on," Mr. Satterfield snapped. "Somehow Granger got her infernal proposal scheduled with the Wizengamot."

"You mean the House-Elf proposal?" Gwendolyn questioned.

"Of course, I mean the House-Elf proposal!"

"Mr. Satterfield, you signed off on that," Gwendolyn said.

"I did not!" he insisted.

"Don't you remember? Friday after lunch, I came to your office with the report of mine that I needed you to sign? I was waiting on some correspondence and hadn't gotten it finished before lunch." Mr. Satterfield's brow furrowed and Hermione could tell he was trying to remember Gwendolyn's visit.

"Of course, I remember that," he retorted. "But that has nothing to do with this!" He shook the piece of parchment that he had indeed signed.

"Yes, it does, sir," Gwendolyn continued. "We discussed Miss Granger's proposal as well. I told you I thought she had done an excellent job and asked if you had made a decision yet." His brow furrowed further. "You said that you agreed with me and I gave you the Wizengamot form. You signed it along with my report."

"That's impossible," he roared. "I never intended to sign that proposal!" The two women stared at him and Hermione saw the slight reddening of his cheeks. "That is, I didn't think now was the time for such a proposal."

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Mr. Satterfield, but we did discuss it and you did sign the form," Gwendolyn said, glancing at Hermione. Hermione bit her lip and looked at her boss hesitantly, then flicked her gaze back to Gwendolyn.

"What?" Mr. Satterfield demanded.

"It's just that, well," Hermione twisted her fingers in her lap, looking uncomfortable.

"Speak up, girl!"

"Well, sir, it seemed that you had…quite a bit to drink at lunch," Hermione said quietly, looking down at her lap. "Is it possible that you don't…remember?" Hermione glanced up at him quickly, then looked back at her lap, hiding a smile. All the color had drained from Mr. Satterfield's face. He cleared his throat.

"No, that, that isn't what happened," he said, but there was no conviction in his voice.

"I'm sorry that you've changed your mind, sir," Gwendolyn said. "I thought Miss Granger's proposal was very well done. Would you like me to get you the form to rescind your request?"

"No!" Mr. Satterfield said immediately. "No, I'll, I'll just, just think on this a bit." He spun on his heel and quickly left the office. Gwendolyn waited until he had exited the Being Division and then quietly closed the door. Hermione cast a quick Muffliato before the two of them burst into laughter.

"His face, oh Merlin!" Gwendolyn said.

"Did you really ask him about the proposal?" Hermione asked. Gwendolyn nodded.

"I figured I should, just to be safe. I knew I could still get him to sign the form, regardless, he wasn't reading anything."

"What did he say about it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Not much, but after I said I thought it was a great idea, he nodded and grunted a bit. That was good enough for me." She grinned and Hermione laughed again.

"You don't think he'll actually rescind, do you?" Hermione asked.

"No," Gwendolyn said. "That form is even more detailed than the request to present the proposal. He would have to come up with a very good reason and we both know he doesn't have one. He can't exactly admit he was too drunk to know what he was signing in the first place." Hermione smiled. She couldn't wait to tell Harry and Ginny about this.

* * *

Hermione's good mood lasted the rest of the day and as she made herself a quick dinner before Anthony arrived, found she was looking forward to seeing him. Perhaps he had come to understand that Obliviating them after the Department of Mysteries wouldn't have been a good idea. Smiling to herself, she quickly sent her dishes to the sink and grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. She had just set them down on the table in the living room when there was a knock at the back door.

"Hi," Hermione said with a smile when she answered.

"Hello," Anthony replied. He stepped into the house and saw the wine on the table, then glanced at Hermione. She grinned and took his hand, leading him to the couch. After they sat, she poured them each a glass of wine and handed one to him.

"What are we doing, Hermione?" he asked in confusion. Clearly, he had expected a much different reception from her, but Hermione was too happy to care.

"We're celebrating."

"Celebrating what?"

"I'm going to present my House-Elf proposal to the Wizengamot next week." His eyes widened in surprise.

"You are?" She nodded. "But, you said your boss was opposed to it."

"He was," she said with a shrug. "I changed his mind." Anthony stared at her for a moment, brow furrowed. He set his wine glass on the table and turned towards her.

"How, exactly, did you do that?" Hermione grinned.

"I can be quite persuasive when I want to be," she said. "And I had help from Gwendolyn." Anthony stared at her for a few minutes.

"Hermione, did you," he paused. "Did you do something…illegal?"

"What? No, of course not!" Hermione said. "How can you even ask me that?"

"You've got a history of breaking the rules when it suits you," he said. Hermione opened her mouth to retort, then closed it again. He wasn't wrong.

"Trust me, Mr. Satterfield was the one breaking the rules in this situation," she finally said. "I just took advantage of it." Anthony rubbed his forehead with his fingertips.

"You blackmailed him?" he finally said.

"No," Hermione replied. "Not exactly."

"Then what exactly?" Anthony asked. Hermione sighed. She should have known better than to say anything. Anthony would never understand or accept what she'd done, even though she hadn't broken any rules. Technically.

"It's probably better if I don't tell you," she said. "I'm sure you won't approve." He laughed mirthlessly.

"No, I suppose I won't."

"Anthony, I-" Hermione began, but he shook his head cutting her off.

"Don't bother, Hermione. It's been obvious to me for the past few weeks that the two of us are not right for one another. I'm sure you and Harry are much better suited."

"Harry and I?" she questioned, then realized that he must be talking about the article in the Prophet. "Harry is my friend, that's all."

"Your friend that you go on romantic lunches with," Anthony said.

"There wasn't anything romantic about it," Hermione insisted. "It had to do with my proposal and Mr. Satterfield."

"You don't have to make excuses," Anthony said. "It's not as if we've really had a relationship for the past month."

"No," Hermione said again. "I agree with you that we're not suited. And I suspected that you were coming over here to tell me that tonight. But it has _nothing_ to do with Harry." Anthony looked at her skeptically. "Do you remember what you said to me about Michael and Sally-Ann?" Anthony nodded. "Harry and Ginny are the same way. Harry is like my brother, there is nothing romantic between us. The Prophet has been insinuating otherwise for years, but I swear to you that it's not like that. And even if it was, I would not have gone behind your back."

"All right," he finally agreed. Hermione let out a breath. While she knew now that there was no future for her and Anthony, she didn't want him to think it was about Harry. Nor did she want him to think that she would blatantly cheat on him. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"I suppose I should go," he said.

"I'm sorry that things didn't work out," Hermione said. He gave her a small smile.

"I suppose you're too much of a Gryffindor for me," he said. Hermione laughed. She wasn't even insulted. It was true after all.

"I don't regret it," Hermione said. "The two of us."

"Neither do I," he replied. She smiled at him and leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek. Anthony squeezed her hand and rose from the couch. Hermione followed him to the back door. He stared at her for a few seconds before he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the mouth.

"Good-bye, Hermione."

"Bye, Anthony." He stepped into the back garden, waved and Disapparated. Hermione stared at the spot for a few moments, before stepping back inside and softly closing the door behind her.

* * *

 **17 September 1999**

"Hermione!" Ginny called as Hermione stepped out of the Floo into the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione looked around and grinned at the crowd of former D.A. members, many of whom she hadn't seen since the anniversary ceremony, some not since the battle itself. She siphoned the soot off herself before crossing the pub to join Harry, Ginny and Neville. Harry asked her what she wanted to drink and he and Neville went up to the bar.

"Hey, Gin," Hermione said as she hugged her friend. "Training going well?"

"Very well," Ginny said with a wide smile on her face. Her eyes danced with delight.

"What's going on?"

"I got a place on the team!"

"What?" Hermione replied in shock. "But I thought you said that was months or even a year away."

"It was until Gemma Gibson fell pregnant."

"I'm so happy for you!" Hermione said, hugging Ginny again. "When's your first match?"

"In two weeks," Ginny said. "You'll be there, won't you?"

"Of course, I will," Hermione assured her as Harry and Neville returned with their drinks.

"Good, because Harry's already bought out a box." Ginny said with a grin. Harry put an arm around her and kissed her temple.

"So, Hermione, I see your proposal is on the Wizengamot schedule," Harry said. "I'm guessing our lunch was a success then?"

"Yes, let's talk about your lunch," Ginny said, mock growl in her voice. Hermione chuckled.

"I'm sure you had a laugh over that article," Hermione said.

"Yes, especially after Gillian tried to hide it from me, sure I would fall to pieces after I read it." Harry snorted.

"You'd be more likely to get thrown in Azkaban for hexing my bollocks off," he said. Ginny smiled sweetly at him.

"It's cute that you think I'd get caught." Neville choked on his drink as he laughed. "Anyway, what did your lunch have to do with your House-Elf proposal?" Hermione spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened in the last week in her department.

"Hermione Granger, you Slytherin, you," Ginny said when Hermione had finished. Hermione shrugged. The Sorting Hat _had_ thought about it for a few seconds. The door opened and a few more people walked into the pub. Hermione glanced up and locked eyes with Anthony. She gave him a small smile and he nodded in her direction before walking with Terry and Michael up to the bar.

"Given the death-glare Boot is sending this way, I assume that things are not going well with Anthony," Ginny said.

"Things aren't going anywhere with Anthony," Hermione said. "We broke it off a few days ago."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Neville said.

"It's all right," Hermione said. "We just weren't suited for each other." Neville nodded, looking as if he understood, and took another swig of his ale. Hermione looked around and didn't see Luna anywhere.

"Is Luna coming?" Hermione asked. She realized she hadn't seen Luna since Ginny's party in August.

"No," Harry said, eyes cutting swiftly to Neville. "She's out of the country."

"Oh, doing what?" Hermione questioned.

"I'm going to talk to Seamus and Dean," Neville muttered and walked away. Hermione watched him go and then looked back at Harry and Ginny in confusion.

"They broke up," Harry said.

"Oh, no, when?"

"A couple of weeks ago," Ginny said. "Luna's going on some year-long hunt for new creatures. She told Neville that it wasn't fair to make him wait for her and it would be better if they were both free."

"Poor Neville," Hermione said. She looked over to where Neville was now talking to Seamus and Dean, feeling guilty that she'd brought Luna up.

"It would have never lasted," Ginny said. "Even if she hadn't left."

"You don't think so?"

"Neville's too grounded for Luna," Ginny said. "She needs someone as free-spirited as she is."

"I suppose you're right," Hermione agreed. The pub had gotten even more crowded and the three of them began to mingle. It was a couple of hours and a few drinks later, that Hermione found herself alone at a table. Ginny had gone to the loo quite some time ago. Hermione suspected that she and Harry were snogging or, knowing Ginny, likely more than that in some dark corridor somewhere.

"Hey," a voice said and Hermione looked up to see Ron standing in front of her.

"Hi, Ron," she said.

"Can I sit?"

"Of course," Hermione said with a smile. Ron sat down across from her.

"Harry told me you're presenting to the Wizengamot next week. Congratulations."

"Thanks, Ron." The two sat in awkward silence for a few minutes.

"So, how's the Auror department?" Hermione finally asked.

"S'okay," Ron said. Hermione's brow furrowed. Ron didn't sound all that excited about his job.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Not wrong, exactly," Ron said. He sat back in his chair with a sigh. "Do you ever think that maybe you picked the wrong career?" Hermione snorted and took another sip of her wine.

"Almost every day," she said.

"Really?" Ron said in surprise. Hermione shrugged.

"I mean, I want to work in the DRCMC, I just wish I had a different boss." Ron nodded. "What about you? Rethinking being an Auror?"

"I don't know," Ron said with a sigh. "Maybe."

"You should do what makes you happy," Hermione said. He gave her a half-smile.

"Sometimes we can't have the things that make us happy." Hermione looked down at the table and Ron sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Did I really make you happy, Ron?" Hermione asked doubtfully.

"Sometimes, yeah."

"You deserve more than sometimes." The two of them looked at each other for a few moments.

"Maybe you're right," Ron said. Hermione opened her mouth to give her usual response to that statement and Ron shook his head.

"Don't say it," he groaned. Hermione laughed. Ron smiled tentatively.

"So, you and Goldstein broke up?" Ron continued taking a swig of his drink.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Never liked him." Hermione snorted.

"You liked him just fine at Hogwarts." Ron shrugged.

"Well, now I think he's a tosser."

"He isn't," Hermione said.

"He let you go." Hermione blushed slightly.

"We just weren't suited." Ron nodded and finished his drink. He looked up from his empty glass.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"You deserve more than sometimes too." Hermione smiled and reached over and squeezed Ron's hand. He kept hold of her when she went to pull back, raising her hand and kissing the back of it. Then he stood and turned to go back to the bar. Hermione watched him with a smile on her face. There might just be hope for their friendship yet.


	39. Presentation

**A/N - First, I have to say a huge THANK YOU to whoever nominated this story for the Shrieking Shack Society's Marauder Medals awards! I am so flattered and honored by the nominations! The Winding Road was nominated for Best Work In Progress, Best Drama/Angst and Best Characterization of Remus. If you would like to vote for this story or any of the other amazing nominees, voting is open from now until October 25th.**

 **For a list of categories and nominees and to vote visit (remove asterisks)**

 **shriekingshacksociety*.weebly*.c*om**

 **Second, thank you to everyone for continuing to read and review! There's a bit of a tissue warning for the end of this chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 39**

 **Presentation**

 **19 September 1999**

"I saw you talking to Ron the other night," Ginny said as she looked through a rack of jeans. Lunch and shopping for Hermione's birthday ended up taking place in Muggle London at Ginny's insistence. "How did that go?"

"It was nice," Hermione said with a smile. She pulled out a top and looked at it before frowning and putting it back.

"Did Ron seem, I dunno, down to you?" Ginny asked.

"A bit," Hermione replied. "Has he said anything to you about his job?"

"No, why?" Hermione shrugged.

"He just doesn't seem all together pleased with it." Ginny frowned.

"George told me Ron's been at the shop a lot, helping him out, experimenting."

"Really?" Hermione said. Ginny nodded. "I knew that Ron liked helping at the shop, but I didn't know he was interested in product development. Has he said anything to George about working there full-time?"

"Not that I know of," Ginny said, pulling out a pair of jeans and holding them up to herself.

"Maybe he should."

"George could use the help," Ginny said, rejecting the jeans and putting them back. They continued to browse.

"Are you nervous for your presentation?" Ginny asked.

"Merlin, yes," Hermione said with a sigh. Wednesday seemed to be creeping up on her more quickly than she would like.

"You'll do fine. Harry said he was going to try and get away to watch. I told him to bring Ron along." Hermione smiled.

"I just really want this to be successful," Hermione said. "After everything that happened with Mr. Satterfield, if this proposal falls flat, I don't think he'll ever let me forget it."

"What an arse," Ginny said. "Maybe you need a new job too, Hermione."

"But I really want to work on the werewolf laws next," Hermione said.

"Hermione, do you really think your boss is going to let another one of your proposals through?"

"I don't know," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I mean House-Elves are one thing, but werewolf legislation, that's a completely different issue."

"You don't think it's needed?" Hermione demanded.

"Calm down, of course I do," Ginny said. "But you have to remember that you're working against decades of prejudice. It won't be as easy as getting better treatment for House-Elves."

"I wouldn't say it's been easy," Hermione muttered. "And it hasn't even passed yet."

"Exactly my point," Ginny said.

"I know, Gin, but, I can't just give up."

"I'm not saying you should," Ginny said. "But maybe there's a better way to go about it."

"How?" Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. "But unless you get a new department head, I don't think you can count on your boss for support."

"No," Hermione agreed. They fell silent as Hermione contemplated everything that Ginny had said. Mr. Satterfield would not be open to any suggestions regarding werewolves, of that Hermione was sure. Especially after he still felt she had gone behind his back with the House-Elf proposal. She sighed.

"I don't see anything here," Ginny said. "Let's go have lunch." She linked her arm through Hermione's and led her out of the shop. When they stepped outside into the sun, Hermione decided to forget about her job woes for a bit and just enjoy her birthday.

* * *

 **21 September 1999**

"How was your visit with Ginny?" Remus asked as Harry put the last of Teddy's dragons into his bag. Teddy protested until Harry picked the toddler up and flung him over his shoulder, tickling him as he did so. Teddy shrieked in delight as Harry settled the boy into his arms.

"Too short," Harry said. Remus chuckled.

"Is her schedule going to change now that she's made the team?" Remus asked.

"Not at first," Harry said. "Gwenog still wants her to practice with both the reserves and the regular team for the next month or two. After that though, she'll be home for longer periods of time. They only have practice for the week leading up to a match."

"Well, that's good news," Remus said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed with a sigh. Remus smiled. Harry reminded him very much of James in how besotted he was. Once Lily had agreed to go out with him, James hadn't wanted to be apart from her at all either.

"Well, I suppose we've got everything," Remus said. He reached for Teddy. "Time to go home." Teddy happily let Harry transfer him into his father's arms. They walked toward the front door.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Harry said. "Hermione is giving her presentation on Wednesday."

"That's wonderful," Remus said.

"Yeah, I hope it goes well, she could use some good news." Remus' brow furrowed.

"Has something happened?"

"She and Anthony broke things off," Harry said. Remus stilled. "She doesn't seem too upset about it, I don't think they were getting along all that well, but still."

"Oh, well, that's," he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to, to hear that." Harry looked at him quizzically.

"You all right?" Remus cleared his throat again.

"Yes, fine," Remus said quickly. "Teddy and I should get going. Thank you for taking him today."

"Sure," Harry said, still looking at Remus strangely. "Bye, Teddy."

"Bye-bye!" Teddy exclaimed. Remus gave Harry another stiff smile. He cuddled Teddy against him and turned, disappearing with a pop.

They landed in the back garden and Remus rubbed Teddy's back and kissed his forehead. Teddy lifted his head from his father's shoulder a few moments later. Thankfully, the boy seemed to handle Apparition quite well.

As Remus walked towards the house, his mind swam with thoughts. It was only four days until the moon and he could feel the wolf beneath the surface. The wolf had perked up when Harry told him that Hermione was free and Remus was trying to ignore it. It didn't matter if Hermione was no longer dating Anthony, Remus was not the one for her and never would be. She deserved someone far better than him. She was smart and kind and beautiful and-

"Stop," Remus muttered.

"Top!" Teddy repeated, grinning widely at his father. Remus couldn't help but smile back. Teddy, he had Teddy and that was all he needed.

* * *

 **22 September 1999**

Hermione fidgeted as she took the lift to Level Two, thick sheaf of parchment in her hands. While the courtrooms on Level Ten were used for trials, proposals to the Wizengamot took place in a less gloomy room on Level Two. Looking more like an auditorium than a courtroom, comfortable chairs replaced the stone benches and a single lectern stood in front of the room for the presenter to stand behind.

Hermione jumped when the lift stopped and the cool voice began speaking. Blushing slightly, she exited the lift and began making her way towards the offices of the Wizengamot.

"Hermione," a voice called and Hermione turned to see Harry leaving the Auror department. He grinned at her.

"Harry," she said in relief, grateful to see a friendly face. Harry walked with her towards the Wizengamot.

"All right?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said. "I feel like I've eaten an entire bag of peppermint toads." Harry smiled sympathetically.

"It'll be okay," he said. "I think your proposal sounds brilliant." Hermione smiled at her best friend. Harry had come over the night before and let her practice giving her presentation to him. Over and over until he finally insisted that she needed sleep.

"Well, at least I know that if I pass out from nerves, you can probably give my speech for me," she joked. "You heard it enough times." Harry chuckled.

"You're not going to pass out," he said. "Just pretend you're in class answering one of Flitwick's questions." Professor Flitwick was the one professor that had let Hermione go on as long as she liked when answering a question, smiling in delight at her usually very thorough knowledge. Hermione slapped Harry's arm.

"Prat," she said, ruining her admonishment with a grin.

They reached the closed doors of the room where the presentation would take place. They wouldn't be allowed in until the Wizengamot was ready for them and then spectators would be seated first before Hermione was brought inside. Hermione bit her lip and paced until Harry stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Breathe, Hermione," he said. She nodded and pulled in a breath, then let it out.

"I made it," another voice said behind her. Hermione turned to see Ron, looking a bit out of breath, as if he'd run all the way here. Hermione, emotions already on edge, flung her arms around Ron and hugged him. Ron stiffened for a moment before he relaxed and hugged her back.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Ron pulled away from her with a grin.

"What are friends for?" Hermione smiled and tried very hard not to cry. "You're gonna be great, Hermione." Ron squeezed her hand as the doors behind them opened.

"Good luck, Hermione," Harry said, kissing her cheek. "Not that you need it." He hugged her quickly and followed Ron into the room, both taking seats directly in the center where they would be right behind her.

Hermione took another breath to calm herself. By the time the assistant ushered her inside, she had squared her shoulders and held her head high as she approached the podium. She saw Mr. Satterfield sitting in the back of the room. She hadn't even noticed him come in. Nerves hit her again for moment before Hermione glanced at her boys, who both gave her encouraging smiles. She set her stack of parchment on the lectern, looked up at the Wizengamot, and began.

* * *

"You were brilliant," Ron said as they stood outside the meeting room.

"Do you really think so?" Hermione asked nervously. "They asked an awful lot of questions."

"I think that's a good thing, Hermione," Harry said. "If they didn't think your proposal had merit, they would have just thanked you and sent you on your way, yeah?"

"I hope you're right," Hermione said, chewing on her bottom lip again.

"How long until they make a decision?" Ron asked.

"It depends," Hermione said. "They've got more hearings today and tomorrow and then they meet Friday to start discussing the various proposals. It could be as early as Friday or it could take another week or more."

"Let us take you to lunch, Hermione," Harry said. Ron nodded in agreement. Hermione glanced at her watch. It was only a little after eleven.

"It's a bit early for lunch, isn't it?" Harry shrugged a shoulder.

"I think we should celebrate."

"Harry, there's nothing to celebrate yet," Hermione chided.

"Of course, there is," Harry said. "You gave your first presentation to the Wizengamot today. The first of many, I'm sure." They both looked at her expectantly.

"Oh, all right," Hermione said, their enthusiasm rubbing off on her. "Give me thirty minutes and I'll meet you in the Atrium." Both men grinned. Hermione waved and hurried to the lifts. She would need to tell Gwendolyn that she was taking an early lunch.

As the doors slid shut, Hermione realized she wasn't alone. She glanced to the side and saw Mr. Satterfield standing next to her.

"Hello, sir," she said, trying to keep her voice even.

"I suppose you're rather proud of yourself, now," her boss said.

"I don't think proud is the right word, but I do think the presentation went well," she replied.

"I certainly hope you're right, for your sake."

"Sir?" she questioned, confused as to what her boss was getting at. He turned towards her, the smile on his face making her shiver.

"The little tricks you pulled to get this absurd bill before the Wizengamot? They won't work again." Before Hermione could speak, she was interrupted by the voice of the lift.

"Level Four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures incorporating the Being Division, Beast Division, and Spirit Division." The doors slid open, but neither of them moved.

"I hope you enjoyed today, Granger, because it's the last presentation you'll ever make." He left the lift and Hermione stared after him, her feeling of accomplishment completely extinguished.

* * *

 **2 October 1999**

Remus slowly climbed the stairs to the box Harry had purchased. It wasn't that he didn't want to watch Ginny's first match as Chaser for the Harpies, but he knew that Hermione was going to be there. A part of him cheered this fact, especially since he'd found out that Hermione and Anthony were no longer dating. But the other, more rational part of him, tried to bury that part as deep as he could.

Remus was immensely glad that the match was a week after the full moon instead of the week before. While always restless and randy leading up to the full moon, he had been unusually so this past month. He wasn't sure why that was, exactly, but his frustration had definitely affected the transformation this time. Andromeda had frowned when she came to get him out of the cellar and saw the myriad of bruises and scratches he had. She hadn't asked any questions, however, simply patched him up, for which Remus was grateful.

Remus had offered to stay home with Teddy, the two of them deciding that a professional Quidditch match was not the best place for a toddler, and let Andromeda attend the match instead. She had laughed, telling him that he was well aware she had no great interest in Quidditch.

Remus reached the box and opened the door to step inside. Harry had purchased one of the luxury boxes, which not only seated at least twenty people, but also came with House-Elves that served food and drinks to the guests. He smirked thinking of Hermione's likely reaction when she found out about it. He was sure she had given Harry an earful.

When Remus looked around, it seemed his suspicions had been correct and Hermione was _still_ reading Harry the riot act. Remus chuckled.

"Remus, good of you to come," Arthur greeted, shaking his hand.

"You must be rather proud," Remus said with a smile. Arthur grinned back.

"Yes, it's quite exciting," he said. "Molly and I never thought it would be Ginny that would pursue the professional Quidditch career, but we're both quite pleased." Remus clapped a hand on the older man's shoulder. He could tell Arthur was nearly bursting with pride at his daughter's accomplishment.

"Please, help yourself to something to drink," Arthur said indicating a full bar set out on one table. There was all manner of drinks, both alcoholic and not. Remus nodded and made his way to the table, twisting the cap off a bottle of butterbeer. He thought it better to keep his wits about him today.

"Remus," Bill said as he and Fleur approached the table. Remus greeted them both as Bill poured his wife a glass of lemonade and selected a bottle of ale for himself. Remus watched as Fleur sipped at the lemonade, even though there were more than a few bottles of wine on the table, some of them a rather good vintage. He had never known Fleur to turn down wine before.

"I cannot drink zis," she said to Bill, making a face and handing him the glass. Bill looked at her in concern.

"Water, then?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied with a sigh. She turned a slight shade of green as one of the House-Elves walked by with a platter of food and Remus immediately understood. Bill put an arm around his wife and kissed her temple.

"Dora always found that ginger tea helped," Remus said quietly. Bill and Fleur looked up at him in surprise. Remus smiled. "I'm sure one of the Elves could get you some."

"We haven't told the family yet," Bill said, glancing behind him to see where his mother was. Remus nodded in understanding.

"Congratulations," Remus said. They both smiled.

"Thank you," Bill said. He turned back to Fleur. "Do you want to go home?"

"Non. I want to be here for your sister."

"Everyone will understand," Bill said.

"But zen we will have to tell zem and zis is Ginny's day."

"Perhaps if you sit in the first row of seats, you'll get enough fresh air that the smells of the food won't bother you," Remus suggested. The box, while covered in warming charms, was still open to the pitch in the front.

"Zat is a good idea," Fleur said. "Thank you, Remus." Bill led her carefully to the seats in front and settled her at the end of the row in case she needed to leave quickly. Remus knew that morning sickness was a misnomer. It lasted the entirety of the day, sometimes. Bill kissed the top of her head before he walked off to speak to one of the House-Elves.

"Remus, I'm glad you made it," Harry said as he walked up to the drinks table. If the Firewhiskey he poured himself was any indication, Hermione had indeed been most displeased at discovering the House-Elves.

"Nervous?" Remus asked.

"A bit," Harry said. "But that's not what this is about." He indicated the glass of Firewhiskey in his hand.

"Hermione looked a bit upset when I walked in." Harry rolled his eyes.

"That's an understatement," he said.

"She doesn't think the Harpies organization mistreats their Elves, does she?"

"No, but now that her proposal passed, she says she has to set a good example. Which I guess to her means that she can't ever be served by a House-Elf for the rest of her life." Harry rolled his eyes.

"Wait, her proposal passed?" Remus asked. He hadn't heard anything about it.

"Oh yeah, just yesterday," Harry said. "I don't think it's even been in the Prophet yet." Remus glanced over at Hermione who was talking to George and Angelina.

"She must be ecstatic," Remus said, still staring at her.

"Yeah, she was pretty excited last night," Harry agreed. "She found out just before she left work." Remus felt a smile form on his face. He always knew that she would be successful. Hermione turned at that moment and caught him looking at her. She smiled widely when she saw him and, excusing herself, crossed the box towards Remus and Harry.

"Remus," she said. "It's so good to see you."

"Congratulations, Hermione," Remus said. "I heard your proposal passed." Hermione grinned widely.

"Yes, it did, can you believe it?"

"Indeed, I can," he said, smiling back at her. Someone called Harry's name and Harry left the two of them alone. Remus fidgeted before he focused back on Hermione.

"Not in its entirety, of course," Hermione said. Remus looked at her questioningly. "The Wizengamot decided that those homes that passed the initial inspection didn't need to be inspected again unless there was a complaint. And instead of giving the Elves one day off a week, they've decided two days a month is sufficient." She looked a bit upset at this.

"It sounds like a fantastic start," Remus said. "Laws can always be amended if there is a need in the future."

"That's true," Hermione said, visibly brightening. They spoke a bit longer about her proposal and how she envisioned implementing it. Remus couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

"How about you?" Hermione asked a few minutes later. "Are you doing any tutoring this year?"

"Just a bit here and there," Remus said. "The students have vastly improved since this time last year."

"Professor McGonagall should hire you to teach permanently," Hermione said with a frown.

"Yes, well, we both know that is unlikely to happen," Remus said.

"But you've registered," Hermione argued. "There's nothing legally stopping her."

"Except decades of prejudice," Remus said somewhat bitterly. He looked away, not wanting to see the pity in Hermione's eyes. She put a hand on his arm and he went rigid at the touch. Hermione didn't seem to notice.

"I want you to know that I've already begun working on another proposal," she said. "To repeal all these ridiculous anti-werewolf laws and reshape the werewolf services division." She looked fiercely determined.

"I appreciate that, Hermione," he said, moving subtly so her hand slid off his arm. "But I don't think that either of us are so naïve as to expect things to change overnight."

"No," Hermione agreed. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try." He finally nodded and gave her a small smile. She smiled back and the two of them stared at one another. They were interrupted by the announcer welcoming everyone to the match.

Remus tore his eyes away from her and looked out at the pitch. The Weasleys and Harry were moving toward their seats.

"Coming?" Hermione asked as she began to walk forward.

"Yes, I'm just, ah, going to get a bit to eat first." Hermione smiled again and nodded before walking to sit next to Harry. Remus busied himself at the food table until George had sat down on Hermione's other side. Remus then moved to a seat behind Arthur and as far away from Hermione as he could get.

* * *

They all stood and clapped as the Harpies were introduced, cheering loudest for Ginny of course. She flew past the box, look of concentration on her face, although Hermione saw her give Harry a wink before she flew off. Harry looked like he was going to burst with pride. Hermione shook her head. They really were adorable.

She glanced to the side and saw that Remus had indeed joined them, although he had seated himself behind Arthur on the opposite end of the row from Hermione. He leaned forward and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder before saying something to the older man. Arthur grinned and nodded, turning back slightly to reply to whatever Remus had said.

"-Hermione?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione said, finally looking away from Remus and turning towards George.

"I asked if you were all right," George said.

"Yes, why?" George shrugged.

"Tried to get your attention about three times."

"Sorry, George," Hermione said, her eyes shifting back towards Remus.

"I'm not sure what's so interesting at the other end of the row," George said, looking over Hermione's head, brow furrowed.

"It's nothing," Hermione said immediately. "I was just lost in thought, that's all." George looked at her dubiously, but before he could say anything else the referee blew his whistle and the match began.

When Ginny scored her first goal, Hermione leapt to her feet with everyone else and screamed Ginny's name. Harry hugged her tightly and the Weasley brothers were high-fiving each other. Hermione glanced over and saw tears in Molly's eyes as she applauded and cheered for her daughter. She saw Remus clap Arthur on the shoulder again and Hermione smiled. There was no hiding the pure joy on Arthur's face.

When the Harpies Seeker finally caught the Snitch almost five hours later, winning the game against the Kestrels 290-120, Hermione was thrilled, but exhausted. The match had been tight all the way through, both teams exchanging goals almost evenly. Ginny had scored four of the teams fourteen goals. Harry was nearly hoarse after all the shouting he'd done. George and Ron were well into their cups by the time the match was over and loudly singing the Harpies team song. Molly continued to try and shush them, but they simply ignored her and sang louder.

Ginny flew up to the box and Harry stood on his chair and snogged her quite thoroughly. Hermione was thankful there was a charm on the box that kept people from falling out of it.

"Congratulations, Ginny," Hermione said once Harry had finally released her.

"Thanks," Ginny said with a grin. "I'll see you all in a bit, yeah?" She kissed Harry one more time and then flew off to join the rest of her team in the changing rooms. Hermione left her seat to get something to drink. Remus was standing there when she reached the table.

"Great match," Hermione said with a grin as she reached for a bottle of butterbeer.

"Here, let me," Remus said, opening it for her. His fingers brushed hers as he handed her the bottle. He let go of it quickly and Hermione, who hadn't gotten a good grip on it yet, dropped the bottle. They both jumped when it hit the floor.

"Shite," Remus swore under his breath. He quickly vanished the mess. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Hermione said. He opened another bottle and handed it to her, this time holding it by the neck and being sure not to touch her. Once she had it in her hand, she gave him a tentative smile. Remus returned it, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. He looked nervous for some reason, but Hermione couldn't figure out why.

"I should probably head home," he said.

"Oh, but don't you want to wait for Ginny?"

"It's late and Teddy has been, uh, giving us problems about going to bed, so I should, I should go home and help Andromeda." Hermione frowned. Harry had kept Teddy overnight a few days ago and Hermione had been there when Harry was putting him to bed. The little boy hadn't made a fuss at all. Not to mention that it was still an hour before Teddy's bedtime.

"Just, please tell Ginny I said congratulations and I, I'll speak to you later." Remus turned and hurried out of the box, Hermione looking after him in confusion.

"Where's Remus?" Harry asked as he came up to her a few minutes later.

"He left," Hermione said.

"He did? Without saying good-bye?" Hermione nodded.

"He said he had to get home and help Andromeda with Teddy."

"Oh, well, I can understand that." Hermione thought about telling Harry what Remus had said about putting Teddy to bed, but decided against it. Perhaps the little boy was only giving his father and grandmother trouble. Besides, Hermione had the distinct impression that Remus had been uncomfortable around her.

* * *

Remus swore under his breath as he left the stadium. Harry was sure to know the pathetic excuse Remus gave wasn't true. Harry had just kept Teddy overnight a few days ago.

Remus was sure that Hermione suspected something. After he'd practically jumped a foot when their fingers brushed, Remus had acted like an awkward thirteen-year-old around his first crush. He was a grown man, for fuck's sake. He could certainly be around an attractive woman without completely losing his head.

Remus reached the Apparition point and took a deep breath. He needed to calm down or he was going to end up splinching himself. Hermione was Harry's best friend. She was always going to be at family events and Remus needed to get used to that. If he continued to act the way he had tonight, she was going to catch on and that was the last thing that Remus wanted. He didn't need her to feel sorry for him.

Avoidance seemed to be the best idea. He would just make sure he was around her as little as possible. He ignored the voice in his head that reminded him that hadn't worked with Dora and Disapparated.

* * *

 **19 October 1999**

"It's finally come through," Gwendolyn said as Hermione walked into their office.

"The directive?" Hermione asked and Gwendolyn nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Satterfield has scheduled a meeting for this afternoon to begin discussing the implementation." Hermione grinned. While her proposal had been accepted on the first, it took another two weeks for Kingsley to sign off on it and the Wizengamot to decide how it would be implemented. Usually some discretion was left up to the department, but Hermione knew that many of the Purebloods on the Wizengamot owned House-Elves and she was sure they would have quite a bit to say about her proposal's implementation.

"What time is the meeting?" Hermione asked as she went through the memos on her desk.

"At two o'clock," Gwendolyn replied, her brow furrowing. "Didn't you get the memo about it?"

"No," Hermione said as she went through her pile of mail again.

"That's odd." Gwendolyn stood and walked to Hermione's desk, going through the stack herself. When there was no memo, she frowned. "Maybe he just sent it to me and expected that I would let you know."

"Maybe," Hermione said, but Mr. Satterfield's threat to her in the elevator after her presentation rang in her mind.

"Well, no matter, the meeting is at two o'clock in the conference room." Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. She was quite sure that Mr. Satterfield had excluded her on purpose.

* * *

Hermione walked with Gwendolyn to the conference room. She wondered what her boss would have to say about her being there. Hermione didn't think he would cause as scene, as the author of the proposal surely had a right to be at the meeting about its implementation.

As they walked into the room, Mr. Satterfield's eyes narrowed when he saw Hermione. He didn't say anything, however, as she and Gwendolyn sat down. The head of the Being Division, as well as a few of the other employees were also present.

"The Wizengamot has set down very specific guidelines as to how these new measures are to be implemented," Mr. Satterfield said as he started the meeting. "They are going to mean some long hours for us." There was a bit of grumbling and Mr. Satterfield looked pointedly at Hermione. She held his gaze.

"Also, the budget we've been given isn't likely to be enough. I may have to reassign a few people. I am currently working on this with the Division Heads and will keep you all informed of our decision." Her co-workers began glancing nervously at one another.

Hermione tried not to let any emotion show on her face, but this was something she hadn't expected. She knew that the initial execution of her plan would be a bit costly, as they would have to inspect every household that employed House-Elves. Once that had been done, however, the costs to keep things running would be low. She assumed the Wizengamot would realize this and budget accordingly.

"For now, everything will be run through the House-Elf Relocation Office," their boss continued. "As we become more familiar with the inspection process, this may change." Hermione glanced at Gwendolyn, who looked troubled. Hermione had made sure to suggest that the House-Elf Relocation Office become the House-Elf Liaison office, knowing that Gwendolyn already had much of the knowledge that would be needed to run such a department. She wasn't sure why Mr. Satterfield would want to do something differently.

"As you can see by the information in front of you, this is going to be quite the undertaking. I do hope you are all up for the challenge." He looked directly at Hermione when he said this. She sat up straighter in her chair, refusing to look away from him.

"Take the materials and review them. We will meet again tomorrow morning at ten to discuss any questions. That is all." Everyone stood and began gathering up their piles of parchment. One woman gave Hermione a dirty look as she left the room. Hermione sighed and picked up her own parchment, scanning the instructions from the Wizengamot.

"Miss Granger, a word," Mr. Satterfield said. Hermione nodded and walked towards him. He waited until everyone else had left the room. "I do not believe I sent you a memo inviting you to this meeting." Hermione stared at him in shock.

"I assumed that was an oversight," she finally said.

"It was not," he replied.

"But, this is my proposal, sir."

"I am aware of that, Miss Granger."

"Then, I don't understand."

"You did hear what I said about reassignment?" he questioned, looking smug.

"Yes," she said carefully.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable in your office, if I were you."

"Are you telling me that you are not going to allow me to work on the implementation of my own proposal?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"As I said in the meeting, Miss Granger, changes may be necessary." She stared at him and he smirked. "You may go." She turned and left the conference room. Mr. Satterfield's threat on the elevator hadn't been an idle one, apparently. Hermione might have very well made her one and only presentation to the Wizengamot.

* * *

 **31 October 1999**

Remus and Andromeda stood in front of the gate to the cemetery at Godric's Hollow. Remus pulled in a breath, his chest tight, lump in his throat. It had been a long time since he had visited James and Lily's grave. If Harry hadn't asked, he likely wouldn't be here now. The pain of losing them was always greater on this day, and Harry's addition wasn't going to make it easier.

Harry had approached him a few weeks ago, just after Ginny's Quidditch match, about getting a headstone for Sirius. There was a plot next to James and Lily that was available and Harry had purchased it. They had never had any kind of memorial for Sirius and Harry wanted to put up a headstone next to his parents. Remus had agreed that it would be the appropriate place to honor his friend.

Eighteen years, Remus thought as he and Andromeda finally walked into the graveyard. He couldn't believe it had been so long. Andromeda slipped an arm through his as they made their way across the cemetery, Remus' feet seeming to know the way without him having to direct them.

"Remus, Andromeda," Harry greeted as the two of them reached the small group. "I'm glad you're here." Remus smiled. Ginny was next to Harry, holding tightly to his hand and Ron and Hermione stood nearby. Most of the rest of the Weasleys were there as well, save Charlie who was back in Romania and Molly who had volunteered to watch Teddy. Remus knew that she still had difficulty with memorials. A few moments later there was a small pop and Kingsley appeared from a copse of trees a few moments later. Minerva followed shortly after him.

"Thank you all for coming," Harry said once everyone had arrived. "I've been wanting to do something for Sirius for a while now and this seemed like the most appropriate." Harry waved his wand and the charm fell from the headstone that sat next to James and Lily's.

 _Sirius Orion Black_

 _Born 3 November 1959_

 _Died 18 June 1996_

 _Friends are the Family We Choose for Ourselves_

The lump in Remus' throat grew larger and made it difficult to swallow around. Harry had chosen a very fitting inscription. They had been family, the four of them. Remus had to include Peter because he had been their brother, once. Four boys, thrown together by the Sorting Hat, had come to mean everything to one another. For a little while, anyway.

Andromeda kept her hand on his arm as Kingsley stepped forward to say a few words. Remus could hear the sniffling and throat clearing throughout those gathered around the graves. Ginny leaned a head on Harry's shoulder, Hermione held his hand on the other side and Ron stood next to his sister, arm around her shoulders. Minerva stood next to Remus and looked stoically ahead, but she couldn't hide the brightness in her eyes. Lily had always been one of her favorites and as much as she protested otherwise, Remus knew that the Marauders always held a special place in their Head of House's heart. Remus shifted and put a hand on her back. Minerva glanced to the side and smiled at him gratefully, patting his arm with her other hand.

When Kingsley finished speaking, they all stood in silence for a few minutes and then began to move apart. Remus pulled in another breath, trying to gather himself. Andromeda squeezed his arm one more time, then moved away a few steps to speak with Minerva. The Headmistress would need to return to Hogwarts before the Halloween Feast began.

"Remus," Harry said quietly.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Do you think," Harry paused and fidgeted a bit. "Do you think Sirius would have approved?" Remus smiled.

"Yes, Harry, I think he would have been quite pleased." Harry nodded and turned back to the headstones. He conjured two bouquets of flowers and placed them at the base of each headstone. Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder as the two of them paid silent tribute to their family.

"Ginny wants to see the memorial in the square and the one at the house," Harry said. "If you'd like to join us."

Remus had seen the statue in the square the few times that he had visited the cemetery over the years. The devastation to the house, however, had been too much for Remus to bear. He had seen it once, just after Sirius had been sent to Azkaban and hadn't returned since. He had no idea there was any kind of memorial.

Remus didn't know if he could once again stand in front of the house where two of his best friends had met their end. Where Sirius had run off after the traitor and Hagrid had taken Harry away to grow up in a loveless, abusive household. Remus glanced at the man beside him, the man who had never gotten a chance to know his parents and Remus knew that he could not refuse. More than that, Remus had a responsibility. A responsibility to tell Harry about all the laughter, happiness and love that house had been filled with.

"All right," Remus said. He followed the small group towards the memorial in the square. Andromeda remained behind, intending to spend a little time at Sirius' headstone and then go to the Burrow to help Molly with the dinner she had invited everyone to afterward.

When the statue came into view, Remus smiled at something Sirius had said about James' likeness. The year Sirius had been on the run, he had come to Godric's Hollow in the middle of the night as Padfoot. All he had to say about it later was that they hadn't got it right, as James' hair was much too neat.

They moved towards the edge of town, following a path Remus hadn't stepped foot on for many years. His thoughts drifted back to those days when he'd been gone with the werewolf packs so often and Sirius had been so suspicious. Lily never had, she had trusted him completely until the end, insisting that it couldn't have been any of them that had turned traitor.

Remus looked up as the house came into view. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of the familiar cottage, the upper floor nearly destroyed. He had come here as soon as he'd heard, the news even reaching the pack he had been with in the forests of northern Scotland. He remembered the smell of charred wood and something else, Dark Magic residue he later learned, lingering in the air. He had taken one look at the house and proceeded to retch into the street. Falling to his knees, Remus had stared at the house for what seemed like hours, not quite able to accept that his friends were gone.

Now, all those emotions rolled back over him in a wave and Remus had a hard time continuing to put one foot in front of the other. Hermione, who had been walking a bit ahead of him, turned back and frowned at the expression on his face. She moved back towards him, taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. Remus looked down at her gratefully, the tightness in his chest easing just a bit. He walked with her to the house and Harry grasped the gate. The sign rose from the ground, but Remus didn't need to read it. He had lived it.

He stood there for quite some time, staring at the house, Hermione's hand clasped firmly in his own. When Harry and Ginny finally turned to go, Remus remained. Hermione seemed willing to linger with him, as she didn't follow her friends. When he was finally ready, Remus looked at Hermione.

"Thank you," he said. She smiled at him and his chest was tight for a different reason.

"You're welcome," she said. Remus stared at her for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.

"We should get back." He dropped her hand and took a step away from her. Hermione's face clouded for a moment before she nodded.

They made their way back to the cemetery in silence, Remus berating himself in his head the entire way. Holding her hand was definitely _not_ avoiding her. And now they would both be at the Burrow for the evening. Remus thought about going home, surely Harry would assume it was due to his grief, but Andromeda was already at the Burrow and he didn't want her worrying about him.

Remus glanced at Hermione as they all crossed the cemetery once more, heading for the small copse of trees so they could Disapparate. There were going to be plenty of people at the Burrow. Surely, Remus wouldn't have any trouble avoiding her.


	40. Denial

**A/N - Thanks so much for all the reviews last chapter! I think that you all just might like this one. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 40**

 **Denial**

 **31 October 1999**

Hermione grinned at Harry and Ron who were sprawled on the carpet playing dragons with Teddy. Arthur had found an old set of building blocks and Harry and Ron had promptly built a small city for the little boy. His dragon was currently destroying said city. Teddy would squeal and laugh every time he knocked down another building. Hermione saw Remus glance fondly at his son from time to time as he chatted with Arthur.

Remus was looking much more relaxed than he had in Godric's Hollow. Hermione couldn't even imagine how difficult it must have been for him to see the house again. She knew that while it was hard for Harry as well, it wasn't the same. She was sure that Remus had seen the smoking ruins of the house shortly after Harry's parents had been killed. Seen them and been told that another of his best friends had betrayed them. Hermione couldn't even fathom it.

He had had such a hard life, being bitten at such young age and then losing almost every single person that he loved. Of course, they had all suffered, they had all lost people close to them, people they loved. But Remus seemed to have lost more than most. And yet he still seemed to find some happiness in life. Hermione was somewhat in awe of his strength.

"Enjoying the view?" Ginny asked as she came up behind Hermione.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Remus," Ginny said simply. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're not going to start all that again, are you?"

"I saw the two of you holding hands today at the house."

"Yes, because Remus was upset and I was trying to offer him a bit of comfort, _as a friend._ I did the same for Harry in the cemetery, if you'll recall. Do you think I fancy _him_?"

"I don't know why you wouldn't," Ginny said with a smirk. Hermione groaned.

"You're impossible." Ginny laughed.

"Well, you are free now," Ginny said with a shrug.

"So?"

"So, maybe you should try to find someone who's a bit more suited to you."

"And you think Remus is that person?"

"Maybe," Ginny said shrugging again.

"You're mad." Hermione shook her head.

"Why?"

"For all the same reasons you were mad the first time you suggested this, plus the fact that I'm quite sure Remus would never fancy me."

"And why is that?"

"It might have something to do with the fact that he seems extremely uncomfortable around me in every social situation we've been in the last few months." Ginny's eyes narrowed and she looked across the room at Remus.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Hermione said. "At your Quidditch match, he was handing me a butterbeer and when he touched my fingers, he flinched and dropped the bottle so fast you'd think I'd burned him." Ginny's look turned thoughtful.

"Huh," was all she said.

"Even today when we got back to the cemetery, he dropped my hand as fast as he could and looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but next to me."

"Did he?" Ginny said absently, but Hermione was quite sure that Ginny was no longer paying attention to her. She was too busy studying Remus.

"Gin, stop being ridiculous," Hermione said in a huff. "I have enough to deal with at my stupid job. I don't need to be fending off your matchmaking attempts on top of it." Ginny turned towards her.

"What's going on at work now?"

"Just more of the same," Hermione said with a sigh. "They're scheduled to start the inspections tomorrow and I, of course, am not included."

"Bloody wanker," Ginny snapped, eyes blazing with anger.

"That's too kind," Hermione said with a scowl.

"Honestly, Hermione, why are you putting up with his shite?" Ginny asked. "I can't believe you haven't quit yet." Hermione sighed.

"It's my proposal, Gin, I can't leave before it's been fully implemented."

"But he's not letting you have anything to do with it!"

"All the more reason I need to stay," Hermione insisted. "I have to make sure it's done properly."

"Is Gwendolyn still keeping you informed?"

"As much as she can," Hermione said. "She said he's made comments about moving her somewhere else in the department once the inspections are done. He pretty much needs everyone he can get for those. Gwendolyn thinks they're just idle threats, but I'm afraid the fact that she supported my plan is going to get her into trouble."

"He can't just do this, Hermione," Ginny protested. "There are rules about firing people."

"Of course, there are," Hermione replied. "But that's why he's only threatening to move her somewhere else. It's completely in his power to shuffle people around within the department as long as he doesn't demote them. I expect he'll justify it by saying they don't need an entire subdivision to relocate House-Elves once the law is fully enacted."

"Gods, what a fucking tosser."

"Ginevra, language!" Molly said, hands on her hips as she walked into the living room. "There is a child present!"

"Sorry, Mum," Ginny muttered. Molly announced that dinner was ready and everyone began moving into the kitchen. Ron bumped into Hermione which jostled her into Remus. She gave him an apologetic smile. Remus nodded once, his smile tight, before hurrying around the table to sit next to Teddy's high chair. Hermione sighed and sat down at the opposite end. Ginny didn't know what she was talking about.

* * *

Remus tried to avoid looking at Hermione for the entirety of the meal. He had acted like an idiot when she bumped into him before dinner, practically running away from her as quickly as possible. When Remus chanced a glance at her, he saw her deep in conversation with Percy. Remus felt a flare of jealousy before he stamped it back down. He was being ridiculous, of course, Audrey had joined them at the Burrow after they returned from the cemetery and was sitting on Percy's other side, involved in the conversation as well. Percy was completely besotted with Audrey, anyone could see that.

This was getting out of hand. Trying to avoid Hermione wasn't working and if he didn't get his reaction to her under control, she was surely going to figure it out. Remus shifted his gaze away from Hermione and met Ginny's eye. The redhead smiled knowingly at him and Remus swallowed, looking back at his plate. He cursed in his head. Of course, Ginny knew.

What Remus couldn't understand, though, was why Ginny looked so pleased about it. Surely, she didn't want him dating Hermione any more than Harry would. He thought back to what she had said to him about Hermione needing someone more mature than Ron, but not as uptight as Anthony. Surely, she hadn't meant him.

Remus thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. Of course, she hadn't meant him. While he knew that Ginny liked and respected him, wanting her best girlfriend to date him was a completely different story. He was being absurd. A throat clearing caught his attention.

"Fleur and I have an announcement to make," Bill said. Molly gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "We're going to have a baby." Remus smiled at the whoops and cheers around the table as everyone stood and tried to hug both Bill and Fleur at the same time. Molly was crying and everyone else wore wide grins. It was a wonderful ending to a trying day.

* * *

 **3 November 1999**

Hermione sighed as she picked up another stack of files from her desk. As most everyone else in the Being Division was out doing inspections, Hermione had been relegated all the tasks that they didn't have time to complete, which were usually the most tedious. It seemed that every time she returned to her office from the archives there was yet another pile of parchment to file. She had spent so much time in the archives over the past few days, she almost felt as if she lived there.

As she was leaving her office a memo flew in and landed on her desk. Setting down the stack of parchment, Hermione picked it up and opened it.

 _Please see Mr. Satterfield in his office at three o'clock._

Hermione sighed again. She didn't think it likely that the meeting meant anything good.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Satterfield," Hermione said as she entered his office.

"Yes, sit down, sit down," he said, moving aside a pile of parchment. Hermione perched on the edge of one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"I have been thinking about your future here, Miss Granger," he said leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers over his massive belly. Hermione said nothing, just continued to hold his gaze. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of begging for a job in the Being Division. She had resigned herself to the fact that it was not going to happen. Knowing that Mr. Satterfield couldn't fire her without cause, she was determined to stick it out until all the House-Elf inspections had been completed and the program was running as she envisioned it.

"There are two possible positions open," he said. "One in the Spirit Division and one in the Beast Division." Even knowing it was coming didn't make it hurt any less. Hermione managed to keep a neutral expression on her face, however.

"I have decided that in order to determine which you are more suited for, I would like to give you a trial period in each. After which, we will decide where to place you."

"Yes, sir," Hermione said.

"I would like you to report to the Spirit Division tomorrow morning. You've met Jasper Nithercott, head of the Department. He will let you know what he needs you to do."

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck, Miss Granger," Mr. Satterfield said with a smug grin that Hermione wanted to hex off his face. She simply nodded and left his office.

* * *

Hermione was staring morosely at her desk when Gwendolyn walked in. The other woman looked exhausted.

"Trouble today?" Hermione asked. Gwendolyn sank into her chair with a sigh.

"Not until the last place." Hermione glanced at the list she was keeping for herself.

"Yaxley?" Hermione asked. Gwendolyn nodded. She knew the Yaxley in question was not the Death Eater that had grabbed her just before she'd Apparated away from the Ministry, but his mother. Corban Yaxley was in Azkaban serving a life-sentence.

"This is the first time I've had to call for Aurors since we began the inspections. She refused to answer the door and then tried to hex us from a window. Once we finally got inside, it became clear rather quickly that the woman has completely lost her mind. The house is filthy," Gwendolyn said. "When we were finally able to get the House-Elf, Tibby, to talk, she told us that her mistress only allowed her to clean one room in the house. That room was spotless and where Mrs. Yaxley obviously spent most of her time."

"Which room was it?"

"Master Corban's room, according Tibby. Mrs. Yaxley is anxiously awaiting her son's return." Hermione's brow furrowed. She knew that Corban Yaxley was married and had children. Many of the old families still had estates large enough that multiple generations lived in the same manor. But if that were the case, Yaxley's wife and children should have been present as well.

"It was clearly his childhood bedroom," Gwendolyn continued. "As I said, the woman is completely mad." Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"I'm surprised that Yaxley's family hasn't been caring for her," Hermione said.

"Yes, well, apparently we weren't the only ones that Mrs. Yaxley greeted with hexes. She has allowed her grandson in a few times, evidently he looks quite a bit like his father, but not recently from what Tibby says."

"Did you remove her?" Hermione asked. "Tibby, I mean."

"I wanted to, but Tibby refused to leave. Despite the state of the house, Mrs. Yaxley appears well-fed and Tibby herself was clean and nourished properly. There were no signs that Tibby has been ill-treated. I'm going to contact the younger Mrs. Yaxley and suggest she send in St. Mungo's." Hermione nodded. "If one of her grandchildren would like to take on Tibby's bond and they pass inspection, we will simply transfer Tibby to them. Otherwise, I'll have to relocate her."

Hermione shook her head. It was the worst-case scenario. When an Elf was mistreated or abused, the bond was immediately weakened and was much easier to sever when the House-Elf was relocated. Those that were treated well and had no desire to leave their families were much more difficult. It was avoided if at all possible. Transferring Tibby's bond to one of her Mistress' grandchildren would be relatively easy and cause little to no harm to Tibby. Hermione hoped that the younger Mrs. Yaxley would agree.

"You didn't look like you were in a much better mood than I was when I came in," Gwendolyn said as she pulled out an inspection form and began to fill it out.

"Mr. Satterfield is transferring me," Hermione said. Gwendolyn immediately stopped writing and looked up at Hermione. A drop of ink fell from her quill onto the parchment below, but Gwendolyn didn't seem to notice.

"When?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Tomorrow," Hermione said quietly.

"Where?"

"The Spirit Division, temporarily."

"Temporarily?" Gwendolyn repeated.

"He says there's also a position in the Beast Division and he's going to have me work both and see which is the better fit."

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry," Gwendolyn said. Hermione shrugged.

"It's not as if we weren't expecting it. I'm surprised it took this long, to be honest."

"It still doesn't make it right," Gwendolyn said.

"No," Hermione agreed. "But I want to see this proposal through, even if I'm not working on it."

"We'll have lunch as often as we can," Gwendolyn said. "And I'll tell you everything." Hermione smiled. She was glad the two of them had become friends. She knew that the House-Elf legislation was in good hands with Gwendolyn as long as Mr. Satterfield left her working on it. Hermione knew that he wouldn't do anything until all the inspections were done at least. He needed Gwendolyn too much.

"Thank you," Hermione said. She looked around her desk and realized she would have to clear everything away. Tomorrow, Hermione would be at another desk in a completely different division. Harry and Ron and a younger version of herself waved at her from their frame. Hermione smiled. She wasn't going to let this break her.

* * *

 **16 November 1999**

Remus looked at the dwindling pile of galleons in his vault and sighed. He had only been up to Hogwarts once in the last month to tutor. Minerva had mentioned setting up study groups before exams, but that was nearly three weeks away and likely would only last a week.

Andromeda still took care of all their necessities and never gave Remus any indication that she couldn't afford it. But she'd had no income coming in for more than two years now since Ted had gone on the run and Remus knew that she'd inherited no money from the Blacks when her father had passed. Remus had never asked her about finances, of course, but he needed to get a job. He needed to be able to provide for his own son.

Remus bent and scooped up a handful of galleons, leaving a rather meager pile behind. He climbed back into the cart with the goblin. Perhaps being so close to Christmas some of the shops in Diagon Alley would be looking for help. Or he could always try Muggle London. Remus had taken many an odd job in Muggle shops or warehouses when he was younger and they seemed to be more flexible in their scheduling. He also wouldn't have to deal with customers and co-workers that knew he was a werewolf.

Climbing out of the cart when they reached the surface, Remus thanked the goblin and left the bank. Yes, Muggle London was likely a better idea.

* * *

 **3 December 1999**

Hermione walked into the bookshop and headed for the mystery section. She hadn't been in a Muggle bookshop in ages, but wanted to pick up a book for her dad for Christmas. Charing Cross Books was across the street from Leaky Cauldron, where she had Flooed after work. While her parents had invited her to Australia for the holiday, Hermione decided instead to spend Christmas at the Burrow and then go to Australia on Boxing Day. The Ministry was closed the week between Christmas and New Year's, so she would spend a few days in Australia and be back for Harry's New Year's Eve party at Grimmauld Place.

After finding the book for her dad, Hermione browsed a bit. Perhaps she would get Teddy a few Muggle children's books for Christmas. She doubted anyone else would buy the same thing and Teddy did love books. Got that from his father, she thought with a smile.

She hadn't seen Remus since Halloween, but he had often been in her thoughts. Mostly, she couldn't get Ginny's voice out of her head. Ginny wasn't wrong in that Remus' personality was much more suited to Hermione than Anthony or even Ron had been. But Hermione still wasn't ready to admit that there was even a remote possibility for a future between them. There was no way that Remus could think of her in _that_ way. She was quite sure that he saw her as nothing more than a friend.

That was why his behavior at both Ginny's match and Halloween had confused her. She thought about the times he had hugged her when she had been upset shortly after the battle. He hadn't seemed to have a problem touching her then or even months afterward. Why did he seem so skittish around her now?

Maybe he had gotten the wrong impression from something she had said. If Remus thought that she fancied him, that would explain his awkward behavior. He was probably afraid of giving her the wrong idea. Yes, that likely made sense, except Hermione had thought about it and couldn't pinpoint any specific instance that might have made him think that way.

Hermione sighed. If that was the problem, she wasn't sure how to go about fixing it. It's not like she was just going to walk up to Remus and tell him that she didn't fancy him. _Because you do,_ a voice that sounded suspiciously like Ginny said in her head. Hermione scoffed. She did not.

"Is there something I can help you with?" a voice said and Hermione whipped around, mouth dropping open in shock.

"Remus?" she said staring incredulously at him.

"Hermione," Remus said in equal surprise.

"What are you doing here?" they both said at the same time. Remus chuckled and Hermione grinned.

"I'm doing a bit of Christmas shopping," she explained. "You're working here?"

"Temporarily," Remus said, looking slightly embarrassed. She smiled widely.

"Seems like a perfect job for you." Remus chuckled again.

"It is a good thing it isn't Flourish and Blotts or I might spend my entire paycheck in the store." Hermione laughed. She would have the same problem, she knew.

"Remus?" a woman's voice said. Remus turned and Hermione saw a woman about his age smiling softly at him. "You may take your dinner break now, if you like."

"Thank you, Emily," Remus said. The woman's gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds before she nodded and turned away, moving towards the non-fiction section where another customer was browsing. Hermione stared after her, something twisting uncomfortably in her gut.

"Can I ring those up for you?" Remus asked, indicating the books in her hand.

"Oh, yes, please," Hermione said, following him to the till. Remus' eyebrows rose at the children's books she handed him. "Teddy doesn't have any of these, does he?"

"No," Remus said with a smile. "I'm sure he'll love them." Hermione smiled back as Remus took the money she handed him.

"How long is your dinner break?" Hermione asked impulsively as she took the bag of books from Remus.

"An hour," Remus said. "But I usually only take half that."

"I was thinking about getting something to eat myself," Hermione said. "Care to get a bite at the Leaky with me?"

"Oh, well, I," Remus hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "All right." Hermione smiled. "Let me uh, just get my jacket." Hermione nodded and walked towards the front of the shop while Remus slipped into the back. This would be the perfect time to show Remus that she didn't fancy him.

As Remus approached, Hermione saw Emily glance her way with a frown on her face. Remus said good-bye to her and Hermione smiled at the older woman as Hermione left the bookshop with Remus. A smile that wasn't smug at all.

* * *

Remus walked into the back room and braced his hands against the wall, sighing. Why had he agreed to have dinner with Hermione? He knew that Hermione had sensed his awkwardness around her in the last couple of months. He was quite sure that he had seen a determined look in Ginny's eye on Halloween as well. Perhaps the best way to get over his infatuation with Hermione was to spend more time with her as nothing more than a friend.

Remus heard a laugh in the back of his head that sounded suspiciously like Sirius, but he ignored it and pulled on his jacket. He said good-bye to Emily, joined Hermione, and left the shop.

* * *

"So how long have you been working at the bookshop?" Hermione asked once they had ordered and were waiting for their dinner.

"A couple of weeks now," Remus said. "Emily, the woman that you met, is the owner and needed a bit of extra help for the holidays." Hermione scowled slightly at the mention of the other woman. "She's been very accommodating with my schedule around the full moon."

"She sounds like a great boss," Hermione said with a forced smile on her face. Remus frowned. Obviously, Hermione didn't like Emily, but Remus couldn't fathom why. She had only met the woman for a few moments.

"How about you?" Remus asked deciding to change the subject. "Is Satterfield still giving you problems?" Hermione sighed. Apparently so.

"I was transferred to the Spirit Division a month ago," Hermione said.

"What?" Remus said in surprise. Hermione nodded. "But what about your proposal?"

"It's still being implemented. I'm just not involved." Hermione proceeded to explain what she had done to get the proposal through and just how her boss felt about it. Remus had to admit that he was rather proud of her tactics. But he couldn't help being incensed on her behalf. After all the work she'd done on the House-Elf proposal, she should be the one in charge of carrying it out. He told her as much.

"I don't disagree with you, but right now, there's not much I can do," she said with a sigh. "Mr. Satterfield has the right to transfer employees within the department."

"You should speak to Kingsley," Remus said. Hermione shook her head.

"I'm not going to run and tattle to the Minister," Hermione said. "Gwendolyn is making sure that things are running the way I intended and she's keeping me informed of what's been going on with the inspections. Meanwhile, I'm keeping an eye on Mr. Satterfield." Remus wanted to argue the point with her, but he could see that she wasn't likely to change her mind, at least not now.

"So, how is the Spirit Division?" he asked instead. Hermione groaned and rested her forehead on the table. Remus laughed. "That good?"

"It's just so mind-numbingly boring," she said picking her head up from the table. "Honestly, if I have to banish one more Boggart, I might scream. I didn't even know people _called_ the Ministry for that. I mean, the Ridikkulus charm isn't _that_ hard." Remus smiled.

"Actually, it can be a bit difficult for many people," he said. "I think the fear overtakes them too much to allow them to properly cast the charm."

"I can understand that, I suppose," Hermione said reluctantly. "I guess you were just such a great teacher, I forget that not everyone was taught the way we were." Remus blushed slightly.

"Thank you, Hermione." Hermione smiled. Their food arrived at that moment and they spent the next few minutes organizing plates and beginning to eat. Remus glanced at her as he cut into his roast beef. She huffed in exasperation as an errant curl continually fell in her eyes. Tucking it behind her ear for the third time, she looked up and caught him watching her. He immediately looked back at his plate, hoping the dim lighting in the pub would hide his blush.

They spoke a bit more about his job and hers and discussed Teddy's increasing vocabulary. His constant babbling was becoming much more recognizable these days, Remus and Andromeda able to understand him more often than not. His new favorite word was biscuit, which he used often to try and get sweets from his father and grandmother. Harry was usually the only one Teddy could convince every time.

When they had finished and paid the bill, Remus found himself wanting to linger. He had very much enjoyed their dinner and felt he had been successful in keeping his feelings to himself. Perhaps it would get easier over time. A glance at his watch, however, told him he needed to get back to the store. Emily was used to him taking only half his break, even though she tried to convince him it wasn't necessary.

"I had better get back to work," he finally said when he couldn't stay another moment longer without being late. "Emily is likely wondering where I am." Hermione made a face that she tried to hide. Remus' brow furrowed. "Is there something wrong with Emily?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said rather quickly. "She seems perfectly lovely." Hermione didn't sound very convincing. Deciding not to press the issue, as he really did need to get going, Remus simply nodded.

"Thank you for the invitation," he said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Hermione said brightly. "I'll walk out with you. I have a bit more shopping for my mum that I want to do." Remus nodded again and the two of them walked back into Muggle London. They crossed the street and stopped in front of the bookshop.

"Enjoy your shopping," Remus said.

"Thanks. Bye, Remus," she said with another bright smile. Remus opened the door to the bookshop, gave her a wave and walked inside.

* * *

Hermione took a few steps away from the door, but stood near the corner of the shop, so she could still see inside. She watched Emily greet Remus and Hermione's eyes narrowed as the woman put her hand on Remus' arm and then laughed at something he said. Remus smiled and then moved towards the back room. Emily looked up towards the front of the shop and Hermione hurried away, shoving her hands in the pockets of her coat. No longer feeling like shopping for some reason, Hermione stepped into an alley and Disapparated.

* * *

 **25 December 1999**

Remus watched as Harry glided over the meadow, Teddy in front of him on his broom. His son squealed in delight as Harry sped up slightly and then came to a quick halt.

"'Gain, gain," Teddy said laughing. Harry chuckled and repeated the action.

"Looks like someone might need a broom of their own soon," a voice behind him said. Remus turned his head to see a smiling Hermione.

"I'm hoping that I can hold off for a few more years," Remus replied.

"A few years, hm?" Hermione questioned. "Didn't Sirius buy Harry his first broom for his first birthday?"

"Yes, but Sirius was mad as we all know. And James wasn't much better." Hermione laughed and Remus realized that the pain from talking about his friends wasn't as sharp anymore. "Harry, thankfully, is not quite as reckless." The two stood in companionable silence and watched Harry and Teddy fly around the meadow. Ginny had joined them in the air and was currently entertaining Teddy with a sloth roll.

"Me, me!" Teddy called, clapping his hands. Harry glanced towards Remus who shook his head slightly.

"Maybe when you're older," Harry said as Ginny zoomed past them. Teddy pouted.

"Pease, pease, pease?" Teddy chanted. Ginny pulled up short beside them as Harry glanced at Remus again.

"We can use a sticking charm," Ginny called. Remus sighed in exasperation. Harry had a very hard time saying no to Teddy when he pouted, especially when he changed his hair to match Harry's as he'd done now. Remus waved a hand, knowing that neither Harry nor Ginny would ever let anything happen to the little boy. Ginny grinned and cast the charm, while Harry wrapped an arm tightly around his godson's middle.

"Hold on tight, Teddy."

"Go!" Teddy shouted before he gripped the broom's handle. Harry did a very gentle barrel roll which had Teddy giggling madly.

"'Gain, gain!" Harry repeated the action and laughed along with the toddler. Hermione shook her head fondly.

"He's incorrigible," she said.

"Which one?" Remus asked wryly. Hermione laughed.

"Both of them, I suppose." Harry flew towards Remus and Hermione as the Weasley men came out of the house en masse.

"Oi, Harry, are we having a game or what?" Ron called.

"Sure, Ron," Harry said as he reached Remus. "Hey, Teddy, I'll give you another ride later, yeah?"

"No, me," Teddy insisted.

"Time to go in, son," Remus said reaching for the toddler. Harry cancelled the sticking charm.

"Noooo!" Teddy howled. "Me go!" Remus ignored the boy's protests and pulled him off the broom. "No, Daddy!" Remus shook his head and turned and mouthed 'tired' to Hermione. She nodded.

"Hey Teddy, how about if I read you one of your new books," Hermione suggested as he continued to protest. Teddy stopped howling and looked at her.

"Bickie?" he asked. Hermione stifled a laugh and looked at Remus. He rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Sure, I bet Molly has some biscuits for you. Maybe some hot chocolate too." The little boy's eyes lit up.

"My-nee," he said reaching for Hermione. Remus passed Teddy off to her, noticing Hermione's look of delight when Teddy said her name, or half of it anyway.

"Thank you," Remus said with a smile. It was easier to be around Hermione than it had been two months ago, but he still felt a pang every time she looked at him.

"No problem," she replied. "You know they were going to try and get me to play, so now I have an excuse." She grinned before walking back towards the house.

"Remus, you're playing, right?" Ron asked. Remus watched Hermione disappear around the corner, then turned back to the redhead.

"Sure, Ron, why not."

* * *

Hermione sat with a very sleepy Teddy on her lap, reading to him from the book of Muggle fairy tales she had bought him for Christmas. She ran a hand idly through the chestnut curls on his head and smiled. He had recently begun matching his hair to whoever was paying him attention, gaining quite a bit of control over it for not even being two yet. Andromeda had said that Tonks was the same at his age.

The Burrow was quiet. Andromeda and Molly spoke softly at the kitchen table. Fleur had gone upstairs for a nap, her pregnancy tiring her more easily these days. Everyone else was out playing Quidditch. Ron had even convinced his father to play. Just as she finished _The Ugly Duckling_ , Hermione heard the backdoor slam. Teddy jumped a bit, having been nearly asleep. Remus came into the room moments later.

"Game over already?" Hermione asked. Remus chuckled.

"Harry _was_ the youngest Seeker in a century," he reminded her. "They're picking new teams and we'll have another round after I get this one into bed."

"No nap," Teddy protested half-heartedly. Hermione smiled and stood from the couch, shifting Teddy around as she did so. He sighed and settled against her, resting his head on her shoulder, his eyes drooping.

"I can take him if you like," she said, not quite ready to let go of the sleepy toddler.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked.

"Of course," Hermione replied.

"All right, then," he said. "Molly set the cot up in Ginny's room."

"No nap, Daddy," Teddy said around a huge yawn. Both adults laughed quietly. Hermione went to leave the room but was stopped by an invisible force. Confused, she looked up and saw the mistletoe hovering over her head.

"Not again," she groaned. This was the second time the enchanted mistletoe had caught her. It popped up out of nowhere and disappeared as soon as the person under it was kissed. The mistletoe had also caught Harry, Bill and Molly today. Harry hadn't complained when Ginny had enthusiastically snogged him, of course, and Bill certainly had no issue with his wife releasing him from the enchantment. Molly had huffed and scolded until Arthur had most thoroughly shut her up with a much deeper kiss than Hermione had ever witnessed between the two of them, although most of their children had made faces and even gagging noises, in Ron's case.

The first time, for Hermione, had been that morning as they'd opened Christmas gifts. Ron had taken a step towards her before Charlie had come to her rescue. He had dipped her and given her a dramatic, if chaste, kiss on the lips. She had thanked him later, knowing it would have been extremely awkward had Ron kissed her. While they were getting along much better, things were still not completely back to normal and Hermione had caught him looking at her a bit wistfully on occasion. Still, the mistletoe was the first thing George had invented since Fred's death and so no one had complained overmuch.

Now, though, Hermione was a bit exasperated. She bit her lip for a moment before an idea came to her. She didn't think it would work, but it was worth a shot.

"Teddy," she said and the sleepy toddler looked up at her. "Want to help me with something?" Teddy nodded. "How about a kiss, right here?" Hermione pointed to her cheek and Teddy dutifully bussed it, before resting his head on her shoulder once more. Hermione looked up, but the mistletoe remained and she was still stuck.

"You really thought that would work?" Remus asked in amusement. Hermione shrugged.

"Not really, but I figured I'd give it a go." She sighed. "Now what am I going to do?" Remus looked a bit uncomfortable and Hermione wondered if he thought she might ask him to help her. Hermione's cheeks reddened and something squirmed in her belly at the thought. She glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye. He was staring up at the mistletoe, looking deep in thought. For some reason, Hermione wondered if he were thinking about Emily. She scowled.

* * *

Remus looked up at the mistletoe, just so he didn't have to look at Hermione. His heart had sped up as soon as she discovered she was trapped under it. Remus, Andromeda and Teddy had arrived just after Charlie had released Hermione from the enchantment earlier. The full moon was only three days past and the wolf had growled when a laughing Harry had relayed the story to Remus.

The wolf was pacing now, urging Remus to do something about the situation. He _could_ help Hermione himself, although he wasn't sure if that was the best idea. He had been successful at repressing his feelings and acting more normally around her since Halloween, but a kiss, however innocent it might be, probably wouldn't help things. No, no that was a terrible idea.

Not to mention that Molly and Andromeda were both still at the table drinking their tea. The last thing he needed was for either of them to walk in on him kissing Hermione. Molly would likely castrate him on sight and while he wasn't sure just what Andromeda would do, he had no desire to find out. His mother-in-law was still a Black, regardless of being struck from her family's tapestry. Still, he couldn't just let the poor girl keep standing there.

"Would you like me to get Charlie for you?" he asked, feeling like he was forcing the question out through gritted teeth. "Or Ron?"

"No!" Hermione said immediately and rather insistently. She blushed. Remus looked at her quizzically. "It's just, I wouldn't want to, erm, give Molly the wrong idea."

"Oh," Remus said, feeling immensely relieved. "Of course." He smiled at her stupidly for a few moments.

"Well, I suppose the both of us are ignoring the obvious answer," he finally said. Hermione looked at him in confusion. "Me."

* * *

"You?" Hermione repeated, shocked that he had suggested it. Remus rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable

"It's not the ideal situation, I know, but if you want to get out of here," he trailed off. Hermione bit her lip, wishing he didn't look as if he wanted to be anywhere else but there. A little thrill had gone through her when Remus suggested he kiss her and she was still trying to process that.

"Right, of course," Hermione replied, her face reddening slightly.

"I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," Remus said, looking just as awkward as Hermione felt.

"No, no it's fine," she said, smiling and hoping it looked genuine.

"It's just a kiss," he said with a wry smile. "I'm not proposing marriage." Hermione laughed slightly, but it sounded a bit breathless to her.

"Of course not," she returned. "I mean that would be ridiculous, you and me and," she trailed off and reddened further as she saw the look on his face. He almost looked a bit…hurt. But that didn't make sense.

* * *

"Ridiculous, yes," he agreed with a laugh that sounded way too loud to his ears. Truthfully, her comment stung, but, he shouldn't have expected anything else. Of course, Hermione thought the idea of the two of them was ludicrous. They stood staring at one another for few more awkward seconds before Hermione seemed to square her shoulders.

"Right then," she said taking in a breath and giving him a small smile. "If you wouldn't mind." She tilted her face up towards him. Remus threw one last glance toward the kitchen before he lowered his head. Hermione's eyes fluttered shut as his lips pressed against hers. Remus intended for the kiss to be chaste and last just long enough to hear the tell-tale pop of the mistletoe. But the moment his lips touched hers, he knew he had made a mistake. Unable to pull away, his lips softened and began to move over hers. Hermione shifted slightly towards him and one of his hands came to rest on her hip.

"No nap," Teddy said sleepily. Hermione's eyes flew open as Remus abruptly pulled away from her. He felt his face heat and there were twin spots of color on Hermione's cheekbones.

"I'm sorry, I," he trailed off, shaking his head.

"No, no, it's fine," Hermione managed. She glanced up. "The mistletoe is gone." Remus merely nodded. "I'll just take Teddy up, shall I?"

"Of course," he said, moving to the side so she could pass. "I should, erm, I should see if they're ready for the next game."

"Right," Hermione replied, not moving.

"Right," Remus repeated, staring at her for another few moments. He felt himself take a step forward before he forced himself to stop. He shook his head as if to clear it. "Right. Thanks for taking care of Teddy." Hermione just nodded and finally left the room, looking back at him once more before climbing the stairs to Ginny's bedroom.

Remus scrubbed a hand down his face. What the hell had he been thinking? He should have known that there was no way he could have just quickly kissed her. And now she would know how he felt about her. It wouldn't be like before when he could hide his feelings from her and still have her as a friend. Now, she would know and she would likely be disgusted. Or worse, pity him. He had ruined everything.

Remus hurried from the house, wanting nothing more than to leave, but knowing there would be too many questions if he did. As he headed back to the Quidditch pitch, he ignored the voice in his head that tried to tell him that Hermione had kissed him back and the fact that the wolf was humming in contentment.


	41. Doubts

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews last chapter! I'm so glad you all liked the kiss! And sorry about the little cliffie there, but you will get Hermione's reaction in this chapter. Also, welcome to all the new readers!**

 **Less than a week left to vote in the Marauder Medals awards! Voting ends at midnight GMT on October 25th, which is 8 pm EST, I believe. There are a lot of amazing stories that have been nominated so please check them out!**

 **shriekingshacksociety*.weebly*.c*om (remove asterisks)**

 **As always, thank you for reading!**

 **Chapter 41**

 **Doubts**

 **25 December 1999**

Hermione settled Teddy in the cot and covered him with a blanket. She then sat down slowly on Ginny's bed and stared at the wall, heart in her throat, as thoughts swirled in her mind.

Remus had just kissed her. Well, of course he had kissed her, but he had also _kissed_ her. Hermione closed her eyes and blew out a breath even as her heart galloped a million miles an hour. Remus had kissed her and she had kissed him back. And she had liked it. Quite a lot.

Lying back on Ginny's bed, Hermione stared up at the ceiling. She had always brushed off Ginny's comments about Remus, knowing that he couldn't possibly be interested in her. But now, she wasn't sure what to think. The mistletoe didn't require anything more than a simple kiss on the lips to disappear, but Remus had done more than that. If Teddy hadn't interrupted, Hermione wasn't sure if they would have stopped. And she didn't think she would have wanted to.

She sat up as her face heated and put her hands on her cheeks. Her feelings about Emily, the woman Remus worked with, made much more sense now. Hermione had been jealous and she hadn't even realized it. Merlin, when had she started fancying Remus?

The question was, what was she going to do about it? She still wasn't sure that Remus felt the same way. Hermione couldn't possibly fathom how he could. Yes, they were friends and they had quite a bit in common, but he was much older than she was and he had a son to think about. The age difference didn't bother her, she'd never really cared about things like that, but she knew it would bother Remus. It was one of his excuses against dating Tonks and Tonks had been seven years older than Hermione.

Hermione's heart sank a bit as she thought about Tonks. Hermione knew how much in love with Tonks Remus had been. His grief after the Final Battle had been palpable. If it hadn't been for Teddy, Hermione thought that Remus might have gotten completely lost in his sorrow.

In fact, maybe that's what this had been about. It had been more than a year and a half since Tonks died. Hermione was sure that Remus must be lonely. A simple kiss to end an enchantment had just turned into something a bit more because of that. He likely regretted it already.

Sighing, Hermione slowly stood and checked Teddy one more time. She leaned down and kissed the little boy's forehead before leaving the room.

* * *

"Everything all right?" Harry asked as he flew over to Remus. Remus, startled out of his thoughts, looked over at Harry.

"Yes, fine, why do you ask?" he said.

"Because the Snitch has been hovering next to your left year for about two minutes now." Remus turned quickly and saw that Harry was right. As soon as Remus looked at it, the Snitch flew off. Remus didn't even try to chase it, although he had chosen to be Seeker this game. He'd done so knowing that he could fly away from everyone else and not have to constantly concentrate on the game.

"Sorry, just lost in my thoughts, I suppose." Remus gave Harry a wan smile.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Remus stared at Harry, wondering how he would react if he knew that Remus had just kissed his best friend. Not well, Remus was sure.

"No, thank you, Harry," Remus said. Harry nodded and looked at Remus one more time before he flew off in search of the Snitch once more. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face before trying to refocus on the game. His thoughts, however, continued to drift to Hermione.

He hadn't wanted to stop kissing her. If Teddy hadn't spoken up, Remus likely wouldn't have. Gods, Remus had kissed her in front of his son. Thank Merlin Teddy had been half-asleep. Remus groaned and tried to force the feel of her lips on his from his mind. He shifted on his broom and scanned the meadow for the Snitch.

He had no idea how he was going to sit through dinner with Hermione at the same table. She was likely mortified about what had happened. Even the slight move towards him when he was kissing her didn't mean anything. She had probably simply been shifting Teddy's weight.

There was a whoop and Remus looked across the meadow to see Harry with the Snitch in his hand. Remus headed for the ground and landed next to Ginny, who was watching Harry with amusement.

"Sorry about that," Remus said to Ginny who had captained his team. Ginny smiled and shrugged.

"Better luck next time," she said. Remus nodded and glanced toward the house, then back up at Harry.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Remus said. Ginny frowned as she studied him. "It's just been a long time since I've played, I suppose." A look of understanding crossed her face.

"Did you used to play a lot when you were in school?"

"Summers, mostly," Remus said with a fond smile. "James and Sirius were on the House team of course, but summers when we'd visit James, we always had a few games." Ginny smiled and looked up at Harry who was celebrating in the air with Ron and the rest of their team.

"I think I'm going to check on Teddy," Remus said. Ginny nodded. As Remus walked back to the house, he was glad that he had been able to distract Ginny from the actual problem. It was true that Remus had been a bit nostalgic about his friends when they began playing, but his friends were not what he was thinking about now.

* * *

Hermione sat near the fire talking to Harry, Ginny and Ron, trying not to glance Remus' way every few seconds. He had been sitting in one of the corner armchairs across the room talking to Arthur for the last half hour. Teddy was snuggled in his lap, having just gotten up from his nap a few minutes ago. Remus hadn't so much as acknowledged Hermione's presence. Not that she expected him to, of course, it wasn't as if the kiss had meant anything.

"Hermione?" Ginny said.

"Yes?" Hermione said, turning her attention back to Ginny.

"I asked what time your portkey leaves tomorrow."

"Oh, sorry, eight o'clock in the morning."

"Are you going straight to Melbourne this time?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I still have to go through Sydney, but I've already requested another Portkey to Melbourne, so it should be waiting for me."

"Are you looking forward to seeing your parents?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. She found herself having to blink back tears. She really _did_ want to see her parents. A hug from her dad sounded rather good right now.

"Hey," Harry said in concern. "You all right?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, laughing a bit and swiping at her tears. "Just missing them more than I thought, I guess." Ginny put an arm around her and Hermione leaned into her friend. So much had happened over the last couple of months, not to mention the last couple of hours, that she just really wanted to talk to her mum.

"Dinner is ready, everyone," Molly called from the kitchen doorway. Hermione stood and wiped her cheeks, forcing a smile on her face.

"I'm fine, honestly," she said to her three friends. They began to walk towards the kitchen when Remus appeared next to Hermione. He had passed Teddy off to Andromeda who took the little boy to the table. Hermione looked at Remus and gave him a tentative smile.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" Remus asked quietly.

"Of course," Hermione said, heart beginning to pound faster. Remus waited until everyone had passed into the kitchen.

"I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier," he said, clearing his throat. "With the mistletoe."

"Oh," Hermione said, her heart sinking. "It's fine, Remus really. I know it didn't mean anything." She smiled at him, hoping he couldn't tell how forced it was.

"Well, that's…that's good then," Remus said, looking anywhere but directly at her. "I suppose we should sit down."

"Yes, right," Hermione said. She turned away from him and blinked rapidly a few times, before plastering another smile on her face and walking out into the kitchen. Ginny gave her a quizzical look, but Hermione simply shook her head and sat down between Ron and Harry. Ron smiled at her and Hermione found herself wishing that things would have just worked out between the two of them. Then she wouldn't be sitting here feeling like crying.

* * *

Remus watched Hermione walk to the table and swallowed around the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. While he had been sure that the kiss hadn't meant anything to Hermione, he didn't realize how much it would hurt to hear her say it.

He cleared his throat and moved to the empty chair next to Andromeda. She looked at him in question when he sat down, but he smiled and shook his head, patting her hand to let her know he was all right. They had both been missing Dora and Ted today, hopefully Andromeda would attribute his melancholy to that.

Remus passed dishes around the table, taking surreptitious looks at Hermione every so often. She smiled at things Harry and Ron were saying and sometimes Ginny leaned over to ask her a question. Remus saw her push the same stubborn curl behind her ear that had bothered her in the Leaky Cauldron and his chest tightened.

Watching her with her friends, her friends that were her own age, reminded Remus once again that he would never be right for her. For him to even consider otherwise was absurd. He went back to his dinner, smiling at Teddy who was holding out a bit of potato to Andromeda. She moved forward to eat it and Teddy snatched it back, giggling. It was his newest favorite game.

Remus looked up and saw that Hermione was watching Teddy with a soft smile on her face. Remus knew how much she adored Teddy and he didn't want to take that relationship away from Teddy simply because of his feelings for Hermione. He would just have to get over her.

Hermione shifted her gaze slightly and caught his eye. He managed a half-smile. She gave him quick smile that he could tell was forced before she looked away. He sighed and looked back down at his plate. He had likely ruined everything.

* * *

 **26 December 1999**

Hermione climbed out of the taxi in front of her parents' house and took a deep breath to keep from bursting into tears. She had barely slept the night before, thoughts of Remus and the kiss consuming her. When she finally did drift off, she dreamed about him.

After paying the driver, Hermione walked up the drive. She knocked quickly on the door before opening it and stepping inside.

"Mum? Dad?"

"Hermione!" her dad said as he came around the corner with a wide grin on his face.

"Hi, Dad," Hermione said, her voice shaky. He looked at her in concern and then pulled her into his arms. Hermione buried her face in his chest and began to cry.

"Shh, Princess, it's all right," her dad soothed as he rubbed her back. Hermione heard her mum walk into the entry.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Her mum stood next to her dad and put a hand on Hermione's back. Hermione simply squeezed her dad tighter. Her dad wrapped one of his arms around her mum and the three of them stood in the entry in a tight embrace until Hermione finally calmed herself. She pulled back from them and saw the looks of distress on their faces.

"I'm all right," she said. At their looks of disbelief, she laughed a bit. "Honestly, I am. I'm just a bit emotional at the moment." Her mother took hold of her hand and led her into the living room, pulling her down onto the couch. Her dad sat down in the armchair next to them.

"Tell us what's going on," her mum said. Hermione sighed and looked at her lap, then back up at her parents. She didn't want to talk about Remus, not just yet, and she was quite sure she wanted to talk to her mum about that in private. She had told her parents a bit about her job, but not much about what had happened after her proposal was passed. Her entire job situation was part of all of this anyway, so she decided it was as good an excuse as any.

"It's just, things are going all that well with my job," Hermione said. She explained about her transfers to the Spirit Division and now the Beast Division, which she had only been working in for a little over a week now.

"I don't understand," her mum said. "How can he keep you from working on your own proposal?"

"Easy," Hermione said. "He's the head of department and gets to make all personnel decisions. He can't fire me, of course, not without cause. But it's within his right to transfer me to another division."

"This is ridiculous, Hermione," her father said, completely incensed. "He can't treat you like this just because his ego's been bruised."

"It's a little more than that, Dad," Hermione said. "I did go behind his back to get my proposal heard."

"Only because he can't see a perfectly good idea that's right in front of him." Hermione smiled. Her dad had always been her biggest champion.

"I thought you were friends with the Minister," her mother said. "Can't you go to him?"

"I can," Hermione said. "But I don't want to do that. Not yet anyway."

"Why not?" her father demanded.

"Because, Dad, I'm not going to go whining to the Minister that I didn't get the exact job I wanted."

"Hermione, you were hired under false pretenses," her father argued. "You told us that your boss admitted he hired you with no specific position in mind."

"I realize that, but he never actually told me in his initial letter that I was going to be working in the Being Division. I just assumed."

"I don't know why you're standing for this," her dad continued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have to see the proposal through," Hermione explained. "After that, I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

"From everything you've said, Hermione, it doesn't sound like this man should be running an entire department," her mum said.

"No, he shouldn't," Hermione agreed. "I just need to wait until the House-Elf legislation has been completely implemented." Her mum looked at her quizzically, but Hermione didn't elaborate.

"I hope you know what you're doing," her dad said. Hermione smiled and reached out for his hand.

"I do, Dad." She squeezed his hand.

"Well, we're very glad you're here," her mum said. "It sounds like you could use a few days of relaxation."

"I'm glad I'm here too," Hermione said, tearing up again. Her mum leaned forward and hugged her and Hermione forced the tears away and put a smile on her face. She wasn't going to ruin her visit with her parents by being weepy the entire time.

* * *

 **28 December 1999**

"We're going to miss you around here," Emily said to Remus as he reshelved a few books that had been returned after the holiday. Remus smiled. He only had about ten minutes left on his last shift.

"I'll miss it as well," he said. He had enjoyed working in the bookshop. It was relaxing, actually, and the extra money was nice, of course.

"I wish we could keep you on," Emily said. "But things slow down considerably after the New Year."

"It's all right," Remus assured her. "I knew this was just a temporary job." Emily nodded and looked a bit nervous.

"Since today is your last day, I can finally ask you this." Remus looked at her quizzically. She seemed to be gathering her courage and he couldn't fathom why.

"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Remus stared at Emily in surprise. She was an attractive woman and only a couple of years younger than he was. She was divorced and had an eight-year-old daughter that she adored. Emily was kind and patient and had a wonderful sense of humor. They had quite a bit in common, if you ignored that fact that she was a Muggle. Not that that was something that bothered Remus. Emily was the kind of woman that Remus _should_ be interested in.

"I, ah," he fumbled for a response.

"If you're not interested, I understand," Emily said, trying valiantly to keep the smile on his face.

"No, I, I was just surprised," he replied, wondering what he was doing. "Dinner would be nice." Emily smiled widely.

"Are you free Thursday?"

"Yes, I am," he said. They made plans to meet at a small bistro not far from the bookshop. As Remus stepped into the back room to collect his things before leaving, he tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him he was making a big mistake.

* * *

 **29 December 1999**

Hermione sighed contentedly as she turned another page in her book. She and her mother had gone to the beach for the afternoon, her dad needing to go into his office for a few hours. The sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the sun shining down had relaxed Hermione quite thoroughly. She could completely understand why her parents loved it here so much.

"Are you ever planning on telling me what else is bothering you?" her mother asked.

"What do you mean?" Hermione replied.

"Hermione," her mother said. "I know that there's more to what's going on than just your troubles with your job. Your frustration has never elicited the kind of reaction you had when you got here." Hermione sighed. Yes, she was completely exasperated with her job, but frustration just made her angry, not weepy. Her mum knew her too well.

"It's a boy, isn't it?" Hermione laughed.

"No, it's a man, actually."

"Ah, yes, I keep forgetting, you are over eighteen now. Still a little girl to me though," her mum teased. Hermione forced a smile and her mother frowned.

"What's going on, sweetheart?"

"It's just, I'm not sure what even happened, if anything did and I didn't even realize that I liked him that way until recently and now, he doesn't, I don't know, if," Hermione shook her head.

"Take a breath, Hermione." She did as her mother instructed. "Now tell me what happened." Hermione explained about the mistletoe George had invented and how she had gotten trapped under it twice on Christmas.

"Charlie, that's one of Ron's older brothers, kissed me the first time," she said.

"Ah, I can see where that would be an issue," her mother said. Hermione looked at her in confusion. "He's Ron's brother."

"No, no, it's not Charlie," Hermione said. "I mean, Charlie's great and he's good-looking and all, but he's more interested in dragons than people." Her mum chuckled.

"Oh, well, who then?"

"The other person that kissed me." She glanced at her mother, but her mother didn't press for a name. "He, we're friends, and I always thought that was all we were. But, then he kissed me and it was, it was more than the kind of kiss you needed to get the mistletoe to release you. And I never realized that I felt that way about him before, but after the kiss, I just," Hermione trailed off again.

"And does this person feel the same way?"

"I don't know, I don't think so, but, it's complicated," she sighed.

"Hermione, I," her mum looked uncomfortable and shifted in her chair. "Hermione, it's not Harry, is it?" Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm only asking because I know you've told me how much he loves Ginny. And I know Ginny's your friend and I don't think you'd want to do anything to hurt her."

"No!" Hermione insisted. "No, it's not Harry. I told you, Harry is like my brother."

"Well, I know, but you said it was someone that you didn't know you liked in that way and that it was complicated."

"No, Mum, it isn't Harry, I swear." Her mother nodded, apparently satisfied.

"So, this person doesn't return your feelings?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I don't know how he could."

"What do you mean?" Hermione sighed again. She didn't want to tell her mother that it was Remus that had kissed her. Hermione had no idea how her mum would react and there wasn't even a hint of a relationship anyway.

"He…lost someone," she said. "Someone he loved very much and I can't help but think that it was just, sort of a reaction, to, to being…lonely or something."

"Did he lose someone recently?"

"Well, not recently, I guess. It was in the war."

"So closer to two years now," her mum said. Hermione nodded.

"Everyone grieves differently, of course, but that's quite a bit of time, Hermione." Hermione shrugged a shoulder. "Is there something else?" Hermione sighed and felt the tears prick her eyes.

"Later, he apologized to me for getting carried away."

"Ah," her mother said. "So, you assumed that meant he didn't have feelings for you."

"What else would it mean?" Hermione asked. Her mum smiled.

"Perhaps he thought that _you_ didn't have feelings for _him_ and he apologized so you didn't feel uncomfortable." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. Her mum could be right, she supposed. But it wasn't very likely.

"What did you say to his apology?" her mother asked.

"I told him it was fine and that I knew it didn't mean anything," Hermione said. Her mother smiled and shook her head. Hermione's eyes widened and then she groaned. "So, even if he did feel that way about me, I've basically told him that it isn't mutual."

"Sounds about right," her mum said.

"So, now what am I going to do?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether you really want to pursue a relationship with this man." Hermione looked out at the ocean. _Was_ she interested in a relationship or was this just a reaction to the kiss they'd shared? Remus was smart and kind and brave, he was fiercely protective of those he loved and a had a wonderful sense of humor. He was an amazing father and Hermione adored Teddy. Not to mention that Remus was rather good-looking, despite his scars.

She wondered what her friends would think. Ginny would be all for it, obviously. She had been pushing Hermione towards Remus for months now. While Harry would be shocked, he would likely come around. Eventually. Ron, though, Ron was another thing altogether. He and Hermione had only just started to move back towards being friends again. He'd had a hard enough time with Hermione dating Anthony, she couldn't imagine what he would think of her dating Remus. Not to mention Molly and Andromeda. What would Andromeda say?

Hermione shook her head. This was all just ridiculous speculation. While her mother might have had a point, it didn't mean that it was true. Hermione couldn't fathom that Remus would feel anything for her but friendship. It made no sense to even worry about what her friends would think of something that wasn't going to happen.

When Hermione looked over, her mum had gone back to reading her book. Hermione sighed and closed her eyes, trying to put Remus out of her mind.

* * *

 **30 December 1999**

Remus stood nervously waiting for Emily to arrive. He had attempted to give Andromeda the idea that this dinner was somehow work related, but he didn't think she'd believed him. Likely because he didn't actually work at the bookshop anymore. Remus wondered what Andromeda thought of him having dinner with another woman. She hadn't seemed upset when he left, but she was excellent at hiding her emotions.

Sighing, Remus glanced at his watch again, thankful he had cast a warming charm on himself before he left the Leaky Cauldron. Arriving fifteen minutes early in this cold hadn't been his smartest move.

As he waited, his thoughts continually drifted to Hermione. He knew that she was still in Australia visiting her parents. Harry had told him that she was returning tomorrow to attend Harry's New Year's Eve party. Harry had invited Remus, but he had declined. It was going to be a young crowd and Remus doubted that his former students wanted to spend the night before a new millennium with their old professor. Another reason why a relationship between he and Hermione would never work. Of course, dating a Muggle would bring up an entirely different set of issues, but Remus chose to ignore those.

Remus heard the tell-tale click of high heels on the pavement and looked up to see Emily walking towards him. She had a wide smile on her face and Remus tried to return it. He must have managed fairly well, as the smile on her face never wavered as she reached him.

"You haven't been waiting long, have you?" she asked as he held the door to the restaurant open for her.

"No, just a few moments," he lied.

They were shown to a table and spent the first ten minutes studying the menu. Emily made a few suggestions as she had eaten here before. When the server had taken their orders, they glanced at each other nervously a few times before Emily finally laughed.

"This is silly," she said. "We've never had a problem talking at the shop before."

"True," Remus said with a chuckle. He relaxed a bit and the two of them began discussing books, one of their favorite subjects.

By the time the food came, they had moved on to their children and families and Remus was beginning to enjoy himself. They spoke about all manner of things as they ate and sipped wine. When they had finished and the bill had been settled, Remus offered to walk Emily to her car. He had to stop himself from casting a warming charm on the both of them, despite how cold it was.

"I'm very glad you came to work in my shop, Remus," Emily said when they had reached her car.

"As am I," he said. "I enjoyed working there."

"I'm glad, but that's not what I meant. It's very hard to meet someone as busy as I am with the shop and Rebecca." Emily reached out and took his hand in hers. "It was a bit of good luck that brought you to my door." Remus attempted to smile, but knew he had failed miserably. Emily didn't seem to notice, however, as she leaned towards him. Remus' heart began to pound as she moved to kiss him, although not for the reason it should have been. All that he could think was that this was wrong.

Just before she reached his lips, Remus turned his head slightly, so she only caught the corner of his mouth. As she pulled back, she studied him quite intently, then smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Emily," Remus said earnestly. He wasn't lying. He almost wished he could fall for her, Muggle or not.

"It's all right," she said.

"I very much enjoyed this evening. It's just that, I, I'm not, not ready for…another relationship," he said lamely. Emily nodded.

"I understand," she said. She opened the door to her car and looked back at him. "She's a lucky woman."

"Sorry?" Remus said.

"Whoever you've given your heart to," Emily said. With that she climbed into her car and shut the door. She drove off moments later, leaving Remus standing dumbstruck on the pavement.

* * *

 **31 December 1999**

"Hermione!" Ginny said in delight as Hermione stepped into the house. Hermione smiled and hugged her friend. "How was Australia?"

"Heavenly," Hermione said with a smile as she handed her cloak to Kreacher who was answering the door.

"And your parents?"

"They're doing well," Hermione said. "It was great to spend a little time with them."

"Good, come on," Ginny said, pulling Hermione up to the drawing room which was already crowded with people. Nearly all the D.A. was here, as well as a few of Ginny's teammates and friends from her year. Hermione hadn't seen any of them since they'd left Hogwarts and spent some time catching up.

Neville arrived a bit later and Hannah Abbott was with him. Hermione looked at Ginny who raised her eyebrows, before dragging Hermione over to the two.

"Happy New Year, Nev," Ginny said, hugging him.

"You too, Gin, Hermione," Neville greeted.

"Hannah, it's so good to see you," Hermione said. "What have you been up to?"

"I'm taking over the Leaky Cauldron, actually," Hannah said with a grin.

"Really?" Ginny said. Hannah nodded.

"Tom is my great-grandmother's brother and he's decided it's time to retire. He never married or had children and no one else in the family is interested in the pub."

"Wow, congratulations!" Ginny said.

"Thanks, I'm really excited about it," Hannah said. "Uncle Tom is staying on for a few more months until I've figured everything out, but by this summer, it should be mine."

"That's amazing, Hannah," Hermione said. She looked at Neville. "Did you two come together?"

"Oh, no," Neville said as he blushed. Hermione saw Hannah glancing at him shyly. "We just ran into each other in the entry."

"Well, come on in and help yourself," Ginny said, waving a hand at the tables laden with food and drinks.

Hermione continued to socialize, sipping the very excellent punch that Kreacher had made. She was soon laughing and enjoying herself quite a bit.

"Might want to go easy on the punch," Ron said as he settled next to her on one of the couches.

"Why?" Hermione asked with a grin. She was feeling rather good.

"George spiked it," Ron said. Hermione looked confused.

"But, I thought there was already alcohol in it?"

"There was," Ron said with a laugh. "That's why I said go easy." Hermione wrinkled her nose and shrugged. She didn't have to work tomorrow and it _was_ New Year's Eve.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"What is?"

"That tomorrow it will be the year two thousand."

"Yeah, it is strange." Hermione agreed. Harry plopped down on the couch on Hermione's other side, making her bounce a bit. She grinned and hugged him, having not had a chance to talk to him since she arrived.

"This is a great party, Harry."

"Thanks," he said. "How was Australia?"

"It was good," Hermione said. "Just what I needed."

"I'm glad," Harry said.

"Aw, shite," Hermione heard. They looked over and saw Seamus trapped in the middle of the room, holding two bottles of ale, George's mistletoe hanging over his head. Hermione had been irritated when she found out George had brought it with him. It was a disaster just waiting to happen, in her opinion.

Seamus glanced around the room and Hermione saw Dean push himself away the wall where he was talking to Parvati. He walked up to Seamus and took one of the bottles of ale.

"Thanks, mate," he said and turned around. Seamus glared at his back before Dean stopped and turned back. "Oh, right, forgot." He moved back to Seamus and proceeded to snog him. Seamus didn't protest. Hermione laughed at the spluttering Ron next to her.

"Did you know about this?" Ron said as the two men pulled apart to cat-calls and whistles around the room. Seamus' face was quite red as he flipped off the room at large before following Dean back to Parvati.

"I suspected," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Since when?" Ron demanded.

"End of sixth year," Hermione said taking another sip of punch.

"Harry?" Ron said.

"I sort of figured it out at the Final Battle," Harry said.

"Why didn't I know?" Ron asked. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and burst out laughing. Ron scowled.

"Hermione always did say you had the emotional range of a teaspoon, Ron."

"Shut it, wanker," Ron said. Hermione laughed harder. Harry grinned.

"What's so funny?" Ginny asked as she sat down on Harry's lap.

"Ron was a bit surprised about Dean and Seamus," Harry explained.

"Really?" Ginny said. "I knew about that ages ago." Ron grumbled something under his breath about no one ever telling him anything. Hermione smiled and bumped his shoulder with hers. It was nice to tease him like this again.

It was an hour later when Hermione was trapped under the mistletoe herself. She looked around the room hoping to spot Neville or Harry or even Ron, but before she could find either of them, Ernie Macmillan walked up and kissed her. When he attempted to stick his tongue in her mouth, Hermione pushed him away and glared at him.

"Sorry, Hermione," he said, although he didn't look sorry at all. He raised his drink to her and Hermione rolled her eyes before she walked away.

Getting another glass of punch, she sat down on the couch and decided that Ernie was a terrible kisser. There was nothing gentle about his approach and there had been no build-up at all. Plus, he was entirely too sloppy. It was nothing like the way Remus had kissed her.

No, she wasn't going to think about that. It was never going to happen again anyway. Hermione looked around the room and saw Ron standing and talking to Susan Bones. The two of them were standing awfully close together and then Susan smiled at something Ron said. He smiled back and Susan blushed slightly. Hermione wondered what they were talking about.

Hannah was walking across the room with a plate full of food in her hand when she jerked to a stop. Hermione looked up and saw the mistletoe, then watched as Neville nervously approached Hannah. She smiled at him and he leaned in and kissed her softly. It didn't last very long, but Hannah was smiling when Neville pulled away. Hermione sighed. That's how she had felt after Remus had kissed her.

Hermione groaned and put her head in her hand. She had managed to go the entire night without thinking about Remus and now she couldn't stop. Looking around the room at all the people that were coupling off, Hermione scowled. She drank the rest of her punch and got up to get another glass.

* * *

Hermione glowered again sometime later as Harry snogged Ginny under the mistletoe. Stupid invention. George dropped down on the couch next to her, pulling Angelina onto his lap. Hermione scowled at him too.

"What's with the look, Granger?" George asked.

"Don't like your mistletoe."

"Why not?" George asked. "Seems like Harry enjoys it quite a bit."

"Sure, s'fine for them," she said, waving her glass towards the still snogging couple, although the mistletoe had disappeared long ago. George grinned as some of Hermione's punch sloshed onto her hand. "But, not when the per-person doesn't wanna kiss you."

"You're pissed, aren't you?" George asked with a laugh. Hermione glowered at him.

"I'm tryin' to splain about your product."

"Who kissed you that didn't want to?" George asked. "Macmillan didn't look like he objected. In fact, he'd probably be happy to have another go." George winked at her and Hermione rolled her eyes. Angelina slapped the back of his head.

"Ow," George said rubbing the spot before looking at his girlfriend. She gave him a glare and he sighed.

"Not _now_ ," Hermione said. "Chris'mas."

"Charlie wasn't complaining either," George said. Hermione shook her head.

"Not him," she said. "Th'other one."

"What other one?" George asked. Hermione's eyes widened as she realized her slip.

"No one." She took another swig of her drink. George's eyes lit up.

"You kissed someone else at Christmas?"

"No," Hermione said with a scowl.

"Yes, you did," George said.

"Didn't," Hermione replied.

"You just told me you did."

"Did _not_."

"Come on, Hermione, who else did you kiss?" George pressed.

"George, leave her alone" Angelina said. George pouted at his girlfriend. "Hermione doesn't have to tell you if she doesn't want to." Hermione nodded and clinked her glass against Angelina's.

"Thank you, Ang," Hermione said.

"One minute!" Harry called from the other side of the room. Hermione blearily looked up at the clock on the mantel. Harry was right, it was only one minute until midnight. Sighing, Hermione looked around the room at all the couples. Hannah moved closer to Neville on the couch and Ron put an arm around Susan. Harry and Ginny were practically one person with as close to each other as they were standing. Even Dean and Seamus were off in their own private corner. Hermione saw Ernie looking around and stood before he could catch her eye. She wasn't in the mood to watch all the happy couples snog each other's faces off and there was no way in hell she was letting Macmillan stick his tongue down her throat.

Hermione walked down the stairs towards the door to the kitchen. The last thing she needed was to interrupt anyone's 'private time' and she doubted that anyone would have hidden out in the kitchen with Kreacher there. The Elf still wasn't Hermione's biggest fan, but he was at least cordial to her now.

She reached the bottom of the kitchen stairs and swayed a little before grabbing the wall and regaining her balance. George was right, she _was_ pissed. Hermione heard the countdown begin from upstairs.

" _Ten, nine, eight…"_

"Stupid holiday," she muttered.

" _Five, four, three…"_

"Stupid tradition." She sat down at the kitchen table.

" _One! Happy New Year!"_

Hermione raised her glass to the empty room and took a large drink. Sighing, she laid her head down on her arms. She should just go home, but she didn't trust herself to Apparate.

Kreacher shuffled into the room a few moments later and looked surprised to see her there. He stared at her for a moment before turning to the sink and snapping his fingers. A pile of pans began washing themselves.

"Happy New Year, Kreacher," she said quietly. The House-Elf turned and regarded her for a moment before nodding his head.

"Happy New Year, Miss." He then shuffled back to the small pantry that Harry had designated as his quarters. Hermione watched him go, eyes drooping shut.

* * *

"Hermione!" Hermione jumped, looking up blearily at Ginny. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" Ginny sat down, a sappy grin on her face. "Happy New Year!"

"Wha's good 'bout it?" Hermione muttered. Ginny frowned.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Gin," Hermione said ignoring her question. She leaned back in her chair and looking up at the ceiling. It started spinning. "I think I'm pissed." Ginny giggled.

"Me too." Hermione joined in and they were soon laughing so hard tears were running down their cheeks.

"Time is it?" Hermione asked.

"After one," Ginny said. "Most everyone's gone home." Hermione yawned and laid her head back down on the table.

"M'tired," she said.

"You can't sleep here," Ginny said, pulling on Hermione's arm.

"Can," Hermione said.

"No," Ginny said. "Come up to your room." Hermione protested, but Ginny got her to her feet. The two of them somehow managed to make it across the kitchen and up the stairs, falling into a fit of giggles when they reached the landing.

"There you are, Hermione," Harry said, looking at the two of them in amusement.

"'Mione's pissed," Ginny said.

"So're you," Hermione said.

"Not as pissed as you," Ginny said with a grin.

"Are too," Hermione said swaying where she stood.

"Okay, let's get the both of you up to bed," Harry said, putting one arm around Hermione and taking Ginny's hand with the other. He led them up the stairs to Hermione's room.

"Do you need help?" he asked when she was inside.

" _You_ can't help me, Harry. You're a _boy_ ," she whispered as if it were some great secret. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'll help you," Ginny said. Harry looked at the two of them dubiously. "I'm fine, love. I'll be there in a minute." Harry finally left the room and Hermione pulled out her beaded bag. "You still have that?"

"Sometimes," Hermione said with a shrug, searching through it until she pulled out an old t-shirt and sleep shorts. She started to take off her jeans and nearly fell on her arse. Ginny laughed.

"Why'd you leave the party?" Ginny asked sitting Hermione down on the bed while she got out of her jeans and into the shorts.

"Didn't wanna watch all the kissin'," Hermione said.

"There wasn't anyone there you wanted to kiss?" Ginny asked with a grin, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"No," Hermione said with a yawn after she'd put on her t-shirt. She climbed into the bed and Ginny threw the blankets up over her. Hermione yawned again and mumbled something.

"What?" Ginny said, leaning closer.

"No one kisses good as Remus," Hermione repeated, her eyes drooping shut.


	42. Second-Guessing

**A/N - This chapter has Ginny's reaction to Hermione's little bombshell, which I think you all have been waiting for. Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter and thanks so much for reading!**

 **Chapter 42**

 **Second-Guessing**

 **1 January 2000**

As Hermione slowly awoke, she groaned. Her head was pounding, and her mouth felt like she'd repeatedly licked her Weasley jumper. Cracking one eye open, she immediately slammed it shut again, the sunlight from the window like a laser to her retinas. She must have forgotten to close the curtains last night before she fell asleep. She very gingerly rolled to her other side, whimpering with each movement. Gods, how much had she really had to drink last night?

The sun somewhat muted now that Hermione's back was to the window, she attempted to open her eyes again. As she did so, she came face to face with another set of eyes and Hermione shrieked and scrambled backwards, then moaned and held her head in her hands.

"Good morning," Ginny said cheerfully.

"What the _hell_ , Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, then whimpered and held her head.

"It's about time you woke up," Ginny said. "After the way you left me hanging last night."

"I don't know what you're talking about and I am in a severe amount of pain here, so I'd appreciate it if you'd just leave."

"Are you joking?" Ginny said. "Not until you explain what you meant last night!"

"I'm sure it was a bunch of nonsense," Hermione said. "I barely even remember coming up here." Hermione eased back down onto her pillow with another moan of pain. Ginny was staring at her with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Don't you have a boyfriend to shag?" Hermione asked. "There must be some tradition about New Year's Day sex or something."

"Already did," Ginny said with a shrug.

"I should have known," Hermione muttered.

"Now, explain."

"Gin, I have no idea what you're talking about and my head feels like your Quidditch team used it for Bludger practice." Hermione tried to pull the blankets over her head.

"No way," Ginny said. Hermione groaned, then squinted up at Ginny.

"Why are you so chipper? Last I remember, you were nearly as pissed as I was."

"No one was as pissed as you were," Ginny said with a grin. "But, I took a hangover potion." Hermione's eyes snapped open.

"You have hangover potion?" Ginny pulled a vial out of her pocket and waved it in front of Hermione. When Hermione tried to grab it, Ginny pulled it out of her reach.

"I'll give this to you, but first you have to explain."

"I can't explain if I don't remember," Hermione whined. Ginny studied her for a moment.

"All right, I'll give you the potion first, but you have to swear to me that you're going to answer my questions."

"Fine, I swear," Hermione said, holding out her hand. Ginny gave her the vial. Hermione popped the cork and drank it down. Her headache slowly disappeared, and Hermione sighed in relief. Her mouth still felt disgusting, but brushing her teeth was the only remedy for that. She doubted she'd remembered to do it before she went to bed. She closed her eyes and settled back into her bed.

"Now, please explain to me when you kissed Remus," Ginny said. Hermione's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright, grimacing at the bit of lingering pain in her head.

"What!?" she exclaimed.

"Last night, right before you passed out, you told me that no one kisses better than Remus," Ginny said. "Which we will discuss later, of course. But, I want to know how you know that."

"Oh my god," Hermione said, burying her reddening face in her hands.

"Hermione Granger, you have been holding out on me and I am _not_ pleased!" Ginny had her arms crossed in front of her again and she was glaring at Hermione.

"No, no, it wasn't, it didn't…mean anything," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"It didn't mean anything?" Ginny repeated. "You _kissed_ _Remus_!"

"Shhh," Hermione hissed. "Keep your voice down."

"I already cast a privacy charm," Ginny said. "Now if you don't tell me what happened this instant!" Ginny let the threat hang in the air.

"All right," Hermione said. She pulled in a breath and let it out. She couldn't believe she had said that last night. Thank Merlin Harry hadn't been in the room.

"Hermione," Ginny warned.

"It was on Christmas," Hermione said. "Remus came into the house after your first Quidditch game."

"Right, to put Teddy down for his nap." Hermione nodded.

"I offered to take Teddy up because he was practically asleep already anyway. But when I went to leave the room, the mistletoe popped up." Ginny grinned.

"So, he kissed you? Just like that?"

"No, of course not! He offered to get Charlie or Ron, but your mum was in the kitchen and I didn't want her to think, well," Hermione trailed off.

"You didn't want to give Mum the wrong idea," Ginny said with a nod. "That either you and Ron were going to get back together, or you fancied Charlie."

"Right, so Remus, Remus offered." Hermione looked down at her lap.

"And?"

"And I thought it would be like when Charlie kissed me earlier, but it was, it was more than that."

"You mean he _kissed_ you, kissed you?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. Ginny squealed and bounced a little on the bed.

"So, what was it like?" Ginny asked. Hermione looked up at Ginny.

"It was…sort of perfect." Ginny clapped her hands and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Then what happened?" Ginny asked, eyes shining with excitement. Hermione sighed.

"Teddy mumbled something and Remus pulled away from me so fast, you'd have thought someone burned him."

"Well yeah, I mean being caught by the kid is a little disconcerting," Ginny said. Hermione sighed again and stood from the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window.

"It wasn't just that," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"He regretted it," Hermione said.

"How do you know?" Ginny demanded.

"Because he apologized to me later."

"Well, of course he did, he's Remus," Ginny said. "What did you say when he apologized?"

"I told him not to worry about it, that I knew it didn't mean anything." When Ginny didn't respond, Hermione looked over her shoulder. The redhead was sitting on the bed, her mouth hanging open.

"You _told_ him it didn't _mean_ anything?" she shrieked.

"Of course, I did," Hermione retorted. "I know that it didn't."

"Are you completely mental?" Hermione scowled. "Hermione, he _kissed_ you! All he had to do to release you from the enchantment was give you a quick peck on the lips, but that's _not what he did_."

"You're being ridiculous," Hermione said with a huff. "He hasn't kissed anyone since Tonks died and he just, just got a little carried away." Ginny rolled her eyes so dramatically, Hermione thought they might fall out of her head.

"Tell me everything that happened," Ginny demanded. "I want every detail." Hermione sighed.

"I don't know what good that's going to do."

"Just tell me," Ginny ordered. Hermione sighed again and sat down on the bed. She recounted their conversation before the kiss as best she could remember it.

"So, he was all nervous and awkward?" Ginny asked.

"Of course, he was, so was I," Hermione replied. "It was obvious he didn't really want to do it, he was just trying to help."

"Let me ask you something," Ginny said. "And answer honestly."

"All right."

"If it had been Harry or even, say, George in that situation would you have been as nervous and awkward?"

"I would probably have been worried that you or Angelina would have hexed me into next week for kissing your boyfriends," Hermione said.

"But you wouldn't have been nervous about kissing them," Ginny confirmed.

"I guess not."

"And do you think either one of them would have acted as nervous as Remus did?"

"George definitely wouldn't," Hermione said with a snort. Ginny laughed. "And I guess Harry wouldn't have either, unless he was worried about what you would think."

"Exactly." Hermione's brow furrowed.

"I don't know what you're getting at, Gin." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For the smartest witch of your age, you sure are daft sometimes." Hermione glared at her. "Remember when Anthony first asked you to Hogsmeade and you had no idea that he fancied you?"

"Yes."

"And remember how nervous he was before he asked you and you wondered what was wrong with him?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm not sure what you don't understand now."

"Remus doesn't fancy me, Ginny." Ginny made a noise of frustration.

"Do _you_ fancy _him_?"

"No," Hermione said quickly, looking away.

"Liar."

"It doesn't matter if I have feelings for him or not, obviously nothing is going to happen."

"Because he apologized?" Ginny asked.

"Among other things."

"Hermione, did you ever think that maybe he apologized because he doesn't think that you fancy _him_?" Hermione looked up at Ginny sharply. Ginny held her hands out to the side as if to say 'finally, you understand."

"My mum said the same thing," Hermione said.

"You told your mum about this?" Ginny asked, a bit surprised.

"Just that it happened," Hermione said. "I didn't tell her it was Remus."

"Well, your mum is absolutely right," Ginny said. "Because _I'm_ right." Hermione sighed.

"I don't think so, Gin."

"Why?" Ginny demanded. Hermione shrugged. "Hermione, why is it so hard to believe that he might have feelings for you?"

"Because, because he's Remus!" Hermione said in exasperation, throwing her hands up in the air. Ginny stared at her for a moment.

"Well, that makes things perfectly clear, thank you." Hermione huffed and stood from the bed.

"How could he feel that way about me?" Hermione asked.

"Do you really need me to list out all your positive qualities?"

"No, it's not that, it's just," Hermione trailed off and shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Is it the age thing?"

"No. I mean, maybe," Hermione said. "It doesn't bother me, but I know it will bother him."

"Tonks was thirteen years younger than him," Ginny reminded her.

"She wasn't young enough to be his daughter," Hermione countered.

"Tell that to all the Blacks who were only thirteen or fourteen when they fathered children." Hermione made a face.

"I'm not sure what's more disturbing, the fact that it happened or that you know about it."

"I've looked at that tapestry quite a few times," Ginny said with a shrug. Hermione shook her head.

"You were in the hospital wing that night, Ginny. You heard all the reasons Remus protested being with Tonks and they all still exist. He's older than me, he still has a difficult time finding a job and he's still a werewolf."

"Don't you think that being with Tonks has made him realize that those things don't matter?"

"I doubt it," Hermione said. "He's still Remus." Ginny fell silent. "I just don't think it's going to happen, Gin."

"Do you _want_ it to happen, Hermione?" Hermione turned and stared out the window again. The truth was, now that she had admitted to herself that she felt something for Remus beyond friendship, she was petrified. She honestly didn't believe that he felt the same way about her and she wasn't sure that she could take any more rejection."

"I don't know," Hermione said quietly. She heard Ginny get up from the bed.

"You know how I feel about it," Ginny said. "But you have to decide for yourself." She hugged Hermione and Hermione nodded. When Ginny released her and took a step back, Ginny smiled.

"Come down soon, yeah? Harry's making breakfast. It's Kreacher's day off."

"I will, thanks, Ginny." Ginny squeezed her hand once more before she dropped the privacy charm and left the room.

Hermione sighed and sat down on her bed. Despite what her mother and Ginny had said, Hermione still wasn't sure that the kiss had really meant anything. No matter how perfect it had been.

Groaning, Hermione flopped back onto the bed. She _had_ to stop thinking about it like that. If it turned out that it meant nothing, torturing herself about it wouldn't help anything. The last thing she wanted was to lose Remus' friendship and if she started acting like some love-sick schoolgirl, she would. She was just going to have to see how Remus reacted to her the next time she saw him.

With a sigh, Hermione rose from her bed and dressed. She gathered up her things and put them in her beaded bag before she headed downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

Teddy ran to Remus carrying the book of fairy tales Hermione had bought him for Christmas and attempted to climb up into Remus' lap while still holding the book. Remus chuckled and picked up his son, taking the book from him as Teddy settled into his lap. Remus opened the book and Teddy began flipping the pages until he found the story he wanted.

"Dis," he said and settled back against Remus. Remus resisted the urge to sigh. He had read _The Gingerbread Man_ more times than he could count in the last few days. In fact, Remus had the story memorized.

When they got three pages into the story, Teddy pointed to the illustration of a woman in the background. She had brown curly hair and a sweet smile.

"My-nee," he said.

"Yes," Remus agreed as he had every time he had read this story to Teddy and Teddy had pointed the woman out. "That does look like Hermione." And, just as it had every time Teddy said her name, Remus' chest tightened.

The first time Teddy had done this, they had been in the living room and Andromeda had been with them. Remus had at first been surprised that Teddy had made the connection at all. He had then nearly lost all the breath in his lungs when he looked and realized that the woman in the illustration really _did_ look quite a bit like Hermione. At Teddy's continued insistence that the woman in the book was Hermione, Andromeda had risen and walked over to look for herself. Remus had held his breath, hoping that nothing on his face betrayed what he was thinking.

Remus had tortured himself over the last week, reliving the kiss with Hermione over and over. He had dreamt about it more than once, only in his dreams Teddy hadn't been present and the kiss had lasted much longer. Cursing himself every time he woke from the dream, Remus had tried to stop thinking about her, busying himself taking care of Teddy. But then his son had insisted on this story and he had found the illustration and Remus hadn't been able to get away from her. All progress he had made between Halloween and Christmas of not thinking about her in a romantic sense had been erased after that one short kiss.

"Daddy?" Teddy said in question and Remus realized he had gotten lost in his thoughts and stopped reading. He kissed the top of Teddy's head and continued with the story, determined to put Hermione from his mind.

* * *

"You never told me how your date went," Andromeda said later, once Teddy had been put to bed. Remus' head snapped up from the book he was reading. He tried to read Andromeda's face, but it was devoid of emotion.

"It wasn't a date," he said. Andromeda gave him a disbelieving look.

"Yes, work-related, I believe you said, although you are no longer working there."

"It was, erm, something of an exit interview," Remus said, grasping for an excuse. "It's a Muggle thing." Andromeda stared at him for a few moments before she began to laugh. Remus was a bit disconcerted at her reaction.

"I am aware of what an exit interview is," she finally said. "And I may be a Pureblood, but I am quite sure that even in the Muggle world, exit interviews do not include the owner of an establishment taking an ex-employee out to dinner." Remus' face heated. He did not want to be having this conversation with his mother-in-law.

"You still have not answered my question," Andromeda said after another few moments of silence. Remus swallowed thickly. Merlin, why did he feel like he was back in Minerva's office after playing some prank or another?

"I, ah, it was, it was fine."

"She is very attractive." Andromeda's face had gone unreadable again.

"I, I didn't notice," Remus said, his face reddening further. Andromeda snorted.

"You are a horrible liar, Remus." She looked at him for a few moments before speaking. "I want you to know that I am not upset." Remus stared at her. "Nymphadora is gone and she would be the last one that would want you to go through the rest of your life alone." She paused and pursed her lips. "I am sorry if I've made you uncomfortable."

"No," he said. "No, I, it's not that." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing is going to happen between Emily and I."

"Oh," Andromeda said, and Remus thought he saw a bit of relief in her eyes before she looked at him in concern. "Did the dinner not go well?"

"No, it went very well," Remus said. "Emily is a lovely woman and we get along. She certainly made it clear she was interested."

"Then I must admit I am a bit confused," Andromeda said. "Is it because she's a Muggle?"

"There is that," Remus admitted. "I just, I'm not ready, I suppose." He could feel Andromeda studying him and Remus did not look up to meet her eye. He was positive she would see the lie there if he did.

"I understand," she said. Remus supposed she did. She had lost Ted, after all. "But, please know that I don't expect you to spend the rest of your life alone."

"I appreciate that," he said. "But, there's no one. Not right now." Andromeda nodded and smiled at him before she returned to the book she had been reading.

Remus held back a sigh as he settled back into his chair. No matter what Andromeda had said, he was quite sure that she would have a completely different opinion if she knew that the woman he wanted was Hermione.

* * *

 **10 January 2000**

Hermione sat at her desk and looked over the latest report that her current supervisor had given her. She had to admit that working in the Beast Division was more exciting than the Spirit Division. They dealt with a much larger variety of creatures for one and there was quite a bit more activity.

Hermione got along well with most of her co-workers in the department, except for a select few. Most of them worked for the Werewolf Capture Unit. Hermione wasn't opposed to the unit on principle, Fenrir Greyback was enough of an example as to why it was needed. But she did take issue with the attitudes of the three wizards and one witch that made up the Unit. They all felt nearly the same as Umbridge had, that all werewolves were disgusting creatures that didn't deserve to live in wizarding society.

Word of Kingsley's addendum to the current werewolf laws that allowed werewolves to be employed if they were registered was slowly travelling around the wizarding world and more werewolves were arriving to register. Last week, two men had come in and Hermione had overheard the members of the Capture Unit talking and whispering about the new registrants. Given the amount of time the Unit spent away from the Ministry, rarely returning with a prisoner in tow, Hermione wondered if they made note of those newly registered and followed them. Whether just to keep an eye on or to harass them, Hermione wasn't sure. But she strongly suspected the latter. She wondered if Remus had ever had any trouble.

Remus. Hermione sighed. She had tried not to think about him over the last week and a half. She hadn't been very successful. Even if she managed not to let her thoughts dwell on him during the day, her dreams taunted her at night. Teddy was never present in them and the kiss always went further, but, ultimately, Remus always rejected her. He was always kind about it, but that somehow made it infinitely worse.

Hermione shook her head to clear it of thoughts she shouldn't be dwelling on. She was just glad Ginny had been forced back to Wales to practice after Gwenog had given them the two weeks before the New Year off. Otherwise, Hermione knew the redhead would have been pestering her incessantly.

"Hermione," a voice said, and Hermione smiled up at Harry. He perched on the corner of her desk.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I need your help."

"Oh, with what?" Harry glanced around the room and everyone quickly returned to whatever tasks they had been working on. Even almost two years after the war, Harry was still a novelty to be stared at. He sighed and shook his head.

"Have lunch with me?"

"Sure," Hermione said. "I'll meet you in the Atrium at noon?" Harry nodded.

"Thanks, Hermione." Harry rose and nodded to one of the witches Hermione worked with. The woman turned red and actually giggled as Harry left the office. Hermione rolled her eyes.

At Harry's departure, a memo flew in the open door and landed on Hermione's desk. She recognized Gwendolyn's handwriting and opened it eagerly.

 _Hermione,_

 _All initial inspections have been completed. We've had to remove twelve House-Elves from seven different homes. They are currently being housed at Hogwarts while I work on relocating them. The owners will be fined and possibly brought up on cruelty charges. We should lunch soon._

 _Gwendolyn_

Hermione immediately burned the memo, not wanting anyone who shouldn't to know that Gwendolyn was keeping Hermione informed. She was glad the inspections were finally finished, but disheartened to know that there were seven households that had been treating their Elves so badly they needed to be removed. Hermione knew that there were others that had been warned and given two months from the initial inspections to improve their Elves' living conditions. Gwendolyn and her team would start doing the second inspections this week.

Hermione doubted that any of those who had House-Elves removed would be given more than a fine; the Wizengamot had been hesitant to impose too harsh of punishments. But they would be banned from having other House-Elves for a minimum of three years and perhaps would never be allowed again, depending on the severity of the abuse. It wasn't perfect, but it was something, she supposed.

Hermione sighed and looked back down at the report in front of her. She had better finish with it before she had to meet Harry for lunch.

* * *

Hermione made her way through the crowds of people coming in and out of the Ministry and spotted Harry near the Floos. She smiled when she reached him. Harry looked at her nervously before running a hand through his hair.

"What's going on, Harry?" Harry glanced around and took Hermione's elbow, leading her towards the Floo.

"Let's go to the Leaky," he said. Hermione frowned, but nodded. If Harry wanted privacy, the Leaky Cauldron really wasn't the place for it. Still, she dropped in the Floo powder and called out her destination.

Hermione stepped out of the Floo and moved aside for Harry. Hermione had just waved to Hannah, who was behind the bar with Tom, when Harry arrived. He glanced around the crowded pub and nodded toward the door that would take them into Muggle London. He transfigured both their robes into Muggle business clothing before they stepped outside. Hermione tried to ignore Charing Cross Books across the street from them and wondered if Remus still spoke to Emily. Shaking her head, she turned back to Harry.

"Harry, what is the matter?" she demanded. Harry glanced at her, then behind him before pulling her into a music store. He looked around again. Hermione was starting to get more worried.

"If you don't tell me what's going on this minute, Harry," she warned, hands on her hips. Harry blew out a breath and looked up at her.

"I'm going to ask Gin to marry me," he blurted out. Hermione's mouth dropped open and she stared at him for a few moments, before she squealed and hugged him tightly.

"That's so exciting!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry was grinning when she pulled away. "But why are you acting so odd?"

"I just, I don't want the press to get wind of this," Harry said. "They interfere enough in my life; I just want this one thing to be private." Even though she wanted to comfort her friend, Hermione couldn't get the smile off her face. Harry finally chuckled.

"I'm so happy for you, Harry," she said, squeezing Harry's hand.

"She's, she's going to say yes, right?" Harry said. He looked so uncertain, Hermione heart clenched.

"Of course, she's going to say yes," Hermione assured him. "She's mad for you, you know that." Harry smiled a little.

"Yeah, yeah I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," Hermione quipped. Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione laughed. "So, what do you need my help with?"

"I want you to help me pick out the ring," Harry said. Hermione pulled in a breath and she felt her eyes tear up.

"You do?" she nearly whispered.

"Of course," Harry said. "You're my family, Hermione." Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and hugged him. Harry squeezed her back just as tightly. Hermione quickly wiped at her eyes when they pulled apart. Harry took her hand and squeezed.

"Besides, you know what Gin likes and I want this to be perfect."

"Of course, I'll help you, Harry." Harry grinned and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Hermione."

"So, I'm guessing that you're not going to shop for the ring in Diagon Alley," Hermione teased. Harry snorted.

"Right, can you imagine the headlines if the two of us went into a jewelry shop together?" Hermione laughed.

"I can take you to the place my dad used to buy all my mum's jewelry," Hermione suggested. "It's small, but it's family-owned and if they don't have exactly what you want they can get it for you."

"That'd be great, Hermione." Harry hugged her again. "Come on, let's get lunch. I'm starved." They left the music store and headed for a small café a few blocks away, both grinning widely.

* * *

 **23 January 2000**

"Hermione! Hermione, are you home?" Hermione walked into the living room from the kitchen to find Ginny's face in the Floo. Hermione had finally gotten her fireplace hooked up to the network. While she could easily Apparate anywhere she wanted to go, communicating with her friends was a different story. Owls could take too long and sometimes sending a Patronus just wasn't practical. Harry had been bothering her to do it for months.

"Hey, Ginny," Hermione said as she came into the room.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Ginny said. Hermione dropped to her knees in front of the fireplace.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"Harry and Ron got called into work on an emergency," Ginny explained. "And I've got to get back to Wales for practice, but Teddy's here."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Can't you just call Andromeda?" If Ginny noticed that Hermione purposely didn't say Remus, she didn't let on.

"She's spending the day with Narcissa," Ginny said. Hermione felt her stomach flip over. She knew from Harry that Andromeda had reconnected with her sister, but every time Hermione heard one of the Malfoys' names, she still had a visceral reaction.

"And Remus said he was going to be out most of the afternoon running errands," Ginny said. "Can you just come and stay with Teddy until Remus gets here? He's supposed to come around four." Hermione glanced at her watch. It was half two.

"I'd take him to the Burrow, but he's napping right now. And you know Mum's going to be busy cooking for the family dinner tonight." Hermione hadn't seen Remus since Christmas and she wasn't ready to see him now. She knew it made her a coward, but she wasn't ready to hear the gentle rebuff she knew she would get if he figured out her feelings for him.

"Hermione?" Ginny prodded when Hermione hadn't answered. Hermione glanced down at her friend and knew she couldn't give Ginny more fuel for her fire. Ginny had already questioned Hermione since New Year's, more than once, about her feelings for Remus.

"Sure, Gin, I'll be there in a few minutes." Ginny grinned.

"Thanks, Hermione." Hermione sighed when Ginny broke the Floo connection. Hermione hoped she wasn't going to regret this.

* * *

Remus landed on the top step of Grimmauld Place and knocked on the door. A few moments later, Kreacher opened it and gave Remus a grudging nod. When Harry had brought the House-Elf back from Hogwarts it was with the understanding that Kreacher would treat Harry's guests cordially, regardless of their blood status, or creature status, in Remus' case.

"Good afternoon, Kreacher," Remus said as he stepped inside. Personally, Remus could have done without ever seeing the Elf again, but Harry had always been more forgiving than Remus was.

"Miss is in the sitting room," Kreacher said as he took Remus' cloak and hung it up with a snap of his fingers. Remus nodded to the Elf and then began to climb the stairs. It wasn't until he'd reached the first floor landing that Remus realized Kreacher had said Miss instead of Master Harry.

Remus turned toward the doorway to the sitting room wondering where Harry was, but expecting to see Ginny. Instead, a head of curly brown hair greeted him. Hermione was reading a book and looked up when she heard him approach.

He hadn't seen her since Christmas. Her face had a bit more color than it normally did, a result of her time in Australia, he assumed. She smiled at him and he froze where he stood. It likely made him a coward, but he didn't know how he was going to interact with her without her figuring out how he felt. He wasn't ready for the awkwardness and rejection that would follow.

"Hello, Remus," she finally said.

"Hermione," he replied. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Harry and Ron got called in on an emergency and Ginny had to get back to Wales." Remus' brow furrowed. He distinctly remembered Harry telling him that Ginny didn't have to leave for practice until six. Remus managed to keep his face neutral as he remembered the knowing look on Ginny's face at Halloween. Surely, she couldn't be meddling and trying to force the two of them together?

"She could have Flooed and I would have picked Teddy up early," Remus said. Hermione looked confused for a moment.

"Oh, well, Ginny said Teddy was napping and she didn't want to wake him." Remus nodded, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable by asking more questions. He looked around the room for his son.

"Where is Teddy?"

"Still sleeping," Hermione said. "Ginny told me she put him down around two." Remus bit back a sigh. Normally, Teddy went down for his nap by one o'clock. Later than that and Remus had a hard time getting him to bed at night. He couldn't fault Ginny, though. Harry was the one that knew the little boy's schedule and Remus was sure that he hadn't had time to give Ginny all the specifics before he was called away.

"Do you know what the emergency was?" Remus asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Harry didn't tell Ginny."

"I hope it's nothing serious."

"Me too," Hermione said, shivering a little. They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes. Remus glanced around the room and saw Teddy's bag sitting on the chair near the door. He reached over to pick it up, but the strap caught on one of the arms of the chair and everything went tumbling out of it.

"Shite," he muttered under his breath. Hermione laughed a bit and squatted down to gather up the toys that had spilled. Remus chuckled and knelt down to help her. They both put a hand on one of Teddy's dragons at the same time and froze. Hermione looked up at Remus, but he couldn't move. He felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt himself shift towards her and he tried to remove his hand from hers, but it felt like someone had cast a sticking charm on him. Hermione was still staring up at him. When he focused, he could see that her breathing had sped up slightly and he could almost hear the thumping of her heart. He wondered if he was scaring her, but another part of his brain recognized the signs for what they were. Remus swallowed. He was aware of how very close to her he was, how he only had to move another few inches and he could be kissing her again. He held himself back by sheer force of will.

* * *

Hermione stared up at Remus and felt her breath catch. She saw him shift and move his hand slightly, but he didn't remove it. Her heart sped up as she moved infinitesimally closer to him. She didn't even think he noticed. She saw him swallow. When she looked again, she realized that she only needed to move the tiniest bit and she could be kissing him again. She didn't know how she forced herself not to move.

An alarm broke the silence and they both startled, almost violently. Hermione fell back on her bum and Remus sat back on his haunches, both now more than two feet apart.

"That's the monitoring ward," Hermione finally managed. "Teddy must be awake."

"Right," Remus said, finally looking away. Hermione stood quickly.

"I'll just go get him," she said and hurried from the room. She brought her hands to her cheeks as she climbed the stairs, willing her heart to slow and the blush to leave her face. She pulled in a breath and let it out before she opened the door to Teddy's room.

He was standing in his cot, clutching his stuffed dog, banging on the bars. He looked up at her when she walked in and grinned.

"My-nee." Hermione couldn't help but smile as she picked the toddler up.

"Hi, Teddy. Did you have a nice nap?"

"No nap," Teddy said, shaking his head and Hermione laughed.

"You've already had your nap, silly," she said, rubbing her nose against his. He giggled.

"Ha-wy?" Teddy asked.

"Harry had to go to work," Hermione explained. "But your daddy's here." Teddy's smile widened and Hermione checked the cot to be sure there were no more toys in it. She then carried Teddy from the room.

The entire way to the sitting room, Hermione tried not to think about what had almost just happened with Remus. She was going to strangle Ginny. It was obvious from what Remus said that he had been home all afternoon and not out running errands as Ginny had said. Hermione wondered if Ginny even had to go back to Wales when she'd said she had to. Hermione took a deep breath just before she reached the sitting room.

"Daddy!" Teddy called as they stepped into the room. Remus had finished picking up the toys and was now standing near the couch with his back to the door. Remus turned and smiled at his son. Hermione walked over to Remus and handed the little boy over to him, trying not to react when their hands brushed again.

"Did you have a good day?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded and began babbling away, Hermione catching every fourth or fifth word. Remus seemed to be concentrating intently on what Teddy was saying and Hermione smiled softly. He was such a good father. Remus glanced at her in the middle of Teddy's discourse and returned her soft smile for a split second before turning his attention back to Teddy. Hermione felt her heart flutter.

When Teddy had finished discussing his day, Remus picked up his bag and glanced at Hermione again. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you," he said. "For sitting with Teddy." Hermione managed a smile.

"It was no problem." Remus nodded and looked away, then back towards her again. Hermione felt her palms start to sweat.

"So, I um, I'll just tell Kreacher we're going then," Hermione said. Remus nodded a bit stiffly. "Kreacher." The House-Elf popped into the sitting room.

"Yes, Miss."

"Remus is taking Teddy home and I'm going as well," Hermione explained. "Can you please tell Harry when he gets home?"

"Yes, Miss," Kreacher said with a short bow and then disappeared. Hermione and Remus looked at each other awkwardly again.

"Yes, well, we should be off," Remus said. He pulled a small jacket from Teddy's bag and put it on the boy.

"Home, Daddy?"

"Yes, we're going home," Remus said. "It's almost time for dinner."

"My-nee?" Teddy asked. Remus' gaze flicked towards her and she laughed nervously.

"No, I'm not, not going with you," Hermione said, feeling a bit bereft at the statement. Which was completely ludicrous.

"My-nee go," Teddy insisted. Remus looked a bit nervous at his son's statement and Hermione forced a smile onto her face.

"I have to go home and feed Crookshanks," Hermione said. "Maybe next time, all right?" Teddy pouted. Hermione laughed again and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. She heard Remus' sharp intake of breath when she leaned in. Stepping back quickly, Hermione smiled awkwardly at Remus.

"All right, let's go," Remus said to Teddy and began walking towards the door. He turned when they reached it and looked back at her.

"Good-bye, Hermione."

Good-bye, Remus. Bye, Teddy." Teddy waved to her and the two left the room. Hermione heard the soft click of the front door a few minutes later and sank down on the couch. She put her head in her hands and groaned. She was going to kill Ginny.

* * *

"Ready?" Remus asked Teddy when they had reached the front step. Teddy nodded and clutched Padfoot tightly before he buried his face in Remus' neck. Remus wrapped his arms securely around his son. "One, two, three." On three they turned and disappeared, landing in their back garden with a crack.

Remus waited a few moments for Teddy to recover, but instead of going into the house, he cast a warming charm on both of them and sat down on the swing.

"Sing, Daddy?" Teddy asked with a grin.

"Yes, we'll swing," Remus replied with a smile and began to push them on the swing with one foot. Teddy giggled in delight. Remus leaned forward and kissed the boy's forehead. Teddy set Padfoot down on Remus' stomach and gripped the ropes of the swing, while Remus continued to push them.

"Go!" Teddy insisted. Remus chuckled. He wrapped one arm securely around the rope of the swing and Teddy's middle, then gripped the other rope to set them swinging higher. Teddy laughed as the wind blew through his hair.

As they swung, Remus' thoughts drifted back to Hermione and what had nearly happened at Grimmauld Place. Hermione's reaction to their proximity could have been fear, but it could have also been that she wanted to kiss Remus as much as he wanted to kiss her. Remus' heart sped up at the thought. All the signs had been there, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that was what Hermione wanted. She could have any wizard she desired, certainly she didn't want him.

And even if she did, it just couldn't happen. Gods, what would everyone think? He had seen the looks from people the few times he and Dora were out in public together and Hermione was even younger than Dora had been. Hermione was already in the public eye, given her war heroine status. He wouldn't put her under further scrutiny for dating a man twice her age.

Not to mention she had been his student. He could just imagine what Rita Skeeter would insinuate about that. Remus shook his head in disgust. Hermione's reputation would be in tatters. He wouldn't do that to her.

No, he decided, it was better that he just ignore his feelings. Hermione would eventually forget about him and move on to someone much more suited to her. Slowing the swing to a stop, he kissed the top of Teddy's head again and stood. He had a son to take care of.

* * *

Hermione landed in her back garden with a crack. Grimacing, she hoped the neighbors hadn't heard. Normally, she could Apparate much more quietly, but her emotions were all over the place. She let herself into the house and walked into the living room, sinking down onto the couch. She pulled one of the throw pillows towards her and curled up in the corner.

She pulled in a breath and let it out. She could have sworn that Remus wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to kiss him. But that was absurd. How could he possibly have feelings for her? Hermione turned over all their encounters in the past few months in her mind, remembering what her mum and Ginny had said about the kiss on Christmas. It was possible, she supposed, but the thought that Remus could be interested in Hermione after being married to Tonks was a bit hard to believe.

Tonks had been outgoing and funny, confident and even a bit improper at times, which only seemed to add to her appeal. Hermione and Remus had quite a bit in common, but what if he preferred someone that was more different from him? Hermione clutched the pillow tighter.

Still, she had heard the way his breathing sped up when they had been so close together. She had seen the look in his eyes just before the alarm had startled them. Hermione wondered if he would have kissed her if the monitoring charm hadn't sounded. She wondered if _she_ would have kissed _him_. Part of her was quite sure she would have.

Did he notice her reaction just as she'd noticed his? If he had, Hermione wondered what kept him from acting on it. Perhaps he still believed what she'd said at Christmas and hadn't kissed her because he truly believed she wasn't interested. Hermione sat up.

The first thing she needed to do, as her mum had said, was decide if she wanted a relationship with Remus. A wave of longing went through Hermione at the thought. Gods, she did. She wanted it so much.

It wouldn't be easy. Remus had his own hang-ups, as she was well aware. And their age difference would be an issue for some people. Most of her friends, save Ginny, would be shocked. And she didn't have any idea what her parents would think, especially knowing Remus had once been her professor. Hermione made a face thinking of what the Rita Skeeter's of the world would have to say about that. Hermione didn't care what they said about her, but she didn't want anyone to suggest anything so horrid about Remus.

She sighed. Thinking about it that way, it seemed almost impossible, even if she could convince Remus that he was really the one she wanted and that he deserved to have more happiness in his life. Which would be a feat in and of itself. Maybe it would be easier just to ignore her feelings and hope they eventually went away.

Crookshanks jumped up on the couch and meowed loudly at her. Hermione glanced up and saw that it had grown dark outside.

"Hungry, are you?" she asked as she scratched him behind the ears. Crookshanks gave her a look before jumping off the couch and walking into the kitchen, his tail flicking impatiently. Hermione sighed once again and rose from the couch, following her cat. When had things gotten so complicated?


	43. Forward

**A/N - Thank you for all the reviews last chapter! I know our favorite couple is being a bit frustrating right now. Hopefully, this chapter will help. ;)**

 **Also, I have not started writing the next chapter yet because I have been battling a migraine for the last three days. Normally, I have about half of the next chapter written by this point. I have made finishing this story my NaNoWriMo project, so hopefully, I'll still get the next chapter up on time. If it's not, I will get it up as soon as I can.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 43**

 **Forward**

 **25 January 2000**

"I'm sorry I'm late," Gwendolyn said as she sat down at the table Hermione had gotten them for lunch. "And I'm sorry it's taken us so long to do this."

"I know you've been busy," Hermione said with a small smile. Gwendolyn studied her for a moment.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, fine," Hermione assured her. Gwendolyn didn't look convinced, but didn't press the issue. Hermione was glad. The last thing she wanted to do was agonize about Remus again, as she had been for the last two days. Hermione pushed that thought from her mind.

"So, all the second inspections are complete?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Gwendolyn said. Before she could continue their server approached to take their order. Both women waited until she was gone to continue their conversation.

"We had to remove another elf," Gwendolyn said with a sigh. "I thought this one should have been removed initially, but Prescott was acquainted with the family and wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. It was a wrong assumption." Hermione bristled. To know that a House-Elf had been left in abusive conditions for another two months because of a personal relationship with the inspector was infuriating. Prescott shouldn't have handled the inspection.

"I know," Gwendolyn said, holding up a hand before Hermione could protest. "I told Mr. Satterfield to send in a different inspector, but he refused." Hermione's ire rose higher. She forced herself to calm. It wasn't Gwendolyn's fault.

"What's going to happen now?" Hermione asked.

"I will continue to work to get the House-Elves relocated. Minerva McGonagall has agreed to take on any that we cannot find new homes for." Hermione relaxed at that. She knew the Elves would be well-cared for at Hogwarts.

"Well, I'm glad that those that were being mistreated have been removed at least," Hermione said.

"As am I," Gwendolyn agreed.

"What happens after they've been relocated?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure," Gwendolyn said. "I hope that the Inspection office will be combined with my office. It makes the most sense." Her face turned pensive.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, after their food was delivered.

"Just a comment Mr. Satterfield made the other day." Hermione could only imagine.

"What did he say?"

"He said something about repurposing my office." Gwendolyn looked up at Hermione. "It was a passing comment, so I have no idea if he really meant it or was just trying to scare me."

"Either way, he shouldn't be threatening you," Hermione insisted. "You've done nothing wrong." Gwendolyn shrugged.

"I did back your proposal and in his eyes, that was enough." Hermione felt horrible. She had never meant to drag Gwendolyn into this. The older woman smiled a few moments later.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "I'm sure he was just trying to get a reaction out of me. I didn't oblige." Hermione smiled faintly. "Tell me how things are going in the Beast Division."

"Better than the Spirit Division," Hermione said. "At least it's more interesting. I've been working with the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau for the last week." The two women chatted for a bit about Hermione's current responsibilities.

"Hermione," Gwendolyn said after they had paused for a few minutes to eat their lunch. "Have you thought about moving to another department?" Hermione sighed. She had been thinking about what she would do once her House-Elf law had been fully enacted.

"I have, but I don't know where I want to go," Hermione admitted.

"If you really want to work on the werewolf laws, you might want to check into Magical Law Enforcement." Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. She knew that there was more to the DMLE than just the Auror Department, but she wasn't sure how any of those subdivisions were going to help her with her werewolf legislation. She told Gwendolyn as much.

"There is a small research section of the Wizengamot Administrative Services Division. Not many people know about it because most legislation usually comes from the individual departments, but there have been some proposals that have become law that started in the Wizengamot Administrative Services," Gwendolyn said.

"I know the head of the division and I mentioned your name. She was very interested to speak with you. She had nothing but praise for how well researched and organized your House-Elf proposal was." Hermione sat back in her chair, completely gobsmacked. She had no idea that a research subdivision even existed in the DMLE.

"Think about the look on Satterfield's face if you not only quit, but still manage to get your werewolf legislation heard," Gwendolyn grinned and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. That would be enjoyable. It would be even better if she could get Mr. Satterfield sacked. She had been thinking about it since Halloween. Hermione just wasn't sure if she was ready to speak to _her_ again yet.

"I'll definitely think about it," Hermione said.

"Good, let me know when you want to set up a meeting." Gwendolyn winked at her, already knowing what Hermione's decision was going to be.

* * *

 **29 January 2000**

"Harry, it's perfect," Hermione said with a wide smile as Harry examined the ring. He had put the custom order in two weeks ago when Hermione had brought him to the small jewelry shop her father had always frequented. The owner knew Hermione by name and had been very helpful in picking out a design that would suit Ginny.

"You're sure?" Harry asked uncertainly. Hermione nodded.

"Ginny is going to love it."

"Thank you, Mr. Wright," Harry said. "You've done an excellent job."

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter," the jeweler said with a smile. "I'll just wrap this up for you."

"You haven't told me when you're going to ask her, Harry," Hermione said when Mr. Wright had stepped away. "Valentine's Day?" Ginny's next match was the sixth, but she would be home for two weeks afterward. Harry shook his head.

"No," he said. "I want to do it after her next game, but not on Valentine's Day. All I know is, I don't want to do it in public and make a big scene. I want it to be just us." Hermione nodded. As much as the public clamored to know everything about Harry's life, she couldn't blame him for wanting to keep things private.

"There's always Mug-, I mean London," Hermione said with a glance at Mr. Wright. He still had his back to them, but he wasn't that far away that he couldn't hear what they were saying. "Lots of romantic restaurants."

"Maybe," Harry said.

"Here you are, Mr. Potter," Mr. Wright said as he returned to the counter. He had polished the ring and nestled it in a black velvet box. Harry nodded, and the jeweler closed the box and slipped it into a small plastic bag. He handed it to Harry with a smile.

"I appreciate your business. And Miss Granger, please say hello to your parents for me."

"I will, sir," Hermione replied.

"Thank you, Mr. Wright," Harry said. They bid the jeweler good-bye and left the shop.

"So, what's going on with you?" Harry asked.

"I had lunch with Gwendolyn the other day," Hermione said. She proceeded to tell Harry about the current state of the House-Elf inspections. "She had something else interesting to say."

"What's that?" Harry questioned.

"A lead on a new job."

"Really? What is it?"

"It's in your department, actually," Hermione said. Harry looked confused.

"I didn't think you wanted to be an Auror," Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"There is more to the DMLE than just the Auror department, Harry."

"Oh, right," Harry said sheepishly. "What's the job then?" Hermione explained the research section of the Wizengamot Services Division.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked.

"I think it's brilliant," Harry said with a wide grin. "Who would you report to?"

"The head of Wizengamot Services," Hermione said. "Gwendolyn said she was very impressed with my House-Elf proposal."

"I think you should do it, Hermione," Harry said. "Godric knows Satterfield isn't going to back you on the werewolf legislation." Hermione nodded.

"You're right, Harry, I know you are. It's just-" she shook her head and sighed.

"It's just you were hoping he would change his mind when he saw how successful your House-Elf proposal was."

"Yes," Hermione said with another sigh.

"It's time to move on, Hermione," Harry said. "I know you're not happy where you are."

"No," she agreed. They reached the alley where they could Apparate. "I'm going to talk to Gwendolyn on Monday and tell her to set up the interview." Harry smiled and hugged her.

"Want to come back to mine for lunch?" he asked. "I'm sure Kreacher's made something."

"All right," Hermione agreed, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Now she just had to decide if she was going to go after Satterfield or not.

* * *

 **5 February 2000**

"Remus," Hermione whispered. Remus stared at her for another second before he leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Her arms came around his neck and Remus tangled one hand in her curls, the other resting on her hip. Hermione's lips parted, and Remus wasted no time deepening the kiss. She pulled herself impossibly closer to him and he gripped her tighter. He didn't know how long they stood there kissing, much longer than seemed possible without needing to breathe. When Hermione pulled away, she had a smile on her face. She took his hand and led him from the room. They started up the stairs towards her bedroom when everything became fuzzy and then dark. Hermione's hand slipped from his.

He tried to follow her, but he couldn't see anything. She didn't respond to his repeated calls of her name. Confused and worried, he turned around once more.

"Remus," another voice said, and his breath caught. The room slowly brightened and he realized he was no longer in Hermione's house, but his own.

"Dora," he breathed.

"Wotcher, Remus." She grinned at him. "Kissing another woman? And on my birthday no less." Remus' face colored. Dora laughed and Remus' gut clenched. He had missed that sound.

"This is, it wasn't, I, I don't know what," he trailed off, trying to figure out what was going on. "How are you here?"

"It's your dream, love," Dora said with a shrug. "Quite a steamy one too, it seems." Remus reddened again.

"I, I, gods, I miss you." Dora smiled sadly.

"I miss you too. All of you."

"Teddy, he's, he's so perfect," Remus said.

"I know," she said. "You're such a good father, Remus. I always knew you would be." Remus felt the tears begin to run down his cheeks.

"I wish you were here."

"I do too, love. But Teddy has so many people that love him. He's going to be all right and so are you."

"Dora, I," Remus paused. She took a step closer to him and he reached out for her, but he couldn't seem to touch her.

"Hermione is rather attractive, isn't she?" Remus looked up at her in shock. Dora winked.

"That, that, I don't know what that was. I mean I don't know why, I," but Dora laughed.

"I think you know exactly why." Remus shook his head.

"No, I, I can't."

"Well, that's up to you, of course, but if you're denying it out of some loyalty to me, don't." Remus looked at her. "I'm gone Remus, and you still have a long life in front of you."

"She's too young, she, I, I'm not good enough for her."

"Hm, _where_ have I heard that before?" Dora said, tapping her finger against her lips. Remus sighed.

"It's different."

"Not so much. Same argument you gave me. And look what happened." She grinned again and waggled her eyebrows at him. Remus couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't keep punishing yourself," she said. Remus stared at her and she gave him a cheeky grin. "Besides, someone else should know what a phenomenal shag you are." Remus choked on his laugh. Dora turned and began to walk towards the door that had suddenly appeared.

"I love you," Remus called after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"I know," she said with a smile. "Don't forget to live, Remus." And then she disappeared.

Remus sat bolt upright in bed, the tears drying on his cheeks. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Fucking hell, what had that been?

As his heart slowed, Remus glanced at the window. It was still well before dawn, but he was quite sure he wouldn't sleep again. Lying back on the pillows, his face heated as he remembered the beginning of his dream. It wasn't that the dream was new, in fact he'd had it several times since the kiss on Christmas. But Dora showing up, that had never happened before. Normally, when Hermione started leading him up the stairs, he had woken.

Dora, gods, she had looked just the same; hair vibrant pink, eyes sparkling with laughter. He still missed her. But the ache he expected to open in his chest, was significantly lessened.

He couldn't help going over what she had said. Remus understood dreams; he knew his dead wife hadn't visited him from beyond the grave to give him permission to pursue another woman. Everything Dora had said was what his subconscious wanted to hear from her. Putting more stock in it would be foolish and naïve. Remus was well aware of what his subconscious wanted.

Sighing, Remus threw an arm over his eyes. He did wonder though, in all the dreams he'd had about Hermione, why his mind had decided to throw his wife into the mix this time. It was a bit disconcerting to say the least. He was sure it meant something, but he'd never taken Divination and hadn't paid much attention when Sirius and James had joked around about their dream journals. They'd made most of it up anyway.

It wasn't as if 'permission' from Dora was going to make him pursue Hermione. His reasons for leaving her alone still existed and wouldn't change. Hermione deserved better than him. Dora had deserved better than him, for that matter.

He turned towards the photograph on his bedside table. Perhaps it was because it was Dora's birthday that he'd dreamed of her. It made sense, he supposed. He'd been thinking about her when he went to bed the night before.

Sighing again, Remus sat up in bed. The sky was turning from black to grey. He and Andromeda planned to take Teddy to the zoo today before going to the cemetery, just as they'd done the year before. They had decided to make it an annual tradition on Dora's birthday. If he was going to have the energy to chase after his almost two-year-old today, he was going to need coffee this morning.

Rising from his bed, Remus gave the photograph one last glance. As he pulled a t-shirt over his head, he vowed to put the dream from his mind. Dwelling on it wouldn't change anything.

* * *

 **7 February 2000**

Hermione couldn't hide the smile on her face as she walked back into the office after her lunch. She had met with Margaret Fawcett and accepted the position with the Wizengamot Administrative Services. Hermione had liked her from the start. She had insisted that Hermione call her Margaret and was very interested in Hermione's ideas about new werewolf legislation. Hermione never got the feeling that Margaret was hiring her simply for Hermione's name.

When their discussion had turned to Mr. Satterfield, Margaret had made a disgusted noise.

"Man shouldn't be in charge of the Centaur Liaison Office, let alone an entire department." Hermione laughed knowing that not one Centaur had ever come into the Ministry to use the Liaison Office. It was basically useless. In fact, within the Ministry, being sent to Centaur office was code for getting sacked.

"I can't disagree with you," Hermione had said.

"I suggest you file a complaint with the Minister once you've left the DRCMC," Margaret said. "Maybe _this_ Minister will actually do something about him."

"Other employees have complained about him in the past?" Margaret had nodded.

"I don't even know how many complaints Fudge got about him," she said. "But Satterfield knows which hands to grease. Scrimgeour was too worried about You-Know-Who to focus on much else."

Hermione had tucked that information away for further thought. Margaret had told her she would file the paperwork for Hermione's transfer that afternoon, but it would take at least a week for it to be approved. Hermione didn't plan to say anything to Mr. Satterfield until she knew she had the job.

Still, she was excited to know that she would soon be out of the DRCMC and on to a job that looked to be exactly what she'd been hoping for when she joined the Ministry.

"Granger," a voice barked, and Hermione looked up to see Jensen Barbary from the werewolf capture unit. "Get your cloak, you're with us today."

"Wh-what?" Hermione stammered. He looked at her as if she were stupid.

"I _said_ , you're with us today. We need extra personnel. Mr. Satterfield's orders."

"But, why?" Hermione asked. The one thing she had never wanted to do while working in the Beast Division was go out with the werewolf capture unit. First, she didn't like any of the people on the team and second, she had no desire to see just how they treated those they captured. She could imagine based on how they talked about them.

"Look, Granger, get your damn cloak or don't, I really don't fucking care. But get your arse to the lifts in two minutes or you can answer to Mr. Satterfield." He stalked off, muttering under his breath.

Hermione thought about refusing. After all, waiting on the transfer papers for Administrative Services was simply a formality. If Mr. Satterfield sacked her, she still had a job. Unless, her transfer wouldn't be approved if she'd already been fired from the Ministry. Swearing under her breath, she grabbed her cloak and transfigured her heels into sturdy boots. She was glad she had worn trousers today.

She met with the rest of the werewolf capture unit at the lifts, along with a few others from the Beast Division. She wondered why they needed so many people. Once everyone had arrived, Barbary addressed the group.

"We've got a group of wolves that have been causing problems in Scotland, killing cattle, stealing food. A few days ago, a teenaged Muggle girl went missing. Muggles are getting angry and suspicious and that's not good for us. Only a matter of time before one of the wolves is spotted."

"How do you know werewolves are doing it?" Hermione asked. Barbary sneered at her.

"We've been tracking them, Granger. Lost 'em last month just before the full moon. They've surfaced again. We're bringing them in this time."

They took the lifts to the Atrium and then the Floo to a small, dingy wizarding pub somewhere in Scotland. The werewolf pack had last been spotted a mile or so from the pub. When everyone had arrived, Barbary broke them up into two groups. Of course, Hermione ended up in Barbary's group.

"Throw up red sparks if you find anything. Otherwise, we'll meet back here in two hours."

Hermione brought up the rear of her group as they moved into the woods. The very last thing she wanted to do was traipse around in the forest for two hours. It reminded her too much of their time on the run. Not to mention the fact that she thought this entire thing was ridiculous.

Why would a werewolf pack kidnap a Muggle girl? It was almost two weeks until the next full moon, which meant that their werewolf instincts would have been at their lowest. There were exceptions, of course, Greyback was testament to that. But even those werewolves that Hermione knew had been captured by the Unit had only attacked someone on the full moon. As far as she knew, no werewolves had ever been accused of kidnapping before. It was much more likely that the girl had been taken by another Muggle or just run away.

She wished she had asked Remus more about his time with the werewolf packs, so she had a better idea of how they functioned. Although, she was sure that he wouldn't have wanted to tell her anything. He didn't like to talk about that time in his life. Hermione couldn't blame him.

She sighed. It seemed no matter how she tried to fight it, her thoughts almost always turned to Remus these days. Maybe she should stop fighting it. Somehow, as time went on, her reasons for ignoring her feelings seemed less important. Yes, people would talk. Yes, the press would likely have a field day. But, as long as those close to her knew the truth, that was all that really mattered to Hermione.

Of course, convincing Remus would likely be a lot more difficult. His nobility streak was worse than Harry's.

She was getting ahead of herself again. She wasn't even sure if Remus _had_ feelings for her in the first place. Hermione suspected he did, but then again, she had never been the best at reading those kinds of things from people. She'd had no idea that Viktor or Anthony had fancied her, and she and Ron had danced around their feelings for each other for years before finally admitting it in the heat of battle.

"Stop," Barbary said quietly, and Hermione was pulled from her reverie. She saw that they were on the edge of a small clearing. Barbary drew his wand and squatted down behind a cluster of bushes. Everyone else followed suit.

"Hints of a fire," he whispered, Hermione having to strain to hear him. "Looks like some kind of rudimentary shelter in the trees."

"Did you see anyone?" someone else asked. Barbary shook his head.

"You two," he said, pointing to the two others in their group. "Head around to the left. Granger you're with me to the right. Stay hidden." Hermione internally cursed, but pulled her wand from her sleeve. She followed Barbary around the bushes to a small stand of trees. Positioning themselves behind two thick oaks, Barbary peered around the trunk, eyes scanning the clearing and the forest beyond.

Hermione looked around as well. It seemed to her that whoever had been camping here had left in a hurry. There were still small tendrils of smoke curling up from where a fire had been lit and there were bits of cloth, likely clothing, scattered near the small lean-to.

Suddenly, Barbary froze. He squinted and stared hard for a few seconds before he turned to her. Using hand motions, he indicated that he had seen someone in the trees, just behind the shelter. He cast a silencing charm on his feet and indicated that Hermione should do the same. Inching out from behind the oaks, they continued around the edge of the clearing until they had nearly reached the shelter.

They stopped, and Hermione stared into the trees, wondering if Barbary had been seeing things, when she too saw a bit of movement. Barbary looked at her, then pointed toward whoever was in the woods. She nodded in understanding.

No longer caring about making noise, they rushed towards the spot they had seen movement. There was another, louder noise and Hermione knew that whoever it was had taken off running. Barbary followed, but Hermione ran off to the left, thinking to cut them off.

The other two people on their team had reached the same spot and were now running after Hermione. She circled around and saw a small figure change course and head towards her.

"Stop!" Barbary yelled. "You can't get away, there are too many of us." There was a yelp and a cry. Hermione rushed towards the noise and reached it before any of the others.

A boy, no older than twelve, was lying on the ground, clutching his ankle. Tears were running down his cheeks. Hermione stopped, gasping for breath, just as the other two came barreling out of the trees.

"It's just a kid," one said. Hermione nodded as the boy stared at them fearfully.

"Are you all right?" she asked once she had finally caught her breath. He didn't answer, just looked up at her. He was clearly terrified.

Barbary came rushing in, wand still drawn, pointing it in the boy's direction. At the sight of it, the boy scooted backward on his bum until his back hit a fallen tree trunk.

"Get up," Barbary ordered.

"Barbary, he's hurt," Hermione said.

"Where are the rest of them?" Barbary demanded. The boy looked at him helplessly. "Are they hiding around here?" Hermione glared at him and knelt next to the boy.

"Granger, get away from him."

"He's hurt," Hermione said again. She reached out to examine the boy's ankle, but he snatched his leg away from her.

"It's all right," she soothed. "I'm not going to hurt you." Slowly, she reached for him again. The poor thing was shaking he was so scared. Hermione smiled reassuringly at the boy and gently grasped his foot. He flinched. She gave him another smile.

"Can you straighten your leg out for me?" After a few moments, the boy did as she asked. Hermione gently felt along his ankle until he yelped. "Sorry." She looked up at Barbary.

"I don't think it's broken," she said. "But we should take him to St. Mungo's to be sure."

"The hell we are," Barbary said. "The only place he's going is a holding cell at the Ministry."

"For what?" Hermione demanded. "He's done nothing wrong. You don't even know if he's part of the pack."

"He ran when we found him."

"Of course, he did, he's terrified!" Hermione shot back. "If I saw you coming at me in the woods, I'd run too." One of the others snickered and Barbary glared at them.

"Where are the rest of them, boy?" Barbary asked again. The boy remained silent. Hermione heard Barbary growl under his breath. He raised his wand into the air and shot off red sparks. Seconds later the rest of the team had Apparated to them.

"Caught one, eh?" Cyrus Warrington eyed the boy on the ground. He was the worst of the Werewolf Capture Unit as far as Hermione was concerned. He reminded her of the executioner, Walden Macnair.

"Yeah, but he isn't talking," Barbary said.

"Could make him talk," Warrington said. Hermione moved protectively in front of the boy.

"You will do no such thing," she snapped. "He's a child!" Warrington sneered at her.

"Last I checked, you weren't in charge here, Granger." Hermione glared back at him.

"And last _I_ checked, the Ministry didn't sanction torture." There was a tense silence for a few moments. Everyone knew that Hermione's best friend was the Boy-Who-Lived and that she had a close association with the Minister of Magic.

"We're wasting time," Barbary said. "Warrington, split everyone up into pairs and keep searching. The rest of them have got to be around here somewhere. I'll question the kid." Hermione made no move to join the rest of the team and Warrington ignored her as he paired everyone off. When they had all jogged further into the forest, Barbary turned back to the boy.

"Just tell me where they are, son," he said, gentling his voice. Hermione barely contained her snort. Barbary didn't have a gentle bone in his body. "No one's going to get hurt. We just need to ask them a few questions." The boy glanced from Barbary to Hermione. She tried to give him an encouraging smile, knowing it would go smoother for him if he just answered the questions.

"Gone," the boy finally whispered.

"I know they're gone," Barbary said, a bit of impatience creeping into his voice. "Where did they go?" The boy shook his head. He shifted his leg, then whimpered.

"I can help you with that," Hermione said, pointing her wand at the boy's ankle. He looked wary, but didn't refuse. "Ferula." Bandages flew out of the end of Hermione's wand and wrapped themselves around the splint that had appeared. Some of the pain left the boy's face and he gave Hermione a tentative smile.

"Now that we're all feeling better, let me ask again. Where are they?" Barbary demanded.

"G-gone," the boy said. "I w-was in the w-woods looking f-for food and when I c-came back they w-were gone." Barbary swore.

"Where would they go?"

"I d-don't know," the boy said. He looked as if he were going to burst into tears. Hermione reached out and took his hand. Suddenly, Barbary was on the ground next to them, his face only inches from the boy's.

"You're lying!" he insisted. "Tell me where they are!" The boy started to cry.

"I d-don't kn-know."

"You're scaring him!" Hermione shouted, trying to get herself in between the two of them.

"He's going to be a lot more than scared if he doesn't tell me what I want to know!"

"He said he doesn't know!"

"You think I believe that!" Barbary was red in the face. "Get away from him, Granger!"

"No!" Hermione said. She pointed her wand at Barbary's face. "Back up."

"Protecting a filthy half-breed?" Barbary spat.

"He's a child, he's not a vicious killer."

"He's a werewolf! They're all vicious killers! Now get out of the way!"

"I won't," Hermione said. She reached behind her and grabbed the boy's arm, wand still pointing at Barbary. " ."

"What are you going to do, Granger?" he taunted.

"I'll take him to the Ministry myself," she said. "The rest of you can continue the search."

"You're not taking him anywhere," Barbary said. He raised his wand and pointed it at her.

"Barbary, be reasonable. He's hurt, he's scared and likely freezing. You have little to no chance of getting any information from him out here." Barbary studied her for a few moments, glancing down at the boy, considering.

"Fine," he finally said. "Take him straight to the holding cells. I'll be there in five minutes after I let Warrington know."

"Let me take him to St. Mungo's first," Hermione countered. Barbary snorted.

"No, Granger, the resident mediwitch can look at him once he's in Ministry custody, just like every other prisoner." The boy whimpered when he heard the word prisoner. Hermione glared at Barbary.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "I'll see you in five minutes." She turned back to the boy and helped him to his feet. He winced as he stepped on his injured ankle, but didn't cry out again.

"Have you Apparated before?" she asked. The boy nodded. "Hold on tight to my arm." He grabbed her arm and Hermione covered his hands with hers. She gave Barbary one last glare and spun.

* * *

They landed on the top step of Grimmauld Place seconds later. Hermione hurriedly ushered the boy into the house. He looked at her in confusion.

"It's all right," she said. "I have no intention of turning you over to the Ministry."

"Wh-why are you h-helping me?" he asked quietly.

"Because, even if you are a werewolf, you don't deserve to be treated that way." He looked at her incredulously. She helped him limp towards the staircase. "Do you think you can make it up the stairs?" He nodded.

It took them a few minutes, but Hermione finally had him settled on one of the couches in the sitting room. She propped his ankle up on a pillow.

"Kreacher," she said quietly. The House-Elf appeared with a pop. The boy jumped. "Will you make up some sandwiches and tea, please?" Kreacher peered at the boy, then left the room without a word.

"Is this your house?" the boy asked.

"No, this is my friend's house," Hermione said. "He won't mind, don't worry. Can you tell me your name?" The boy looked at her for a few moments, clearly unsure if he should do so.

"Will," he finally said.

"It's nice to meet you, Will. I'm Hermione." Kreacher returned with the tea and sandwiches. Hermione handed the plate of sandwiches to Will and poured them both a cup of tea. Will ate an entire sandwich and had started on a second before Hermione even had the tea prepared. She hid a smile, reminded of Ron.

As he ate, Hermione began to contemplate her situation. Her only thought had been to get Will away from Barbary, something she still felt she should have done. She had brought him to Grimmauld because she knew the first place that Barbary would look once he realized she wasn't at the Ministry was St. Mungo's. After he discovered they weren't there, he would likely go to her house. Grimmauld Place, while no longer under a Fidelius Charm, was still unplottable and had every other enchantment there was placed on it. Only a select few knew that Harry and Ron lived here, most of the wizarding world assuming they were still at the Burrow. Barbary would have no idea where to look for her.

Now that she was here, however, she realized that she had gotten herself into quite a mess. She could be arrested for helping a suspect escape Ministry custody. Although, technically, Will was still _in_ Ministry custody, as long as he was with her anyway. Somehow, she didn't think that Mr. Satterfield would see it that way.

She thought about sending Harry or Ron a Patronus, as both were working today. But, she really didn't want to get either of them involved in the mess she had made for herself. Shite, she really should have thought this through. Hermione looked at Will again. He looked so small sitting there, she couldn't help but think of Annie, Claire and David. She couldn't put another child through anything even remotely close to what they'd been through.

Hermione was about to ask Will how he had come to be with the werewolf pack when she heard a noise. Brow furrowed, she stood and walked to the door of the sitting room. She listened and thought she heard voices downstairs. She glanced back at Will, but he seemed to be oblivious, concentrating on eating instead. Hermione knew that she needed to find out who was here. There were only a handful of possibilities, not many people that weren't in Azkaban even knew Grimmauld Place existed and since she hadn't heard the door open, they had obviously come through the Floo. That narrowed the list even further. Whoever it was would question why Hermione was here in the middle of the afternoon on a work day.

"Will, I need to check on something. Stay here and finish your sandwiches." Will looked nervous, but Hermione gave him a reassuring smile and he nodded. She slipped out of the sitting room into the corridor. The voices were louder now and Hermione heard footsteps on the stairs from the kitchen.

"It will only take me a moment, Kreacher." Hermione swore again. What was Remus doing here?

* * *

"Master is not home," Kreacher said again as he followed Remus up the stairs from the kitchen.

"I'm aware," Remus said, trying to keep his patience with the old elf. "I'm sure Harry won't mind and as I said I won't be here long." They reached the entry and Remus saw Kreacher look at the bricked-up section of wall wistfully. No doubt the elf still missed that horrid portrait. Remus shook his head and began to climb the stairs towards the sitting room.

He heard movement above him and stopped halfway up the stairs. He drew his wand and turned back to Kreacher.

"Who else is here?" Remus demanded.

"Miss," Kreacher said. "Miss comes with him that Kreacher does not know." With a snap of his fingers, Kreacher disappeared. Remus' eyes narrowed. What the hell was the elf talking about? Keeping his wand drawn, Remus walked quietly up two more steps before a figure stepped out of the sitting room.

"Remus," Hermione said.

"Hermione?" Remus said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Hermione said with a small smile.

"One of Teddy's dragons is missing and he's been beside himself since he discovered it. I thought it might have gotten left here when Harry had him last."

"Oh," Hermione replied. She glanced nervously back into the sitting room and stepped into the doorway as if to block Remus from entering.

"Hermione, what are you doing here in the middle of the day?" Remus asked.

"I, uh, I just needed to, erm, borrow a book from the library." She smiled, but Remus knew she was lying. He remembered that Kreacher had said that Miss had come with 'him', someone Kreacher didn't know. That left out any of her friends. Even if he had only met them once, Kreacher would have at least known who they were, even if he didn't know their name.

Remus' eyes widened. Hermione had someone in the sitting room. Someone she didn't want Remus to know about. And he was male. Remus felt an immediate clenching in his gut. So, it _had_ been fear that day they were picking up the contents of Teddy's bag and not desire for him that made her heart speed up. He was such an idiot. The thought that if Hermione was having some clandestine affair it made no sense that she had brought her lover to Grimmauld Place never crossed Remus' mind.

"Accio Teddy's dragon," Remus said. A small dragon figure zoomed out of the sitting room and almost hit Hermione in the head before it landed in Remus' hand. He stuck it in his pocket. He could feel the anger rising as he nodded curtly to her and turned to leave. He had made it halfway down the stairs before she called out to him.

"Remus, wait!" Remus didn't turn around, simply continued towards the entry and the front door. He had been so stupid to even entertain the notion that she might be interested in him. Of course, the kiss at Christmas hadn't meant anything. He never should have even considered otherwise.

Remus reached the front door and knew it wasn't a good idea for him to Apparate when he was upset. But he needed to get out of here as quickly and possible and doubling back to head to the kitchen to Floo would mean running into Hermione. He wrenched the door open, just as a small hand grasped his arm. He nearly turned anyway, but knew he would bring Hermione along with him and that was the very last thing he wanted right now.

"Let go of me, please," he said in a low voice. He could just yank his arm away from her, but he had never physically reacted in anger towards a woman and he wasn't about to start now.

"Remus, what's the matter?" she asked. He risked a glance at her and saw that she looked completely bewildered. He almost snorted. Well, at least he had been successful in keeping his feelings for her hidden. She didn't even know that she had hurt him. She still hadn't let go of his arm.

"Let me go, Hermione."

"No, not until you tell me why you're so angry all of a sudden. Are you upset with me for some reason?" Remus did snort this time.

"Of course not," he said. "Your personal life is your own business."

"My personal life?" Hermione repeated in confusion. Remus sighed.

"It's none of my business why you are here in the middle of the day with a man. Now, please let me go so I can get home to Teddy." Hermione's eyes widened, likely out of fear at having been caught.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded. Remus realized that she no longer sounded concerned, but angry. Again, she was probably upset he had walked in on her. Remus pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Hermione, will you please just let me go. I really don't want to talk about this."

"Well, we are going to talk about it," she snapped. "How could you think I would do something like that?"

"Something like what?" he replied.

"Bring someone here for some, some illicit liaison!"

"As I said, it's none of my business."

"No, it isn't your business, Remus Lupin, but for your information, I am _not_ having an affair and _if_ I was, I certainly wouldn't do it here!" she shouted.

"Then why did Kreacher say that you had a 'him' with you? Someone that he didn't know?" Remus yelled back. "You're here in the middle of the afternoon on a workday, Hermione, with a man Kreacher doesn't know, which means it isn't any of your friends. What else am I supposed to think?" Hermione stared at him. Remus could tell she was fuming. Without warning, she slammed the front door and then yanked on his arm, towing him toward the stairs. Remus stopped short when he realized where she was taking him. He had no intention of meeting whoever she had brought here.

When he stopped, Hermione's forward momentum made her stumble and without thinking about it, Remus reached out to steady her. His hands grasped her upper arms and he pulled her back towards him. She stared up at his face, breath coming faster from their argument. Remus could still see the sparks of anger in her eyes and for a moment, faltered in his earlier assessment of what she was doing here. There could be another explanation, couldn't there? But for the life of him, Remus couldn't figure out what it could be. Still, he didn't let her go.

* * *

Hermione stared up at Remus, anger coursing through her. He had jumped to the most ridiculous of conclusions. Why, in Merlin's name, if she was having some secret rendezvous would she come to Grimmauld of all places? Harry and Ron kept odd hours with their work as Aurors, either of them could pop in at any moment. And Remus had to know that Ginny was back in town. Even if Harry hadn't said anything, you could always tell by the change in his demeanor. While Hermione was sure that the redhead was spending the day at the Burrow while Harry was at work, Ginny could have arrived at Harry's place at any time. Not to mention the fact that Kreacher was here.

Hermione had grown up in the Muggle world and she still lived in a Muggle neighborhood. If she wanted to keep a relationship secret, she would have just gone to her own house or checked into one of the hundreds of Muggle hotels around London. It made no sense for her to come here. Why had Remus assumed the worst and gotten so angry?

He couldn't be…jealous, could he? No, of course he wasn't. That was absurd. But as Hermione studied his face, his jaw set in anger, his eyes flashing, bits of amber swirling in the green, she thought that maybe that's exactly what he was. The thought made the breath catch in her throat. She stared at him for one more minute before she gathered her courage, stood on tiptoe, and pressed her lips to his.

* * *

Remus froze when Hermione leaned up and covered his mouth with hers. A part of him screamed not to react and it wasn't until he felt her begin to pull away from him that he moved. He gripped her arms tighter, pulling her back and moving his lips over hers. Her arms came up around his neck and he wrapped his around her. Gods, he didn't even care if there _was_ another man in the sitting room, which, he had to admit, was looking less and less likely.

Hermione pressed herself closer to him and the feel of her body against his pulled a groan from him. Hermione took advantage, deepening the kiss. Remus couldn't quite believe what was happening, but he did nothing to stop it. The logical part of his brain was still telling him that this was wrong, that he needed to stop, and he knew, _knew_ that he should. But there was a much larger part that was telling his logical side to go fuck itself.

Remus thought that they very well could have stood in that corridor snogging for the rest of the day if he hadn't heard the noise above them. At the creaking of floorboards, Remus was brought back to reality. He pulled away from Hermione, both of them breathing heavily. He looked up the stairs and his jaw dropped as he saw a young boy peek around the doorframe. As soon as the boy saw Remus, the boy's eyes widened in fear and he darted back inside the room.

"Damn," Hermione swore and hurried up the stairs. Remus stared after her completely confused. What the _fuck_ was going on?


	44. Investigation

**A/N - Hi everyone! So glad you all liked the kiss last chapter! A bit of their reactions here, but of course, their timing is not the best. The Will situation needs dealing with. Thank you all for continuing to read and review! I love hearing your thoughts!**

 **Chapter 44**

 **Investigation**

 **7 February 2000**

Remus followed Hermione up the stairs and into the sitting room. The boy that he'd seen in the doorway was now on the couch and Hermione was speaking softly to him. When Remus stepped into the doorway, the boy tensed and pushed himself as far into the corner of the couch as he could with his injured leg. Remus held out his hands to show he wasn't a threat.

Before he could take another step into the room, Remus' eyes widened and his nostrils flared. Only years of experience, the fact that it was still almost two weeks until the full moon, and that the werewolf on the couch was hardly more than a pup, kept Remus from grabbing Hermione and pulling her away. But it was still a near thing.

"Hermione," Remus said, trying to keep his voice even. "Please explain."

"This is Will," Hermione said. She turned back to the boy. "Will, this is my friend, Remus." Will looked between Hermione and Remus fearfully.

"He's, he's," Will whispered, but Hermione only smiled.

"He's a werewolf, yes," Hermione said. Will curled himself further into a ball. "He won't hurt you."

Remus studied the boy and something about him seemed familiar, but Remus couldn't figure out what. He was too young to have been one of Remus' students and besides, Remus knew he hadn't taught any other werewolves. Will was still looking at him fearfully. It could be because Remus was a werewolf without a pack bond. Although Remus' wolf considered his family and friends his pack, Hermione included, it wasn't a true bond as none of them were werewolves. Will, separated from his own pack, likely saw Remus as a lone wolf and therefore, a threat. Not to mention Remus' reaction when Hermione had sat down next to Will. Remus knew Hermione didn't notice, but Will would have been able to sense it.

Still, Remus got the impression that it was more than that. He needed to find out where this boy had come from and what he was doing here.

"Hermione, may I speak to you?" Remus asked. Hermione glanced at Will again and then nodded to Remus.

"We'll just be a minute," Hermione said to the boy. "Is your ankle still hurting?"

"It's feeling a little better." Will didn't take his eyes off Remus as he spoke.

"All right, we'll just be over here." Will simply nodded. Hermione and Remus moved into the furthest corner of the room and Remus threw up a Muffliato around them.

"Please tell me what that boy is doing here," Remus said, trying to remain calm. Hermione sighed and proceeded to explain what had happened when she went out with the Werewolf Capture Unit.

"I didn't know what else to do," Hermione said. "I couldn't let Barbary take him and question him." Remus had to agree. Although less familiar with Barbary, as he had only been working with the unit since the end of the war, from what Hermione said about the man, she was right to take Will. Barbary sounded little better than Warrington, whom Remus was quite familiar with.

"What do you plan to do with him?" Remus asked, glancing back at the boy. He was watching them, still looking frightened.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted with a sigh. "But I can't hide him here forever."

"No," Remus agreed. The two of them looked at one another and Hermione's cheeks tinged pink. Remus cleared his throat and tried not to think about the kiss in the corridor.

"Perhaps you should contact Harry or Ron," he said. Hermione began to shake her head, but Remus held up a hand.

"If Will surrenders to an Auror, they can control the interrogation," Remus said. "If you bring him back to the Ministry yourself, Barbary and Warrington take over."

"But, he isn't really under arrest." That much was true. The Werewolf Capture Unit worked differently than the DMLE. It was why they could get away with much of what they did. Werewolves were just beasts, after all.

"While that is true, the fact that he fled instead of going with them willingly, makes him a fugitive. It's a gray area, but Kingsley would come down on the side of the Aurory should Barbary protest." Hermione seemed to think about this for a few moments before she nodded.

"I need to explain to Will," Hermione said. "I know he's frightened." Her brow furrowed in thought. "Why is he so scared of you?" Remus hesitated. He wasn't about to tell Hermione that his wolf considered her pack and didn't like it that she was close to another werewolf.

"He's part of an established pack," Remus finally said. "I am a lone wolf, so to speak. He sees me as a threat."

"Oh," Hermione said, but she still looked thoughtful. "That makes sense, but it almost seems like it's more than that." Remus tensed, wondering if she'd figured it out. "I've introduced you and you obviously haven't made any kind of move to do anything to him. But he hasn't calmed down." Remus relaxed slightly.

"There _is_ something familiar about him," Remus said. "But I can't put my finger on what." Hermione bit her lip and Remus had to force himself not to lift his hand and remove it from her teeth. She looked at him nervously. Remus swallowed. Maybe she _had_ figured it out.

"What is it, Hermione?" he asked quietly.

"Is it possible that, that he knows you? From…somewhere else?"

"Where?" Remus asked, relieved that this wasn't about her being part of his pack. "He's much too young to have been my student."

"No, I mean…from your work with, with the Order." Remus immediately tensed. Hermione glanced up at him, looking worried for bringing it up. But once she had, something fired in Remus' brain. He remembered a boy of seven or eight, cowering behind a woman as Remus and another werewolf circled each other surrounded by at least a dozen others, egging them on.

"The packs," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know that you don't like to talk about it."

"No, it's all right," Remus assured her.

"Do you remember him?"

"I think so," Remus said. "And if he's who I suspect he is, it explains a lot." Hermione looked at him in confusion, but he dropped the Muffliato and stepped back towards Will.

"You remember me, don't you?" Remus asked gently. Will looked towards Hermione, who gave him an encouraging nod.

"Y-yes," Will said.

"What happened to Ophelia?" Remus asked. Will's eyes filled with tears.

"She didn't come back."

"After Fenrir gathered the packs?" Remus asked. Will nodded. Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. Hermione sat down beside Will and put an arm around him. The boy swiped at the tears on his cheeks, clearly embarrassed.

"And Michael?" Remus asked. Will shook his head. "Who took over?"

"Felix. He made us move all the time. Simon thought we should register, but Felix wouldn't let him. He said the Ministry was against us and they were just trying to lure us there and then they would kill us. Simon argued, but Felix wouldn't listen. Simon and Lydia left the next day and they didn't come back. Felix got more paranoid after that." Remus sighed.

"Will, how did you get separated from them?" Hermione asked. Will looked down at his lap and it was clear that he was crying, but didn't want them to know.

"I was in the woods, looking for food," he said. "Felix said we all had to pull our own weight. He told me that I ate too much and did too little. I went farther than usual and when I got back, they were, they were gone. All of them." His shoulders began to shake and Hermione wrapped her other arm around him, pulling him closer to her. She looked up at Remus, her own eyes bright with tears.

"Remus," she said helplessly.

"It will be all right," Remus assured her, hoping that he wasn't lying. When Will had calmed, Remus looked back at Hermione. "We need to tell him." Hermione nodded, although she looked as if it were the last thing she wanted to do.

As Hermione explained to Will about contacting the Aurors, the boy began to shake his head violently. He tried to get up from the couch and run, but cried out when his ankle buckled under him. Remus jumped up to help Hermione get him back to the couch.

"Please," Will begged. "Please let me go. I don't know where they are." Remus could see the emotion on Hermione's face and he resisted the urge to pull her into his arms.

"Do you know who Harry Potter is?" Remus asked. Will's eyes widened as he nodded.

"Harry is my best friend," Hermione said. "This is his house. He's an Auror and he would never let you be sent to prison if you're innocent. Unfortunately, those men and women that I was with this afternoon will not stop looking until they find you. Letting Harry take you in is the best plan." Will whimpered.

"I promise, the Ministry isn't killing werewolves that come in to register," Hermione said. "I work in the Beast Division and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Finally, Will nodded. Hermione smiled and stood.

"I'll be right back," she said. As she walked towards the door, she gestured for Remus to follow her.

"You were with his pack then?" Hermione said once they'd reached the first-floor landing. Remus nodded.

"For a short time," he said. "Michael, his original Alpha, was not friendly towards strangers."

"Who's Ophelia?"

"She was Michael's mate," Remus said. "She was a mother figure to Will."

"How did he end up with them?"

"I don't know," Remus said. "But it's likely he was taken when he was younger." Hermione shook her head and Remus couldn't stop himself from taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. She smiled up at him.

"I had better send Harry a Patronus," she said, staring at Remus.

"I need to Floo Andromeda and explain," Remus said.

"You're coming with us?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"I think it would be easier for Will if I could tell some of the story," Remus said. Hermione smiled and before he realized she was moving, had wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank you," she said. Remus finally allowed his arms to come around her. He hugged her for a few seconds before stepping back. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, not trusting himself not to repeat their earlier encounter in the corridor.

* * *

Pulling in a deep breath, Hermione waited until Remus had disappeared into the kitchen. She knew the memory she was going to use to cast the spell would likely have her cheeks bright red and didn't want Remus to notice.

Gods, the kiss had been amazing. For a moment, she hadn't thought that Remus was going to respond and was already cringing at the likely look on his face when she began to pull away from him. She had been quite shocked when he had pulled her closer to him instead. Running two fingers over her lips, Hermione smiled again. She drew her wand, thought of the kiss and cast the spell.

Her otter swam around her affectionately and Hermione gave it her message.

"Harry, please come home immediately." As her Patronus disappeared, Hermione felt guilty at how worried Harry was going to be, but it was the only way she knew to get him to drop everything and come as soon as she asked.

She returned to the sitting room and walked across the room to sit next to Will. She busied herself checking his ankle again, trying not to worry about what Remus was thinking. He had participated most enthusiastically in the kiss once he had given in, but he hadn't initiated any other contact since, except to take her hand when she was upset. He had done the same thing numerous times in their friendship, so she was trying not to read too much into it. Yes, he had hugged her, but only after she had hugged him first.

Hermione sighed. This definitely wasn't the best time to try and figure out what was going on between them. They needed to wait for Harry and get things with Will sorted first.

* * *

Remus made his way down the kitchen stairs and walked towards the Floo. He was still thinking about the kiss, as much as he was trying not to. He should have stopped it before it began. But, gods, it had been amazing. Even more so than the kiss at Christmas.

Biting back a sigh, Remus reached for the pot of Floo powder on the mantel. He had no idea what he was going to do. It was clear that Hermione felt the same way for him that he did for her, but that didn't change any of the reasons why he wasn't good for her.

Throwing the powder into the grate, he stuck his head into the flames and called out for home.

"Remus!" Andromeda said seconds later. "I've been worried."

"I'm sorry," Remus said. "I should have called sooner, but everything happened so quickly." He was glad that the Floo would hide his blush.

"What's happened?" Andromeda asked. Remus explained about finding Hermione and Will at Grimmauld Place and what had brought them here to begin with.

"I'm familiar with the pack Will belongs to and it might help for me to explain things to Harry," Remus said.

"Of course," Andromeda agreed. "Take all the time you need. We'll be fine."

"Thank you, Andromeda," Remus said. "I'll be home as soon as I can." He pulled his head from the fire and had just reached the top of the kitchen stairs when he heard the front door fly open.

"Hermione! Hermione, where are you?" Harry called. Remus walked towards the entry as Hermione answered.

"Up here, Harry," Hermione called.

"Remus?" Harry said in surprise as Remus came into view just before Harry started up the stairs. "What's wrong? Is it Teddy? Andromeda?"

"No, Harry, everyone is fine," Remus assured him. "Hermione is in the sitting room. We'll explain there." Hermione was standing in the doorway when they reached the first floor.

"What's going on?" Harry said, looking terrified.

"It's all right, Harry," Hermione said. "Calm down."

"Hermione, you send me a Patronus with that kind of message and don't expect me to be worried?" Harry retorted.

"I know, I'm sorry I scared you," Hermione said, looking horribly guilty. "I just needed you to get here quickly without asking questions." She led him into the sitting room and Remus followed. Harry startled when he saw Will.

"Who is this?" Harry asked, drawing his wand.

"This is Will," Hermione said, putting a hand on Harry's wand and pushing it down towards the floor. "Sit down and I'll explain everything."

"Hermione," Harry began, but Hermione interrupted.

"Sit _down_ , Harry," she demanded. Harry huffed and Remus chuckled, reminded of Lily for a moment. Hermione glared at Harry who finally sat down in an armchair across from the couch. Remus sat down in the chair next to him. Hermione threw up a Muffliato around the three of them and quickly explained to Harry what had happened that afternoon.

"Shite, Hermione, why did you run?"

"Would you have let Barbary take him in? He's just a boy, Harry!" Hermione put her hands on her hips.

"No, no, you're right," Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "All right so, he'll have to-"

"Surrender to you, yes, Remus and I have already discussed it," Hermione said. Remus couldn't help the smile that quirked his lips at Harry's look of surprise at Hermione. Remus suspected Harry looked at her that way quite often.

Harry turned to Remus with his brow furrowed. Now that Harry had calmed, and things had been explained to him, he was obviously confused as to why Remus was present. Before Harry could ask, Remus pulled Teddy's dragon from his pocket. Harry smiled.

"Pure coincidence that I arrived when Hermione was here," Remus said, praying that his face didn't color. Hermione's cheeks had gone pink, but Harry didn't seem to notice.

"All right," Harry said with a sigh. "Drop the spell, Hermione." Hermione did so and Harry turned to Will. The boy still looked terrified.

"Hi, Will, I'm Harry Potter."

"I-I, know who you are," Will said in a whisper. Harry smiled.

"I want you to know, that I don't think that you've done anything wrong," Harry said. Will relaxed slightly. "But I think it would be best if you came with me to the Ministry and we got this all sorted. All right?" Will glanced at Hermione.

"Can Hermione come too?"

"Yes, Hermione is _definitely_ coming too," Harry said. He glanced Hermione's way, still looking a bit upset with her that she had run. Remus couldn't blame Harry. Hermione was going to be lucky not to be arrested herself.

"I'll come with you as well, Harry, if you don't mind," Remus said.

"Yeah, that would probably help," Harry said. He turned to Will. "Can you walk on that ankle, do you think?"

"A little," Will replied.

"All right, we'll go through the Floo." Harry held an arm out to Will, who gingerly got to his feet. Harry put an arm around the boy's back and began to help him from the room.

"You two coming? Harry asked when Hermione and Remus didn't follow.

"Yes, we'll be there in just a minute, Harry," Hermione said as Remus stood.

"Remus," she said, but Remus shook his head.

"We should go, Hermione," he said. "We'll talk about it later." She bit her lip and looked up at him. Remus forced himself not to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.

"You're right," she finally agreed. She stared at him for a moment longer, then turned to leave the room. Remus pulled in a silent breath before he followed. One thing was certain. He was never going to be able to forget about that kiss.

* * *

Hermione and Remus followed Harry and Will through the Floo. The Auror department had their own Floo connection, to transport suspects without having to walk them through the entire Ministry. The room they arrived in was tiny, containing nothing save the Floo and a lone chair. Harry led them from the Floo to an interrogation room. Once Will was settled, Harry sent off a memo and the three adults stepped into the corridor to wait for the mediwitch to arrive.

"What's going to happen to him, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I'll talk to him and see what he knows," Harry said.

"I doubt he knows where the rest of the pack went," Remus said. "Felix never was one to confide in anyone."

"Felix?" Harry questioned. Remus nodded.

"Will's pack's Alpha was once a man named Michael. It appears that he and his mate Ophelia died or were imprisoned after the Final Battle. They never returned to the pack, at any rate. Felix apparently took over, but he was never much of a leader, in my opinion. From the little that Will told us, their pack has lost a few members since and Felix has grown increasingly paranoid. Michael, while not what I would call kind, at least made sure that his pack members were well-fed and cared for. Ophelia was a mother figure to Will and I'm sure he was devastated when she didn't return. Felix, on the other hand, could never trust anyone. He was the one I had the most problems with when I tried to infiltrate their pack. I was only with them a week because of it. He was constantly challenging me to fight."

"Was Will born into the pack?" Harry asked.

"I don't know for sure, but I doubt it," Remus said. "It's more likely that he was bitten when he was young. Michael was one of Greyback's."

"Greyback's what?" Hermione asked.

"Greyback was his sire," Remus explained. "As he turned more and more people, and they turned more as well, Greyback began to splinter off his larger pack into smaller ones, with those select few that he trusted in charge of the smaller packs. It allowed Greyback more freedom to work for Voldemort instead of constantly worrying about his pack. It's why we had so much trouble getting any of the werewolves to turn to the Light side during the war. Almost all of them were either loyal to Greyback or terrified of him." The three of the looked through the one-way glass at the boy who was nervously looking around the room.

"What are you going to do if Will doesn't know anything, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Then we'll have to try and find his family," Harry said. He turned to face her. "To be honest, Hermione, I'm a bit more worried about what is going to happen to you."

"Me? Why?"

"Hermione, you fled with a suspect," Harry said. Hermione scoffed.

"He's a twelve-year-old boy, Harry. He's hardly a hardened criminal."

"That doesn't matter. Barbary had reason to bring him in for questioning and you took him and left."

"I told you why I did that," Hermione protested.

"Hermione, I'm not disagreeing with you," Harry said. "That doesn't change what you did." Hermione began to worry her lip between her teeth.

"Are you going to arrest me?"

"No," Harry said. "But if Barbary or Satterfield demand it, someone will." Hermione snorted. She was positive Barbary would demand it and Satterfield would go right along with him. To be perfectly honest, Hermione didn't really care. She would have done the same thing again, regardless.

"I guess I'll just have to deal with that if it happens," she said with a shrug.

"Auror Potter," a voice said and they turned to see the mediwitch walking towards them.

"Just through here," Harry said. "We think it's a sprained ankle." The mediwitch nodded and walked into the room with Will. The three of them watched through the window as the woman ran a diagnostic spell and then pulled a few potions from her bag. When her exam was complete, she left the room and addressed Harry again.

"It's a sprain," she agreed. "The potions I've given him will help with the pain and heal it up in a few hours. He should stay off it until then."

"Thank you," Harry said and the mediwitch nodded before she left. Harry turned back to Hermione and Remus. "You can stay here and watch, but I can't let you come inside while I question him."

"We understand," Hermione said. Remus nodded in agreement.

"And for Merlin's sake, Hermione, don't go anywhere." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Auror Potter." Harry scowled at her and she laughed. Shaking his head in exasperation, he went back into the room with Will.

* * *

Remus stood in the corridor with Hermione and watched as Harry spoke with Will. Though they couldn't hear what was being said, Remus could read lips and body language well enough to figure out what had happened.

"Do you think they even bothered to look for him before they abandoned him?" Hermione asked bitterly.

"I'm sure some of them did," Remus said. They fell silent again. Remus tried not to fidget. He had shoved his hands into his trouser pockets so as not to brush against Hermione as they stood side by side. Hermione, on the other hand, was doing nothing _but_ fidgeting. She crossed her arms over her chest, then dropped them to her sides, then clasped her hands in front of her. Remus could tell she was glancing at him from the corner of her eye every few minutes. He kept staring straight ahead.

Will started to cry and Harry put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze before passing him a conjured handkerchief. Remus heard a sniffle from beside him and turned to see Hermione wipe away a few tears on her cheeks. Without thinking about it, Remus put an arm around her. Hermione leaned into him and Remus closed his eyes for a moment. He wanted to kiss the top of her head and tell her everything was going to be all right. He wanted to pull her into his arms again and press her up against the wall. He wanted…Remus shook his head and let go of Hermione, conjuring a handkerchief as Harry had instead.

"Thank you," she said with a watery smile. He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Harry spoke with Will for a few more minutes and then joined them in the corridor once more.

"He really doesn't know anything," Harry said.

"We already suspected as much," Hermione said.

"I did ask him about places they'd stayed before," Harry continued. "He wasn't too sure, but there were a couple that were near villages that he remembered. Do you think they'd go back there?"

"If Michael were still in charge, maybe," Remus replied. "But with as paranoid as I know Felix to be, no."

"I didn't think so," Harry said.

"What are you going to do with him, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"He wouldn't tell me much about how he came to be with the pack," Harry said. "I don't know if he doesn't remember or he just doesn't want to say. He said he was seven when it happened, but he doesn't know exactly how old he is now. He did remember his last name though." Remus was relieved. They might be able to find his family.

" _How_ did it happen?" Hermione questioned.

"He said he really didn't remember, but from what I could get out of him, I suspect Death Eaters came knocking, his parents refused allegiance, and they took Will as punishment. Whether he was bitten in front of them, I have no idea."

"That's doubtful," Remus said. "Even Death Eaters would have trouble controlling a transformed werewolf and Greyback would have never gotten in a cage willingly. It's more likely Will was given to him or one of the others as some kind of reward." Hermione shuddered and Remus barely stopped himself from putting an arm around her again.

"I think you should talk to him, Hermione," Harry said. "He kept asking about you while I was in there. He wanted to make sure you were still here."

"He was very close with Ophelia when I was with their pack," Remus said. "There weren't many other women in the pack and those that were, weren't interested in being mothers. You're likely the first person to show him any kind of compassion in a long while, Hermione."

"He might remember more about his family or what happened to him," Harry explained.

"Of course, I'll talk to him."

"I don't think that's a good idea." They all turned around to see Ron striding up the corridor.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because Jensen Barbary is here ranting about how Hermione helped a suspect escape," Ron said. "He's insisting Hermione be arrested. What the bloody hell is going on?" Hermione sighed. Remus was sure that she was tired of telling the same story over and over. Remus and Harry gave Ron a quick recap instead.

"Does Robards know?" Harry asked.

"Not yet. He's still out working on that other," Ron paused and glanced at Remus and Hermione. "That other thing."

"Right," Harry said. He raked a hand through his hair, making it stand up comically on his head. Hermione reached out to flatten it down and Harry scowled at her. Remus smiled, Harry looked so much like James in that moment.

"Who is Barbary talking to?" Harry asked.

"Williamson," Ron said his lip curling in disgust.

"Fuck," Harry swore.

"Harry!" Hermione snapped.

"Now is not the time to be worried about my language, Hermione," Harry said. He sighed and appeared to be deep in thought. "We're going to have to go to Kingsley."

"Harry, I don't think we need to bother him with this," Hermione said.

"Hermione, do you _want_ to be arrested?" Harry demanded.

"Well, no, but," Harry held up a hand to interrupt her.

"Listen, Williamson is-"

"A huge prick," Ron said. Hermione glared at Ron, but he didn't look sorry in the least.

"Right," Harry replied. "He's resentful that Ron, Neville and I didn't have to take our N.E.W.T.S. to start training and that the training was as condensed as it was."

"He had to take his Potions N.E.W.T. three times before he passed it," Ron said with a grin. Remus held back a chuckle. He didn't think Hermione would appreciate it.

"He has a huge chip on his shoulder and he would love to be able to arrest you, since you're our best friend," Harry explained.

"Williamson is the only one around right now besides Harry and me and Neville," Ron said. "And he'd keep the three of us out of it, claim we're too close to you."

"He wouldn't be wrong," Hermione said.

"No, but that's why we need Kingsley here," Harry said. "I won't let Williamson railroad you."

"You're forgetting that I'm actually guilty, Harry."

"There were extenuating circumstances, Hermione." Hermione sighed. "Besides, Kingsley will want to know about this. Now that all the obvious supporters of Voldemort are gone, he's focusing on the other corruption that's been here since Fudge was in charge."

"I though Barbary was relatively new," Hermione said.

"He is," Remus said. "But that doesn't mean he can't be bending the rules or flat-out breaking them." Hermione chewed on her lip and Remus was again tempted to pull it from her teeth. He pulled in a breath through his nose, trying to keep his composure.

"Look, you go in and talk to Will," Harry said. "Ron will make sure no one comes back here. I'll go and get Kingsley."

"What if he's not here, Harry?" Hermione said. Remus could tell she was starting to worry. Truthfully, he was as well. Remus had gotten a glimpse of Williamson's feelings about the trio when the Aurors had come to Hermione's house to fetch Annie. Remus did _not_ want Williamson in charge of Hermione's arrest.

"We'll hide you at Grimmauld until we find him," Harry said. "Don't worry, Hermione. I'm not going to let you be arrested." Harry kissed her cheek and squeezed her hand.

"Might want to take the back way," Ron said and Harry nodded, hurrying the opposite direction from where Ron had come.

"That's him?" Ron asked once Harry was gone. Ron was pointing at Will through the window.

"Yes," Hermione said. "I should go in and talk to him."

"I'll be right out here," Ron said.

"Thanks, Ron." Remus tried not to bristle at the fond smile she gave Ron. Hermione walked into the room and sat down next to Will. Remus and Ron watched through the window. Will visibly relaxed once Hermione was in the room. Remus watched her as she interacted with the boy, a small smile on his face.

* * *

"It's going to be all right," Hermione said. After telling her a bit about his family, Will had gotten upset again, wondering about them. Hermione hoped that they hadn't been killed after Will had been taken.

"What's going to happen to me?" Will asked, sniffling a bit, but clearly trying not to cry again.

"I don't know, we'll have to wait for Harry to get back, but I know he'll try to find your family."

"They're probably dead," Will said. "Or if they're not, they won't want me."

"Why would you say that?" Will shrugged.

"Felix told me."

"Well, I wouldn't listen to a word Felix had to say," Hermione said firmly. "It sounds like he wasn't the best leader."

"Michael was better," Will said quietly. "He wasn't nice, but he always made sure we had food and shelter. And he never hurt me just for the fun of it, only when I did something wrong." Hermione scowled at this. Werewolf or not, he was a child. No one should have been hurting him at all.

"And Michael let Ophelia take care of me." Hermione saw his eyes tear up again.

"You miss her a lot, don't you?" Will nodded. "Were there any other children in your pack?"

"Just one, but she died after her first full moon," Will said. "Michael said she was probably a Squib. They usually don't have enough magic to make it through the transformation." Hermione nodded, having read the same during her research all those years ago when she'd done her werewolf essay for Professor Snape.

Hermione brushed a lock of hair out of Will's eyes and wondered about his family. If they were still alive, they likely thought he was dead. If Harry could find them and they found out about Will, would they still want him? What Felix said wasn't entirely untrue. Many families did abandon children that had been bitten, too frightened or embarrassed to deal with having a werewolf in the family. Remus really had been quite lucky in that regard.

Hermione glanced up toward the one-way glass, even though she couldn't see Remus on her side. Every time she thought about him, she felt herself blush slightly. She rubbed a finger across her lips, remembering the feel of his lips on hers. He'd been a bit standoffish since, except for when he had comforted her earlier. She supposed it wasn't really fair to say that. They were in the Ministry after all and there were too many other people around. Still, she just really wanted to talk to him to see where they went from here.

A noise at the door had both she and Will looking up. She was surprised when Harry walked in, followed by Kingsley. Harry hadn't even been gone more than ten minutes. Will's eyes widened and he moved closer to Hermione. Hermione couldn't blame him. Kingsley did look a bit imposing, even if you didn't know he was the Minister of Magic.

"Well, Miss Granger, it seems you have really gotten yourself into it this time," he said in his deep baritone, amusement in his eyes. Hermione couldn't help but grin.

"Yes, Minister, I suppose I have." Will's eyes got even wider when Hermione called Kingsley by his title.

"You must be Will," Kingsley said, holding out a hand to the boy. Will stared at it until Hermione gave him a little nudge. He finally stuck out his own and shook Kingsley's hand.

"H-h-hello," Will stuttered out. Kingsley smiled and Will relaxed slightly. Kingsley had a way of putting people at ease once he'd met them.

"I've heard a bit about what happened today, but I'd like to hear it from each of you as well," Kingsley said. "However, I think we should do this somewhere else. The longer we are here, the more likely it is that Will and Hermione are discovered." He waved his wand and a door appeared in the back of the interrogation room. Hermione knew it would lead to his office.

Kingsley rose and opened the door to the corridor. He ushered Ron and Remus into the room. Hermione looked up and locked eyes with Remus. She tried to read his face or his eyes, but he was keeping a neutral expression on his face.

"Auror Weasley, I would appreciate it if you stayed here and monitored the actions of your fellow Aurors. Let me know immediately if there is any change," Kingsley said formally. Ron nodded.

"Of course, Minister," he replied, immediately going into work mode.

"I should be going," Remus said.

"No, stay," Hermione immediately said, then colored as she saw Harry and Ron looking at her strangely. "I just mean, what if Remus has information about, about the pack that Will might not, might not know." Remus looked down at his feet and Hermione thought that she saw a pinkening of his cheeks for a brief moment. When he looked up, he was back to his previous countenance and Hermione decided she must have imagined it.

"I mean, unless you need to get home," she added lamely. Kingsley turned to Remus.

"Any information you might have would be useful."

"I've actually told Harry everything I remember," Remus said. "But if I think of anything else, I will be sure to let you know."

"Very well," Kingsley said. "Come through to my office and you may use the Floo there to leave. No need to arouse any kind of suspicion."

"Of course," Remus said and Hermione wondered if they might get a moment alone before Remus left. Everyone, save Ron, followed Kingsley through the door to his office. When they arrived, Kingsley waved his wand at the fireplace, releasing the wards so Remus could leave. Hermione bit back a sigh. They obviously wouldn't be talking today.

Remus said his good-byes and turned to the fireplace, picking up a bit of Floo powder and throwing it in the grate. Just before he stepped inside to call out his destination, his eyes met Hermione's again. Giving her an almost imperceptible nod, Remus disappeared. Hermione felt a bit bereft.

While Kingsley was informing his secretary that they weren't to be disturbed, Hermione turned to Harry.

"How did you get back so fast?" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I met the Minister in the corridor, he said he had already heard." Hermione groaned. If Kingsley knew, then it was likely all over the Ministry by now. Keeping it from Mr. Satterfield, at least temporarily, seemed to be a lost cause.

The Minister came back into the room and smiled at the three of them.

"All right, let's get this done, shall we?"

Will, told his story first, Hermione sitting under an isolation charm so as not to overhear and have her own account tainted. When Will finished, Hermione was released from the enchantment and she explained what had happened since Barbary had summoned her from her desk.

"Barbary's on the war path," Harry said. "Insisting that Williamson find Hermione immediately and arrest her." Kingsley looked thoughtful for a moment before he turned to Will.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little," Will admitted.

"Let's get you something to eat then," Kingsley said. He gestured to Will, who looked uncertainly at Hermione. She gave him an encouraging smile and Kingsley led the boy to his outer office.

"Miss Stebbins, please see that my young friend here gets something to eat. You may put him in the conference room."

"Yes, sir." Once Kingsley returned, he warded his door with several privacy charms and then turned seriously to Harry and Hermione.

"I am going to explain why I was on my way to the Auror department when I ran into you, Harry. What I am going to tell you does not leave this room. I must have your word." Hermione looked at Harry who was just as confused as she was, but the two of them agreed.

"Jensen Barbary is a mole."


	45. Running

**A/N - I would apologize for the cliffhanger last chapter, but I'd be lying. I kind of love them. Anyway, all will be explained here and I think some of you might be a little surprised. Thank you all for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 45**

 **Running**

 **7 February 2000**

Whatever Hermione had suspected Kingsley was going to tell them, that wasn't it. If Harry's gobsmacked expression was anything to go by, he felt the same way.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"After the war, we were easily able to remove anyone with the Dark Mark, as well as many of Voldemort's unmarked supporters. Few of them were very quiet about it. However, the Ministry had been corrupt even under Fudge, as you both know. Ferreting out everyone else was a bit more difficult, especially when many of them had been covering their tracks for years.

I refuse to have a Ministry that eventually reverts to the very circumstances that made it ripe for Voldemort to rise to power in the first place. As such, once we had the obvious supporters out of the way, I found a few people and sent them to departments throughout the Ministry I suspected to be the worst offenders. They were all hired, thankfully. Jensen Barbary is one of those people." Hermione leaned back in her chair, completely shocked.

"Wow," Harry finally said. "So, his reaction today?"

"Was simply him playing his part," Kingsley said.

"I don't understand," Hermione said. "If Barbary has been in the DRCMC for over a year, why hasn't anyone been removed? Warrington at the very least."

"Well, that's where we have hit a bit of a snag," Kingsley said with a sigh. "When I sent Barbary to the department, the position in the Werewolf Capture Unit was the only one available. The plan was that Barbary would work there for a few months and gain Satterfield's confidence, then work his way up in the department. I had hoped that he would have been the head of a subdivision by now."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Barnaby Satterfield happened," Kingsley said. "The man trusts very few people and after a couple of months it was clear that Barbary was going to have to work there quite a bit longer to even be considered for another position. Not to mention that Satterfield keeps those that support him in place and most of them hold supervisory positions." Hermione snorted. She knew this all too well.

"Satterfield is my ultimate target," Kingsley continued. Hermione looked up in surprise. "In order to bring him down, I needed to give him enough rope to hang himself. Meaning, he had to never suspect that he still wasn't fully in charge. Unfortunately, that meant that I also had to continue to let Satterfield _be_ in charge, especially of the hiring and firing. He would have gotten suspicious otherwise. So, we had to shift Barbary's focus to keeping Warrington and the others in line as much as he could, while still trying to get close to Satterfield. I suspect the reason that Will's pack disappeared was because Barbary had someone warn them ahead of time."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. Kingsley held up a hand.

"Warrington was the one pushing for Will's pack to be investigated," Kingsley explained. "Barbary didn't believe any of them had done anything wrong and there is still doubt that a Muggle girl is even missing. Barbary definitely had no idea that they would abandon one of their own."

"Why was Barbary so harsh with Will in the forest?" Hermione demanded. "I understand he's undercover, but he terrified that boy." Kingsley sighed.

"He must keep up appearances, Hermione. Warrington is one of the few that Satterfield trusts completely. In fact, Warrington could have advanced much further in the DRCMC, but he loves his job just a bit too much." Kingsley made a disgusted face. "Warrington would not hesitate to report any unexpected behavior on Barbary's part. I know you are upset, but please believe that Barbary never would have hurt that child. At my request, he has been trying to reunite children that were bitten during the war with their families. He has also been encouraging werewolves to come in and register. He has done everything in his power to keep those that are innocent, safe." Harry and Hermione sat in silence for a few moments, taking in all that Kingsley had said. When Hermione thought about it, she realized that there had actually been very few werewolves brought in for questioning since she had been working in the DRCMC. Most of the time, she heard Warrington complaining that he hardly had any work to do.

"We are getting close to Satterfield," Kingsley continued. "He has actually begun speaking with Barbary in private about his ultimate ambitions regarding his job. I need to keep Barbary in place."

"I don't understand why you can't just get rid of Satterfield," Harry said. "You're the Minister."

"I could," Kingsley agreed. "But Satterfield and a few others have been in the Ministry for longer than the two of you have been alive. They have built a network of people at all levels that trust them completely. People that would be quite vocal if Satterfield was dismissed without cause, as they would see it. I will not have this administration painted with the same brush as Fudge or Thicknesse."

"So, you need evidence," Harry said.

"Yes," Kingsley replied. Harry glanced at Hermione.

"Hermione, I think you should tell him," Harry said.

"Tell me what?" Kingsley asked.

"About Satterfield and Hermione's House-Elf proposal," Harry said.

"I have been curious about that," Kingsley replied. "In fact, I questioned Satterfield about it when I found out that you no longer had anything to do with the project once it was passed."

"What did he say?" Hermione asked curiously.

"He said that you asked to move divisions." Hermione snorted.

"And you believed him?" Harry asked incredulously.

"He told me that Hermione was extremely interested in learning all she could about the entire DRCMC. While I found it strange that you would request a transfer before the House-Elf law had been fully enacted, Satterfield assured me that you fully trusted Gwendolyn Newberry to implement all policies. As I said, I found it odd, but it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility. You have always wanted to learn as much as you can, Hermione. And I needed Satterfield to continue to think I trusted him. May I ask what the real story is?"

"Mr. Satterfield never wanted me to present my proposal in the first place," Hermione said. "In fact, he only hired me because of who I was. He never even had a position available for me and at first, Gwendolyn thought I was her secretary. Mr. Satterfield was angry because he felt that we went behind his back to get the proposal heard by the Wizengamot. As soon as it was passed, he told me he was transferring me."

"Why didn't you come to me, Hermione?" Kingsley asked.

"I didn't want anyone to think I was getting special treatment," Hermione said with a shrug. "And he was right about one thing, I do trust Gwendolyn implicitly."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you about it directly," Kingsley said.

"It's all right," Hermione said. "I understand why you didn't."

"You're forgetting something," Harry said. He gave Hermione a significant look. She bit her lip. Telling Kingsley about being taken off the House-Elf bill was one thing. Admitting that Gwendolyn had Mr. Satterfield sign off on it while drunk was another. Kingsley was looking at her expectantly.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione said.

"The hell it doesn't, Hermione," Harry said. "Hermione and I were out for lunch one afternoon and ran into Satterfield. He was drunk." Kingsley seemed to sit up straighter in his chair.

"Was he still inebriated when he returned to the Ministry?" Hermione sighed.

"Yes, but he sent his secretary out for a sobering potion as soon as he got back."

"Do you know if he performed any work before he took the potion." Hermione bit her lip again and looked at her lap.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Why wouldn't you want to tell me this?" Kingsley asked.

"It's the day that Gwendolyn got him to sign off on my proposal." Hermione looked up at Kingsley and he had a look of understanding on his face. Hermione looked away. Suddenly, something that hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time, now made her feel incredibly guilty.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Hermione," Harry said vehemently. "Satterfield didn't have to drink so much at lunch. He could have had a sobering potion with him or he could have refused to look at the paperwork Gwendolyn gave him until Victoria got back."

"Harry is right," Kingsley said. "While what Gwendolyn did was back-handed, Satterfield ultimately made the choice to work when he knew he was impaired."

"It wasn't completely Gwendolyn's idea," Hermione defended. "I went along with it."

"I will keep that information to myself, unless it is needed," Kingsley said. Hermione nodded.

"So, what do we do now?" Harry asked. "Barbary obviously has to keep his cover, which is why he demanded Hermione's arrest."

"Yes," Kingsley agreed. "But, when I spoke briefly to Barbary after he arrived at the Ministry, I told him not to inform Satterfield yet. Satterfield has been in meetings all afternoon and likely has left for the day." Hermione glanced at the clock on the mantel and saw that it was already fifteen minutes after five. Mr. Satterfield always left promptly at five, earlier if he could manage it.

"Still, Williamson isn't going to let this go," Harry said.

"It's unlikely," Kingsley agreed.

"Even if Mr. Satterfield doesn't find out about this until tomorrow morning, his first action is going to be to fire me," Hermione said.

"What about that other job, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Oh, right," she said, having completely forgotten about it with everything that happened.

"Other job?" Kingsley questioned.

"Margaret Fawcett offered me a position with the Wizengamot Administrative Services, doing research for proposals."

"And you accepted?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes, at lunch today," Hermione said.

"Hermione, that's fantastic," Harry said. Hermione frowned.

"If I'm still able to get the transfer, at any rate. I'm sure being arrested will nullify it. Not to mention being fired."

"Did Ms. Fawcett put in the transfer paperwork?" Kingsley asked.

"She said she was going to this afternoon," Hermione said. Kingsley waved his wand at his throat, casting a 'Sonorus' charm.

"Miss Stebbins, come in here, please." The secretary entered a few seconds later.

"Yes, sir?"

"Please get me any department transfer paperwork that was filed today."

"Right away, Minister."

"Does anyone else know about your lunch today with Margaret?" Kingsley asked Hermione once his secretary had left.

"Gwendolyn set it up, but I didn't tell anyone else in my department."

"And no one saw you with her at lunch?"

"I doubt it, we went to Muggle London, specifically so we wouldn't run into anyone." Hermione said. "I met her there, so we didn't leave the Ministry together either." Kingsley nodded and summoned parchment and quill and passed them to Hermione.

"Write a letter of resignation, effectively immediately." Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Trust me."

"I assume you would like me to keep it professional," she said. She longed to tell Satterfield exactly what she thought of him.

"It would be easier, yes," Kingsley replied with a knowing smile. "And don't mention your transfer." Hermione set to work and barely noticed when the Minister's secretary returned with a piece of parchment.

"Only one today, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Stebbins. Please find out if Barnaby Satterfield is still in the building." The secretary nodded and left. Hermione read over her letter one more time and signed her name. She looked up expectantly.

"I am going to backdate the transfer request to last week. It normally goes through a committee, which, to be frank, is a waste of time and resources. I can't remember the last time a transfer wasn't approved. I'll sign off on it myself and have Miss Stebbins file it in the archives. I doubt anyone will go looking for it, but if they do, they won't bother questioning anyone on the committee once they see my signature.

Knowing that Satterfield doesn't leave a second past five o'clock, I doubt he is still here. I'll have your letter delivered and left on his desk. When he arrives tomorrow, your transfer will already have been approved."

"If Barbary is your man, can't you just get him to drop his insistence for Hermione's arrest?" Harry asked.

"I will be speaking with him as soon as we're finished," Kingsley said. "However, now that Williamson is involved, things are more difficult."

"Right," Harry said. Kingsley drummed his fingers on his desk, looking thoughtful for a moment. He turned to Hermione.

"What is the first project you'd like to undertake once you are working for Margaret?"

"The werewolf laws," Hermione said immediately. Kingsley smiled.

"I thought as much. Are you aware that other countries deal with werewolves differently than we do here?"

"No, I wasn't," Hermione admitted.

"Yes, some are rather progressive, actually. Do you speak French?"

"Some," Hermione said, brow furrowing at the change in topic. "My mother is fluent and taught me a bit when we would holiday in France when I was growing up. I know enough to get by." Kingsley nodded.

"I think you need to take a research trip before you begin your new job. To France." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"You want me to run away?" she asked.

"Not run away, take a research trip."

"With all due respect, Kingsley, it's the same thing."

"I beg to differ," Kingsley said. "France has one of the fairest set of laws dealing with werewolves of any other country I know of. It would behoove you to familiarize yourself with their system and why it works if you would like to make changes here. The fact that your trip will coincide with a bit of unpleasantness that should be resolved in a few days is merely coincidental." Kingsley smirked and Harry grinned. Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"It's the perfect plan, Hermione," Harry said.

"What about Will?" Hermione asked.

"I'll take care of Will," Harry said. "I'll find his family."

"What if they won't take him back?" Hermione asked quietly. The two men sobered, knowing it was always a possibility.

"Then we'll deal with that if it happens," Harry said. "You know Molly would love to have someone to mother at the Burrow."

"I can't just leave him, Harry," Hermione said. "Everyone else has already abandoned him."

"You can talk to him before you leave. Hermione, please do this," Harry said, taking her hand. "We need you here, fighting for everyone who needs to be fought for, not losing your job because your old boss is a bloody wanker." Harry glanced at Kingsley. "Sorry." Kingsley laughed.

"No apology necessary." He winked. Hermione sighed again.

"Can't I just stay in England somewhere?" she asked. "I can go somewhere Muggle and take Will with me. Just until things are settled."

"Hermione," Kingsley said. "If you're here, there is always the chance that someone will find you, especially if you have Will with you. I understand your hesitation, but I give you my word that I will not let anything happen to the boy. Harry will make it his priority to find Will's family." Hermione glanced between the two men and sighed.

"All right, I'll go," she said.

"Excellent," Kingsley said. "I'll set up a portkey for you and you can leave as soon as I write a quick letter of introduction to the French Ministry. It shouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes!" Hermione exclaimed. "But I have to go home and pack!"

"Hermione, where do you think is the first place Williamson will look?" Harry asked. "You can't go home."

"Harry, I can't go to France without any clothes!" Kingsley reached into one of his desk drawers pulled out a bank draft.

"For expenses," Kingsley said. "You can purchase what you need when you get there. France has a Gringotts branch."

"Kingsley, that's ridiculous," Hermione said. "I'm not taking your money."

"It's the Ministry's money," Kingsley said. "And they cover all expenses for work-related trips."

"I think the Ministry would expect that their employees would bring their own clothing and toiletries," Hermione huffed. Kingsley chuckled.

"It will be fine, Hermione. I am the Minister for Magic." He winked again.

"I would like to talk to Will," she said.

"Just don't tell him where you're going," Kingsley said. Hermione nodded, and she and Harry left Kingsley's office as he summoned Miss Stebbins to dictate the letter.

"You okay?" Harry asked as they walked across the office to the conference room.

"It's been quite the day," Hermione said with a sigh. Harry chuckled.

"That's for sure." Hermione smiled and hoped it looked genuine. Harry had no idea, of course, what had happened between her and Remus at Grimmauld Place. And now Hermione was being whisked off to France for who knew how long, and she wouldn't have a chance to speak to Remus until she got back.

She bit back a sigh, knowing the longer they waited to talk, the more likely it would be that Remus would talk himself out of whatever his feelings for her actually were. She no longer thought it was just a reaction to being lonely. Their kiss today had been more than that, she was sure of it. And now she wouldn't be able to discuss it with him.

Harry opened the door to the conference room and Hermione couldn't help but smile fondly. Will had fallen asleep, his head pillowed on his arms on top of the table.

"He's had a rough day too," Harry said quietly. Hermione walked towards the boy.

"I really don't want to wake him," she whispered.

"He'll be upset if he doesn't get to say good-bye to you," Harry said.

"Will," Hermione said quietly. She shook his shoulder gently. He yawned and looked up at her bleary-eyed. He rubbed his eyes and focused in on her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I have to take a trip," she said. "It's come up last minute for work."

"You're leaving?" Will asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Hermione said. "But only for a few days." Will looked down at the table top.

"This is because of me, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"No," Hermione said. "Like I said, it's something for work. I tried to get out of it, but I can't. I promise I'll check on you as soon as I get back."

"What's going to happen to me?" he almost whispered. Hermione's heart clenched when she saw the tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to find your family," Harry said. "And until I do, you can stay with me, if that's all right."

"What about Felix and the others?" Will asked, looking sad and confused.

"We'll keep looking for them," Harry said. Hermione sat down next to Will.

"Do you want to go back to living with them?" she asked. Will shrugged.

"If my parents don't want me, the pack is all I have."

"That's not true," Hermione said. "You have me and Harry." Harry nodded. "Don't you want to go to Hogwarts?"

"I could never," Will said. "They wouldn't let me."

"Of course, they would," Hermione said. "Remus went to Hogwarts."

"He did?" Hermione nodded.

"And that was before Wolfsbane was invented," she said. "Now, it would be even easier." Will looked uncertainly at her. Hermione squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Hermione, your portkey is ready." Kingsley stood in the doorway. Hermione stood, but before she could move Will rose and grabbed her around the middle, hugging her tightly.

"It's going to work out. I promise," she said. He nodded, but didn't look much happier when he released her.

"I'll see you when you get back," Harry said, hugging Hermione himself.

"You'll feed Crookshanks?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, I will," Harry said with a smile.

"And explain to Ginny for me?"

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'll take care of everything," Harry assured her. 'Not everything', Hermione thought to herself, thinking again of Remus.

"Thanks, Harry," she said instead.

"Hermione," Kingsley prompted.

"Right," Hermione said. They left the conference room and the Minister handed her the portkey.

"This will take you directly to the Ministry's portkey arrival station. Show them the letter, but as it is after hours there, you will likely have to return in the morning to speak to anyone in the Werewolf Support Group. The official at the portkey office can help you find a hotel."

"I understand," Hermione said. "Thank you for doing this."

"I'm sorry you were put in a position where I had to," Kingsley replied quietly so Will didn't overhear. "Don't worry, I will deal with everything here. I will send an owl when it's safe for you to return. I don't expect it to take more than a few days." Hermione nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Portus," Kingsley said, tapping the tea cup with his wand. "Good luck, Hermione." The cup glowed blue and the last thing Hermione saw before she was whisked away was Will's glum face, looking at her from the doorway of the conference room.

* * *

 **8 February 2000**

Remus paced in front of the fireplace. He had made up his mind and then changed it a dozen times in the last hour. He had expected to hear from Hermione the night before. Knowing her as he did, Remus knew she would want to talk to him about the kiss as soon as possible.

Truthfully, he was starting to worry. It was entirely possible that things could have run longer than they expected at the Ministry and Hermione thought it too late to talk to him last night. But Remus had spent the night tossing and turning, sure that she had been arrested and was sitting in a Ministry holding cell. Only knowing that Kingsley was aware of the situation, as well as Harry and Ron, kept Remus from jumping from his bed at three in the morning and going down to the Ministry himself. He was sure Harry would have told him if Hermione had been arrested.

When there was still no mention of Hermione's arrest in the morning Prophet, Remus began to wonder what had happened. Anything involving the 'Golden Trio', as they had been dubbed by the press, was always front-page news. He had spent the morning trying to hide his worry from Andromeda, busying himself playing with Teddy. But now, Teddy was napping, Andromeda was reading in her room and Remus was pacing, trying to decide if he should just go to the Ministry or not.

There was a tapping on the kitchen window and Remus walked in to see an unfamiliar owl fluttering outside. Remus opened the window and the owl flew in, holding out a leg to Remus. He took the small scroll of parchment and unrolled it, surprised to see a familiar name at the bottom.

 _Remus,_

 _I have taken a last-minute trip and will be gone for a few days. I am sorry that we didn't get a chance to speak before I left, but I will contact you as soon as I get back. I really want to talk to you._

 _Hermione_

 _P.S. Please let the owl rest with you, he's likely tired._

Remus' brow raised at the postscript. When he looked over, the owl had perched himself on the back of one of the chairs, closed his eyes and gone to sleep. Remus smiled, glad for the owl's sake that Teddy was still napping as well.

Remus read the note again and wondered just where Hermione was and what this impromptu trip had to do with what had happened yesterday. She obviously wasn't going to be gone indefinitely, so perhaps the arrest warrant had been dropped last night. Although, if that were the case then she likely wouldn't have had to go anywhere at all. Unless it was work-related. Somehow, though, Remus thought that Satterfield would have fired Hermione the moment he found out about her fleeing with Will the day before.

Remus returned to his earlier intention to go to the Ministry. He was sure he could get the story from Harry and it wouldn't look too strange that Remus was asking, given he was involved yesterday. He could just pretend that he didn't know Hermione was gone.

Remus was a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to have a conversation with Hermione for a few more days. He knew she wouldn't like what he had to say. Regardless of how wonderful the kiss had been and how he felt about her, he knew that he wasn't the right person for her. She needed someone closer to her own age, someone who was just starting out as she was. Someone who didn't have all the extra baggage that he did. Someone without a child.

Not that Remus thought Hermione wouldn't be able to love Teddy as her own. She adored his son and Remus had no doubt that she would make a wonderful mother. But, he also had a responsibility to protect Teddy. If Remus started a relationship with Hermione and things didn't work out, Teddy would lose one of his favorite people and Remus couldn't do that to him. Of course, Hermione would never intentionally snub his son, but it would be incredibly awkward. While Remus was aware that Hermione and Ron had been able to rekindle their friendship after the end of their romantic relationship, the two of them had been best friends for years beforehand. Remus wasn't sure if he and Hermione could do the same.

Remus sighed. He didn't know why he was thinking about a relationship between the two of them ending, when one hadn't even begun. But, Remus knew that it was better for everyone if nothing else happened with Hermione. He ignored the flash of the dream and Dora's parting comment from a few nights ago. He didn't need to be in a relationship to enjoy his life. Raising Teddy was more than enough.

He turned and pulled a few owl treats out of the cupboard and filled a small bowl with water. Setting both on the kitchen table in front of the sleeping owl, Remus returned to the living room and glanced at the fireplace once more. Now that he knew Hermione was safe, he would wait until Harry was off work to talk to him.

* * *

 **11 February 2000**

Hermione Apparated into her back garden and tiredly let herself into her house. The trip to France had been good, she had learned a lot, but she hadn't been able to get her mind off Remus or Will the entire time. She'd had no communication with anyone in the UK while she was there, per Kingsley's orders. She couldn't have been happier to receive the owl this afternoon telling her it was all right for her to return.

Stepping through the back door, Hermione paused when she saw the light on over the sink in the kitchen. She hadn't left it on, but she knew Harry had been coming to feed Crookshanks, so perhaps he had. She drew her wand anyway and stilled when she heard a small creak coming from the kitchen. Hermione held her breath and listened.

"Hermione?" a voice said, and Hermione released the breath and lowered her wand.

"Harry," she replied. "You gave me a fright!"

"Sorry," Harry said, stepping out of the kitchen and lowering his own wand. "I stopped by to feed Crookshanks. Kingsley told me you were coming back today, but I wasn't sure what time you'd get here. How was your trip?"

"It was good," she said, turning on a lamp in the living room. "Tell me what happened with Will."

"He's fine," Harry assured her. "He's back with his mother and his brother and sisters."

"They took him back?" Hermione questioned, getting a bit choked up.

"Yes," Harry said with a smile.

"Tell me everything," Hermione demanded.

"Will stayed with me at Grimmauld the night that you left," Harry began. "I found out that his older brother and sister are still at Hogwarts, a fourth year and a seventh year, so McGonagall gave me their home address. I went and visited his mum the next day. He's got a younger sister too, that he didn't know about. His mum was pregnant when he was taken."

"What about his father?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"The Death Eaters took Will because his dad refused to join them. They caught up with his father eventually. He's dead."

"Gods, that's horrible," Hermione said. Harry nodded grimly.

"His mum was shocked that Will was still alive," Harry continued. "Didn't even care that he'd been bitten, just wanted to see him. I brought him to her that afternoon. McGonagall is letting his brother and sister go home this weekend to see him."

"Has he settled in all right?" Hermione asked in concern.

"He seems to be," Harry said. "I've been by every day to check on them." Hermione nodded. She was happy that Will had found his family and he had been accepted by them. She wished she could have seen the reunion for herself.

"Do you think I could see him?" she asked. Harry chuckled.

"I think that you'd better. He asks about you every day." Hermione smiled. "You can come with me this weekend."

"All right," she agreed. "What's going on at the Ministry?" Harry made a face.

"Williamson has been a right arse all week," he said. "He's insisting that Ron and I had something to do with your arrest being dropped." Hermione groaned. She had suspected as much.

"Why doesn't Kingsley fire him if he has such a bad attitude?"

"He only has an attitude when Ron, Neville or I are around," Harry explained. "Otherwise, he _is_ good at his job. Robards did give him a formal warning though, after he ranted and raved once the charges were dropped."

"What about Satterfield?" Hermione asked.

"Kingsley told Barbary about your resignation, so Barbary made sure to be outside Satterfield's office when he got there on Monday. Said Satterfield came out of his office and his face was nearly purple. He asked Victoria where the letter had come from and Victoria told him it was on his desk when she arrived that morning." Hermione couldn't help but snicker at the image.

"Did Barbary tell him what I'd done the day before?"

"Had to," Harry said. "Warrington would have, otherwise, and Barbary couldn't blow his cover. Satterfield was livid. Demanded to know why you hadn't been arrested. Barbary said that he'd told Williamson about it, but that they hadn't located you yet."

"How did Kingsley get that all dropped?" Hermione asked.

"Robards told Williamson that since you _had_ brought Will into the Ministry and Harry had questioned him, that there were no grounds for your arrest. Williamson, of course, argued with him, but Robards had Kingsley's backing, so Williamson didn't have a choice.

Barbary had to act just as upset as Warrington and Satterfield, who, by the way, could give Uncle Vernon a run for his money in the colors your face can turn when you're irate. Satterfield was beside himself that not only were you not going to be arrested, but that you had resigned before he got a chance to fire you."

"Gods, I wish I could have seen it," Hermione said. "Wait, how did you know that about what color he turned?"

"Barbary gave Kingsley a Pensieve memory," Harry said with a grin.

"He didn't!" Hermione said.

"Kingsley is keeping it as evidence with everything else he has been compiling," Harry explained. "If you ask nicely, he might let you see it." Hermione laughed.

"Kingsley wants you to give him a formal statement about that lunch we witnessed, by the way," Harry continued. "I've already given him mine." Hermione nodded. She was relieved that she was finally out of the DRCMC, but she was concerned about the backlash from Mr. Satterfield's anger. She didn't want him taking it out on Gwendolyn. The sooner Kingsley got rid of him, the better.

Now that her curiosity had been satisfied, Hermione wanted nothing more than to talk to Remus. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only seven, so it wasn't too late. She could Floo-call and perhaps Remus could come over after he put Teddy to bed. Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she'd spoken with him. She'd had a hard time sleeping the entire time she was in France, wondering what Remus was thinking about the kiss.

"Hermione?" Harry questioned, pulling Hermione from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I thought we'd go see Will tomorrow."

"Oh, yes, that sounds good. What time?"

"Maybe after lunch?" Harry said, studying her. "You all right?"

"Yes, just knackered," Hermione said.

"I suppose you don't want to come with me to Grimmauld then," Harry said. "Ginny's there and I think Susan's coming over."

"Susan?" Hermione questioned.

"Bones," Harry replied. "She and Ron have been talking since New Year's and Ron finally asked her out last week." Hermione smiled.

"That's great," she said. "I'm happy for him. But I'm going to have to pass, Harry. It's been a long week and I really just want to have something to eat and then go to bed." She hated lying to him, but if Hermione had to wait another day to talk to Remus, she thought she might spontaneously combust.

"All right," Harry said. "Come to mine for lunch and then we'll go see Will after?"

"Sounds good," Hermione said. "I'll see you around noon."

"I'm glad you're back," Harry said. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks for taking care of Crookshanks."

"You're welcome," Harry said, kissing her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Harry." Harry gave her a wave and disappeared through the Floo.

Hermione stared at the fireplace for a moment and her stomach flipped. What if things didn't go the way she wanted them to? What if she had read into things and Remus really didn't feel the way she thought he did? What if…Hermione forced herself to stop. Second-guessing wasn't going to help anything. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the mantel and grabbed a bit of Floo powder. She knelt in front of the fireplace and threw it into the grate, calling out for Remus' before she lost her nerve.

* * *

"Remus?" a voice called from the Floo. Remus looked up from where he was playing with Teddy to see Hermione's face in the flames.

"Hermione?" he said in surprise. Teddy looked at the Floo as well and before Remus could stop him, his son ran towards the fireplace. He squatted down in front of it.

"My-nee," he said with a giggle. He began to bring his face closer to Hermione's just as Remus reached him. Remus gently grasped his shoulders and pulled him back before he actually stuck his head into the fire. Hermione laughed.

"Hi, Teddy."

"My-nee pay?" Teddy asked, holding up the dragon in his hand.

"I don't think I can play tonight, Teddy," Hermione said.

"My-nee pay," Teddy insisted. Hermione looked at Remus for help.

"Teddy, why don't you go find Nanna? It's almost time for your bath." Teddy looked up at his father.

"My-nee pay, Daddy," Teddy said with a whine. Before Remus could say anything else, Andromeda stepped into the room.

"Come with Nanna, Teddy. Your bath is ready."

"No baf," Teddy insisted. "My-nee pay." Andromeda took a few steps further into the room and saw Hermione's face in the fire.

"Oh, hello, Hermione," Andromeda said with a smile.

"Hi, Andromeda," Hermione replied. "Sorry to interrupt." Teddy was still squatting in front of Hermione, holding his dragon with a pout on his face. Remus was about to bend down to pick him up when Andromeda spoke again.

"Would you like blue or green bubbles tonight, Teddy?" she asked. Teddy immediately stood up and turned to his grandmother, excited look on his face.

"Boo, boo gain!" Teddy said in excitement.

"Blue it is," Andromeda replied. "Come along, now." She held out a hand and Teddy happily grasped it.

"Bye-bye, My-nee," he called.

"Bye, Teddy." She was grinning when she looked back at Remus.

"You're back," Remus said.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I was hoping we could talk. Maybe you could come here?" Remus hesitated. He knew that they needed to discuss what had happened before she left, and he had been thinking of little else since she had been gone. Now that he was faced with the prospect, however, he found himself wishing he had a few more days. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, I think that we, that we should," he said. "Would after I put Teddy down be all right?"

"Of course," Hermione said with a smile.

"I'll see you around eight then," Remus said. Hermione nodded and disappeared from the Floo. Remus pulled in a breath. He didn't think she would be smiling after she heard what he had to say.

* * *

Hermione paced in the living room, Crookshanks watching her from the couch. He flicked his tail every so often, a look of boredom on his face. She glanced at the clock again, five minutes until eight.

After she had Floo-called Remus, Hermione had tried to not think about him. She had unpacked the few things she had purchased in France and made herself soup and a sandwich that she had to force down. Her stomach was in knots and it had protested every bite. She had finally opened a bottle of wine, hoping a glass might settle her nerves a bit. Not the best solution, she knew, but it hadn't worked anyway.

For the last fifteen minutes, she had been pacing and imagining all kinds of horrible outcomes to their discussion. She had worked herself into such a state, Hermione didn't notice when Crookshanks jumped down from the couch and sauntered towards her. It wasn't until he began to wind himself around her legs and she almost fell flat on her face that she stopped.

"Crooks," she said in exasperation, bending down and picking up the cat before sitting down on the couch with him in her lap. "I suppose this is your way of telling me to stop worrying." She scratched him behind the ears and Crookshanks rubbed his head against her. Hermione took a deep breath and settled more comfortably on the couch. She looked up at the ceiling, wishing that time would move faster.

The moment she thought it, she heard the whoosh of the Floo and Remus was standing in front of her. Hermione pushed Crookshanks off her lap and stood from the couch. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments. Hermione wanted nothing more than to continue what they had started at Grimmauld Place, but Remus looked guarded.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hermione finally asked.

"No, thank you, I'm fine," he replied.

"Please, sit," Hermione said, sitting back down on the couch. Remus chose the armchair across from her. This wasn't going as she'd hoped.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"It was good," Hermione said. "Very informative."

"Where were you?" he questioned, then backtracked. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry." Hermione smiled.

"It's all right," she said. "I was in France, visiting the Ministry there for work." She took a breath and gathered her courage. "I do want to tell you about it. I have a few things I'd like your opinion on, actually, but later." Remus nodded. He sat forward in his chair and put his elbows on his knees, looking down at the floor. Hermione bit her lip.

"Hermione, I," Remus began and Hermione's stomach clenched. "What happened, before you left, it shouldn't have." She swallowed thickly.

"Why, why do you say that?" she asked.

"I'm…not right for you."

"Don't you think that I get some say about it?"

"You've got your entire life ahead of you," Remus said as he looked up. "Harry told me about your new job and I think you're going to do brilliantly at the Ministry. You should be with someone you own age, someone who is just starting out as you are. Someone you could build a life with."

"Contrary to what you're saying, Remus, being thirty-nine doesn't mean your life is over."

"I'm nearly forty," Remus corrected. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"My father was forty when I was born," she said. Remus looked at her in surprise. "My mum was thirty-seven. You can build a life with someone at any age."

"Be that as it may, Hermione, you know it would be different," Remus said. "What would people say?"

"I would hope that those close to us would be happy for us," Hermione said. "As for the rest of the wizarding world, I really don't care. It's not as if I haven't been vilified in the press before."

"But you shouldn't be!" Remus insisted, standing from his chair. "Not because of me!" He turned and walked toward the fireplace, putting his hands in his trouser pockets and staring into it.

"Remus, none of that matters," she said. "And you know the public, as soon as the next scandal came along, they would lose interest."

"We _would_ be a scandal, you're right about that," Remus said grimly. Hermione sighed.

"That's not what I meant," she said. They were silent for a few moments.

"I have a son," Remus said.

"I adore Teddy," Hermione replied.

"I know that you do, he feels the same way about you." Remus turned from the fireplace. "But the point is that I have to think of him, not just myself. If we were to start something and it didn't work out, it wouldn't be fair to Teddy."

"You think I would stop spending time with him?" Hermione asked, angry and a bit hurt. "I would never do that to a child."

"Of course not," Remus replied. "But admit it, it would be incredibly awkward if we had been involved."

"I like to think I'm a bit more mature than that, Remus," she said with a sniff. Remus looked at her and sighed.

"It's just, it isn't a good idea," he said. "I'm twice your age, I was your professor, I have few prospects for employment and I'm still a werewolf."

"I don't care about any of those things," Hermione said, already having suspected that these would be the excuses he would use. He had said the same things to Tonks, save being her professor.

"You should," Remus said.

"So, what you're telling me is not that you don't have feelings for me, but that you don't want to act on them because of a myriad of reasons that don't matter?"

"My son matters" Remus said tightly.

"Of course, he does, Remus, I didn't mean to imply otherwise," Hermione said quickly. "But you have to believe that I would _never_ abandon Teddy, no matter what did or didn't happen between us." Remus shook his head.

"We can't do this, Hermione."

"You didn't answer my question," she said, taking a step closer to him.

"What question?"

"Do you have feelings for me?" Remus stared at her and Hermione took another step.

"That doesn't matter," he said, looking away from her.

"It does," Hermione replied. He pulled in a breath and met her gaze. Hermione tried to read his eyes, but they were giving nothing away. She took one more step, so she was standing right in front of him. She continued to stare at him and he didn't look away. Hermione reached out for his hand but as soon as her fingers touched his, he stepped back from her.

"It doesn't," he said. Remus turned back towards the fireplace. Hermione watched him, but before he could grab the Floo powder, she grasped his arm. He turned around and without thinking about it, she kissed him again. The angle was awkward, and he froze for a few moments, but then she felt him respond. He didn't move otherwise, but he definitely kissed her back. For a few seconds at least, before he grasped her arms and gently pushed her away from him.

"It does," she said, looking at him defiantly. She watched his face and she knew, _knew_ that he wanted her. She might have been a bit naïve about how other men had felt about her in the past, but there was no denying the look in Remus' eye. But he didn't say anything and she wasn't going to beg. She finally dropped her eyes from his and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," Remus said helplessly.

"I'm sorry too," she said. "Someday, I hope you let yourself deserve something again." Remus stared at her for another minute, before he grabbed a bit of Floo powder and threw it into the grate. He stepped into the flames, casting one last look over his shoulder before he disappeared.

When the flames died down, Hermione continued to stare at the cold, empty space where Remus had just been. When the first tear began to roll down her cheek, she turned and walked upstairs, stripping her clothes off as she went. She fell into bed, pulling her blankets up to her chin and silently crying as she fell asleep.


	46. Distance

**A/N - Surprise! As I am hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow, (my first year cooking the turkey so wish me luck!), I decided to post this tonight while I had a free minute. The chapter title was inspired by the Christina Perri song of the same name. Thank you all so much for the all the reviews last chapter! Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. readers!**

 **Chapter 46**

 **Distance**

 **11 February 2000**

Remus stepped out of his fireplace and immediately walked into the kitchen. He pulled down a bottle of Firewhiskey and a glass, pouring himself a generous amount. He drank it down in two swallows, then filled the glass again. He drank half of it before he heard movement on the stairs. He immediately put the bottle away and rinsed out the glass, not wanting questions about why he was drinking, just before Andromeda walked into the kitchen.

"How was Hermione?" she asked as Remus moved away from the sink.

"Fine, she was fine," he said.

"What did she want?" Andromeda asked, picking up his glass and cleaning with magic before putting it away in the cabinet. If she smelled the liquor, she didn't say anything.

"She, ah, had a few questions," Remus said. "About Will, the boy I told you about. Things she could tell his mother that might help." Andromeda looked at him strangely. Likely because it was an asinine response to her question. He had no doubt that Hermione already knew much of what Remus could tell her.

"They were questions about living with the pack," Remus continued, deciding that even as intelligent as Hermione was, she had no experience with pack life and Remus hadn't exactly been forthcoming about it to anyone. "Things that might affect his ability to settle back in to living with his family." Andromeda seemed mollified by this explanation. She looked at him again just when he had started to relax.

"Are you sure you are all right?" she asked.

"Yes," Remus said. She studied him for a moment before she nodded. She patted his arm as she walked into the living room and picked up her book, settling down on the couch to read. Remus let out a breath and turned back to the sink, bracing his hands against it.

The look on Hermione's face when he had left had nearly broken his resolve. She had looked so…sad. Sad and disappointed. He closed his eyes and gripped the edges of the sink.

He had been tempted, so tempted to continue that final kiss she had given him. He had responded for a few seconds before pulling away from her. But he couldn't do that to her, he couldn't take the chance that being with him would ruin the reputation she had. She was going to go far in the Ministry, Remus knew that. She could likely even be Minister for Magic one day if she wanted to. The public might elect a Muggle-born, but not if she was involved with a werewolf.

Remus sighed, pushing away from the sink and walking out of the kitchen. He stuck his head into the living room as he passed and told Andromeda he was tired and was going up to bed. She looked at him in concern, but didn't ask any questions. Remus reached his bedroom and toed off his shoes before lying down on his bed.

He folded his hands over his stomach and looked up at the ceiling. Hermione would get over him and find someone much more suited to her. It was for best, he just had to keep telling himself that.

As he drifted off, a small voice in his head asked if it was for the best, then why did he feel so wretched?

* * *

 **12 February 2000**

Hermione was woken by Crookshanks, pushing himself into her side. She opened her eyes and scowled at her cat.

"It's barely light out," she groused, pulling the covers over her head. She was exhausted. She hadn't slept much and when she had it felt like all she had done was dream about Remus. Hermione huffed as she felt the tears gather again. She was not going to keep crying about this. Remus had made his feelings perfectly clear. Crying about it wasn't going to change anything.

Hermione sighed as Crookshanks became more insistent. Groaning, she threw the covers off and stood, pulling on a jumper that was lying on the chair next to her bed. She yanked on a pair of socks and padded downstairs, filling up her cat's bowl with food.

"If this is you punishing me for leaving you for a few days, you can stop now," Hermione said. "I couldn't help it." She crossed her arms over her chest. Crookshanks ignored her, continuing to eat his breakfast. Hermione rolled her eyes and pulled out the coffee maker. If she was going to go to Harry's today and pretend like nothing was wrong, she was going to need caffeine.

* * *

Hermione came through the Floo into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. Harry and Ginny were sitting at the kitchen table and both looked up as she stepped out of the fireplace.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, jumping up to hug her.

"Hey, Gin," Hermione said, trying to keep her voice even. Ginny stepped back and gave her a searching look. Hermione plastered a smile on her face, but she wasn't sure the redhead was convinced. Before Ginny could say anything, Hermione turned to Harry.

"Where's Ron?"

"He's working today," Harry said. "Day shift." Hermione nodded and sat down at the table, just as Kreacher began to serve them lunch.

"So, tell us about your trip, Hermione," Ginny said. Hermione glanced at Harry, not knowing how much he had told Ginny. "Harry told me that Kingsley sent you off on a work-related trip until everything calmed down here."

"Well, first, did you know that I was transferred to a different department?"

"Yes, Harry mentioned that," Ginny said. "Something about research and the Wizengamot?"

"Right, basically I'm going to be doing what I wanted to do when I was in the DRCMC, working on the werewolf laws. So, Kingsley thought I should talk to the French Ministry and see how they handle werewolves there. It's not at all like we do it here and the number of werewolf attacks is nearly non-existent as a result."

"What do they do differently?" Harry asked.

"Well, firstly, they have a completely different attitude about werewolves' place in society," Hermione said. "They're not treated as some disgusting half-breed, but as witches and wizards with an illness, something that isn't their fault. They have a registry like ours, but it's used to offer assistance, not punishment.

The Ministry provides Wolfsbane for free and they have a facility where werewolves can come to transform if they don't have an appropriate place at their own homes. They will also send Ministry officials out to help with wards and make sure that wherever the werewolves have chosen to transform is safe and protected. There aren't any laws prohibiting those with lycanthropy from working or getting married or having children. No one can be fired for having to take time off at the full moon.

They even have a seminar at Beauxbatons that is required for first years, explaining the myths and misconceptions about werewolves. Because of all of this, there have only been three new werewolves in the last five years, all turned by the same werewolf, who was subsequently arrested and imprisoned."

"That's amazing, Hermione," Ginny said.

"It is," Hermione agreed.

"So, what do you think the chances are of getting some of those same policies implemented here?" Harry asked. Hermione sighed.

"The biggest obstacle will be public opinion," she said. "And unfortunately, I think it's going to take some time for that to change, especially after the war. But I want to talk to Professor McGonagall about starting a similar seminar at Hogwarts."

"I'm not sure about the Ministry providing the Wolfsbane, Hermione," Harry said. "After all the rebuilding from the war, I'm not sure if the Ministry can afford that."

"I know," Hermione said. "That's going to be another big issue. But I'm hoping if we can start out doing some of these smaller things, we can eventually get to the same place. I know it's going to take time."

"If anyone can make it happen, it's you," Harry said with a smile. Hermione tried to return it, but all the talk of werewolves had just made her think about Remus. She nodded and looked down at her bowl, before taking another bite of the stew Kreacher had made.

"Hermione?" Ginny questioned. "Are you all right?" Damn it, Hermione thought. Her friends were too observant by half. She pulled in a silent breath and raised her head.

"I'm just tired," she said. "I didn't sleep well last night." Harry immediately looked concerned.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, just one of those nights." She gave them both a wan smile and was quite sure neither one of them believed her. "And then Crookshanks had me up at dawn, demanding his breakfast. I'm sure it's his way of punishing me for leaving without saying good-bye." Harry chuckled and returned to his lunch. But Ginny continued to glance at Hermione from the corner of her eye.

Hermione successfully changed the subject to Ron and Susan and they finished lunch speculating about the new relationship.

"We should probably get going," Harry finally said. "I told Will's mother we'd be there around one." Hermione rose from the table and carried her dishes to the sink.

"I'm just going to use the loo before we go," she said and hurried up the stairs. Once in the bathroom, Hermione sighed and splashed some water on her face, trying to look less tired and drawn. She knew both her friends had noticed, although Harry had seemed to believe her excuse about not sleeping well. Ginny, however, would have more questions.

When she was finished, Hermione opened the door and was not surprised to see Ginny leaning against the wall opposite the loo, waiting for her.

"Are you going to tell me what's really going on?" Ginny asked.

"Nothing, Ginny, I'm fine," Hermione said.

"Liar," Ginny replied. Hermione sighed and looked at her friend.

"I can't talk now," Hermione said. "But will you come to mine after we get back from visiting Will?"

"Of course," Ginny said. She stepped forward and hugged Hermione and it took everything Hermione had not to burst into tears. When Ginny pulled back, she looked at Hermione in concern. She squeezed Hermione's hand. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said around a lump in her throat.

"Ready, Hermione?" Harry called up the stairs.

"Coming, Harry." Hermione put a smile on her face and walked down the stairs, taking her cloak from Harry before they stepped outside. Harry held out a hand to her and Hermione took it, Harry Disapparating seconds later.

* * *

"How are you?" Hermione asked as she gave Will a hug. They had arrived at a large cottage surrounded by forest. There didn't seem to be any neighbors nearby and Harry explained that Will's father had moved the family here after Will had been taken, hoping to hide the rest of his family from Death Eaters.

"I'm okay," Will said, giving her a smile. A woman walked into the entry and Will turned towards her. "This is my mum. Mum, this is Hermione."

"Caroline Burke," the woman said, holding out a hand. Hermione shook it.

"Hermione Granger."

"Yes, I know who you are," Mrs. Burke said with a laugh. "I would even if Will didn't talk about you every five minutes." Will colored and looked at the floor. Mrs. Burke's smile immediately disappeared.

"Will, I'm sorry, I was only teasing," she said, putting a hand on his arm. Will looked up at her with uncertainty and Hermione felt a wave of sympathy for both of them. It would take Will a while to learn to live in a family again. Will finally nodded, and his mother put an arm around his shoulders, giving him a squeeze.

She ushered them all into a cozy sitting room, where a tray of tea and biscuits waited. They all settled into seats and Mrs. Burke prepared them all tea. Hermione took a sip of hers, watching Will from the corner of her eye while she spoke with his mother.

He seemed unable to sit still and he ate his first biscuit in one bite. After a look from his mother, gentle, not reproachful, Hermione was glad to see, he ate the second biscuit in smaller bites. But Hermione could tell that he was having a hard time with it. She remembered how he quickly he had eaten the sandwiches Kreacher made for him. At the time, Hermione had contributed it to him being hungry, but it likely had more to do with the eating habits he was taught by his pack.

"Can I go outside now?" Will asked during a lull in the conversation.

"Of course," his mother replied. "But be sure to put on your boots and your cloak."

"Mum," Will complained.

"William," his mother replied. Will sighed and looked at Hermione.

"Do you want to come outside with me?" he asked hopefully.

"I do," Hermione replied. "But can I talk with your mother for a few more minutes?"

"Okay," Will said.

"I'll come out with you, Will," Harry said. Will's eyes lit up.

"Will you show me that trick again?" he asked. Harry chuckled.

"Sure, if I can borrow your broom again." Will looked at his mother.

"Just be careful." Will grinned and hurried out of the room. Harry thanked Mrs. Burke for the tea and biscuits and followed Will to the entry where Hermione could hear the boy pulling on his boots.

"I can't get him to wear a cloak for anything," Mrs. Burke said with a sigh. "He'd run around without shoes too, if there wasn't snow, I'm sure of it."

"It must be difficult for both of you to adjust," Hermione said, taking another sip of her tea.

"It has been," Mrs. Burke agreed. "As you saw when you first arrived, he doesn't understand teasing. It's like he thinks I'm angry with him or scolding him."

"Yes, I expect that his Alpha did not tolerate teasing or joking," Hermione said. Mrs. Burke shook her head.

"I never expected he would be so, so…I don't know, wild isn't really the word I'm looking for, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. His table manners are atrocious, and he doesn't seem to feel the need to bathe every day or change his clothes." Hermione wasn't surprised. Living rough didn't give you a lot of options for staying clean.

"He seems to have a problem being in the house," Mrs. Burke continued. "He wants to be outside as much as I'll let him." Hermione nodded. After Dobby had rescued them from Malfoy Manor and they had stayed at Shell Cottage, she had been restless. At the time, she had figured it was because of how many people were cramped into such a small space, not to mention the anxiety at what they were about to attempt at Gringotts. But later, she realized, after being in the tent for so many months, the cottage felt confining.

"Don't misunderstand me," Mrs. Burke continued. "I cannot even describe how thrilled I am to have him back, but it has been difficult at times."

"How are his siblings handling it?" Hermione asked.

"Rachel and Paul were shocked, of course, but elated all the same. It's been hardest on Rebecca. She never knew Will and she's used to having me all to herself during the school year. So much of my attention has been taken up by Will lately. Will seems wary of her, almost as if he doesn't know how to treat her."

"He told me he was the only child in the pack," Hermione said. Mrs. Burke nodded.

"I'm so grateful to you," she said, looking up at Hermione with tears in her eyes. "If you hadn't been there that day, I might never have gotten him back."

"You don't have to thank me," Hermione said. "I'm just glad it all turned out. Will was worried that you wouldn't want him." The older woman nodded.

"Harry told me that," she said. "I know it's going to be an adjustment with his lycanthropy, but I would never reject him. I just wish his father would have known. The guilt was well on his way to killing him, before the war did." Hermione waited. She didn't want to pry, but she was curious about what had happened to trigger Will's kidnapping.

"I suppose you're wondering how it all happened," Mrs. Burke said a few moments later.

"You don't have to tell me," Hermione said quickly.

"No, it's all right." She sighed. "My husband's great-great-uncle was Caractacus Burke of Borgin and Burkes. Because the Burkes are Sacred Twenty-Eight, You-Know-Who assumed that my husband would want to support his cause. But Stuart's branch of the family had never much cared for all that Pureblood supremacy nonsense. In fact, Stuart's mother was a Muggle-born. When they came knocking, he refused. He was told that he would regret it, but we never thought that they would take one of the children." Mrs. Burke paused and took a breath.

"After Will was taken, Stuart went to Avery. They had been at Hogwarts together and had been friendly before Avery became a Death Eater. Stuart was told that it was better just to forget about Will. That if he wasn't already dead, he would be soon. It broke my husband."

"He moved us here to try and hide us, never knowing if they would return again. He went out in search of Will every day, hoping to find some trace of him. One day, a little over a year after Will was taken, Stuart didn't come back. I didn't find out until after the war that he had been taken to Azkaban. He died there."

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Burke," Hermione said, her eyes full of unshed tears. The other woman pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her eyes.

"Thank you," she said. "And please, you must call me Caroline." Hermione nodded.

"I'm wondering if you've thought about sending Will to Hogwarts next year?" Caroline looked surprised.

"I wasn't sure they would allow him to go," she said. "And to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to let him out of my sight. It is only because we are so isolated here that I even let him outside alone."

"I completely understand that," Hermione said. "But, if you like him to attend, I'm sure that he could. I can have Headmistress McGonagall contact you if you'd like."

"But, he'd be a year behind."

"There are quite a few students that are behind a year right now. Most of the Muggle-borns that missed a year, as well as a few who chose to repeat that final year before the end of the war. Will wouldn't be unusual in that regard."

"He can barely read," Caroline said. "Not to mention maths or anything else he would need to understand before he went. And I'm concerned about him being cooped up in the castle all the time. As I said, I can barely keep him in the house for more than an hour or so at a time. I've found him sleeping on the floor under his open window every morning since he came back to us."

"He likely just has to get used to living indoors again," Hermione said. "But he has nearly seven months to get used to it. As for the other, if you have need of a tutor, I know someone who might be able to help." Hermione felt the familiar pang in her chest at the thought of Remus. "He's actually a werewolf himself, so it might be beneficial for Will in that regard as well."

"Are you speaking of Remus Lupin?" Caroline asked. Hermione nodded. "Will mentioned that he'd come to the Ministry with you. And I remembered that he was the Defense professor when Rachel was just a first year. He tutored for her O.W.L.S. as well, I believe."

"Yes, that's right," Hermione said. "I can speak with him and let you know."

"I would appreciate that." Hermione smiled and stood from the couch.

"I should go outside and watch Will for a bit." Caroline rose as well and reached out and took Hermione's hand in her own.

"Thank you," she said again. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me." Hermione couldn't speak around the lump in her throat, so simply squeezed the other woman's hand. Hermione took her cloak from the chair she had laid it on and joined Harry and Will outside.

Will was on the broom, flying slowly around the clearing behind the house. Harry was encouraging him and giving him tips on how to stop and start. Hermione stood and watched them for a while, imagining Harry with his own children. He was going to be a wonderful father. When Will turned and began to fly back towards Harry, Hermione smiled and took a few steps forward.

"You're doing very well," she said as Will came to a stop beside her. The boy grinned. Hermione saw that he had shed his cloak at some point. He didn't look cold, however and she suspected Harry had cast a warming charm.

"Would you like to take a walk and show me around a little?" she asked.

"Okay," Will said, getting off the broom and handing it to Harry.

"I'll put this away for you, mate," Harry said. "I told your mum I'd help her with a few wards, so you two go ahead."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the crisp winter air as they walked into the woods. Will led her to an area where the trees were more tightly packed together. Hermione wasn't overly surprised to see that he had begun to build a make-shift shelter out of pine boughs and stout branches.

"Do you come out here a lot?" she asked as they settled on two stumps, the remains of a fire in front of them.

"Yeah," Will said. "I don't like it sometimes, in the house."

"How is it being back here?" Will squinted up at the sun.

"It's different," he said. "I like the food a lot better." Hermione chuckled. He smiled at her, then looked down at the ground and frowned.

"I don't think my sister likes me," he said. "The little one, Rebecca."

"She's used to having your mum all to herself when Rachel and Paul are at school," Hermione said. "She's just feeling a little jealous right now." Will seemed to contemplate that.

"Sometimes she wants me to play with her, but when I tried, she cried and ran to Mum," Will said.

"Why?" Hermione asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I was trying to teach her to fight," he said matter-of-factly. "But, Mum said I couldn't do that anymore."

"Did you fight a lot when you were with the pack?"

"Just for practice, for when I got older," Will said. "Michael always told Felix and Simon to play with me and that's what we did. Rebecca didn't like it though." He looked a bit confused. Hermione's heart broke for him.

"Do you remember what things were like before you went to live with Michael and the pack?" she asked. Will's brow furrowed.

"Some," he said. "I remember my mum tucking me in at night. And my dad teaching me to fly on a broom. Sometimes me and Paul would hide under Rachel's bed and then jump out and scare her." He laughed. "She would get so mad and chase us, but we were always faster than her." The smile slowly slid from his face and soon he was looked forlorn.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"They look at me strange now, like I'm some kind of freak or something." He sniffled. "And I guess I am."

"No, you're _not_ ," Hermione asserted. "You're still their brother, Will. But you've been gone for four years. Everyone thought you were gone for good. It's going to take time for all of you to get used to one another again. But, I know your mother loves you and she's so, so happy to have you back." Will sniffled again.

"I wish my dad was here," he whispered. Hermione put an arm around him and leaned her head against his.

"I know." They sat that way for a bit, Will sniffling every few moments.

"We should go back," she said, a while later. "Your mum is probably getting worried." Will nodded, and they walked back to the house in silence. Will stopped before they reached the back door.

"Will you come back and see me again?" he asked. Hermione smiled.

"Of course, I will." He hugged her again before opening the back door and letting them into the house. Everyone was gathered around the kitchen table and Hermione was introduced to Will's siblings as Caroline passed around hot chocolate. Hermione was glad to see Paul engage Will in conversation and Rachel seemed to be listening to them intently. When Caroline sat down, Rebecca immediately slid into her lap and wrapped her arms around her mother's middle, clearly trying to stake her territory.

"If you'd ever like me to come over and spend some time with Will so you can have time to yourself," Hermione said with a significant look at Rebecca. "I'd be happy to."

"Yes, Mummy, yes, let her come and play with Will. Then you could play with me." Rebecca said insistently. Hermione hid a smile behind her mug.

"We'll see, all right?" Caroline said, kissing the little girl on the top of her head. She mouthed a thank you to Hermione.

"Is it all right if I ask them?" Harry said to Caroline. She smiled.

"Of course," she said.

"Ask us what?" Will asked.

"Well, remember I told you that my girlfriend plays Quidditch for the Harpies?" Will nodded.

"She _does_?" Paul said in astonishment. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, Paul, don't you know anything?"

"Oh, like you do?" Paul retorted. "Who's his girlfriend, then?" Hermione noticed that Will had cringed away from his brother, likely by the tone of both of their voices. Hermione, who was next to him, reached out a hand and put in on his shoulder. He looked up at her and relaxed at her reassuring smile.

"Ginny Weasley," Rachel said in exasperation. "She was the captain of the Gryffindor team last year." Paul looked at Harry for confirmation and Harry nodded. Rachel gave Paul a smug look.

"Anyway, she's got a match coming up in a few weeks and I was wondering if you all would like to go," Harry said.

"Really?" Paul asked excitedly.

"Sure," Harry said. "I always get a box, so there will be plenty of room."

"That would be brilliant," Rachel said. "Do you think the Headmistress would let us?"

"I think I can talk her into it," Harry said with a smirk. Will was sitting quietly, watching the conversation.

"Will, how about you?" Hermione asked. He looked at his mother.

"Can I?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Caroline said, looking a little teary-eyed. Will's grinned widely.

"Mummy, I don't _like_ Quidditch," Rebecca said with a pout. Paul rolled his eyes and shook his head. Hermione distinctly heard the word 'mental' muttered under his breath. She bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Maybe you and I will just stay home," Caroline said. Rebecca's eyes lit up and she hugged her mother tightly. "If that's all right with Harry and Hermione."

"Of course," they both said at the same time. Harry chuckled.

"We'd be happy to take them," Hermione assured her. She checked her watch. "We had better be going, Harry."

"I'll owl you with the details and don't worry, I'll talk to Professor McGonagall," Harry told Caroline.

"Thank you," she said.

They all said their good-byes and Will and Caroline walked with them to the front door. Hermione gave him one more hug before she and Harry walked outside.

"You'll come back, right?" Will said. "Before Quidditch?"

"I will," Hermione promised. He smiled and Caroline put an arm around his shoulders. Hermione and Harry moved past the Anti-Apparition wards Harry had put up.

"I'm just going to go home, Harry," Hermione said. "Let Ginny know she can come over, will you? She and I were going to talk this afternoon."

"You all right?" Harry asked in concern. Hermione nodded.

"Just girl stuff," she said. Harry looked a bit uncomfortable and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She grinned at him and Disapparated.

* * *

Hermione was just coming in from the kitchen with a pot of tea when Ginny came through the Floo. She siphoned the ash off her clothes and joined Hermione on the couch. Hermione prepared the tea and handed Ginny her cup before the redhead said anything.

"Are you going to tell me what's got you so upset?" Ginny asked.

"Are you going to explain to me why you pulled that stunt at Grimmauld Place a few weeks ago?" Hermione returned.

"What stunt?" Ginny asked, looking innocent.

"I think you know," Hermione said.

"I'm sure I don't." Hermione sighed in exasperation.

"Having me come over to mind Teddy because you had to get back for practice and no one else was available," Hermione said. "Ring a bell?"

"Hm, maybe," Ginny said. "But I don't know why you think it was a stunt."

"It was obvious by Remus' reaction when he got there that you hadn't even tried to contact him before you called me."

"I didn't?" Ginny replied, brow furrowing in confusion. "I thought sure I had."

"Ginevra Weasley you are impossible!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny smirked. "Did you even _have_ to go back to Wales?"

"Yes, actually," Ginny said. "Gwenog called an early meeting."

"But you didn't try to Floo Remus?"

"If he says I didn't, then I guess I forgot." She shrugged.

"Right," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She sipped at her tea and ignored Ginny's look of anticipation.

"Well, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"Nothing happened," Hermione said. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she studied her friend.

"You're lying," she finally said. Hermione shook her head in exasperation.

" _How_ do you _do_ that?" she demanded. Ginny shrugged a shoulder.

"It's a gift."

"Fine, we had a…moment, but nothing came of it."

"What do you mean, 'a moment'?" Hermione sighed again.

"Teddy's toys fell out of his bag and we both reached for the same one. It was…I thought that he might kiss me, but then Teddy woke up." Ginny sighed.

"The two of you need to be alone together, _without_ Teddy," Ginny said. Hermione averted her eyes, which Ginny immediately picked up on. "You _have_ been alone together? When was this?"

"Not alone, exactly. Remus showed up at Grimmauld when I was there with Will," Hermione finally said. "He came looking for one of Teddy's toys. Kreacher told him I was there with someone and before I could explain, he jumped to conclusions."

"What conclusions?" Ginny asked. Hermione gave her a look and Ginny's eyes widened. "What did you do?"

"I was angry, so I just grabbed his arm to take him to the sitting room. I was going to introduce Will and explain, but Remus stopped before we got to the stairs. When I looked at him, he looked so _jealou_ s, I just didn't even think about it."

"Think about what?" Ginny asked, but the widening smile on her face led Hermione to suspect that she already knew.

"I kissed him," Hermione said.

"And he kissed you back, didn't he?"

"Yes," Hermione nearly whispered.

"I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed.

"No, Gin, it's not," Hermione shook her head. "It's not like that."

"What do you mean it's 'not like that'?" Ginny demanded. "You kissed him, he kissed you back, what is it like?"

"I talked to him last night," Hermione replied, growing quieter. "He told me that it would be a mistake for us to be together."

"For fuck's sake, why?" Hermione shrugged.

"The usual reasons. But now he's got Teddy too."

"What about Teddy?"

"Remus has to protect him, doesn't he?" Hermione said. "If things didn't work out between us, he wouldn't want Teddy to suffer for it."

"How could Remus even think that you would cut Teddy out?" Ginny sounded completely incensed. "You would never do that!"

"I know," Hermione replied. "But think about how awkward it would be." Hermione wasn't sure why she was repeating Remus' arguments, when she hadn't agreed with them in the first place.

"Rubbish," Ginny said. "It's not like there wouldn't be ways around that. You could see Teddy when he's with Harry. And besides, who says that things wouldn't work out between the two of you?"

"I just, it doesn't matter," Hermione said. "Remus has made his feelings perfectly clear."

"Well, that much is true," Ginny said. Hermione looked up at her in confusion and saw the smirk on her face. "He _has_ made his feelings known."

"Not in so many words," Hermione replied.

"He didn't have to," Ginny said. "He was jealous when he thought you were at Grimmauld with another man _and_ he kissed you back. And when he was telling you all these reasons that the two of you shouldn't be together, did he ever say it was because he didn't fancy you?"

"No."

"Well, then, now we just have to decide what your next move is going to be," Ginny said. She began to spin various scenarios, but Hermione wasn't really listening. The truth was, the more she thought about everything that had happened, the sadder she became.

"So, which do you think?" Ginny asked.

"What?" Ginny cocked her head.

"You haven't been listening, have you?"

"I'm sorry, Gin, I just," Hermione shook her head and pulled in a breath. "I don't think I'm going to do anything."

"What? Why?"

"Because there doesn't seem to be much point. Even knowing that we have feelings for each other, he still doesn't want to pursue anything. I can argue his reasons until I'm blue in the face, but that's not going to change how he feels. If something is going to happen between us, I don't want it to be because I wore him down or everyone else meddled or he just gave in. I want him to want it."

"It sounds like he already wants it, he just won't let himself have it."

"Regardless, I'm not going to chase after him," Hermione said. "A girl can only take so much rejection." She tried to smile at Ginny and failed miserably. Ginny moved towards her on the couch and put an arm around her.

"We'll figure this out, Hermione."

"I think it's better if I just forget about it. Promise me you're not going to do anything to try and force us together.

"Hermione-" Ginny began, but Hermione shook her head.

"Promise me, Ginny." Ginny sighed.

"Fine, I promise."

"Thank you." Hermione let her head fall to rest on Ginny's shoulder and the two of them sat in silence while Hermione tried to convince herself that this was for the best.

* * *

"I'd really like it if you'd be there," Harry said from the Floo. Remus bit back a sigh. He and Andromeda had an open invitation to the weekly Weasley dinner on Sundays and they had attended a few times in the last year. But, Remus was sure that Hermione was going to be there and after their talk the night before, Remus wasn't ready to see her just yet. But Harry was nearly begging him to come.

"What's this about, Harry?" Remus asked, wondering if this was more meddling from Ginny.

"I just really want my whole family to be there tomorrow," Harry said. "It's important." Remus felt a lump form in his throat when Harry called him family. It was what they were, Remus had always felt the same, but it was the first time Harry had said it aloud.

Remus studied Harry's face and he looked so earnest, Remus couldn't refuse. Somehow, he didn't think this was another attempt to force him and Hermione together.

"All right, we'll be there," Remus said. Harry grinned widely.

"Thanks, Remus. I'll see you at five." Remus nodded and Harry disappeared.

* * *

 **13 February 2000**

Hermione arrived at the Burrow at four. She had gotten into the habit of helping Molly and Ginny in the kitchen before Sunday dinners. Hermione had often helped her parents prepare meals growing up, as they tended to take turns cooking, and didn't realize how much she had missed it.

When Hermione walked into the house, however, Molly was alone in the kitchen.

"Hi, Molly."

"Oh, hello, dear," Molly replied, busy setting carrots and potatoes to chopping. She wiped her hands on her apron and then gave Hermione a hug. Hermione held the embrace a bit longer than she normally did and when Molly pulled back, she looked concerned. She put a hand on Hermione's cheek.

"Are you all right?" Hermione barely managed to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm fine." Molly studied her for a few more seconds before patting her cheek gently.

"Ron and Harry told us all about that mess at the Ministry last week." Molly clucked her tongue. "Absolutely ridiculous, trying to arrest you." Hermione smiled.

"Technically, I did break the rules."

"Well, who wouldn't have? Honestly, treating a child that way." She huffed. "I'm glad you got him away from all that."

"So am I," Hermione said. She looked around the kitchen. "What can I do?" Molly immediately began giving instructions and Hermione set to work putting together the salad.

"Where's Ginny?" she asked after a few minutes of chatting.

"Harry swept her off somewhere," Molly said. "Told us they wouldn't be back until five." Hermione immediately dropped her head to hide her grin. He must be asking her today!

"You should have called me, I would have come over earlier to help."

"Oh, it's no trouble, dear, I've been doing this for many years, you know." She winked and Hermione laughed before returning to her task.

The rest of the family slowly began to trickle in starting around half four. Everyone stopped in the kitchen to say hello to Hermione and Molly, Fleur joined them to help for a bit before Molly insisted she get off her feet.

"She ees as bad as Bill," Fleur muttered to Hermione. "I am pregnant, not an invaleed." Hermione stifled a laugh. Fleur looked even more beautiful than usual, if that were possible. She definitely had that pregnancy glow about her. In fact, when Ron came into the kitchen his eyes glazed over like they used to in fourth year. Hermione hit him in the back of the head and Fleur sighed.

"It ees ze 'ormones," she said. "I cannot 'elp it."

"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly before heading into the living room.

Hermione glanced up at the clock and saw that it was nearly five. She grinned in spite of herself, excited to see everyone's reaction to Harry and Ginny's news.

"Hello, Molly," a voice said, and Hermione whipped around to see Andromeda coming into the kitchen.

"Andromeda, I'm so glad you could make it," Molly replied, giving the other woman a hug. Hermione swallowed. If Andromeda was here, that meant Remus was likely here as well. Of course, Harry would have wanted them present the night he announced his engagement.

"Hermione, how are you?" Andromeda asked.

"I'm, I'm fine," Hermione said, giving her a weak smile. Andromeda looked at her in concern, but Hermione turned quickly to Molly.

"What else can I do?" she asked.

"Nothing," Molly said as she looked around the kitchen. "Everything is finished. We'll just wait on Harry and Ginny and then I'll get it all on the table. Go and enjoy yourself." Molly turned back to Andromeda.

Hermione washed her hands as slowly as she could. She knew that Remus would be in the living room along with everyone else. Hermione remembered what she had said to Ginny and decided that she needed to follow through on what she'd said. She wasn't going to try to force him. Squaring her shoulders, she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

* * *

Remus sensed the moment she stepped into the room. He forced himself to continue his conversation with Bill and not look her way. His son, however, had no such compunction.

"My-nee!" the little boy called, running towards her as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. "My-nee pay." Hermione laughed.

"Of course, I'll play with you, Teddy," she said, following Teddy to the corner of the living room. Remus watched as Teddy began to dig through the basket of toys that Molly had brought down from the attic, one of his ever-present dragons held tightly in his other hand.

Remus turned his attention back to Bill and tried not to let his eyes wander to the corner. At Teddy's giggle, however, he couldn't help but look. Hermione had built an entire city of blocks over which all of Teddy's dragons were flying, along with a small stuffed hippogriff. Hermione had shrunk Teddy's stuffed wolf, dog and deer and they were currently chasing each other through the city of blocks. She was holding the charm on the hippogriff while still making the wolf, dog and deer run. Remus couldn't help but stare.

"Fancy bit of magic," Bill said with a grin, seeing where Remus' attention had been drawn. Hermione looked up at the two men and smiled before she turned her attention back to Teddy who had grabbed Padfoot from the ground, the wolf and the deer still chasing each other. Remus continued to watch the two of them as Teddy gave Hermione Padfoot. Hermione kissed the dog's nose and then gave it back to Teddy. Remus watched his son follow suit and then giggled.

"Remind me to call Hermione if Fleur and I ever need someone to watch the baby," Bill said with a chuckle.

"Yes, she is quite good with Teddy," Remus said fondly. He watched them for a few moments longer before turning his attention back to Bill. The younger man was looking at him a bit strangely. Remus swore in his head, realizing he had been too obvious. He was going to have to get his feelings under control. He changed the subject to Gringotts and studiously ignored Hermione.

"I don't understand why I can't start getting the food on the table," Molly said a few minutes later. Remus looked up to see Harry and Ginny ushering her into the living room. "You're late."

"I'm sorry Molly, this is just going to take a minute." Remus watched the scene in confusion. He glanced at Hermione and saw she was watching Harry and Ginny excitedly, anticipation shining in her eyes. And then Remus understood. He hid a grin as Harry turned to everyone gathered in the living room.

"Today, Ginny and I, that is, I wanted, erm," Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"We're engaged!" Ginny announced, and Harry turned to her, his expression part exasperation that she had just blurted it out and adoration at her having accepted his proposal. There was silence for a split-second and then pandemonium as everyone cheered and Harry and Ginny were surrounded by family wanting to hug them. Remus stepped forward to offer his own congratulations and Hermione appeared as his side, holding Teddy.

He shifted nervously, although she didn't seem to be paying him any attention, trying to explain the excitement to Teddy instead. Teddy, of course, had no idea what was going on, but was feeding off everyone else's enthusiasm, clapping his hands and laughing. His hair was cycling through colors quickly, as it usually did when he was excited.

Remus watched as the two of them reached Harry and Ginny. Harry took Teddy and threw him up into the air while Hermione hugged Ginny and then exclaimed over the ring. Then, Harry handed Teddy off to Ginny and she rubbed noses with him, while Hermione hugged Harry tightly. She had tears in her eyes when she pulled away.

"I'm so happy for both of you," Hermione said as Remus approached.

"Daddy!" Teddy said with a giggle when Ginny tickled his sides.

"Congratulations," Remus said, leaning forward to kiss Ginny's cheek. He held a hand out to Harry who ignored it and pulled Remus into a hug instead. Hermione was smiling at both of them when they separated. Her eyes were still bright with unshed tears of happiness and Remus lost his breath for a moment. It wasn't until he was accidentally jostled by George that he looked away from her and took a step back.

Busying himself with taking Teddy from Ginny's arms as Molly called them all to the table, Remus didn't look at Hermione again. As he washed Teddy's hands, Remus realized that it was going to be much harder than he thought to get over her.

* * *

Before Hermione could follow the rest of the family to the kitchen table, Ginny grabbed her arm and pulled her aside.

"Did you see that?" Ginny demanded quietly so no one would overhear.

"See what?" Hermione asked, although she was well aware of what Ginny was talking about.

"That look Remus gave you just now."

"Oh, that."

"Yes, _that_ ," Ginny said in exasperation.

"I did, but it doesn't change anything," Hermione said with a shrug.

"How can you say that?"

"Because we've already established he has feelings for me. He just refuses to act on them."

"That was some look, Hermione."

"It still doesn't change anything." Ginny sighed.

"If you would just-" but Hermione shook her head to interrupt.

"I told you, I'm not going to do that. Just let it go."

"Fine," Ginny pouted.

"We'd better get to the table, I'm sure someone wants to make a toast." Ginny grinned, glancing down at the ring on her finger. She looped an arm through Hermione's and the two of them made their way to the table.

Hermione sat down next to Ginny, Ron on the other side of her. When Arthur stood to make a toast, Hermione looked up to face him and she could see Remus from the corner of her eye. Although he appeared to be paying attention to what Arthur was saying, Hermione could see his eyes shift towards her every few seconds.

What Ginny had said was true. Hermione had seen the heat in his look after she had congratulated her friends. She hadn't been lying to Ginny when she told her she wasn't going to chase after Remus. But, after seeing his reactions to her today, perhaps there was a bit of hope. Being his friend wasn't chasing after him after all. Hermione hid a smile. She would just have to see what happened.


	47. Want

**A/N - Extra long chapter this week, because I just couldn't cut it anywhere. I'm sure you won't mind. I hope that those of you that celebrated had a nice Thanksgiving. Ours was a success, first turkey and all. Thank you again for reading and reviewing! I am always thankful for all of you!**

 **Chapter 47**

 **Want**

 **13 February 2000**

"Remus." The blocks Remus had been directing back into the basket of toys fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione said. She drew her own wand and waved it at the blocks, depositing them in the basket. She smiled at Remus. He cleared his throat.

"Hermione," he said. He had no idea why she had finally approached him after they had basically avoided one another the entire evening, but he couldn't ignore her and be rude. There were too many people watching.

"I visited Will yesterday."

"Oh, how is he doing?" Remus asked.

"As well as can be expected, given his situation," Hermione said. "He is having a hard time adjusting after living the way he did for so long."

"I can imagine," Remus said, remembering how hard it was for him to assimilate back into normal life after his missions for the Order. And he had only been gone a few months at a time. Will had lived with the pack for four years.

"Anyway, his mother and I were talking about Hogwarts. I know that Will wants to go and I'm sure that Professor McGonagall would allow it, but Will can barely read." Remus nodded. He was having trouble being so close to her. He shifted back a half-step and thankfully, she didn't seem to notice.

"Will also has a four-year-old sister, who's having a hard time adjusting to him being back. His mother has her hands full dealing with the two of them and trying to help Will get used to living indoors again. I was thinking that maybe you might be able to help."

"Tutoring him?" Remus questioned.

"Yes, and maybe helping him make the transition from living with the pack," Hermione said. "Will mentioned you to his mother and she remembered you. Her oldest daughter was a first year when you taught at Hogwarts."

"Oh, well, I suppose I could help."

"Wonderful," Hermione said her eyes lighting up. Remus had a hard time tearing his gaze away from her. "Maybe we could go Tuesday or Wednesday evening? I don't think she had any wards set up for Will's transformation either. I could help with that while you speak with Caroline and Will."

Remus couldn't speak for a moment, so busy staring at her. Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Remus?"

"Oh, yes, I, uh, either, either would be fine." He cleared his throat again, feeling wrong-footed.

"All right, I'll owl Caroline and ask her and I'll let you know. Thanks, Remus."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Here, let me help you with this. I made most of the mess anyway," she said with a laugh. His stomach tightened at the sound. With a wave of her wand, all the toys that stayed at the Burrow were in the basket. Another wave sent Teddy's toys into his bag. Smiling, Hermione turned and walked over to Ginny, joining the other girl on the couch in front of the fireplace.

Remus stared after her. She was talking to Ginny as if everything was normal. There was no hint of the sadness and disappointment he had seen on her face just two nights ago. He didn't understand what was happening.

* * *

"Well, that seemed to work," Ginny said with a smirk when Hermione joined her on the couch.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Whatever you're doing with Remus," Ginny said. "He can't take his eyes off you."

"I'm not doing anything," Hermione said, hoping she looked confused.

"Sure, you're not," Ginny said.

"Ginny, I promise, I don't have some nefarious plan."

"I never said it was nefarious, but you _do_ have a plan." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, I simply don't want things to be awkward between us. Remus is part of Harry's life, I'm sure we'll be running into each other quite often." Ginny studied her for a few moments before she shrugged.

"Whatever you say, Hermione." Hermione really wanted to look at Remus, but she forced herself not to.

The truth was, their conversation had been excruciating. All she wanted to do was grab him and shake him to make him understand or maybe snog him again; both options were about equal in her mind right now. It had been so difficult to act as if everything was fine, although she seemed to have managed it if what Ginny said was true.

And then suddenly, Remus was in front of her. She looked up and met his gaze. He stared at her for a moment before he turned to Harry. Ginny nudged Hermione in the ribs.

"We've got to be going, Harry. Teddy is getting a bit cranky," Remus said. "Congratulations again. I'm very happy for you both." He gave Harry a genuine smile.

"That makes two of us," Andromeda said as she came into the room, carrying Teddy. He was rubbing his eyes, but he grinned as soon as he saw his godfather. Harry took the little boy from his grandmother and gave him a smacking kiss on his cheek. Teddy giggled when Ginny did the same on his other side. Hermione glanced up to see the fondness in Remus' eyes.

"My turn," she said and reached for Teddy. Teddy happily let Harry transfer him into Hermione's arms. She kissed his cheek and then rubbed her nose against his. Teddy wrapped his little arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and relished in the warmth of his little body.

"Sleep well," she said as she handed him to Remus. Their hands brushed, and Hermione forced herself not to react, pasting a smile on her face instead. Remus flinched slightly and then cleared his throat. He gave Hermione another one of those looks before he turned towards the fireplace.

"I'll owl you about Will, Remus." He nodded and grabbed for the Floo powder, instructing Teddy to close his eyes.

"Good-bye," he said and then he was gone, Andromeda following a few moments later.

"No plan, huh?" Ginny said under her breath before she sat down next to Harry again. Hermione ignored Ginny's comment.

"So, tell me about today." Ginny grinned and Harry smiled and kissed her temple.

"This isn't going to get all sappy is it?" Ron asked. "Only, I think I might be sick if it is." Hermione reached over and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow," Ron said, rubbing the spot and scowling at her. Ginny stuck her tongue out at him.

"First, we went to lunch at this gorgeous restaurant in London," Ginny said. "The food was amazing, I've never had anything like it."

"Then, Harry Apparated us to Hogwarts. I was a little confused, but he said he'd been meaning to visit Hagrid and asked if I minded. So, we had tea with Hagrid and then Harry wanted to go and visit the Quidditch pitch. It was pretty cold today, so there weren't any students around. We borrowed brooms and went for a fly. When we landed, Harry got down on one knee and asked me." Hermione sighed happily. It was all very romantic.

"Why Hogwarts, mate?" Ron asked.

"I just wanted to replace some of those bad memories with a happy one," Harry said. "Besides, it's where I fell in love with her in the first place." Ginny smiled and kissed Harry softly. Hermione glanced at Ron. Despite his earlier statement, he was smiling at the two of them.

"And I have a confession to make," Harry said as he and Ginny pulled apart. "The reason there weren't any students on the grounds today was because I asked McGonagall to keep everyone inside for an hour or two." Ron and Hermione laughed.

"Sneaky," Ginny said, before she kissed him again.

"Why were you late, though?" Ron asked. "You can't have been at lunch for that long." Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing, suspecting just why Harry and Ginny had been late for dinner. Ginny turned her gaze on her brother.

"Do you really want me to answer that question?" she said sweetly with a gleam in her eye. Ron looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened.

"Er, no, that's all right," he said quickly.

"So, any ideas on when the big day is going to be?" Hermione asked, deciding to save Ron and change the subject.

"We haven't really talked about it yet," Ginny said. "But you'll be my maid of honor, won't you?" Hermione felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Of course, I will," Hermione said, reaching over to hug her friend. Ginny was crying too.

"Why are they crying?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged.

"Dunno." He turned to Ron. "Best man?"

"Oh, Harry, of course I will," Ron said, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes. He reached over and made a show of hugging Harry. Ginny reached past Hermione and smacked her brother's shoulder.

"Shut it, you prat." Harry finally shoved Ron off him and the two of them watched the women, who were still hugging.

"We'll figure you out too, Hermione," Ginny murmured in her ear. Hermione squeezed her friend tighter for a second before letting her go.

"I should head home," she said. "New job tomorrow and all."

"Come to Grimmauld after work," Ginny said. "I want to hear all about it."

"But, it's Valentine's Day," Hermione protested. "Aren't the two of you going out somewhere?"

"I got night shift tomorrow," Harry said with a frown. "Had to switch to get today off."

"All right," Hermione agreed. She hugged Ginny again and then Harry and Ron, and made her good-byes to Molly and Arthur. Everyone else had already gone home.

"Good luck, Hermione," Harry said. "Not that you'll need it."

"Thanks, Harry." She gave them all a wave and stepped into the Floo.

* * *

 **14 February 2000**

Hermione took a deep breath as she stepped out of the Floo into the Ministry's atrium. She had come in a little early, wanting to avoid running into as many of her old co-workers as possible. She wasn't in the mood to answer questions about her resignation and she definitely did not want to see Mr. Satterfield.

Making her way to the lifts, Hermione was deep in thought about her werewolf proposal and didn't notice someone come up next to her until the lift doors opened. As she stepped inside, Jensen Barbary walked in next to her. Hermione held back a gasp.

"Granger," he greeted as the doors slid shut. They were the only two in the lift.

"Barbary," Hermione returned. They rode in silence for a few seconds.

"How's the kid?" Barbary asked.

"He's doing all right," Hermione replied. "Back with his family." Barbary nodded.

"Look, I'm sorry about everything that happened," he said. "But, I had to."

"I know," Hermione said. "I'm just glad the Minister could get it all straightened out."

"I want Satterfield out as much as you do." Hermione laughed.

"I'm not sure that's true," she said. Barbary smirked.

"Well, maybe not." The lift came to a stop on Hermione's floor.

"Good luck, Granger."

"Thank you," Hermione said as the doors slid open. She cast one last look at Barbary before she exited the lift. Pulling in another breath, she straightened her posture and headed for Margaret's office. She hoped this job would go much better than the last.

* * *

Remus handed Teddy the small chocolate heart and the little boy took it eagerly. He had inherited Remus' love for chocolate, that much was certain. Normally, they didn't give it to him, he wasn't even two after all. But it was Valentine's Day and Remus saw no harm in a bit of a treat.

"Mo', Daddy," Teddy said, his face smeared with chocolate.

"I think that's enough," Remus said with a chuckle, waving his wand to clean the chocolate from Teddy's face.

"Mo'!" Teddy insisted.

"How about a story instead?" Remus countered.

"Yes!" Teddy said throwing his hand up in the air. Remus laughed again and removed his son from his high chair, setting him down and following him into the living room. Teddy ran to the basket of books Andromeda kept near the couch and dug through it, pulling out the book of Muggle fairy tales. Remus stopped short. Teddy had finally gotten over his obsession with the Gingerbread Man and they hadn't read from that book for a few weeks now.

"My-nee, Daddy!" Teddy said excitedly. Remus nearly groaned aloud.

"Yes, Hermione did give you that book," Remus said, settling down on the couch and pulling Teddy into his lap. Remus opened the book and flipped to The Ugly Duckling, thinking that maybe he could distract Teddy with something different.

When he started to read, however, Teddy shook his head and began flipping pages. Remus stopped him on The Elves and the Shoemaker.

"Let's try this one," he suggested.

"No," Teddy said. "My-nee, Daddy." Remus bit back a sigh and allowed Teddy to turn to The Gingerbread Man. Teddy settled happily against him and Remus began to read.

When they reached the page with the illustration that looked like Hermione, Remus tried to keep from looking at it, even after Teddy pointed it out. But he couldn't keep his eyes from jumping to it every few seconds. It was a good thing he had the story memorized.

When Remus finished reading, Teddy yawned and Remus knew he should take him up to bed. Instead, he cuddled the boy a bit tighter in his arms and reclined back against the arm of the couch. Teddy snuggled into his chest as he had when he was a baby and Remus brought a hand to his son's back, rubbing small circles until he felt Teddy's breath even out. Remus kissed the top of his head and stilled his hand, keeping Teddy protectively in his embrace.

Andromeda came into the room a bit later and smiled at the two of them. She waved her wand and Teddy was immediately clothed in his pajamas.

"Would you like me to take him up?" she asked quietly.

"Not just yet," Remus replied. Andromeda nodded and walked into the kitchen. Remus sighed and stared into the fire, his mind wandering back to Hermione as it seemed to always be doing lately. He was still a bit perplexed about her behavior the night before at the Burrow. He had expected that they would avoid one another and if they were forced to talk, it would have been stilted and awkward. It had been, on his part, but Hermione hadn't seemed particularly bothered.

He should be glad, he knew. He had told her that he wasn't right for her and that she should find someone else. But seeing her acting just as she always had around him was disconcerting. And to be honest, it made him feel a bit despondent. She was obviously able to turn her feelings off more easily than he could.

Although he was still staring at the fireplace, he still jumped when the flames turned green. Teddy stirred, but didn't wake.

"Oh, Remus, I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly.

"It's all right," Remus replied. Andromeda walked into the room.

"Hello, Hermione," she said. She turned to Remus. "Let me take him." Remus transferred Teddy to his grandmother's arms and she left the room to put him to bed.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Hermione said again.

"It's fine, Hermione," Remus said, holding back a sigh. "How can I help you?"

"I spoke with Caroline and she said Tuesday would be fine, if you'd still like to help."

"Yes, of course," Remus said.

"Would you like me to pick you up there or do you want to come here?"

"Here, if you don't mind," Remus said immediately. The last thing he needed as to be alone with her. He thought he saw the ghost of a smile on her face, but it had likely just been a trick of the fire.

"Is half six all right?"

"Yes, that's fine."

"I'll see you tomorrow then. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day." Hermione smiled and then pulled her head from the fire. Remus dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This was much more difficult that he'd thought it was going to be.

* * *

 **15 February 2000**

Hermione stepped through the Floo into Remus' living room. He was waiting for her, looking a bit fidgety. It could have been because the moon was only four days away, but somehow, Hermione didn't think so.

"Hello," she said.

"Hermione," he replied. Hermione looked around.

"Where's Teddy?"

"Andromeda took him up for a bath," Remus said. "She didn't want him to make us late." Truthfully, Remus had tried to convince his mother-in-law to wait until Hermione arrived, but at the strange look she gave him, he relented. She was right that Teddy would have delayed them, as he likely would have made a scene wanting to come along.

"Shall we go then?" Remus asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. "We'll have to Apparate though. Their Floo is password protected." Remus froze. Hermione would have to take him side-along as he had no idea where they were going.

"All right," he finally said. He ushered her toward the back door, grabbing his cloak as they passed the coat tree.

"Did you have a nice Valentine's Day?" he asked as they walked across the backyard. Hermione laughed.

"Ginny and I had dinner and then stuffed ourselves with chocolate. Harry had to work," she explained at his quizzical expression.

"I see," he replied.

"There are likely better ways to spend that particular holiday," she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye. He swallowed. "But Ginny and I had fun."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, having to clear his throat to get the words out. They reached the edge of the wards and Hermione turned to him.

"Ready?" she asked holding out her arm. He took it slowly, trying to keep from touching her with his body, but Hermione stepped closer to him, pressing his arm into her side. She smiled as she turned and they Disapparated.

* * *

They landed outside the wards Harry had set for Caroline and Hermione didn't immediately let go of him. They were standing rather close together and she looked up at him for a moment before taking a step back. He looked away quickly.

"Here we are," she said cheerfully and began to walk towards the cottage. He followed, forcing himself to look at the ground so that he didn't stare at her arse. What the fuck was wrong with him? They reached the front door and Hermione knocked. Moments later, Will pulled the door open.

"Hermione!" he said with a grin.

"Hi, Will. You remember Mr. Lupin," Hermione said.

"Hi," Will said, looking a bit wary. Remus smiled.

"Hello, Will," he said. "It's good to see you again." Will's mother walked up behind her son. A little girl was hanging onto her leg.

"Come in, please," she said, and they stepped inside. Caroline took their cloaks. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lupin. Caroline Burke."

"Remus, please," he said as he shook her hand. He looked down at the little girl. "You must be Rebecca." She hid her face in her mother's robes.

"Yes, she is," Caroline said. "Won't you say hello, Rebecca?" Rebecca shook her head. Hermione and Remus chuckled as Caroline led them into the sitting room. Rebecca climbed into her mother's lap as soon as she sat down.

"I'm so grateful that you're willing to help us," Caroline said. Remus smiled.

"It's no trouble," he assured her. Remus felt eyes on him, but when he glanced at Hermione, she was talking quietly with Will. Remus cleared his throat and turned back to Caroline. "I suppose we should start by discussing what Will's abilities are and where he will need extra help."

"Yes, of course," Caroline said with a sidelong glance at her son. She looked a bit uncomfortable and Remus could sense that she would rather speak to him in private. Fortunately, Rebecca chose this moment to speak up.

"I'm hungry, Mummy," she said. "Can I have a snack?"

"Yes, you may," her mother replied with a smile. "Will, can you take Rebecca into the kitchen and help her?"

"Okay, Mum." But Rebecca stubbornly remained in her mother's lap.

"I want _you_ to help me, Mummy," Rebecca declared.

"Mummy has guests right now, sweetheart," Caroline said. "Will can help you."

"No!"

"Rebecca," her mother said warningly. Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, but she stood all the same and walked out of the room with Will.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said once the children had left the room. She looked a bit embarrassed. "She has been a handful ever since Will came home."

"It's perfectly understandable," Remus said. "I'm sure it has been an adjustment for all of you." Caroline sighed and nodded.

"You asked about Will's abilities," she said. Remus nodded. "He was seven when he was taken, so he could read. Simple books, of course, but he didn't have much problem with them. Now, he can barely get through picture books with only two or three words on the page. He could do simple sums before, but he seems to have lost all ability to do even that. I have been trying to work with him, but between dealing with Rebecca, and Will wanting to escape outside every few minutes, it has been challenging." She took a breath and looked up at Remus.

"I don't mean this to sound arrogant, but none of my children have ever had any problems learning new concepts. This included Will when he was younger. But now, he doesn't even seem to have an interest. It's as if a different child has come back to me." Caroline shook her head and looked down at her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you don't want to hear my whining."

"Don't apologize," Hermione said. Remus looked at her and saw the sympathetic look on her face. He smiled softly and turned back to Caroline.

"I agree, there is nothing to be sorry for. This is a difficult situation all around." Caroline looked up at him. She seemed hesitant to speak, but Remus gave her an encouraging look.

"Will told me that you stayed with his pack, for a time," she said. Remus forced himself to remain calm.

"I did," he agreed.

"Have you, that is," she shook her head. "It's none of my business, I'm sorry."

"You're wondering if I've lived in a pack for an extended period of time?" She looked up at him and nodded. Remus took a breath.

"I did live with different packs over the course of both wars, but I was an adult," Remus said. He could see from the corner of his eye that Hermione was listening intently. "I was working as a spy, trying to convince the packs to side with the Light instead of Voldemort." Caroline visibly flinched at the name. "I spent anywhere from a few days to a few months with a pack, depending on the reception I received."

"While all packs are different, survival and protection of its members is always the main concern. Things like reading and writing aren't priorities. Very few werewolves held jobs at all and if they did it was always manual labor, usually sporadic and always in the Muggle world. It doesn't surprise me that Will forgot most of what he knew. He would have never had reason to practice it." Caroline nodded.

"I suspected as much," she said.

"If he caught on so quickly when he was younger, then he's likely not going to have too much trouble relearning it all," Hermione said, and Remus nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm just concerned he won't be ready for Hogwarts in the fall," Caroline said. "I know Hermione said there are quite a few students that are a year behind, but I don't think I'd want him to start two years behind. He'd be twenty before he finished."

"Let's not worry about that just now," Remus said. "Once I start working with him, I'll have a better idea of his capabilities." Caroline nodded just as the children came back into the room. She and Remus worked out a schedule, while Hermione spoke with Will and entertained Rebecca by conjuring her Patronus. Remus couldn't help but smile at the scene. Rebecca sat on Hermione's lap, giggling as the little otter swam around her head, while Will looked on in awe. She really was remarkable.

Shaking his head to reign in his errant thoughts, Remus turned his attention back to Caroline.

"The full moon is Saturday," he said. "Have you done any preparation?" Caroline sighed.

"We have a shed out behind the house that I thought he could use. It would have to be reinforced magically, I assume." Remus nodded. "Hermione said there were wards she should show me as well."

"Yes, you will definitely need those," Remus agreed. A twelve-year old boy wasn't as strong as a full-grown werewolf, but he could still do damage all the same. "Have you and Hermione discussed Wolfsbane?"

"Yes," Caroline said with another sigh. "But I checked with the apothecary and it is ridiculously expensive. I had been planning on going back to work, but with Will coming back that has been set aside for now. We have money that my husband inherited from his family, but it won't last long if I have to buy Wolfsbane every month." Remus nodded in understanding. The ingredients themselves weren't overly expensive, but the process of brewing the potion was very time-consuming. Most apothecaries charged what they did because of the labor involved.

"My mother-in-law brews my Wolfsbane," Remus said. "If you think you could afford the ingredients, she could just brew a double-batch." Caroline looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Truly?" she asked.

"I don't see why not," Remus said. "There wouldn't be much more work involved, just preparing extra ingredients."

"I could help with that," Caroline said. "I did get an "O" on my Potions N.E.W.T. I was training to be a Healer before I had Rachel." Remus smiled.

"I'll speak with her and let you know at my first tutoring session," Remus said. "Obviously, since the moon is only four days away, it is too late this month. But for next, I'm sure she would be happy to help."

"Thank you, so much," Caroline said tears in her eyes. "It truly was a miracle the day Hermione found my son." Hermione had obviously been listening to their conversation for she blushed slightly when Caroline made her last statement. Remus cleared his throat and stood.

"Would you like me to take a look at the shed?"

"Yes, thank you," Caroline replied. Hermione rose as well and with a quick word to Will and Rebecca, joined Remus and Caroline.

Remus walked around the shed and inspected it, aided by the lantern Caroline was holding. It would do, although they would have to clean it out and magically reinforce it as Caroline had said. Hermione was showing Caroline the different wards she would need to put up.

"You'll also need a warming charm since he is outside," Remus said. "Once he's in wolf form, he will be fine, but when he transforms back, he's likely to be chilled." Caroline nodded. "You'll need plenty of pain potion and perhaps blood replenisher, depending on how much he injures himself." She looked sickened.

"This moon is likely going to be a hard one for him, as it will be the first one without his pack. There is a different energy when you transform with others than when you're alone. Not to mention that this will likely be the first time he's been locked up. Cushioning charms on the walls and door wouldn't go amiss."

"Gods," Caroline said under her breath. Remus hating having to tell the woman these things, but it was better that she be prepared. He put a hand on her arm.

"Next month will be easier," he said. "He will be much calmer with the potion." Caroline nodded, and Remus gave her arm a gentle squeeze. When he looked up, Hermione glanced away quickly. Remus' brow furrowed at the flash he'd thought he had seen in her eyes, but decided he had imagined it. What could she possible have to be angry about?

* * *

Hermione turned back to the shed, finishing the charm she was casting. She pulled in a silent breath and let it out slowly. She hadn't been able to stop the flare of jealousy when Remus had put a hand on Caroline's arm. Hermione was being ridiculous. Remus was simply being kind; it's who he was.

Caroline turned her attention back to what Hermione was doing and Hermione continued to explain the different wards and enchantments she was casting.

"A silencing charm?" Caroline asked. "I don't think I'd want that." Hermione glanced at Remus whose face was unreadable. Her mind cast back to the full moon at Grimmauld when Andromeda had cancelled the silencing charm and she and Harry had been witnesses to Remus' grief.

"Trust me, you do," Hermione said.

"But what if he needs help?" Caroline asked. Hermione sighed.

"There's nothing you could do without risking being bitten yourself. And if you open this shed while he's transformed, you risk him biting Rebecca too." Caroline shuddered.

"Werewolves are remarkably resilient," Remus said quietly. "He will be all right." Caroline bit her lip, but nodded all the same. Hermione finished showing her the wards.

"I'll come by the night of the full moon and make sure that you've remembered everything correctly."

"Thank you, Hermione." The three adults walked back into the house. Hermione and Remus said their good-byes and lit their wands before making their way to the Apparition point.

"Thank you for helping them," Hermione said once they'd reached it. Her lit wand was trained on the ground and when she looked up at him, his face was in shadow. She tried to read his eyes, but it was difficult in the darkness.

"I'm happy to do what I can," he said, his voice sounding gruffer than usual. Hermione swallowed. They were standing closer together than she realized and all she would have to do was stand up on tiptoe to kiss him. Instead, she forced herself to take a step back.

"I should get going," she said. "I've got a bit of reading to do before work tomorrow."

"Yes, your new job," he said. Hermione nodded.

"There are still a few things I'd like to talk to you about, related to that. But it can wait until after the moon. I'll Floo?" Remus nodded. "Good night, Remus."

"Good night, Hermione." Hermione looked at him one last time before turning and Disapparating.

* * *

Remus stood rooted the spot, staring at where she had just been. For a moment, he had thought that she was going to kiss him. He had to admit that he had been surprised when she hadn't.

 _Surprised and disappointed,_ a voice in his head said _._ Remus scowled.

Since she hadn't, it must mean that she understood what he had said to her the other day and was at least trying to move on from him. He was glad.

 _Are you really, though?_ the voice asked. Remus sighed. The voice was starting to sound a lot like Sirius. Of course, he was glad. Hermione deserved much more. At the disbelieving chuckle in his head, Remus glowered and spun, Disapparating.

* * *

 **21 February 2000**

"I won't be too late," Andromeda said as she pulled on her cloak.

"Stay out as late as you like," Remus replied. Andromeda looked unsure. Remus knew it was because it was only two days past the full moon, which had been more difficult for him than usual. While he didn't want to admit it, he knew it was because of everything that had happened between him and Hermione. The wolf had been restless, even with the Wolfsbane.

"Maybe I should-" Andromeda began, but Remus put a hand on her arm.

"It is your sister's birthday," he said. "Go and have dinner with her. Teddy has had supper and you've given him his bath. We'll likely just play for a little while and then I will put him to bed. We will be fine."

"If Lucius was able to leave the Manor, I would wait and celebrate with her another time," Andromeda said apologetically. "But she needs to get out."

"I understand," Remus said.

"If you're sure," she said. Remus nodded. "All right, then." Andromeda eyed him one more time before she turned to Teddy who was playing on the floor.

"Give Nanna kisses," Andromeda said. Teddy scampered towards her, holding his arms out and pursing his lips. Remus chuckled as he gave her a rather sloppy kiss on the cheek, then hugged her around the legs. "Be good for your daddy."

"Have a good time," Remus said as Andromeda disappeared through the Floo.

"Bye, Na-na," Teddy waved. He looked up at Remus. "Daddy, pay?" Remus gingerly lowered himself to the floor, holding back a groan at the ache in his joints. The truth was, he was still quite sore today. He had been hiding it from Andromeda, knowing that if he told her she would have cancelled her plans for Narcissa's birthday.

Narcissa had told Andromeda that Lucius was becoming almost insufferable about his house arrest. Draco had moved into the large flat the Malfoy's owned in London and wasn't visiting the Manor nearly as often as Lucius wanted. Narcissa, of course, could visit her son anytime, and often did, but Lucius was not given the same luxury. He also had no friends left, as they were all either dead or in Azkaban, and Narcissa was no longer as tolerant of his moods as she had been in the beginning.

"You would think he had forgotten he could be rotting in Azkaban instead," Narcissa had said to Andromeda one afternoon when she had come for tea. While Remus understood the man's restlessness, he couldn't find it in himself to feel sorry for him. Narcissa was right, after all. Lucius should be grateful he wasn't stuck in a cell.

"Dis!" Teddy said, pulling out the Quidditch set Harry had gotten him for Christmas. He also picked up one of his dragons. "Tase, Daddy!" Remus charmed the Quidditch figure to fly and then had the dragon chase after it. Teddy stood and clapped his hands, his eyes alight with excitement. Remus wasn't sure why Teddy loved this particular game so much, but he smiled all the same at Teddy's reaction.

Teddy picked up another Quidditch figure and then handed Remus a dragon.

"Daddy, tase!" Remus raised for his wand, but Teddy kept hold of the Quidditch figure and was zooming it around in the air. When Remus charmed the dragon, Teddy shook his head.

"No. Daddy tase!" He picked up another dragon and handed it to Remus, then darted off across the room. Teddy looked back at his father. "Tase!" Remus' smile fell.

"Daddy can't chase tonight, Teddy."

"Daddy, tase!"

"Daddy is too sore," Remus tried to explain, but Teddy, of course, didn't understand. He kept insisting that Remus chase him with the dragon.

"Teddy," Remus said in exasperation. Teddy ran back to his father and jumped onto his outstretched legs. Remus grunted in pain as Teddy knelt in his lap, his knees digging into Remus' thighs.

"Daddy, tase?" Teddy asked sweetly. Remus couldn't help but smile at his son. Remus set his wand on the floor and brushed a lock of hair off Teddy's forehead.

"Daddy can't chase today," Remus said again, feeling incredibly guilty for having to disappoint his son. Remus tried to figure out a way to explain it in toddler terms. "My legs hurt. Ouch."

"Daddy, owts?" Teddy asked in concern.

"Yes, Daddy has an ouch. It hurts to run."

"Me tiss?" Remus chuckled.

"A kiss would help," Remus agreed. Teddy shuffled off Remus' lap and bent down, ending up kissing Remus' knee. He looked very proud of himself when he stood up.

"Daddy, tase?" Remus couldn't help but laugh. Of course, Teddy would think that by giving Remus a kiss, he would cure all his father's ills. Remus and Andromeda always told him they could 'kiss it better'. And with magic, it was basically true; a wave of their wand and a kiss and Teddy was usually completely healed in seconds. If only it was that easy with these aches and pains.

"Daddy is going to need a little longer before he can chase," Remus said, reaching out and grabbing his son and tickling his sides. Teddy squealed in delight as Remus blew raspberries in his neck and continued to tickle him. The little boy was out of breath when Remus finally stopped his torture. Teddy grinned up at his father and Remus gathered him close, putting a kiss on the top of his head.

"I love you, Teddy."

"Love, Daddy," Teddy replied, wrapping his chubby arms around Remus' neck and resting his head against Remus' chest. Remus squeezed him a bit tighter and smiled. It didn't get much better than this.

Just as Teddy started to squirm in his arms, the Floo flared. They both looked towards it, Teddy trying to scramble away, but Remus held on to him tightly.

"Hello," Hermione said from the fireplace.

"My-nee!" Teddy said in excitement. He squirmed again and Remus lost his grip on him. Teddy stumbled as his feet touched the ground, but he quickly righted himself and ran toward the Floo. Remus struggled to get to his feet, but he knew he would never make it in time. He lunged forward and grabbed for Teddy with one hand, while his other scrabbled on the floor for his wand. Remus had just got his fingers on Teddy's pajama top when his wand rolled away from him and under the couch. He swore and shoved his hand under the couch to search for it when Teddy wriggled away from him. Remus watched in horror as Teddy neared the fireplace. Remus had forgotten to reset the wards after Andromeda had left.

"Teddy!" he yelled as he continued to fumble for his wand. "Teddy, stop!" The little boy ignored him, and Remus prayed that Hermione would realize what was happening and pull her head from the Floo, severing the connection. Remus finally summoned his wand, cursing himself for not doing it earlier. He got to his knees and raised it to cast a shield on the fireplace, but it was too late. Teddy was too close and would be thrown too far back by the shield. Screaming for his son, Remus heard the roar of the fire and the Floo flared brightly, making him close his eyes against the light. There was a squeal and a thud and Remus forced his eyes open. Hermione was kneeling in his living room, looking as terrified as he felt, and holding tightly to a squirming Teddy.

* * *

Hermione could barely breathe. She hadn't even thought about it, she had simply thrown herself through the fireplace and grabbed Teddy as he reached her. She didn't know how she had managed it without first throwing in more Floo powder.

"My-nee, owts," Teddy complained, and Hermione realized she was squeezing him too tightly.

"I'm sorry," she said and loosened her hold. She turned to the fireplace and conjured the largest screen she could.

"Fire go?" Teddy asked, as the screen blocked out the flames. Hermione let out a strangled sound, somewhere between a sob and a laugh, and looked towards Remus. He had finally gotten to his feet and was hurrying towards them. He bent and took Teddy from Hermione's arms and held him close. Remus' eyes closed and Hermione could see the emotion on his face. She was sure that if she could hear his heartbeat, it would have been as fast as hers was. She pulled in a breath and let it out, trying to calm herself. She slowly stood and grimaced in pain.

"What have I told you about going near the fire?" Remus demanded of his son. Teddy looked at his father and frowned. A few seconds later, his lip began to tremble, and Hermione saw Remus tighten his arms around the little boy.

"It's all right, Teddy," Remus soothed as Teddy began to cry. "But you have to stay away from the fire. You could get hurt."

"Me owts?" Teddy said through his tears. Remus managed a smile.

"Yes, you could get a very big ouch." Teddy clung to his father and Hermione sunk down onto one of the armchairs. She glanced down at her legs and realized she was bleeding. She must have scraped her knees on the hearth when she came through the Floo.

When Teddy had stopped crying, Remus turned to Hermione.

"Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion. She tried to smile at him, but couldn't quite manage it, fear about what could have happened still coursing through her. Not to mention the pain she was in. She nodded instead. Remus frowned and looked at her more closely. His eyes widened when he saw the blood on her jeans.

"Hermione, you're bleeding!" he exclaimed, moving towards her.

"It's fine," she said, trying to wave him off. "I just got a few scrapes."

"Nonsense," Remus said. "Can you hold Teddy?" Hermione nodded, and Remus sat the little boy on her lap. Hermione wrapped her arms around Teddy's middle. Neither she nor Remus wanted him out of their sight.

Remus grasped the leg of her jeans and began to work it up her leg and over her knee. Hermione tried not to focus on the feel of his hands on her leg. Teddy was a good distraction.

"My-nee owts?" he asked as he looked up at her.

"Yes, I hurt my knees," Hermione said. She glanced at Remus who waved his wand to heal the cut, then cleaned the blood from her leg with a soft, cleansing spell.

"Me tiss?" Teddy asked and Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, you can," she said. "When your daddy is finished." Teddy smiled and his hair shifted to chestnut curls. Hermione hugged the little boy to her and he seemed to be happy enough to sit quietly on her lap while Remus started on her other leg. When he finished, he looked up at her.

"Do you need a pain potion?" he asked, looking concerned.

"No, I'm fine," Hermione said. Remus nodded, his hand still resting on her calf. Hermione cleared her throat and looked down at Teddy.

"How about that kiss now?" she asked. Remus moved back and Hermione immediately missed his touch. She smiled at Teddy as Remus helped him to the floor. Teddy kissed both of her knees and looked up at her with a grin.

"Owts all gone!" he said, throwing his hands up in the air. Hermione smiled and sat forward to pull the legs of her jeans down.

"Thank you, Teddy," she said. "I feel much better." Remus gathered Teddy back into his arms and sat down on the couch, holding him close. The three of them sat in silence for a few minutes until Teddy finally decided he'd had enough cuddling and began to squirm to be put down. Remus set him on his feet and Teddy looked at the screen in front of the fireplace, then gave it a wide berth before he walked towards Hermione's chair. Hermione met Remus' eyes and they both smiled at the toddler.

"My-nee tase?" he asked tentatively and Remus burst into laughter. Teddy startled for a moment and then grinned at his father before starting to giggle. Hermione wasn't sure what was so funny, but the laughter was infectious after the scare they had just had and soon she joined in.

When she and Remus had finally calmed themselves, he gave her a smile that made her insides squirm.

"No more chasing tonight, son," Remus said. "In fact, it's bedtime for you."

"No bed, Daddy!" Teddy insisted. "Pay My-nee."

"You can play with Hermione another time," Remus said. "It's time to say good night and pick out a story." Teddy pouted, but Hermione picked the little boy up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good night, Teddy."

"My-nee pay," Teddy whined.

"Aren't you tired?" Hermione asked. Teddy shook his head, making the curls he now had bounce around his face. Then he yawned. Hermione laughed.

"Up you get," Remus chuckled and bent down to pick Teddy up.

"No bed," Teddy said around another yawn. Remus said nothing, simply carried the boy towards the stairs. He glanced back at Hermione.

"We can talk after?" he said. Hermione nodded and Remus smiled as they left the room.

When they had gone, Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out. She looked towards the screen over the fireplace and vanished it with a wave of her wand. The fire was still burning slightly in the grate and she stared into the flames.

When Teddy had begun to run towards her while she was in the Floo, Hermione's only thought was to grab hold of him so if they were whisked away in the Floo network, at least she would be with him. It wasn't supposed to be possible to go through the Floo while making a call. The connection had to be broken, more Floo powder thrown into the grate, and the address spoken again. Hermione had no idea how she had ended up in Remus' living room, only that she wanted to get to Teddy and make sure he was safe.

It was likely some kind of accidental magic, sparked by her fear for Teddy. Hermione shuddered at the thought of the little boy stuck in the Floo network all by himself. There would have been no guarantee that whoever's fireplace he came out of would have been friendly. Hermione's heart sped up again at the thought.

After a few minutes, she rose from the chair she was in and began to pace. Increasingly distressing scenarios began running through her mind and her stomach began to churn. She paced until, as quickly as it had come, all the adrenaline she had been running on since she came through the fireplace drained from her. She nearly fell onto the couch and put her face in her hands, tears leaking from her eyes at what could have happened.

* * *

Remus stepped outside Teddy's room and leaned against the wall, taking a breath and letting it out. He had no idea how Hermione had made it through the fireplace, but he was beyond grateful that she had. He berated himself for forgetting to set the wards on the Floo after Andromeda left. Gods, he had been so stupid! Teddy was so curious about everything and he had no sense of fear or danger. The situation tonight could have been so much worse.

Remus banged his head back against the wall. He never should have set his wand on the floor. He should have put it back into his pocket or better yet, get some kind of wand holster for his arm like the Aurors wore. If he had been able to cast a shield on the fireplace, none of this would have happened. He banged his head against the wall again, cursing his idiocy.

Pulling in a deep breath, Remus tried to calm himself enough to go back downstairs and talk to Hermione. He didn't think there was any way he could thank her enough for what she had done. If she hadn't been there…Remus shook his head. It would do no good to dwell on that right now. Not while he was still this upset. Teddy was all right, safely tucked in his cot. That was what he needed to focus on.

Remus thought that Teddy might be a bit more cautious around the fireplace, at least for a while. For Remus' part, he would never forget to set the wards again, that much he knew. Shaking his head once more, Remus made his way slowly down the stairs.

When he was only half-way down, he could hear quiet crying. Remus hurried the rest of the way and found Hermione on the couch, her face buried in her hands, shoulders shaking.

"Hermione," he said in concern as he sat down next to her. His voice just seemed to make her cry harder and without a second thought, Remus gathered her into his arms. He held her as she cried, whispering soothing words and rubbing a hand up and down her back.

As he held her, Remus contemplated the intensity of her reaction. She had been well and truly terrified, just as frightened as he had been. He knew that Hermione cared about Teddy, knew that she was fond of him, but Remus hadn't realized just how much she loved his son. The thought made him still his movements. She had thrown herself into the Floo without any thought for what might happen to her, only that she wanted to get to Teddy.

She had told Remus that she would never abandon Teddy, regardless of the outcome of a relationship between the two of them. Remus had wanted to believe her, had believed that _she_ was certain about it, but there had still been the bit of doubt. Now, though, he knew that she wouldn't. No matter what happened between the two of them, Hermione would never let Teddy suffer for it.

She had finally quieted and made to pull away from him, but Remus didn't let her go. Hermione tucked her head underneath his chin and the two of them sat there, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the room, as Remus continued to contemplate this new development.

"Remus?" she said a few minutes later, shifting to look up at him.

"Yes?" he replied, realizing how very close together they were sitting. He would have to move less than an inch to kiss her. He heard her breathing speed up. She stared at him and he stared back. Gods, he wanted to kiss her.

But, he shouldn't, really, he shouldn't. His emotions were highly charged right now because of everything that had happened. He had told her his reasons and none of them had changed. Well, that wasn't entirely true. The biggest reason of all, had changed. Teddy would still have Hermione even if Remus didn't. He waited a few more seconds and then closed the remaining distance, brushing his lips over hers. It was barely a kiss, over before it really began. Hermione remained staring up at him.

What the fuck was he doing? He shouldn't be doing this. Even if things had changed with Teddy, Remus was still too old for her, he was still a werewolf. He stared at her again and felt the pull of desire once more. Merlin, he wanted her. When she didn't move, he lowered his mouth to hers once more. But this time, it was Hermione that pulled away.

"Remus," she whispered. "I don't, maybe this isn't a good idea." She looked up at him and he wanted to tell her that yes, this was a very, very good idea. The wolf in his head certainly thought so. She moved away from him another few inches and Remus wanted to follow. But, he didn't. Instead, he simply looked at her.

"You haven't, I mean, nothing is different," she said. "You haven't, you haven't changed your mind." She glanced up at him as if hoping he might contradict her. But he didn't.

"No," he said, clearing his throat to get the word out. "No, I suppose that I, I haven't." She nodded, not looking as sad as he expected she might.

"I, maybe it would be better if I left," she said.

"Didn't you want to ask me about something?" he said, wanting to keep her here, even if he couldn't have her.

"It can wait," she said. "Maybe you could come to my office sometime this week."

"Your office?" he repeated. She nodded. "Yes, I, of course, I can, I can do that."

"Wednesday afternoon?" she suggested. "When Teddy is taking his nap?" Remus tried to focus his muddled thoughts.

"Yes, I, yes, that should be fine."

"All right, I'll see you then." She stood from the couch and walked towards the fireplace. She looked at it for a moment before she turned around. "Perhaps I'll just Apparate." Remus nodded and followed her to the back door.

"Hermione," he said as she reached it. She turned to look at him and he held her gaze for a few moments. "Thank you." She smiled.

"I'd do it again." And then she was gone, disappearing into the darkness of the back garden. Remus waited until he heard the quiet crack of Apparition before he closed the door. Leaning his forehead against it, he wondered if perhaps he hadn't made a very big mistake.

* * *

Hermione arrived in her back garden and let herself into the house before slumping back against the door. Gods, she couldn't believe she had actually managed not to kiss him back. She had wanted to, Merlin had she wanted to, so bloody much it hurt.

But, the situation had been too emotionally charged. They had both still been upset about what had happened with Teddy and Hermione suspected that the gratitude Remus was feeling had been driving his actions. As hard as it had been to pull away from him, and it had been, sweet _Merlin_ it had been. When Remus had run his hands up her legs before he healed her cuts, it had only been the presence of Teddy that kept Hermione from throwing herself at him right then.

But, it was for the best that she had put a stop to things. If Remus didn't change his mind about the two of them, she couldn't get in any deeper than she already was. She couldn't kiss him and then have him reject her again.

Still, she had seen the look on his face when she told him it wasn't a good idea. He had definitely wanted to argue with her. In fact, when she had pulled back, he had leaned forward slightly, as if he was trying to follow her lips. He had given her another heated look just before she left, as well. Hermione smiled softly. There was still hope.


	48. Surrender

**A/N - Hello all! I seem to have written another long chapter, although I'm sure that you won't mind. ;) Thanks so much for reading and continuing to review! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 48**

 **Surrender**

 **23 February 2000**

Remus walked towards Hermione's office, still not convinced this was the best idea. He had continually gone over what had happened the other night and was still berating himself for kissing her again. The fact that it had been Hermione that had pulled away from him, had surprised him. She had been the one that had pushed for a relationship in the first place.

Not that he wasn't glad that she had stopped things before they had gone any further. What he had done wasn't fair to her. Regardless of what he had decided concerning Teddy, all the rest of Remus' reasons still existed. Despite his feelings for her, he couldn't continue to let her think there was a chance for the two of them when he knew that there wasn't.

 _Isn't there, though?_ Remus growled under his breath. He was getting very tired of Sirius being in his head.

 _He's not wrong,_ another voice said. Fuck. Now James was there too. Wonderful, he was having conversations with his two dead friends in his head. Just what he needed.

"Both of you just shut up," Remus muttered. The witch walking near him turned and gave him a strange look. Remus gave her a tight smile and quickened his pace.

Stepping inside the Wizengamot Administrative Services offices, Remus looked around and saw the crown of Hermione's head bent over her desk to his left. He couldn't help the soft smile that crossed his face. He walked towards her office and Hermione looked up as he approached.

"Remus," she said with a smile. She stood and ushered him into one of the chairs in front of her desk. "I'm glad you could make it." Remus took the offered seat as Hermione closed the door to her office. "How is Teddy?"

"No worse for wear," Remus said as Hermione returned to her desk. "He still seems a bit wary of the fireplace, but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned." She nodded, her face clouding over for a moment. He saw her shudder.

"Hermione," he said quietly. Her gaze darted back to him. "He is all right."

"I know," she said, giving him an apologetic look.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, Hermione," Remus said, seeing her expression. "I should be the one apologizing."

"For what?" she asked in confusion.

"I forgot to reset the wards on the Floo when Andromeda left," Remus said. "If I hadn't, none of this would have happened." He shook his head, still incredibly angry with himself, even after two days.

"What kind of wards are they?" Hermione asked curiously.

"It's a shield charm of sorts, it doesn't interfere with calls, but Teddy can't touch the fire. If someone is trying to come through completely, a chime sounds. The wards must be dropped before the person can come through, the same if they want to leave."

"And if you don't drop them?"

"Whoever is trying to come through simply won't be able to," Remus explained. "It would be as if there weren't a Floo connection at all. We added them after the last time you called and Teddy ran towards the fireplace." Hermione nodded, remembering that Remus had been there to stop Teddy that time.

"I'm still trying to figure out how you were able to come through so quickly," Remus said. Hermione shrugged.

"It must have been accidental magic, I suppose," she said. "I knew that I needed to grab him before he got to me and I sort of threw myself into the fireplace."

"And injured yourself in the process," Remus said apologetically. He saw her blush and Remus tried not to remember the feel of her legs under his hands. He shifted in his chair.

"Yes, well, I'm just glad I was able to do it."

"As am I," Remus said. "You don't know how grateful I am."

"You don't have to thank me, Remus," she said, blushing still. "I told you that I'd do it again."

"I know you would," he said. They sat in silence and Remus could sense the tension in the air. He looked down at his lap and she pulled in a breath and put a smile on her face.

"You saw Will this morning, didn't you?"

"Yes, I spent about an hour with him, doing a few assessments," Remus replied. "He is quite behind, but I don't think it will take too long for him to catch up, with his reading at least. We didn't go into much else today. He was a bit restless."

"How is he doing? He was in bad shape after the moon," she said biting her lip. Remus felt the urge to remove it from her teeth. Maybe with his own. He cleared his throat and shifted in his chair.

"I know it was difficult for him," he said with a sigh. "But he seemed to be doing much better when I was there. The younger you are, the easier it is to bounce back. And Andromeda is planning to brew him the Wolfsbane, so next month should be better."

"I'm so glad," Hermione said. She smiled at him so warmly, Remus had to avert his gaze.

"So, what was it that you wanted to discuss with me?" Remus asked.

"Are you familiar with the werewolf laws in France?" she questioned.

"Not the particulars, but I have a general idea, yes," Remus said. "In fact, just before Albus offered me the Defense job, I was thinking about moving there." Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. "My father had passed a few months before and at that time, there really was nothing holding me in England anymore." His mother had died just after he left Hogwarts and while Remus and his father had never been close, Remus felt an obligation to check on him from time to time. His father had been shattered after Remus' mother died and had basically drank himself to death.

"I can see why you would have wanted to," Hermione said. "But I'm glad you didn't." Remus couldn't help but smile. "We wouldn't have won the war without you." His smile faltered.

' _Of course, she didn't mean she was glad for herself.'_ Remus rebuked himself in his head. She was forgetting about him, like he'd told her to.

"Yes, well, I doubt that's true," he said. "But back to the French laws." Hermione began to explain what she had learned and what she hoped to implement in Britain. Remus had to admire her commitment; some of these laws would take years, perhaps decades to get passed, if they ever did at all. He supposed a few generations from now, when the war was nothing but a distant memory, that there might be enough shift in public sentiment, but for now, he doubted that much progress would be made. Not while there were still werewolf packs roaming the country.

"I know we're going to have to start small," Hermione was saying. "But I have a meeting with Professor McGonagall tomorrow to talk about starting the seminar at Hogwarts beginning next fall. Of course, we'll need someone to teach it."

"I'm sure that any of the professors could handle it. Well, perhaps not Sybill," Remus said with a smirk. Hermione laughed and the sound warmed him inside.

"I was thinking that I might recommend you," Hermione said. Remus stared at her in shock. "Who better to teach about prejudice against werewolves than someone who has actually experienced it?"

"Hermione, I don't think that's a good idea," Remus said.

"Why not?"

"Because my secret is no longer a secret, as you well know."

"You tutored students last year and the previous spring," she pointed out.

"Yes, but Minerva made sure that the parents were all right with it first," Remus said. "And there were more than a few parents that refused to allow me to work with their children. If you are planning on making this class mandatory, it would not be a good idea for me to teach it."

"I disagree," Hermione said. "I think that is the perfect reason for you to teach it."

"And what will you do, what will Minerva do, when parents refuse to allow their children to attend? If you goal is to instruct the younger generations against prejudices, to make them change their minds about what they may have been taught at home, you cannot do it if those children aren't even in the class." Truly, Remus was a bit surprised. Hermione was a logical, intelligent witch. She should realize that having him teach the class would immediately put it in jeopardy.

"Don't fail before you've even gotten started over sentiment," he said. Hermione looked at him, confused at first. Then her eyes narrowed.

"You think I want you to teach this class because of my personal feelings for you?" she demanded.

"Don't you?" Remus replied, knowing that it was the wrong thing to say even as the words were leaving his mouth. _Splendid move there, Moony,_ Sirius' voice drawled in his head.

"Of course not!" she snapped. "I want you to teach it because you're an excellent teacher and because you have a personal insight that no one else would!"

Remus looked down at his lap. One of his reasons for not pursuing a relationship with Hermione had been because he had difficulty finding employment. If he had a job, it would be one less reason to reject her. But he shouldn't have immediately assumed that was the reason she wanted to recommend him to teach. That wasn't the way Hermione did things.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "I shouldn't have suggested...that."

"No, you shouldn't have," Hermione said shortly, mouth in a thin line. She was angry, which she had every right to be.

"Perhaps, I should just go." She looked up at him in surprise and then she sighed sadly, the anger fading.

"If that's what you want," Hermione said. Remus nodded as he stood, and she looked even more disappointed.

"I _am_ sorry, Hermione," Remus said as he stood. "For what it's worth, I think all of your ideas are outstanding. I wish you luck." She looked up at him.

"I just want everyone to be treated fairly," she said quietly. He nodded and gave her a sad smile. As he reached the door, she spoke again. "I'm still going to suggest that Professor McGonagall hire you." He looked back at her, feeling his heart squeeze in his chest.

"Thank you." And then he stepped out of her office, closing the door behind him. As he walked to the lifts, he realized that he might have finally succeeded in driving Hermione away from him. And the thought made him miserable.

* * *

Hermione sighed as she laid back on the couch, Crookshanks resting on her stomach. She idly scratched his back as she thought back to her conversation with Remus. She hadn't been all that surprised that he had tried to discourage her from recommending him to Professor McGonagall. But, she had been shocked when he'd accused her of doing so for personal reasons.

Hermione knew that he had regretted it, even as he was saying it. But it hadn't made her any less angry. If she had been constantly throwing herself at him since their conversation after she returned from France, then she might have understood his suspicion. But she hadn't been. For Merlin's sake, it was _her_ that had pushed _him_ away the other night. And the fact that he'd just left instead of trying to talk it out with her had been almost as upsetting.

He wasn't wrong in thinking that if he had a job, it would be one less reason for him to push her away, but she certainly hadn't been thinking that when she thought of him for the teaching job. It was just a bit of a bonus. She sighed again.

Hermione had thought after the kiss the other night, that perhaps Remus might be moving towards changing his mind. But after today, she wasn't so sure. Maybe it really was time to move on. She hadn't missed the way that Margaret's assistant had been eyeing her since she first started working there. She was sure he would accept if she asked him to lunch.

"What should I do, Crooks?" The cat looked at her as if he couldn't care less what she did, as long as she didn't stop scratching him.

Hermione wished that Ginny were home. It would have been nice to be able to talk this out with someone. She could send a letter, but it wouldn't be the same. Hermione thought about calling her mum, but she would have to give her mother details and Hermione wasn't sure she was ready to do that yet.

Groaning, Hermione turned to her side, dislodging Crookshanks, who meowed loudly and flicked his tail at her before he stalked off into the kitchen. Why did everything have to be so complicated?

* * *

 **28 February 2000**

"So, how was the Board of Governors meeting?" Remus asked, once Teddy had been put to bed and Remus and Andromeda were settled in the living room.

"Quite informative," Andromeda said with a twinkle in her eye. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you plan to tell me that Hermione had recommended you for a teaching position?"

"Oh, that," Remus said.

"Yes, that," Andromeda replied. "Minerva was a bit surprised that I did not know about it already."

"Hermione mentioned it to me, but I wasn't sure she was serious." Andromeda looked at him quizzically.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Remus didn't respond. What was he supposed to say? That Hermione might have decided not to suggest him because he had acted like a complete arse about the whole thing?

"We, ah, had a bit of a disagreement," Remus said. Andromeda frowned.

"About what?"

"The job," Remus said, wishing he had a glass of Firewhiskey.

"How so?"

"I didn't think it was a good idea." Andromeda was silent. When Remus looked at her, she seemed…angry. He was confused as to why, however. "Andromeda?"

"When are you going to stop behaving as if you do not deserve anything?" Andromeda demanded. "It is getting quite tedious, Remus." Remus was taken aback.

"I, I, that's not what," he began, but Andromeda cut him off.

"Isn't it?" she said. "Isn't it the very same reason that you have also not pursued another relationship?" Remus' mouth dropped open in shock. Surely, she couldn't know about his feelings for Hermione. No, of course, not, she must be talking about Emily. But, she hadn't seemed surprised or upset when Remus told her it wasn't going to work out with Emily.

"I explained that I wasn't ready to date after I had dinner with Emily," Remus said. Andromeda snorted.

"I am not speaking of Emily," she said. Remus' heart started to beat faster in his chest.

"Then, I don't understand," he managed. Andromeda looked at him, her eyes boring into his.

"I am talking about your feelings for Hermione." Remus felt all the blood drain from his face. She couldn't know! Had she seen him kiss Hermione at Christmas? He had sworn that Andromeda and Molly were involved in their conversation and they couldn't have seen Remus and Hermione from where they were sitting anyway. But how else would she know? Andromeda laughed.

"As I have told you before, I am a Black, darling," she said, sounding eerily like Narcissa at that moment. She flicked her wand and a bottle of Firewhiskey and two glasses came zooming in from the kitchen. She poured them each a generous measure and then handed one to Remus. She took a sip of hers and then smirked, _smirked_ , at him.

"And it's not as if you were very good at hiding it." Remus nearly dropped his glass and she chuckled. Remus felt like he couldn't breathe.

"It's not, I haven't," he paused and pulled in a breath, before raking a hand through his hair. "It isn't going to happen."

"And why not?" Andromeda asked, taking another sip of her drink. Remus stared at her and wondered how much stranger this night was going to get. He took a gulp of his whiskey to try and steady himself.

"You, you can't possibly," he began, then shook his head. "You can't support this?" She sighed.

"I am Pureblood from an ancient house that gave up everything to marry a Muggle-born," she said. "Not to mention I supported my daughter's marriage to you. What makes you think I would object to Hermione?"

"It's not Hermione that I thought you would object to," he muttered.

"You didn't think I would want you to be happy?"

"No, of course not, I just, there's Teddy to consider and," he began but she cut him off.

"Hermione is wonderful with Teddy. And after the way that she rescued him the other night with no thought for herself, well, it's obvious that she loves him." Remus scrubbed a hand down his face. He couldn't believe they were having this conversation.

"You don't think that the age difference is a problem?"

"You were thirteen years older than my daughter, if you recall," Andromeda said dryly. Remus shook his head.

"I just, I can't, Andromeda."

"Why?"

"Because, she's, she's Hermione," he finally said. "She's a third of the 'Golden Trio', a war heroine." He stood from his chair and began to pace. "She is going to do so many wonderful things at the Ministry and for our world. I can't, I can't hold her back."

"And how would you be doing that?" Andromeda asked.

"Because of what I am," Remus said, a bit more viciously than he intended. "It is the same reason why I tried to push Dora away for so long. By marrying me, I forced her into hiding and likely got her killed."

"No!" Andromeda said forcefully, standing to her full height in front of him and cutting off his pacing. "Nymphadora was killed because my Pureblood supremacist sister held a personal grudge against my family, not to mention the fact that she was an insane lunatic. With a Muggle-born for a father and a disowned Black for a mother, as well as being a member of the Order, Nymphadora was already a target. Bellatrix was not going to rest until the lot of us were eradicated. I forbid you to put this on yourself!" She poked him in the chest for good measure. Remus sighed and slumped back into his chair.

"I am not good enough for her."

"A sentiment many men share about the women they love," Andromeda said with a sniff. Remus looked up at her in surprise. He hadn't said anything about being in love with Hermione. Andromeda winked.

"Is there anything you don't know?" he groaned.

"Not much," she quipped. Remus allowed a smile to cross his face for a few moments before he frowned again.

"None of this matters," he said.

"Don't you think the woman in question should have some say in that?"

"We've already talked about it," he said. Andromeda looked surprised at this. Well, at least she didn't know _everything_. But, her comment insinuated that she also thought Hermione had feelings for him.

"How did you know?" he asked. She laughed.

"The two of you are not as covert about it as you think," she said. "Although, Hermione is a bit better at hiding it than you are." Remus bristled at this. He had gone undercover in the werewolf packs for Merlin's sake. He did just fine at hiding his emotions. Andromeda smirked again.

"I am sure that Hermione was not as convinced that the two of you did not belong together."

"No," Remus admitted. "But, it's better this way."

"For whom?"

"For her."

"And why would keeping the man she loves away from her be better for her."

"She doesn't love me," he said. "It's just a, a crush. She'll get over it and find someone more suitable." Andromeda sighed in exasperation.

"She's already likely on her way to doing that, anyway," Remus muttered, but Andromeda heard him.

"Why is that?" He shook his head.

"I told you, we had a disagreement." Andromeda's eyes narrowed.

"Why do I suspect that means you said something incredibly idiotic?" Remus snorted.

"Likely because I did."

"I am sure you can fix it."

"I might be able to, but I'm not going to." Andromeda sighed again. She sat down in the chair across from his and took his hands in hers.

"Remus, you have had the good fortune to find love twice in your lifetime. Please do not squander that because you think you do not deserve it. If you didn't, you would not have found it in the first place."

"Andromeda, I-" Remus began, but she squeezed his hands to silence him.

" _Please_ think about this," she said. "Nymphadora would not want you to spend the rest of your life alone."

"I'm not alone."

"I know you have Teddy and you have me, but that is not what I am talking about and you know it." She forced him to meet her gaze.

"I know," he said with a sigh.

"Being with you did not ruin my daughter's life. On the contrary, I had never seen her so happy, even with the war going on. It would not ruin Hermione's life either. Promise me that you will think about it." Remus studied her for a few moments.

"Why are you so insistent about this?"

"Because, Remus, you are a good man that deserves happiness. I refuse to let you believe otherwise." Remus looked away. She squeezed his hands again. "Promise me."

"All right, I promise," he said with a sigh. She smiled and put a hand to his cheek, patting it gently before she stood.

"I have told Minerva that I will abstain from voting on your appointment as teacher for the new seminar, as I am obviously biased. However, in private, I told her that she would be a fool not to hire you." Remus smiled.

"The class is a definite then?"

"Not yet," Andromeda said. "Most of the board seemed receptive, but those that objected were not quiet about it. There will be a formal vote next week." Remus nodded. She sent her glass of Firewhiskey and the bottle back into the kitchen.

"I think I will go up to bed," she said. Remus nodded, his thoughts already drifting. She squeezed his shoulder. "Good night, Remus."

"Good night."

Remus sat in the chair staring into the fire long after Andromeda had retired, her words ringing in his ears.

* * *

 **4 March 2000**

Hermione and Will landed outside the gates to the Harpies' stadium. Harry had collected Rachel and Paul from Hogwarts and they were all meeting in Harry's box. Will's eyes were wide in astonishment as he looked around.

"This is amazing," he said in awe. Hermione smiled.

"Wait until you see the view from the box," she said, putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him to the entrance.

"How are things going with your studies?" she asked as they climbed the stairs towards the luxury boxes. Will shrugged.

"Okay," he said. "I like it when Mr. Lupin teaches me outside."

"Outside?" Hermione repeated. Will nodded.

"Yesterday we did sums and he let me use rocks to help figure it out. And then we went for a walk in the woods and he asked me how to spell things that he pointed out." Hermione hid a smile. She knew from speaking with Caroline that Will wasn't overly keen on his tutoring sessions. Of course, Remus would have found a way to keep Will more interested.

"He said I'm doing really well," Will said, looking a bit shy about admitting it.

"That's great, Will. I knew you could do it." Will smiled at her and after one more flight of stairs, they reached Harry's box. Hermione stopped before they went inside.

"Remember that I told you there will be quite a few people here," she said. "If you get uncomfortable or need a minute, just tell me and we can go somewhere else, okay?" Will nodded. Caroline had told her that Will got uneasy amongst crowds. She had found out the day she took him to Diagon Alley for new clothes. Hermione had warned the Weasleys ahead of time, as well, so hopefully it wouldn't be too much of an issue.

Will stuck close to her side as they walked into the box. Harry had already arrived with Will's siblings and the boy looked relieved as Paul and Rachel greeted him. Introductions were made to everyone else that had already arrived and soon, Rachel, Paul and Will were sitting in the front row of seats, watching as the rest of the fans arrived. Hermione couldn't help but look up every time the door opened, hoping to see Remus. Harry had extended an open invitation to everyone in the family for all of Ginny's home games, but Hermione had no idea if Remus was planning on attending today or not.

She hadn't spoken to him since that day in her office. She had given her presentation to the Board of Governors last Monday and the vote on whether to include the seminar in the curriculum would be the following Tuesday. If they approved it, Hermione assumed that Minerva would offer Remus the job, as all hiring decisions were completely at the Headmistress' discretion. Hermione really hoped that the Board showed a bit more forward-thinking than they had when she was in school. Of course, there were new members, members she knew that were supportive of her idea, Andromeda and Augusta Longbottom among them. Some of the old guard, though, were still stuck in past prejudices. She only hoped that Minerva could make them see sense.

"Looking for someone?" Harry asked as he came up beside her.

"What?" Hermione said, startled.

"You keep looking at the door," Harry said. His brow furrowed. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said quickly.

"Are you sure?" Harry still looked concerned. Hermione put a smile on her face and nodded.

"Yes, Harry, I'm fine, honest." He stared at her for another few seconds, not looking convinced. Hermione looked towards Will and his brother and sister. "I'm so glad you did this for them."

"They needed it," Harry said as Will laughed at something Paul said. Hermione smiled fondly.

"Yeah, they did," she agreed.

"I was thinking that we should invite David, Annie and Claire to a match this summer," Harry said. Hermione's smile widened.

"You are a wonderful man, Harry Potter." Harry shrugged, looking embarrassed.

"There are plenty of seats," Harry said. "Even if everyone shows up. It would be silly for them to go to waste." Hermione put her arm through Harry's and rested her head on his shoulder. He could make as many logical arguments as he liked, but she knew the real reason was just that he liked to help people. Harry's arm wrapped around her shoulders and Hermione suddenly felt like crying. She blinked quickly, staving off the tears. She was being far too emotional.

* * *

In the end, the Harpies had just pulled out a win, squeaking past the Arrows 310-300. Harry had returned Rachel and Paul to Hogwarts and Hermione had taken Will home. He had been talking nonstop their entire trip out of the stadium and only stopped the moment they Disapparated. As soon as they had landed outside his house, he started again. Hermione could help but laugh.

Remus hadn't come to the match, which had only managed to make Hermione feel even more melancholy as the afternoon went on. She was being ridiculous, Remus hadn't come to any games since Ginny's first one. It was silly to expect that he would be here today. But she couldn't help her disappointment. It didn't help that everyone else in the box, besides the Burke children, were paired off. Ron had invited Susan and the two of them were so adorably smitten with each other, it made Hermione want to cry.

She knew she wasn't hiding it well from Ron and Harry, both of whom had been casting furtive glances at her the entire time. Even Susan had asked her if she was all right. They had acted reassured when Hermione smiled and told them there was nothing wrong, but she knew they weren't really. She was just glad they didn't push her to talk about it. Harry had all but begged her to come back to Grimmauld Place after she took Will home, but Hermione had declined. She couldn't be around two happy couples right now. She just wanted to go home and go to bed.

After letting herself into the house and giving Crookshanks a treat, she made her way upstairs. She had almost reached the second floor when she heard the Floo flare. Turning around, Hermione heard Ginny calling her name and she sighed, making her way back downstairs.

"Hey, Gin," Hermione said as she stepped into the room.

"Why didn't you come over?" Ginny demanded.

"I was just tired," Hermione said. "I wanted to go to bed."

"Hermione, it's only half eight. And it's Saturday, you don't have to work tomorrow."

"I'm just not up to it tonight." Ginny stared at her for a minute.

"Look out, I'm coming through." Hermione sighed and stepped away from the Floo. Moments later, Ginny was stepping out of it. She grabbed Hermione's hand and towed her to the couch.

"Now tell me what is going on."

"It's nothing, really," Hermione said, but she couldn't look Ginny in the eye. "You should go home. Harry hasn't seen you for two weeks."

"Harry can wait," Ginny said with a wave of her hand. "Besides, he knows I'll shag him later, no matter what time I get home." Hermione didn't even crack a smile.

"Okay, now I know something's wrong," Ginny said. "You didn't even give me a groan of disappointment for being crass." Hermione tried, she really did, but she couldn't stop the tears that gathered. "Hermione, _what_ is going on?"

Hermione took a shuddering breath and proceeded to explain to Ginny everything that had happened since she rescued Teddy. After Hermione had finished recounting their argument in her office, Ginny frowned.

"And you haven't spoken to him since?"

"No," Hermione said in a small voice.

"Have you tried to?"

"No."

"Why not?" Ginny asked.

"Because I told you that I wasn't going to chase him," Hermione said, resting her head on the back of the couch and looking up at the ceiling.

"I know that, but, I think you should try to talk to him."

"Why?" Hermione said, shaking her head. "It's obvious that he doesn't want to talk to me."

"I don't think that's true," Ginny began, but Hermione cut her off.

"Why not?" she demanded. "He's had more than a week and I've heard nothing."

"Hermione, I think he might be waiting for _you_."

"What?" Hermione said in confusion.

"Look, you were the one that was angry after what he said."

"I had every right to be!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly.

"I'm not saying that you didn't, but you said that he apologized in your office, twice in fact. He may not have tried to contact you because he thinks you're still upset." Hermione opened her mouth to retort, then closed it again. "He's probably waiting to see if you even _want_ to speak to him again."

"Damn," Hermione swore. Ginny was probably right.

"So, call him."

"I don't know, Ginny," Hermione said with a sigh.

"You don't know what?"

"Should it really be this hard?" Hermione asked.

"Are you saying that your feelings have changed?"

"No. But I just, I don't know if I can keep doing this. I keep getting my hopes up and then he changes his mind again. It, it hurts, Gin. I don't, I can't, I," she trailed off, shaking her head.

"Hermione," Ginny said sadly, wrapping her arms around her friend. "I'm sorry." Hermione cried into Ginny's shoulder, the emotional ups and downs of the last few weeks finally reaching their breaking point.

"You know, when Harry broke things off with me after Dumbledore's funeral, it was so hard. And there were times when I wanted to give up and forget about him. Because it hurt, so much." Hermione sat back, still sniffling. "But, I couldn't, in the end. And now look at us. Getting married and everything." Hermione managed a smile.

"It's different," Hermione finally said. "You and Harry, you'd already dated, and you knew why he broke things off. Remus and I, he hasn't even given us a chance."

"That's true, but the rest of it isn't so different. Even though I knew why Harry broke up with me, it didn't mean I agreed with him. In fact, I thought he was being quite stupid. A sentiment I believe you share." Hermione snorted.

"Harry never stopped loving you," Hermione said.

"And you think Remus has forgotten about his feelings for you?" Ginny asked.

"He doesn't love me, Gin."

"So you say," Ginny said with a shrug. Hermione rolled her eyes. That was ridiculous. Remus might fancy her, but he didn't _love_ her.

"The circumstances are different," Hermione persisted. "I mean, we were in the middle of a war back then. Harry didn't have a choice, but to go hunt for Horcruxes." Instead of arguing, Ginny changed the subject.

"You're going to Remus' birthday dinner, aren't you?" Hermione blew out a breath. Andromeda had decided to have a small gathering for Remus' birthday next Friday and Hermione had been invited.

"I hadn't decided."

"I think you should."

"I don't know, Ginny," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"What if the reason he hasn't gotten in touch with you _is_ because he thinks you're still angry?" she said. "You don't want to throw away the possibility of a relationship because of a misunderstanding, do you?" Hermione shrugged.

"I think you should give it one more chance." Hermione bit her lip. The truth was, she really didn't want to give up on Remus. She just wasn't sure how much more heartache she could take. Still, what Ginny said had merit.

"All right," Hermione finally said. "But this is it, Gin. I can't, I can't do it again."

"I know." Ginny hugged her again. "You're sure you won't come over?"

"No," Hermione said. "I really am tired. Go home and shag your fiancé." Ginny grinned.

"Don't mind if I do," she said with a waggle of her eyebrows and Hermione laughed. Ginny stood and walked to the Floo. She turned around before she threw the Floo powder into the grate.

"It's going to be all right, Hermione." Hermione felt her eyes fill again.

"I know." Ginny smiled at her and then disappeared into the Floo.

* * *

 **8 March 2000**

Harry and Ginny walked into the house, Teddy riding on Harry's back. Remus smiled as Ginny handed him Teddy's bag.

"Everything go all right?" he asked.

"Of course, it did," Harry said, swinging Teddy around to his front as Teddy giggled. "My godson is the perfect child." Remus made a mental note to Floo Harry the next time Teddy was throwing one of his tantrums.

"Ha-wy, pay me!" Teddy said. Harry laughed.

"I played with you all day, mate." Teddy stuck his lip out in a pout.

"Pay, Ha-wy," Teddy whined.

"All right, but only for a few minutes," Harry said. Remus shook his head as Harry carried Teddy into the living room.

"I certainly hope he isn't such a push-over when you have your own children," Remus said.

"Oh, I'm quite sure he will be," Ginny said with a laugh. Remus chuckled. "Actually, this gives me a moment to talk to you."

"Teddy really wasn't the angel that Harry says he was?" Remus asked, sure that his son had gotten into some kind of mischief.

"No, Teddy was fine," Ginny replied. "He really is a sweet little boy."

"All right, then," Remus said, wondering just what it was Ginny wanted to talk to him about.

"You're going to lose her, Remus." Remus looked at Ginny in confusion.

"Sorry?" Ginny glanced into the living room to make sure Harry was occupied with Teddy. She lowered her voice.

"Hermione, you're going to lose her."

"I don't, I don't know what you're talking about," Remus said, shifting nervously.

"Let's not pretend that I don't know about your feelings for her," Ginny said, crossing her arms in front of her. "I promised Hermione that I wouldn't meddle anymore, but you need to know that if you don't do something, you're going to lose her."

Remus stared at Ginny in shock. So, she _had_ orchestrated things that afternoon back in January. He'd had his suspicions, but when Hermione didn't say anything, Remus had forgotten about it.

"That's all I'm going to say, except, don't be stupid." With that, she turned and walked into the living room, leaving Remus stunned into silence.

* * *

 **10 March 2000**

Remus sighed as looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was forty years old and lately he had felt every minute of it. His conversation with Andromeda had run through his mind all week. Ginny's words the other day had unnerved him a bit. Obviously, Hermione was still upset about the argument they'd had in her office. He hadn't tried to contact her since, wanting to give her time to decide if she could forgive him or not. He figured that she would let him know once she had made up her mind. But given what Ginny had said, maybe Hermione was waiting for him to get in touch with her.

He sighed. Everything had gotten so complicated and he wasn't sure what he should do about it. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He knew what he _wanted_ to do about it, but he still hadn't convinced himself it was the right thing. Remus didn't think that his happiness was worth whatever damage he would do to Hermione's reputation.

Knowing that he had Andromeda's approval, actually made things more difficult. Before, when he had been concerned with what his mother-in-law would say, along with all his other reasons, it had been easier to convince himself that he shouldn't act on his feelings for Hermione.

Now, though, his reservations were falling one by one. He had Andromeda's support and with Ginny's, likely Harry's as well. Hermione loved Teddy and Remus was no longer concerned that she would abandon the little boy if things didn't work about between the two of them. And it looked as if he just might have a job come the fall.

Hermione's seminar had not been approved by the Board of Governors just yet. The vote that was supposed to take place earlier in the week had been postponed due to the concern of two older members. Andromeda had told him that they were simply trying to delay the inevitable as the rest of the board members were intent on voting for the class. Still, Minerva had agreed to move the vote to the following week, even as she promised Andromeda that she intended to offer Remus the job. It was only part-time, of course, but it was more than he had now.

Even with some of his reasons falling by the wayside, there was still one of the biggest and that was public opinion. Despite her war heroine status, Hermione was at a disadvantage being a Muggle-born. There were plenty of people in the Wizarding world that still held on to their prejudices, regardless of the outcome of the war. Dating a werewolf, an old werewolf at that, would not earn her any favors from the very people she needed them from.

Sighing and shaking his head, Remus forced all thoughts of Hermione from his mind and went to join Teddy and Andromeda for breakfast.

* * *

Hermione looked in the mirror one last time. She had second-guessed herself all day and had gotten hardly anything done at work as a result.

Her plan to act normally around Remus and wait for him to come to his senses had been fine, at first. It was hard, yes, but she'd managed it. Until he had kissed her the night everything had happened with Teddy. Hermione hadn't been upset about that, in fact, she'd been encouraged, until the afternoon in her office when Remus had once again pretended as if nothing had happened. Hermione didn't think she could pretend anymore.

Not that it would be any easier to try and get over her feelings. In fact, it would likely be even worse. Hermione groaned. Why had she had to fall for Remus?

Sighing, Hermione left the loo and headed for her back garden. She had taken to Apparating anywhere she could after the incident with the Floo. It wasn't that she was nervous about Flooing, it was just that it reminded her of Remus. Something she tried to minimize as much as she could. The problem was, too many things reminded her of Remus these days.

Shaking her head, she pulled in a breath and let it out, then turned and disappeared with a quiet crack.

* * *

Remus looked around the room at everyone talking and laughing with one another. While he appreciated that Andromeda wanted to celebrate his birthday, given his current mental state, the last thing he really wanted was a party. He hadn't been able to stop glancing at Hermione all night and he had seen the knowing looks on both Ginny's and Andromeda's faces when they caught him at it. Hermione had greeted him and wished him a happy birthday when she arrived, but hadn't made any other move to speak with him since she'd been here. Although, he hadn't made any move to speak with her either.

He had caught her looking at him once and when his gaze had met hers, she had given him a sad smile and looked away. Remus wasn't sure what that look meant, but it had made his gut twist all the same. He wanted to speak to her, but a crowded party wasn't really an atmosphere conducive to a serious conversation.

Teddy had been put to bed before the party began, both he and Andromeda knowing that they would have never gotten the boy down once everyone began to arrive. Remus had cast a silencing charm on his room so that the noise wouldn't bother him. The monitoring charm had been cast, so that Remus would know if Teddy woke. There was no reason to check on him, but Remus found himself slipping away from the party all the same.

* * *

Hermione glanced at the clock on the mantel and decided that she had been here long enough to be able to excuse herself and leave. Remus had avoided her the entire night and hadn't so much as looked her way except that one time. She had hoped that he might come and talk to her after she had smiled at him, but he had turned and started speaking with Arthur instead. She had to accept the fact that things simply were not going to happen between the two of them. The thought made her immeasurably sad.

Hermione looked around and spotted Ginny across the room. Hermione made her way towards the younger woman and caught her eye. Ginny excused herself from her conversation and walked to Hermione, taking her arm and pulling her into a corner of the living room.

"Please don't say you're leaving," Ginny said.

"What's the point of staying?" Hermione replied. "He hasn't made any attempts to talk to me."

"Hermione," Ginny began, but Hermione shook her head, cutting Ginny off.

"Don't, Gin, please. I just, I need to go." Ginny looked at her sadly and Hermione had to take a deep breath to keep from crying.

"At least say good-bye to him."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Hermione said, even as Ginny began to search the room.

"I don't see him anywhere, maybe he went to the kitchen to get more drinks or something," Ginny said. Hermione saw Andromeda across the room.

"I'll just say good-bye to Andromeda, she can tell him," Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "It's, I just have to." Ginny hugged Hermione.

"I'll come over tomorrow and we can talk." Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

She turned and walked across the room to Andromeda, who was talking to Molly.

"Andromeda," Hermione said. "Thank you for inviting me, but I think I'm going to head home."

"Already, dear?" Molly questioned.

"Yes, I, it's been a long week at work and I'm a bit, tired," Hermione said.

"Have you told Remus you are leaving?" Andromeda asked.

"No, I couldn't find him," Hermione said. "Would you let him know?"

"You know, I suspect he has gone to check on Teddy," Andromeda said. "I'm sure you will find him upstairs if you would like to tell him yourself." That was the last thing Hermione wanted to do, but at the looks on the two older women's faces, she knew she didn't have much choice without Molly, at least, asking questions. Biting back a sigh, Hermione smiled.

"All right, I'll check there then. Thank you."

As she walked into the kitchen, Hermione contemplated just leaving anyway, but her guilty conscience wouldn't let her. Grumbling, she began to climb the stairs towards Teddy's bedroom.

* * *

Remus stepped out into the corridor, closing Teddy's door behind him. His son was sleeping soundly, of course, there had been no reason to check on him except Remus had wanted an escape. He wished again that he had been able to dissuade Andromeda from this party. He definitely wasn't in the right mood for it.

Remus sighed and moved towards the stairs. He had better get back before Andromeda came looking for him.

"Remus." Remus glanced up and saw Hermione standing in front of him. He swallowed, unable to take his eyes off her, but unable to speak either. She waited for a few moments and then her eyes clouded over a bit.

"I, Andromeda told me you might be up here, and I just wanted to, to say good-bye."

"You're leaving?" Remus said, wanting to beg her to stay. She nodded.

"I, yes, I, I'm," she paused and shook her head. "I need to go."

"But, it's early yet," Remus said lamely.

"I know, but, it's been a long week and I'm, I'm tired." She looked up at him and Remus suspected she was talking about more than just being physically tired. He stared at her, but didn't say anything, even as James and Sirius were screaming at him in his head. _Don't let her leave, you daft prat!_ and _For fuck's sake, Moony, don't be a twat!_

"Oh, well, thank you for coming." There were twin groans in his head and Remus shook his head to try and clear it. She gave him another one of those sad smiles and then she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. She lingered for a moment and Remus' eyes closed, drinking in the scent of her.

"Good-bye, Remus." She turned to leave and Remus knew that she wasn't just telling him good-bye for the evening. He opened his mouth to call her back, but the words stuck in his throat.

" _You're going to lose her."_ Ginny's words echoed in his head and then, suddenly, his feet were moving. He couldn't let her leave, not yet.

Remus grasped Hermione's shoulder and spun her around, covering her mouth with his own. At her gasp, he pulled back, looking at her in concern, but she put a hand behind his head and pulled him towards her, kissing him again. He deepened the kiss, groaning when her tongue touched his.

Before he knew what was happening, Remus had her backed up against the wall, pressing his body into hers. Hermione had tangled her hands in his hair while he devoured her mouth. She shifted against the wall, bringing the two of them impossibly closer together. He thought he just might stand here and kiss her forever when he heard a laugh from downstairs. Suddenly remembering where they were and how many people were only a floor away, Remus broke the kiss.

"Fucking hell," he said. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily as she ran a hand up his chest, the other still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He shuddered.

"Hermione, we have to, we can't," he couldn't form coherent words. He took another breath. "We have to stop." Her hands immediately stilled and then she tensed. She tried to move away from him, but there was nowhere for her to go, pressed against the wall as she was.

"Oh," she said in a small voice. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, which she swiped at angrily. Remus' brow furrowed. Why was she upset? Did she regret what had just happened? She pushed on his chest and he moved away from her, still confused.

"I think it's best if we don't see each other for a while," she said, her voice clipped despite her tears. "I'll visit Teddy when he's with Harry."

"Hermione, what?" Remus said, completely bewildered. Had he completely misread the situation? He hadn't _forced_ her, had he? Horror crossed his face at the thought. But no, she had been the one to pull him back when he stopped after he had first kissed her. She turned back towards him, anger plain on her face.

"You can't kiss me like that and then tell me we can't be together," she snapped. "I'm not a toy you can play with when it's convenient." Remus' mouth dropped open. What was she talking about? He'd never said..but then he thought about what he _had_ said after he'd stopped kissing her and realized. She thought…fuck.

"No, Hermione," he said, but she was already walking away from him. "Hermione, wait." She ignored him, but Remus reached her just before she got to the stairs. "Please, wait."

"Why?" she demanded. "So you can make me feel worse?

"No," he said, "I'm sorry, but you misunderstood." She snorted in disgust.

"I don't think there was much to misunderstand." Remus could hear Andromeda's voice in the kitchen and he drew his wand and cast a Muffliato around them. Hermione glared at him.

"I didn't stop because I wanted to," he said. Her expression didn't change and he wanted to gather her into his arms and show her just how much he didn't want to stop. "I stopped because there is a party going on downstairs." He stared at her and her expression faltered for a moment.

"Hermione, I," he paused. They really needed to have a conversation, but now was not the time or the place for it. Still, he couldn't let her leave thinking the way she was right now.

"I don't, I don't want to…run away anymore," he finally said. She looked at him sharply and he tried to show her with just a look that he was sincere. He must have been successful because her lips parted and she hitched in a breath.

"You, you don't?"

"No." Hermione stared at him for another minute, then threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. Remus gladly returned it and soon he had her pressed up against the wall once more.

"Bloody hell," he said, forcing himself to pull away from her for the second time. "My birthday party is _still_ going on." She laughed against his chest. He chuckled as well, even as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her. When she stepped back, he reluctantly let her go.

"I should go, anyway."

"You don't have to," he said.

"I've already made my good-byes," she reminded him. He nodded. He tucked a curl behind her ear and kissed her softly one more time.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes," she said with a smile.

"I'll come over after Teddy goes down for his nap?" She nodded.

"Good night," she said, but she didn't move.

"Good night, Hermione." She reached up and kissed him quickly, then turned and hurried down the stairs. Remus watched her go, cancelling the Muffliato. She glanced up at him once she'd reached the bottom of the stairs and he smiled at her. When she was out of sight, he leaned back against the wall to get control of himself. If he went downstairs with this ridiculous grin on his face, Andromeda and Ginny would immediately know what had happened. And, for now, he wanted to keep it to himself.


	49. Talk

**A/N - Hello all! I have to say, I quite enjoyed reading all of your reviews for the last chapter as most were some variation of "Finally" or delighted squealing. :) Both equally appropriate! Honestly, I am just as surprised as the rest of you that it took forty-eight chapters to get to this point.**

 **Thanks so much for reading and continuing to review! I love hearing what you think.**

 **Chapter 49**

 **Talk**

 **10 March 2000**

"I'll take care of that," Andromeda said. "It is your birthday." Remus waved his wand to send the glasses to the sink.

"I don't mind helping," he said. The party had finally wound down, everyone going home about twenty minutes ago.

"Did Hermione ever find you?" Andromeda asked, her back to him.

"Ah, yes, yes she did." Remus tried to keep the color from his face. It wasn't that he didn't want Andromeda to know what had happened between him and Hermione. He just wanted to speak with Hermione about everything first.

"Was everything all right?" Andromeda asked. "She looked a bit…unhappy when I spoke with her." She turned towards him and he looked away from her, pretending he was searching for more glasses.

"Yes, everything was fine," he said. "She was just a bit tired, I think."

"Mm," Andromeda said noncommittally. Remus chanced a glance at her from the corner of his eye. She was looking around the room, checking for anything else out of place. "I suppose we have gotten it all."

"Thank you, again, for the party," Remus said. "It wasn't necessary."

"Ah, that is exactly the reason to do it then, is it not?" She smiled as Remus chuckled.

"I suppose so. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No." Remus nodded.

"I need to speak with Hermione in the afternoon. I'll wait until Teddy is napping."

"Oh?" Andromeda said. "What about?" Remus turned towards the table they had set all the drinks on, wishing there was something there to occupy him. He settled for waving his wand and sending it back to the opposite side of the room where it usually sat.

"Something about her werewolf proposal, I believe. She really didn't give me too many details."

"I see," Andromeda said. Remus could almost feel her smirk. "Well, I suppose you had better see her then."

"I shouldn't be long." He turned back to his mother-in-law, who simply smiled at him with a knowing look in her eye.

"Take all the time you need." Remus didn't respond for a moment, then gave her a tight smile.

"I think I'll head up to bed." Andromeda nodded, the smile still on her face.

"Happy Birthday, Remus."

* * *

 **11 March 2000**

Hermione lay in bed, smile on her face. After she had left Remus last night, she hadn't been able to keep the grin off her face and she wondered if she had been smiling the entire time she'd been asleep. Of course, the dreams she'd had likely helped with that.

She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was nearly nine. She normally didn't sleep this late, even on the weekend. She vaguely remembered Crookshanks coming in to bother her before it was even light out, but she had pulled the blankets up over her head and ignored him. He must not have been too persistent if she had been able to drift off again so quickly.

She couldn't deny that as happy as she was, she was still a bit nervous about talking with Remus later today. He had a habit of talking himself out of things if given the opportunity. Still, he had admitted to her that he didn't want to run away anymore. He had never even hinted at that before.

Hermione wondered what had changed his mind. She got the feeling that his concerns about Teddy were likely settled after what had happened with the Floo. And it was looking like he might have a job in the fall. But his other reasons still existed. There was nothing Hermione could do about the fact that he was a werewolf or that he was older than she was. She had no control of what other people thought of their relationship either.

Biting her lip, Hermione wished that she had stayed at the party just a bit longer. She had given Remus quite a lot of time to think about things and reconsider. And he wasn't going to be here until at least half twelve. That was plenty of time to change his mind.

Huffing at herself for getting worked up, she threw off the blankets and climbed out of bed. Lying here worrying about it wasn't going to do her any good. She padded downstairs and fed Crookshanks his breakfast, who was most disgruntled at the late hour. Hermione made herself some tea and toast, stomach doing too many flips to allow for anything else.

She was going to need a distraction if she intended to make it through the morning without driving herself completely mad. She glanced around the kitchen. While she usually kept everything clean with magic, it had been quite some time since she had given the kitchen a good scrubbing the Muggle way. Cleaning would give her plenty to do without really have to concentrate too much. She was sure that her thoughts were going to be wandering quite a bit today.

Decided, Hermione went upstairs to put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt, then set to work in the kitchen.

* * *

"Hermione?" a voice called from the living room. Hermione swore. She had forgotten that Ginny told her she would come over to talk today. It wasn't that Hermione didn't want to tell her friend about what had happened with Remus, but she wanted to speak with him first before she told anyone. Biting her lip, Hermione wasn't sure if she was going to be able to hide it from Ginny. The woman had inherited her mother's ability to ferret out the truth with a simple look. Sighing, Hermione set down her rag and walked into the living room.

"Hey, Gin," she said. Ginny looked up at her.

"Oh, Merlin, it's worse than I thought," the redhead muttered, taking in Hermione's sweatpants and the rubber gloves she was wearing.

"Sorry?" Hermione said in confusion.

"You're cleaning," Ginny said. "Without magic."

"Oh, well, yes, the kitchen needed a good scrub."

"I'm coming through," Ginny said.

"No, Ginny," Hermione began, but Ginny had already pulled her head from the fire. Hermione sighed again as the Floo flared and Ginny stepped out.

"Are you all right?" she asked, then shook her head. "No, of course, you're not."

"I'm fine, Ginny." Ginny looked at her incredulously.

"Hermione, you're wearing those glove things," Ginny said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Because I'm cleaning the cooker," she said. "They're to protect my skin."

"Or, you could just use magic and not have to worry about your skin at all."

"You know I like to do things the Muggle way sometimes," Hermione defended.

"Yes, when you're stressed or worried or upset," Ginny replied. "Otherwise, you use magic."

"Not always," Hermione grumbled. Ginny gave her an exasperated look.

"Yes, always."

"All right, fine," Hermione finally said. "But I don't want to talk about it." Ginny looked surprised.

"You don't?"

"Not now," Hermione said.

"Hermione," Ginny began, but Hermione shook her head.

"Please, Gin."

"All right," Ginny finally agreed. "But come over to Grimmauld at least. You shouldn't be by yourself."

"I'm a mess, Ginny," Hermione said.

"So," Ginny said. "Take a shower and come over. I'll wait."

"I have to finish the kitchen."

"Just finish it with magic, Hermione."

"No, I, I just want to do it this way." Ginny narrowed her eyes and studied her.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Hermione insisted. Ginny's eyes narrowed further. Hermione tried to keep a neutral look on her face.

"I think you're lying," Ginny said. "But, I don't know why you would. I know you're upset about last night. You don't have to pretend." Hermione looked away, trying to keep the smile off her face.

"I just want to be by myself for a while," she said, looking at the ground. There was no way she could meet Ginny's eye. She would give it away in an instant.

"Hermione," Ginny said, much more softly. "You don't have to do this alone." She stepped forward and glanced at the gloves on Hermione's hands. Ginny made a face, but hugged Hermione anyway. Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing. She hugged Ginny with her elbows, keeping her hands away from Ginny's back.

"I know," Hermione said. "And I will talk to you about it, but I just, I need some time first. Okay?"

"All right," Ginny agreed, stepping back. "I don't like it, but I'm not going to force you. We'll be at Grimmauld all day, so just come over if you want. Or call if you'd rather talk here without Harry around."

"I will," Hermione assured her. Ginny looked at her for another few moments.

"Are you sure there's not something else going on?"

"No," Hermione said. Ginny's gaze didn't waver. Hermione tried not to fidget. Ginny finally nodded and turned back to the Floo. Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief, but had to quickly force a smile again when Ginny looked back over her shoulder.

"Bye, Gin," Hermione said. Ginny shook her head, clearly still suspecting something, but waved and stepped into the flames all the same. When she had gone, Hermione sat down on the couch and blew out a breath. Remus couldn't get here soon enough.

* * *

Hermione stood in front of her wardrobe shifting from foot to foot. She had finished cleaning the kitchen and then done the bathroom as well. She had showered and now she was trying to decide what to wear.

She was being ridiculous. It's not like Remus was expecting her to primp and dress up just to have a talk. She finally pulled on her nicest pair of jeans and a blue top that could have been dressier if she'd worn it with trousers or a skirt. After staring at herself in the mirror for a few minutes, she took off the top. It looked like she was trying too hard. She made sure the glamour on her arm was in place before she put on one of her nicer jumpers and made her way back downstairs.

It was nearly half twelve, but Hermione didn't know exactly when Remus would get here. She probably should eat something, but the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't let her. Instead, she made more tea, if only to have something to do while she was waiting. Since Remus hadn't arrived when the tea was finished, she put the kettle under a warming charm.

Hermione settled on the couch and tried to read, but after reading the same paragraph for the fourth time and not remembering any of it, she sighed and gave up. She began to chew on her lip as she stared at the Floo, willing Remus to come through.

Glancing at the clock on the mantel, she saw that it was after one o'clock. Maybe he had changed his mind and he wasn't coming. Her stomach flipped at the thought. But no, he wouldn't do that to her. He would at least call and tell her.

She got up and began to pace. What if something else had happened and someone was hurt? What if something had happened to Teddy? Oh gods, what if they were on the way to St. Mungo's right now? Hermione ran to the fireplace and grabbed the Floo powder, jumping when the flames turned green before she could throw the powder in. Remus' face appeared in the flames.

"Hermione?" he questioned. Hermione stared at him for a moment, unable to answer. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest. She forced herself to take a breath.

"Remus," she said. "Hi."

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"Yes, I, I'm fine," she said. He didn't look convinced.

"Is it all right if I come through, then?"

"Yes, yes of course," she said. Remus' head disappeared from the Floo.

 _Get a grip, Hermione,_ she thought to herself even as Remus stepped out of the Floo. She gave him a tentative smile that he returned.

"Hi," she said again, feeling incredibly nervous for some reason.

"Hello," he replied, putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers. His eyes flicked away from her for a moment before they returned. Neither of them said anything, just stood there staring at each other uncertainly.

"Um, would you…like some tea?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, that would," he cleared his throat. "That would be nice, thank you." She nodded and moved into the kitchen.

 _For Merlin's sake!_ she huffed at herself. She was being utterly ridiculous. It was _just_ Remus. Except there was no 'just' about it. It was _Remus_ and he was here to discuss their relationship. Oh, Merlin. She bent over the counter and tried to take a few deep breaths to calm herself.

* * *

Remus cursed himself in his head after Hermione had gone into the kitchen. He was acting like an idiot. Last night, he had _snogged_ the woman _in his house_ while his friends and family were downstairs and _now_ he was nervous? He was forty years old, for fuck's sake. Not some teenager that was out on his first date.

Still, it was _Hermione_. He had been pushing her away for months and now they were going to talk about their relationship. Shite, he needed to sit down.

He sunk down onto the couch, taking a few deep breaths and trying to force himself to calm down.

* * *

Hermione returned from the kitchen, carrying the tray with the tea things. He stood as she came in and she gave him a small smile before setting the tray on the coffee table. He sat back down on the couch and Hermione joined him, although there was still quite a bit of space between them.

Hermione picked up the teapot to pour the tea and Remus saw that her hands were shaking. She gripped the handle tighter, but it didn't seem to matter. Setting the pot down, she shook out her hand and then picked it up again. Her hand was still shaking and she bit her lip. It looked like she was about to cry.

Remus reached over and covered her hand with his, stilling the teapot. She looked up at him as he guided her hand to set the teapot back on the tray. Then he picked it up himself and began to pour.

"I'm sorry," she said shaking her head.

"Whatever for?" he asked.

"I don't, I'm just," she trailed off, shaking her head again. He stared at her for a moment and then looked back to the tray. Hermione took her teacup and added a bit of sugar and cream, then stirred the tea idly. Her hand was still shaking a bit.

 _Say something you tosser!_

"Hermione, I," he began, but trailed off just as quickly when she looked up at him. He opened his mouth again, but nothing came out and he closed it. She looked away, biting her lip again. Well, this was just getting ridiculous.

"Hermione," he said again. She turned towards him and he took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. She exhaled and blushed. She gave him a shaky smile.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous," she said with a breathy laugh. She brought her free hand to her face and pressed it against her cheek as if trying to cover her blush.

"No more than I am." She looked at him in surprise and then she began to laugh. He held onto his composure for a few more seconds before he joined in. They laughed loudly for several minutes.

"Oh, gods" she said trying to catch her breath, arm wrapped around her stomach. He had finally stopped, but the grin wouldn't leave his face. "What is wrong with us?"

"I'm not sure," he said with one last chuckle. She finally composed herself and looked over at him.

"I'm glad you changed your mind." He smiled at her, blushing slightly.

"I have to ask," he said. "Are you, are you sure about this?"

"Of course, I am," she said, sounding a bit exasperated.

"I don't mean to upset you," he said, reaching for her hand and clasping it between both of his. "But, Hermione, I want you to think about this. There will be talk, likely lots of it. I know that you have ambitions within the Ministry and I don't want to be the cause of you not being able to accomplish everything you want to do." She gave him another one of those sweet smiles before she put her free hand on top of his.

"I've told you before that none of that matters to me. And as far as my job, all the success in the world isn't worth anything if I don't have anyone to share it with." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "And, Remus, you've got to stop that. You're a war hero. You won the Order of Merlin. Anyone would be lucky to be with you."

"We both know that awards mean nothing when minds have already been made up. I am still a werewolf, Hermione."

"And I'm a Muggle-born," Hermione countered. "For all you know, being with me, could hold _you_ back." She smirked at him and he chuckled. She moved closer. "I don't care what anyone else has to say about it. You're the one I want." He looked down at her and couldn't believe how lucky he was. Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her again.

Hermione leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They snogged on her couch until she was practically in his lap. When he finally had to pull away to breathe, she looked up at him and blushed, moving away from him slightly. He turned and picked up his tea, taking a sip to calm himself before sitting back again. She had tucked her legs up under her and turned to face him, elbow propped on the back of the couch.

"What _did_ make you change your mind?" she asked.

"It wasn't any one thing," he replied. "I suppose I began to realize that some of my reasons for staying away weren't valid, really. I was foolish to think that you would ever stop spending time with Teddy." Hermione took hold of his free hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I need to apologize for that," he continued. "And for the way that I've treated you these last couple of months."

"You haven't-" she began, but he shook his head to stop her.

"I have," he replied. "It wasn't fair to you, the way that I acted."

"It's all right, Remus," she said. She looked down at their clasped hands. "Even though I never agreed with your reasons, I did understand why you felt the way you did." She paused and met his gaze. "Just don't change your mind again." She looked so serious, that Remus knew that if he did, he wouldn't get another chance. He nodded in understanding.

"Any other reasons?" she asked, leaning her head into her hand that was resting on the back of the couch.

"Well, there was the matter of the talking-to I received."

"Talking-to?"

"Yes, Andromeda was quite adamant that I was being particularly daft." Hermione sat up quickly, dropping his hand, her eyes wide.

"Andromeda _knows_?" Remus chuckled.

"Apparently, we were not as surreptitious about the way we looked at each other as we thought we were. She figured it out quite some time ago."

"And she, she wasn't upset?"

"No," Remus said, brow furrowing. "What's the matter, Hermione?"

"It's just that, well," she bit her lip and looked up at him from under her lashes. He reached forward and gently pulled her lip from her teeth. He gave her a smile, but she still looked unsure.

"She likes you very much," he said.

"I know, but…Tonks was her daughter."

"Ah," Remus said, realizing the reason for Hermione's worry. He felt a flash of guilt. Dora hadn't even been gone for two years and here he was, already trying to move on. He pushed it away, however. Remus knew that Andromeda was right in that Dora would have wanted him to be happy. He cleared his throat to get a handle on his emotions and took hold of Hermione's hand again.

"Dora would have wanted me to move on and be happy, as I would have wanted for her. Andromeda knows this and feels the same."

"Are you sure Andromeda is all right with all this? Because I know that the two of you are close and I wouldn't want to cause problems between you." Remus squeezed her hand in his.

"She essentially told me that I was being tedious by continuing to deny my feelings for you." Hermione laughed at that and Remus smiled. She leaned back against the couch with a smile, her apprehension forgotten. Remus threaded their fingers together, content to just sit and be close to her. Hermione seemed to feel the same way as she moved a bit closer to him, her knees resting against the edge of his thigh.

"Do you suppose anyone else knows?" she wondered.

"Besides Ginny?" he replied. Hermione sat up again, another look of shock on her face.

"How did you know about Ginny?" He chuckled.

"I've suspected for quite some time, but she only confirmed it for me the other day." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"What did she say?"

"Only that I was on the verge of losing you and she said, and I quote, 'don't be stupid'." Hermione scowled.

"I told her not to meddle."

"Ah, yes, I'm guessing she set up our encounter at Grimmauld Place in January?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "And I told her off for it. She promised me she wasn't going to interfere again."

"Don't be too angry with her," he said. "It was me remembering what she said that gave me that last push to stop you last night."

"Don't ever tell her that," Hermione said immediately. "She'll never let us forget it." He laughed. "Although, she's going to suspect anyway and be _just_ as insufferable about it." Hermione huffed. Remus smiled and reached up to tuck a wayward curl behind her ear. Hermione leaned into his hand slightly and he let it slide down to her neck, pulling her gently forward to kiss her again.

"In answer to your question," Remus said once they had parted. "No, I don't think anyone else knows. Unless Ginny has told Harry?"

"No," Hermione said, with a shake of her head. "Harry would have said something. And I swore Gin to secrecy." Remus nodded.

"Would you," he paused and cleared his throat. "Do you want to tell Harry?" He wasn't so sure he wanted to tell the man yet. It wasn't that Remus was ashamed of Hermione, far from it. He knew, though, that Harry's approval would be very important to her. Remus just wanted a bit more time for the two of them to establish being a couple before they started telling everyone and possibly being rejected.

"Yes," she said. Remus bit back a sigh. "But not yet."

"Not yet?" he repeated, surprised.

"No," Hermione said. "I just, I want to…enjoy this for a bit before we get everyone else involved." She looked up at him. "Does that make me sound selfish?"

"Not at all," he said, rather relieved. "I feel the same way, to be honest."

"You do?" she asked, sitting up straighter now. He nodded. "Why didn't you just tell me that you didn't want to tell Harry then?"

"I didn't want you to think that I was ashamed of you." Hermione looked horrified.

"You don't think that I'm ashamed of _you_ , do you?" He chuckled.

"No, of course not," he said. "As I said, I understand your reasons. Besides, I don't want to have to start defending our decision to everyone just yet."

"We shouldn't have to defend it to anyone. It's none of their business, after all," she insisted. Remus smiled. He wished he had the ability to not worry about what anyone thought of him. Actually, he didn't care what anyone thought of _him_ , but he wanted to protect Hermione.

"While that may be true, I don't think that you want to have to cut anyone out of your life," he said. Hermione shrugged.

"If they're that close-minded about it, then I don't need them in my life anyway." Remus admired her bravado, but he knew she would want her parents' approval, along with Harry's and likely Ron's; perhaps even Molly's. All Remus worried about was Andromeda and Harry. Andromeda had made her position clear and with Ginny's support, Remus didn't think it likely that Harry would take long to come around. He had no idea about everyone else, however.

"I don't think I'll be able to keep it from Ginny, though," Hermione continued. "I talked to her this morning and she already suspects something. She's like a Niffler after treasure when it comes to finding out the truth." Hermione rolled her eyes and Remus chuckled.

"Yes, she does seem to be able to pick up on just about anything," he agreed. "I don't mind if Ginny knows. Do you think she'll mind keeping it from Harry?" Hermione chewed on her lip again and Remus once again pulled it gently from her teeth. She smiled sheepishly at him.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said. "She hasn't seemed to have a problem keeping the fact that I had feelings for you from him, but now that we've decided to go ahead with things, I don't know. I suppose if she does, we'll have to discuss it then?"

"Of course," he said. Hermione nodded. They sat in silence for a few moments. Just as it was starting to get awkward, Remus spoke.

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"But, I thought we weren't telling anyone yet."

"There are plenty of restaurants in Muggle London," he said with a smirk. She blushed.

"Right," she said with a laugh. "I'd love to have dinner with you."

"I'll pick you up at seven?" She nodded.

"I should probably get back," he said. "Teddy will be up from his nap soon and I want to explain to Andromeda before that." But he made no move to leave.

"I thought you said she knew," Hermione said, brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Yes, well, I may have told her that I was coming here to discuss your werewolf law project," he said. Hermione laughed. "I am quite sure that she didn't believe me, however."

"I told Ginny I would come over later," Hermione said. "If I don't, she'll come here looking for me again."

"Then, I suppose I really should leave."

"I suppose you should." She stared up at him for a few moments, before moving the last few inches to kiss him. Remus pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss. He wasn't sure how long they sat there snogging, but he was gasping when he finally pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I have to go," he said. He knew if he stayed for one more minute, things would progress further than he thought they should just yet.

"I know," she replied. She didn't sound very convincing. Remus kissed her forehead and forced himself to stand. He walked to the Floo as Hermione stood as well.

"I'll see you in a few hours."

"Give Teddy a hug for me." Remus smiled and nodded, before throwing in the Floo powder. He smiled at her one last time before stepping into the flames and disappearing.

* * *

Hermione flopped back onto the couch, smile on her face, after Remus had left. While things had certainly been awkward when he first arrived, their discussion had gone well. She was glad that they were thinking similarly about things. She ran a finger over her lips and smiled.

Hermione really hoped that Ginny would be willing to continue to keep things from Harry, at least for a bit longer. Harry would be shocked, Hermione was quite sure of that. And while he would likely come around, there was a tiny bit of Hermione that was afraid Harry would be upset with her. Despite what she had said to Remus about not caring what other people thought, Hermione wasn't sure if she could lose Harry. He was her best friend, her brother really. The thought of Harry not approving of Remus made Hermione's heart ache.

She shook her head. She wasn't going to think about that right now. She was being silly anyway. Harry loved her and he loved Remus. He would be happy for them, Hermione knew he would.

Glancing at the clock on the mantel, she realized she had better talk to Ginny before the redhead sought her out. Hermione had a few hours before she needed to start getting ready for her date. She grinned at the thought. Perhaps she should have Ginny come here instead of going to Grimmauld. It would be easier for them to talk without having to worry about Harry and Ron overhearing and Hermione could always use a bit of advice about what to wear.

Decided, she stood from the couch and grabbed the Floo powder. She stuck her head in and called out for Grimmauld Place. Harry was the only one in the kitchen when Hermione looked up.

"Hi, Harry," she said.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry replied. "Gin said you might be coming over. Just come through, you know you don't have to call first."

"About that, is Ginny around?" she asked.

"Yes, why?"

"I just need to talk to her for a minute." Harry frowned.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Harry," Hermione said. "I just need to talk to Ginny."

"All right, I'll get her." Harry looked back at her one more time before he climbed the stairs to find his fiancée. Hermione sighed. It was going to be harder to keep things from Harry than she thought.

A few minutes later, Ginny came into the kitchen. Thankfully, Harry wasn't with her.

"Hermione, why don't you just come through?" Ginny asked.

"I was hoping that you could come to mine instead," Hermione said.

"Are you still wearing those glove things?" Ginny asked, wrinkling her nose. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, Gin, I'm not cleaning anymore."

"Thank Merlin for small favors."

"Are you coming or not?" Hermione huffed in frustration.

"Yes, just give me a minute. I'll have to tell Harry."

"All right, I'll see you in a bit." Hermione pulled her head from the fireplace and waited for Ginny to arrive.

* * *

Remus stepped out of the fireplace and glanced around the living room. Relieved to find it empty, he let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. He'd had a very hard time pulling away from Hermione just now and he needed a bit of time to get himself together before the inevitable interrogation from Andromeda.

"I thought I heard the Floo," Andromeda said a few minutes later as she walked into the living room.

"Andromeda," Remus greeted. "Is Teddy still asleep?"

"Yes, he shouldn't be for too much longer though," she replied, smirk on her face. Remus was getting a bit disconcerted at all the smirking she had been doing lately. "So, how did the work on the proposal go?"

"Oh, uh, fine, just fine," Remus said. She nodded, knowing glint in her eye.

"I am sure that Hermione appreciates your…expertise," Andromeda continued, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. Remus' eyes narrowed. Was she _teasing_ him?

"Yes, well, she has had quite a few questions." Andromeda nodded and then sighed, shaking her head at him, although she looked amused.

"Come now, Remus," Andromeda said. "Let's not pretend that I do not know why you went to Hermione's this afternoon." Remus wasn't sure what to say. He didn't think that Andromeda knew what had happened between he and Hermione last night, although she had come into the kitchen while they were still upstairs.

"And why do you think I went there?" he asked, hoping his voice didn't betray anything.

"I assumed it had something to do with the rather giddy expression Hermione had on her face when she left here last night." Remus looked up at her in surprise. "I was in the kitchen when she left."

"Oh," Remus said, unsure what else to say.

"Before she found you, I must say she looked _quite_ sad," Andromeda continued. "It was quite the difference in just a few minutes." She smirked at him again. Remus sighed. He wouldn't have been able to hide it from her anyway, given he was taking Hermione out to dinner this evening.

"I didn't really go over to her house to talk about the werewolf proposal," he finally admitted.

"I never would have guessed," Andromeda said dryly. Remus shook his head and smiled.

"I'm taking her out to dinner tonight," he said. "If that's all right with you."

"Of course, it is," she replied. Remus nodded.

"I, we're going to Muggle London," he said.

"Oh?"

"Yes, we both thought that we might keep this to ourselves for the time being." Andromeda frowned.

"Remus, I hope this is not because you are still having reservations about the woman."

"No, it's not that, not at all," Remus said. "In fact, Hermione was the one that suggested it first. We would both just like a chance to see how things go before we involve everyone else. Not to mention the press. You know we wouldn't be able to go anywhere in Diagon Alley without reporters showing up."

"If that's what you want," Andromeda said, although she still looked a bit concerned.

"It is," Remus replied. "For now, anyway. So, I would appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself."

"All right."

"Thank you." Before Remus could say anything else, Teddy called out. Remus climbed the stairs to his son's room, grateful for the interruption.

* * *

Ginny came through the Floo a few minutes later. She joined Hermione on the couch.

"Are you feeling better?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, much," Hermione replied, trying to keep the wide smile from her face.

"What happened?" Ginny demanded.

"Well, Remus was here." Ginny's eyes widened comically.

"You're joking." Hermione shook her head, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Tell me everything."

Hermione began explaining what had happened at Remus' party the night before. When she finished, Ginny was grinning, her eyes alight with excitement.

"I can't believe it!" she said. "He actually said he didn't want to run anymore?" Hermione nodded. "So, what happened today?"

"We talked about things," Hermione said. "And he's taking me out to dinner tonight."

"Really?" Ginny said. "I'm surprised he wants to go public with it already."

"Oh, we're going out in Muggle London," Hermione clarified. Ginny's brow furrowed. "We're not telling anyone just yet."

"Wait, what?"

"We decided that we want to keep it to ourselves for now," Hermione explained. Ginny frowned.

"You mean _he_ decided?" she said.

"No," Hermione replied. "We _both_ decided. In fact, I was the one that brought it up."

"Why?"

"Because, it's just, new, and we want to have time to ourselves before everyone finds out. And let's face it, people _are_ going to talk," Hermione said. "I don't care what they say about me, but I don't want Remus to be vilified by the press. He might be getting that job at Hogwarts and I don't want some stupid reporter to ruin it for him."

"If he does get that job, he won't start working until the fall. That's nine months from now, Hermione. Are you going to keep it a secret all that time?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said. "I just, we need some time, Ginny."

"Are you expecting me to keep this from Harry?"

"If you really think you need to tell him, then we will," Hermione said. "I don't want to put you in that position. But if you think we can wait, even just a little while, I'd like to."

"You know Harry is going to be okay with this, right?"

"I know, but," Hermione paused and bit her lip.

"Hermione," Ginny said. "He will be."

"What if he's not?" Hermione whispered. She looked at Ginny with tears in her eyes. "He's my best friend, Ginny. I can't, I can't lose him."

"You wouldn't," Ginny assured her, pulling Hermione into a hug. "Harry loves you. He's not going to care who you date, as long as they treat you right."

"Even if the person I want to date was one of his father's best friends?"

"Well, it's probably going to be a bit of shock for him," Ginny admitted. "But, he would never abandon you, Hermione. No matter what." Hermione nodded. "I won't say anything to him, but don't wait too long to tell him, yeah?"

"We won't," Hermione promised. "Thanks, Gin."

"Of course," she said, hugging Hermione again. "Now let's talk about the really important stuff. Like what you're going to wear tonight." Hermione laughed and Ginny jumped up from the couch, towing Hermione upstairs to her bedroom.

* * *

Remus Apparated into Hermione's back garden instead of coming through the Floo. If they were going out on a date, he should do it properly. He knocked on the back door and waited, shifting nervously. Hermione opened the door, looking a bit surprised at first, then smiling widely.

"Hello, Remus." She stepped back to usher him inside. He took a few moments to look at her. The dress she wore hugged her curves and Remus felt his stomach flip. She had done something to her hair, its normal unruliness tamed to soft curls.

"I wasn't sure where we were going," Hermione said, obviously wondering at his scrutiny. "Is this, am I dressed all right?"

"You look beautiful," Remus said softly. Hermione blushed, but smiled.

"Thank you." He cleared his throat and tried to stop staring at her.

"There's an Apparition spot a few blocks from the restaurant if you don't mind walking a bit," he said.

"I don't mind." She smiled at him again and reached for her cloak.

"Let me," he said, first transfiguring it into a long coat and then helping her slip into it. It wasn't too cold this evening, but Remus cast warming charms on both of them anyway. They stepped outside and he turned to Hermione, holding out his arm. She ignored it, however and moved closer to him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He took her free hand and smiled as he turned.

* * *

Hermione laughed as she took another sip of her wine. Despite their initial nervousness, they had been talking and laughing for most of the meal. The food had been excellent and they had shared a dessert, although Remus had eaten most of it. Hermione didn't mind, she knew his penchant for chocolate. He had looked a bit sheepish when he realized that he had eaten more than his share, but Hermione just laughed and leaned over to kiss him.

When the bill arrived, Hermione reached for her handbag to pay for her meal. Remus stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"I invited you," he said.

"But," Hermione began to protest. At Remus' look, however, she acquiesced. The last thing she wanted was to offend him.

Once the bill had been settled, Remus stood and pulled out her chair for her, once again helping her with her coat. He held out his arm to her when they walked outside. Hermione looped her arm through his, huddling a bit closer to him. The wind had picked up and they couldn't very well cast warming charms on themselves here.

They walked towards the alley, not speaking much, just enjoying one another's company. When they reached the Apparition spot, Remus lowered his arm. Hermione figured they would Apparate separately, however, Remus reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her softly before he Disapparated.

When they landed in her back garden, he kissed her again, lingering this time. The kiss soon turned heated, and Remus tangled one hand in her hair as the other moved to her hip, pulling her closer to him. When they finally pulled apart, both were breathing heavily. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder as she spoke.

"Would you like to come in?" Remus blew out a breath.

"I would very much like to come in," he said. "But, I don't think I should." She looked up at him and he smiled, brushing the hair back from her face before kissing her one more time. Hermione was surprised to find she was a bit relieved at his answer. Things between them were so new, as much as she wanted it, she wasn't sure that taking it further already was a good idea.

"Are you going to the Weasley dinner tomorrow?" Hermione asked when they had parted again.

"I hadn't thought about it," he admitted. "But, I'll speak to Andromeda." She smiled, then frowned. Remus looked at her quizzically.

"We aren't telling anyone," she said. He studied her for a moment.

"Would you like to change your mind about that?" She thought for a moment.

"No," she finally said. "It will just be hard to be near you and not be able to touch you." She pouted a bit and Remus chuckled.

"Maybe I shouldn't come," he teased. "Keep you from your frustration."

"No!" Hermione said immediately and he laughed again. He pulled her closer to him and she sighed in contentment in his embrace. They stood that way for a few minutes before Remus tilted her head up to his and kissed her again.

"I've got to go," he said reluctantly when he broke the kiss.

"I know," she said with a sigh. She gave him one more quick kiss before she stepped out of the circle of his arms.

"I will likely see you tomorrow," he said. She nodded. "Good night, Hermione."

"Good night." He smiled as he turned and disappeared. Hermione sighed happily as she walked into the house, locking the door behind her.


	50. Dinners

**A/N - Hello all! Just to let you know, it is highly unlikely (chances are almost zero actually) that I will be able to post a chapter next week. I haven't even started writing the next chapter and I currently have family visiting for Christmas. So, I'm not going to have any time to write until midweek next week. As such, I've kept this chapter mostly fluff and there is no cliff-hanger, so hopefully you won't be too tortured! As always thank you so much for reading and reviewing and I hope everyone has or has had a wonderful holiday, no matter which one you celebrate! I will see you all in 2018! :)**

 **Chapter 50**

 **Dinners**

 **12 March 2000**

Hermione stood in the kitchen, chatting with Molly and Ginny as they finished making dinner. Hermione couldn't help but glance at the living room every time she heard the Floo or the back door every time it opened. So far, Remus hadn't arrived. She caught Ginny's eye at one point, the younger woman giving her a knowing smirk.

"Everyone coming today, Mum?" Ginny asked, innocent look on her face that Hermione didn't trust at all.

"Percy wasn't sure if Audrey would be here, but I think everyone else is coming, yes."

"Even Remus and Andromeda?" Hermione gave Ginny a glare behind her mother's back.

"Oh, yes, Andromeda sent an owl this morning," Molly said.

"Oh, good," Ginny said. "Isn't that great, Hermione?"

"Of course," Hermione said, plastering a smile on her face when Molly looked at her.

"You can _talk_ to Remus some more about your werewolf proposal," Ginny said, mischievous grin on her face. Hermione gave her another glare.

"How is that going, dear?" Molly asked.

"Oh, um, pretty well," Hermione replied. "The Board of Governors is voting Tuesday on the seminar I've proposed for Hogwarts."

"Well, I'm sure that Remus appreciates what you're doing," Molly said.

"Oh, Remus appreciates it all right," Ginny snickered. Molly looked at her daughter strangely for a moment, then moved to check the roast. Hermione pinched Ginny's arm when Molly had moved away.

"What are you doing?" Hermione hissed under her breath.

"Just having a conversation," Ginny said with a smirk.

"Well, stop it."

"All right, girls," Molly said, standing and wiping her hands on her apron. "Things are done in here, you can set the table now." Hermione and Ginny both drew their wands and directed the dishes to the table. The back door opened and Andromeda walked in, followed by Remus who was holding Teddy. Hermione caught Remus' eye and smiled.

"My-nee!" Teddy cried. "Ginny!"

"Hey, Teddy," Ginny said as she moved toward the little boy. She took him from Remus and tickled him before she pulled off his cloak.

"Where Ha-wy?" Teddy asked.

"He's in the living room. Should we go find him?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Ginny winked at Hermione before she took Teddy into the living room. Andromeda glanced between Hermione and Remus, knowing smile on her face.

"I'm just going to say hello to Molly," she said and walked into the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

"Hi," Hermione said as she moved towards him.

"Hello," he replied with a smile. "Did you sleep well?" She nodded. He looked around the room, then reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze, before dropping it again. They stood and stared at each other until there was a noise at the door. They both stepped back quickly as Bill and Fleur walked in.

Hermione thought she saw Bill glance curiously at Remus for a moment, but Bill turned back to Fleur seconds later and Hermione was sure she had imagined it.

"Fleur, you look wonderful," Hermione said, greeting the blonde.

"You are sweet, 'ermione, but I am as big as a 'ippogriff," she groaned. Hermione laughed as she hugged her.

"No, you're not, love," Bill said, wrapping his arms around her.

"I feel like eet." He kissed her forehead and then took her hand to lead her into the living room. Hermione watched them fondly.

"I suppose I should go and say hello to everyone," Remus said.

"Yes, Harry's probably wondering where you are." He walked past her, brushing her arm with his. Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

Remus ending up sitting next to Hermione during dinner. He was quite sure that Ginny had had something to do with it. Still, when Hermione pressed her thigh against his, he didn't complain. When her left hand came to rest on his leg, just above his knee, he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from reacting.

Dinner seemed to last an eternity, Hermione's hand burning into his leg. Thank Merlin she hadn't moved it. If she'd started stroking his leg, he knew he wouldn't have been able to stay still. As it was, he was having a hard time concentrating on what Arthur was saying to him.

Mercifully, Molly brought out the pudding. Remus turned to help Teddy and Hermione's hand fell away. He missed the contact, but it was far easier on his mental state.

When they were finally finished, Andromeda went into the kitchen to help Molly clean up and Teddy went with Harry back into the living room to play with his toys. Remus excused himself to go to the loo, wanting a few minutes to get himself back under control.

When he exited the bathroom and passed Ginny's bedroom, a hand shot out and grabbed him. Startled, he drew his wand on instinct, but lowered it when he saw Hermione's face, her finger over her lips. She pulled him inside Ginny's bedroom and closed the door. She pushed him against it and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. Remus put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

When they finally parted, she rested her forehead against his chest, while he ran a hand up and down her back.

"Thank Merlin you went to the bathroom," Hermione finally said. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could have waited." He chuckled.

"We'll be missed soon," he said. She sighed.

"I know." He kissed her again, more slowly this time and she sighed when he released her. He kissed her forehead and squeezed her hands before letting her go. Hermione opened the door a crack and seeing no one, ushered Remus out. He glanced around and kissed her quickly one last time before he headed for the stairs.

When he reached the living room, Ginny was watching him. He colored slightly at her smirk, but she didn't make a move to come and speak with him. Remus moved across the room to where Harry and George were playing with Teddy.

"All right there, Remus?" George asked.

"Yes, why?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Your face is a bit red."

"Oh," Remus said, feeling his cheeks heat further. "I'm fine, just a bit warm." Harry's brow furrowed and George gave him a searching look, likely because it was perfectly comfortable in the room. Remus cleared his throat and turned his attention to his son. Teddy's hair was a quite comical at the moment, mostly black and unruly, with a bit of red thrown in here and there. Remus chuckled. Teddy looked up at him and grinned.

"Where My-nee, Daddy?" Remus tried not to react to Teddy's question. He knew there was no way Teddy knew that Remus had just been with Hermione. The little boy had likely had been looking for her already. Still, it was a bit disconcerting. Remus cleared his throat.

"I believe she is upstairs." He felt George's eyes on him. "I passed her in the corridor when I was coming back from the bathroom," he said by way of explanation. Harry seemed satisfied, but Remus could tell that George was still looking at him speculatively. Damn it, this family was too observant by half.

"My-nee pay?" Teddy asked.

"I'm sure she would love to play with you," Remus said. Teddy smiled happily and turned back to his blocks. Remus asked the younger men about their respective jobs, hoping to get George to focus on something else. Remus had to force himself not to glance at the stairs every few seconds.

He could sense when Hermione walked into the room and he felt himself tense. He hoped that Harry and George hadn't noticed. From the corner of his eye, he saw her walk over to Ginny and Angelina. Remus' thoughts went back to the kiss and it was all he could do to keep his attention on his conversation with Harry. When Hermione laughed, Teddy looked up.

"My-nee!" he called, scrambling to his feet and running across the room. Hermione picked him up and kissed his cheek. Remus watched as Hermione paid close attention to what Teddy was saying. Teddy's hair slowly turned brown and curly. Remus couldn't help his smile.

"I see how it is," George said. Remus glanced sharply at him, heart pounding.

"Me too," Harry agreed. Remus felt his mouth go dry and his palms began to sweat.

"H-how what is?" he managed to ask.

"Teddy," George said, motioning with his head. "Switches his hair the moment a female pays him attention." Harry laughed. Remus closed his eyes in relief.

"Yes," he said, trying to chuckle. It came out a bit garbled. George gave him an odd look, but Harry didn't seem to notice.

"You sure you're all right?" George asked. "Now you look a bit pale."

"Fine, fine," Remus said, resisting the urge to wipe his hands on his trousers.

"Maybe you're coming down with something," Harry said with a frown. "I'm sure Molly has some Pepper-up."

"No, that won't be necessary," Remus said. "I honestly feel fine."

"All right," George said, not looking convinced.

"I think your father wanted to speak with me about something," Remus said, excusing himself and searching the room for Arthur. Maybe the Weasley dinner hadn't been such a good idea.

* * *

Hermione looked across the room at Remus and frowned. He looked a bit pale. George was giving him a strange look and Harry looked concerned. A few moments later, Remus left Harry and George and walked towards Arthur, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Hermione bit her lip. She hoped that George and Harry didn't suspect something.

"My-nee," Teddy was saying, poking at her shoulder. She turned her attention back to him.

"Yes, Teddy?"

"Pay me?" Hermione smiled.

"Of course, I'll play with you." She set the little boy on his feet, then followed him to where George and Harry were still sitting on the floor. Hermione sat down beside Harry and took the Quidditch figure that Teddy presented her with, flying it through the air on Teddy's instruction. George excused himself and went to join Angelina on the couch.

"Did Remus seem all right to you at dinner?" Harry asked.

"Yes, why?" Harry shrugged.

"He was all flushed when he came back from the bathroom and just now he went pale," Harry said. Hermione fought her own blush. She was well aware of why Remus might have been flushed earlier.

"I'm sure he's fine," she said, not meeting Harry's eye.

"It was a bit odd though," Harry said. Hermione shrugged, setting the Quidditch figure down on one of the block towers Harry had built.

"Maybe he's just tired or something. The moon is in a week."

"Maybe," Harry said noncommittally. Hermione looked up at him and Harry was watching Remus as he spoke to Arthur. She could almost see the gears turning in Harry's head. Before Hermione could think of something to draw Harry's attention away from Remus, Teddy jumped into Harry's lap.

"Whoa, mate," Harry said with a grimace. Teddy's knee had apparently hit a rather sensitive spot. At the pained look on Harry's face, Hermione laughed and reached over to take Teddy from Harry's lap. Harry turned to the side, drawing his legs up a bit and closing his eyes.

"You have to be careful when you jump," Hermione said to Teddy. "You gave Harry an ouch."

"Me tiss?" Teddy asked innocently. Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth to hold in her laughter. Harry cracked one eye open and glared at her.

"Maybe just on the cheek," Hermione suggested around her giggles. She held on to Teddy and leaned forward, so he could reach Harry's cheek. Harry smiled at his godson.

"Owts all gone?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, although Hermione could tell he was still in pain. "I'm much better, thanks." Teddy grinned and squirmed in Hermione's arms. She set him back on the floor and he ran happily back to his towers of blocks.

"You might have to start casting a protection spell on your bits when Teddy's around," Hermione said with a grin.

"You're hilarious," Harry said with a scowl. Hermione really did feel badly for Harry, but at least Teddy had been successful in getting his attention off Remus.

* * *

"We should get Teddy home," Andromeda said to Remus a bit later. Remus glanced over and saw that Teddy was nearly asleep where he sat on Ginny's lap.

"I'd say so," Remus said with a fond smile. "We had better go through the Floo. Apparition will likely wake him completely." Andromeda nodded. "I'll just get our cloaks."

As Remus turned to head to the back door, he noticed that Hermione wasn't in the living room anymore. He hadn't seen her leave, but he had been talking with Arthur and Percy for quite some time. He didn't think she would have gone without saying good-bye, however.

Stepping into the kitchen, Remus nearly ran into Hermione, who was standing with their cloaks in her arms. When he looked at her quizzically, she smiled.

"I told Andromeda that Teddy was getting sleepy," she explained. "I figured you would be coming out for these." He smiled at her and stepped closer. Taking a quick glance around, he leaned down and kissed her softly, then took the cloaks.

"Thank you."

"The Board of Governors vote is Tuesday," Hermione said.

"It is."

"So, we both might have something to celebrate, mightn't we?"

"I suppose so," he said.

"Maybe you should come by after Andromeda gets back from the meeting." Remus couldn't help his smile.

"Perhaps I should." She leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him quickly.

"Have a good night, Remus." And then she hurried back into the living room. Remus watched her go and waited a few more moments before following with the cloaks. Andromeda gave him a knowing look that he ignored as he gently took Teddy from Ginny. As he glanced at Hermione one last time before he followed Andromeda through the Floo, Remus thought that it might be a good idea to skip the Weasley dinners until they had told everyone. He wasn't sure his nerves could take another one.

* * *

 **14 March 2000**

Remus looked up from his book as Andromeda came through the Floo. The smile on his face slid away as he realized how angry she was. Before he could ask, she had summoned the bottle of Firewhiskey from the kitchen and poured herself a glass. Drinking down half of it, she slammed it down on the end table.

"Things did not go well, I take it," Remus said. He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Despite what he had said to Hermione in her office that day about the job, he had been looking forward to teaching again.

"That is an understatement," Andromeda said, scowl on her face. Remus' brow furrowed. While he knew she would be angry about him not getting the job, she seemed more upset than he would have expected.

"Did something else happen?"

"You could say that," Andromeda said with a disdainful snort. "Not only did you not get the job, but the entire thing failed, four to three. Augusta, Griselda and I were the only ones to vote yes." Remus' eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I thought the vote was just a formality for the seminar?"

"So did I," Andromeda said with a sigh as she sat down in an armchair.

"What happened?"

"Hubert Fawley happened," Andromeda said in disgust. Remus frowned. He knew that Fawley was one of the two Board members who had no intention of voting for the seminar. While never a professed Voldemort supporter, the man was one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and had always supported Pureblood rights. How he had gotten the others to change their minds, however, Remus had no idea.

"I don't understand," Remus admitted.

"When Minerva called for a vote, he expressed his 'concerns' that the seminar was only going to be about werewolves. He said if we were truly interested in teaching the students about equality, then we should include all sentient beings. Why weren't giants or goblins or centaurs in the curriculum? Didn't they deserve to have the erroneous information about them dispelled as well?" Andromeda sighed and looked down at her glass, swirling the remaining liquid around.

"As if the man cares whether any other magical being or creature is understood or not," she said derisively. "But he managed to sway the other two and they voted against us." She drained the rest of the Firewhiskey. "Of course, Alford Kershaw was quick to tell me that he still supported the werewolf class and he would vote in favor of it if the other beings were included as well. It was all I could do not to tell him to go bugger himself." Remus spluttered out a laugh and Andromeda turned towards him, faint smile on her face.

"I am sorry, Remus," she said. Remus waved off her apology.

"I'm just concerned about Hermione," he said. "She is going to be devastated." Andromeda nodded.

"Minerva was going to Floo her to let her know," Andromeda said. "Perhaps you should go over there and make sure she is all right." Remus nodded.

"Teddy is asleep," he said. "I won't be long."

"Do not worry about that," Andromeda said. "I plan to have a soak and then go to bed myself. It has not been a pleasant evening."

"I'm sorry, Andromeda," Remus said. She waved him off as he had done earlier.

"Invite Hermione to dinner later this week, won't you?" she said. "Teddy would love it." Remus smiled.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Andromeda bade him good night and got up to go upstairs. Remus rose from the couch and headed to the back door for his cloak, deciding to Apparate in case Hermione was still talking to Minerva. He only hoped she wasn't too upset.

* * *

Hermione looked up from her book as the Floo flared. She smiled, expecting it to be Remus telling her he was on his way over. Instead, Professor McGonagall's face appeared.

"Professor," Hermione said in surprise.

"Hermione," the professor said. Hermione was immediately alert. The professor usually called her Miss Granger.

"What is it?"

"It is not good news, I'm afraid," Professor McGonagall said. She proceeded to explain what had happened at the meeting. "I am so very sorry, Hermione."

"It's not your fault," Hermione said quietly.

"Please remember that the class still has the support of the majority of the Board," Professor McGonagall said. "Just not in its current form." Hermione nodded. "Perhaps we could meet sometime this week to discuss other possibilities."

"I'll check my schedule," Hermione said, resigned.

"All right," the headmistress said. She paused and looked at Hermione. "Do not give up." Hermione nodded. "Good night, Miss Granger."

"Good night, Professor." The professor disappeared from the fireplace and Hermione stared at the now empty space. She couldn't believe it. She had been positive that the seminar would pass.

There was a knock on the back door and Hermione stood, walking toward it woodenly.

"Who is it?" she asked dully.

"It's Remus, Hermione." Hermione flung open the door and looked at Remus, tears beginning to shimmer in her eyes. She bit her lip and fell into his arms.

* * *

Remus wrapped his arms around her as she threw herself at him. He held her tightly and shuffled inside so he could close the back door.

"I'm sorry," he said as she sniffled.

"Andromeda told you?" she asked, her voice muffled in his cloak.

"Yes. She was quite incensed about it." Hermione sniffled again and pulled away from him, swiping at her eyes.

"Here, let me take your cloak," she said, trying to smile and failing miserably. Remus took it off and allowed her to hang it up and then took her hand, steering her towards the couch.

"It's all right to be upset, you know," he said. She shrugged.

"Crying about it isn't going to change anything."

"No," Remus agreed. "But it might make you feel better." She shook her head.

"I won't give them the satisfaction," she insisted.

"They're not here, Hermione." He saw her lip tremble and pulled her to him. He put an arm around her and she snuggled into his side.

"I shouldn't have gotten so confident about it," she said. "I should have known that something like this was going to happen."

"It doesn't sound to me as if the two that switched sides are against the seminar itself," Remus pointed out. "They just want it to be more comprehensive."

"I don't know that we can do that," she said with a sigh. "The reason the werewolf seminar was going to work was that it was only six weeks long. We were planning on running it multiple times over the year to be sure that all the students would be able to take it."

"I don't object to a class on magical being and creature rights. In fact, I completely support it. But I don't know how to fit it into the curriculum without either overloading the students or taking something else away. The Board wouldn't go for either of those options anyway. Something I'm sure Hubert Fawley was well aware of when he made his objection," she finished bitterly. Remus hugged her closer to him.

"Perhaps Minerva has an idea," Remus suggested.

"She wants to meet with me sometime this week to discuss it."

"I'm sure the two of you can figure something out." He kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry about the job," she said quietly.

"That isn't your fault." Instead of replying, Hermione sat up and looked at him nervously. At his quizzical expression, she bit her lip and looked down at her lap. "Hermione, what's the matter?"

"Not getting the job isn't going to change anything, is it?"

"Change what, exactly?" he asked completely confused.

"You and I." His brow furrowed.

"Why would it?"

"It's only, when we talked the other night, you told me that you changed your mind because some of your reasons didn't seem valid anymore and, well, now that you're not going to be working," she trailed off, biting her lip again. Remus finally understood. Not being able to find a job had been one of the reasons he had convinced himself to stay away from her. He leaned forward and pulled her lip from her teeth before he kissed her. Hermione seemed to sigh in relief and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. When they parted, he cupped her cheek.

"I told you I didn't want to run away anymore and I meant it," he said. She smiled and kissed him again. He reclined back into the arm of the couch and she snuggled back into his side, waving her wand to light a fire in the fireplace. They sat in companionable silence as Remus idly played with one of her curls and she rested her hand on his chest.

"Andromeda would like you to come for dinner later this week."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, sitting upright again and staring at Remus. He frowned at her change in position. He had rather been enjoying playing with her hair.

"Unless you'd rather not," he said, unsure why she was upset.

"No, it's not that, it's just," she shook her head. "It's just…strange, I suppose."

"Strange how?"

"She's your mother-in-law, Remus," Hermione said in exasperation.

"I told you that she supported our relationship," he said. Hermione looked skeptical. "Do you think she isn't being genuine about that?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said, but she still looked hesitant.

"Hermione, Andromeda is my only family besides Teddy and Harry," Remus said. "While she is technically my mother-in-law, she's more like…an older sister to me than a mother figure. We're too close in age for that. She is truly happy for us, I promise you. And she likes you very much."

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm so nervous about this," Hermione said. "Andromeda has never been anything but kind to me." Remus smiled and took her hand.

"I know it's a bit of a strange situation," he said. "But I'd really like it if you would come. Teddy would too." Hermione smiled.

"All right," she agreed.

"Thursday?" he suggested. Four days before the full moon would be long enough that he wouldn't be too restless yet. She nodded. He held an arm out to her and she smiled and leaned back into him. He relaxed back into the couch arm, in the original position they had been in before her outburst. It was also a rather ideal position for snogging, as Remus soon discovered.

* * *

 **16 March 2000**

Hermione nervously checked her appearance in the mirror once more. She had fretted more about what to wear to this dinner with Remus and Andromeda than she had before her date with him. She was being silly, Andromeda had seen her in all manner of dress over the last two years and Hermione knew she wasn't going to be attending some fancy, formal dinner.

As she had said to Remus previously, she wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Andromeda was a lovely woman and Hermione got along well with her. Hermione was sure it had something to do with the fact that Remus didn't have other family. Hermione felt like Andromeda's approval was akin to Remus' parents' approval, had they still been alive.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione threw the Floo powder into the grate and stepped into the fireplace.

When she stepped out into Remus' living room, she was alone. Hermione could hear sounds coming from the kitchen, but Remus and Teddy were nowhere to be seen. She looked around nervously for a few moments trying to decide if she should just walk into the kitchen. Before she could decide whether it would be rude or not, Remus walked into the room, carrying Teddy. Hermione released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"My-nee!" Teddy shouted, squirming in his father's arms to be set down. As soon as Remus did so, Teddy ran towards her and hugged her around the legs. Hermione laughed.

"Hi, Teddy."

"I'm sorry we weren't here when you arrived, but Teddy needed a change," Remus said, stepping forward and kissing her on the cheek. He let it linger, but Hermione knew he was being careful in front of Teddy. The little boy had no way of keeping a secret, after all. She squeezed his hand in understanding.

"I thought I heard the Floo," Andromeda said as she stepped into the room. "Hello, Hermione."

"Hello," Hermione said. "Thank you for inviting me." Andromeda smiled and Hermione relaxed a fraction. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, no, you and Remus visit," Andromeda said, and Hermione thought she saw the beginnings of a smirk on the woman's face. Surely, Hermione was mistaken. "I am just about finished with everything." She turned and walked back into the kitchen. When Hermione glanced up at Remus, his cheeks were slightly pink.

"My-nee?" Teddy said, tugging on the bottom of Hermione's skirt. "Pay?"

"It's almost time for dinner, Teddy," Remus said. "We can play after."

"Pay Daddy," Teddy whined.

"After dinner," Remus said again. Teddy pouted. Hermione reached down and picked him up.

"How about you tell me what you would like to play after dinner so I'm all ready for it," Hermione suggested. Teddy grinned.

"Pay tase!" he said immediately. Remus rolled his eyes and Hermione bit back a laugh. Chase was definitely Teddy's favorite game.

"I'm beginning to regret reading him that book about the prince trying to slay the dragon," Remus said, but he was smiling at his son as he said it.

"Let me guess," Hermione said. "The dragon chases the prince somewhere in the story?" Remus nodded.

"And while I have tried to convince him that we can play the game using magic, he insists that we actually run."

"My-nee pay tase!" Teddy said again, throwing up his hands in excitement. Hermione laughed.

"We'll play chase after we eat, all right?" Teddy nodded happily. Hermione hugged him closer to her and kissed his forehead. He was such a sweet little boy. She looked up and saw Remus smiling at the two of them. There was something else in his gaze, something that she couldn't identify. She looked at him quizzically for a moment, but he simply shook his head. Perhaps she would ask him about it later.

* * *

Remus watched as Hermione cuddled with Teddy, unable to keep the smile from his face. He was so glad that Teddy liked her so much and that the feeling was mutual. Dora would likely approve, he thought.

The thought of it hit him squarely in the chest and it was all he could do to keep the smile on his face. Hermione glanced up at him and gave him a wondering look, but he shook his head. There was no way he could communicate this to her without making her feel guilty. And that was the last thing he wanted her to feel, although he couldn't prevent it in himself. He suspected that guilt would be an emotion he would be feeling on occasion for quite some time.

Before he could dwell on it further, Andromeda called them to dinner.

* * *

Remus watched in amusement as Hermione's dragon "chased" Teddy's Quidditch figure. Teddy squealed in delight when Hermione got closer to him. Just as it looked as if the dragon might catch the wizard on the broom, Hermione would slow down and let Teddy get ahead of her again. After a few rounds of this, Teddy abruptly spun and pointed at the dragon.

"Me get!" he said, and Hermione's dragon went into death throes.

"Oh no, Sir Teddy has slain me," Hermione said, gasping few more times before the dragon dropped to the ground. Hermione slumped back against the front of the couch and closed her eyes, sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth. Teddy giggled and ran towards her. When he reached her, Hermione's eyes snapped open and she grabbed him, pulling him into her lap and tickling him. Teddy shrieked with laughter.

"I see that Teddy has taught Hermione his favorite game," Andromeda said, coming in from the kitchen.

"That he has," Remus replied. They watched as Hermione stopped her torture and Teddy caught his breath. When the boy had recovered, which took a remarkably short time, he jumped up and ran to his father.

"Daddy, pay tase!" Teddy insisted.

"No more chase tonight, Teddy," Remus said. "It's time for your bath."

"No baf," Teddy insisted. "Tase!" He turned and looked at Hermione. "My-nee, tase!"

"It sounds like it's time for your bath," Hermione said. Teddy pouted for a moment, then brightened.

"My-nee baf?"

" _I_ am going to give you a bath," Andromeda said, holding out her hand to her grandson.

"No!" Teddy protested. "My-nee!"

"Nanna is going to give you your bath," Remus repeated firmly.

"No!" Teddy said, beginning to cry. "Want My-nee!" Hermione bit her lip, clearly feeling sorry for the little boy. She looked at Remus and mouthed something over Teddy's head. Remus smiled and nodded.

"Teddy," Hermione said. Teddy stopped his tantrum to look at her, still sniffling. "How about if you go with your Nanna and take your bath and then I'll come up and read you a story when you're finished?" Teddy thought about this for a few moments before he nodded his head.

"Come with Nanna, now," Andromeda said, bending down to pick Teddy up. They began to walk from the room.

"Boo, Na-na? Boo?" Teddy asked. Andromeda chuckled.

"Of course, you can have the blue bubbles," she said. Teddy seemed happy with this development and grinned as Andromeda carried him out of the room. When they were gone, Hermione turned and smiled at Remus.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" she asked. He moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her.

"For indulging Teddy."

"He makes it easy," Hermione said. "He is rather adorable, you know."

"Yes, I'm aware," Remus replied with a smirk.

"Hm, must take after his father," she said with a cheeky grin. Remus chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. She sighed happily when they parted, smiling and resting her cheek against his chest. They stood that way for a few minutes until Remus released her. He took her hand and led her to the couch.

"Thank you for coming tonight," he said.

"I'm glad I did," she replied. "You were right. I didn't have anything to be nervous about." He refrained from telling her 'I told you so'. He was just glad she had been able to relax and enjoy herself. She leaned against him and took his hand, entwining their fingers.

"I spoke to Professor McGonagall," Hermione said. "I'm going to go up to the school tomorrow after work."

"Have you had any further thoughts about how to get the class approved?"

"I might have a few ideas," she said. "I haven't worked any of them out yet though." Remus nodded and kissed her temple.

"I'm sure between the two of you, you can come up with something."

"I hope so," Hermione said with a sigh. She looked up at him, mischievous smile on her face. "How long does Teddy stay in the bath?" Remus grinned and lowered his lips to hers.

* * *

Teddy grinned as Hermione and Remus walked into his room. He was in his pajamas, his hair still damp from his bath.

"My-nee read me!" he exclaimed.

"Have you chosen a book?" she asked. Teddy ran to his bookshelf and pulled a familiar looking book from the top shelf.

"Dis," he said, handing it to her. Hermione smiled as she saw the book of fairy tales she had bought him for Christmas. He toddled over to the rocking chair and Hermione sat down, setting the book on the table next to her while she helped Teddy climb into her lap. She picked the book up, but before she could open it, Teddy scrambled down from her lap.

"Pa-foot," Teddy cried, reaching into his cot and trying to pull the black dog free. Remus walked over and picked up the toy, handing it to Teddy. The boy then ran back to Hermione and climbed into her lap once more. He tucked Padfoot under his arm and settled himself back into Hermione's arms. She picked up the book again and opened the front cover.

"Which story would you like?" she asked. Teddy began flipping through the pages until he found "The Gingerbread Man."

"Dis," he said. Remus snorted and Hermione looked up at him quizzically.

"I'll tell you later," he said. His voice caught Teddy's attention and he looked up at his father and scowled.

"Go Daddy," he said. "My-nee read me." Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing and when she looked up at Remus, she could tell he was trying not to do the same.

"All right," Remus said. "I'll come back up to tuck you in."

"Go," Teddy said again when Remus hadn't moved fast enough. Remus held up his hands in surrender and backed out of the room. Once he was gone, Hermione began to read.

* * *

Remus peeked into the room. Hermione was on the last page of the story and Teddy's eyelids were drooping heavily. Teddy had been so excited when they reached the page with the illustration that looked like Hermione. He had pointed to it and said her name no less than four times. Hermione had been infinitely patient with him, agreeing that it did indeed look like her, every time Teddy said it.

She finished the story and closed the book. Teddy mumbled something sleepily and Hermione leaned down and kissed the top of his head. Remus eased quietly into the room and she smiled at him when she saw him.

"Time for bed," Remus said quietly to Teddy. Teddy made a half-hearted protest before he yawned widely and allowed Remus to pick him up from Hermione's lap. Remus carried his son to his cot and laid him down, pulling up a blanket over him and making sure Teddy's wolf and deer were within reach. There were many nights when Remus came to check on him, that the boy had all three toys snuggled up next to him.

Remus put a hand on his son's shoulder as Teddy rolled to his side, cradling Padfoot in his arms. Watching him for a few seconds as his breathing evened out, Remus finally pulled his hand away and put an arm around Hermione. They walked silently from the room.

"Thank you for doing that," Remus said once they were on their way downstairs.

"I enjoyed it," she said with a smile. "He really is incredibly sweet."

"Even when he's throwing a tantrum?" Remus joked.

"Even then," Hermione said with another grin.

They reached the living room and found Andromeda reading a book. She looked up at the two of them and smiled.

"Asleep then?" she asked.

"Yes, just," Remus replied.

"Thank you for reading to him," Andromeda said to Hermione. "He was very excited about it. It was all he talked about during his bath."

"It was no trouble," Hermione replied. She looked at Remus. "I should probably get home. Work and all tomorrow."

"All right," he said, although he was a bit disappointed that she was leaving already. Hermione turned back to Andromeda.

"Thank you so much for inviting me," Hermione said.

"Of course. You are welcome anytime," Andromeda replied with a genuine smile. She glanced at Remus and then stood. "I'm just going to get a bit of tea. Good night, Hermione."

"Good night, Andromeda."

"Well, that wasn't at all obvious," Remus said wryly when Andromeda was gone. Hermione laughed.

"I can't say I'm upset about it." She smiled up at him.

"I suppose I can't either," he replied, leaning down to kiss her. The kiss was slow and languid, and Hermione sighed contentedly into his mouth as he pulled her flush against him. She was breathless when they finally parted.

"I had better go," she said, although she had no real desire to leave.

"Yes, I suppose so," Reus replied, sounding just as unconvinced. Still, he let her go.

"I'll let you know how my meeting with Professor McGonagall goes?"

"Please," he said. She nodded, then went up on tiptoe to kiss him once more.

"Good night, Remus."

"Good night, Hermione." She grabbed a pinch of Floo powder before she changed her mind and just stayed there to kiss him for the rest of the night, Andromeda or no. She smiled at him one last time before she spun away from his grate and into her own.


	51. Discovered

**A/N - Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a good holiday. Thanks for understanding why I couldn't post last week.**

 **Unfortunately, I am going to have to ask for a bit more understanding. My dad is in the hospital. Between the stress of that this week and all of the other end of the year things I always have to do, I have not had any time or, if I'm honest, inclination this week to sit down and write. This chapter was written before things happened with my dad, so I decided to go ahead and post it.**

 **I am unsure when the next chapter will be posted. Luckily, I had already had a trip planned to visit my parents (they live half-way across the country from me), leaving this weekend, so I am going to be gone all next week. I really wanted to be able to get back on my weekly schedule, but I have my own health issues and stress is not good for them. Given all that's going on, something had to give and, unfortunately, it has to be my writing for now.**

 **I do not intend to abandon this story and I will post the next chapter as soon as I've gotten it written, even if it's not a Thursday. I hope that once things settle down with my dad, so far his prognosis is pretty good, and I get the rest of all the things done that I need to that I'll be back to my normal weekly schedule. And I'm sorry for this long author's note!**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for all of the reviews, favorites and follows. They mean the world to me!**

 **Chapter 51**

 **Discovered**

 **17 March 2000**

Hermione said good-bye to Hagrid as she reached the steps to the castle. While they had chatted during their walk from the school gates, Hermione made a mental note to visit him again soon. It had been too long since they'd had a good talk.

She stepped into the Entrance Hall and smiled. Stepping into Hogwarts always felt a little bit like coming home. There were a few stragglers leaving the Great Hall after supper and Hermione looked up when someone called her name. She smiled when she realized it was Claire.

Claire and Annie ran towards her, hugging her tightly, while David approached a bit more slowly, rolling his eyes at the two girls' enthusiasm.

"Hello, David," Hermione said. He returned her smile and allowed himself to be pulled into a short one-armed hug. Hermione was surprised to realize that he was nearly as tall as she was now, although she shouldn't have been. He was nearly fourteen after all.

"It's so good to see the three of you," Hermione said. "I've missed you." She had written to all of them, but hadn't seen them since the fall. They had all been too busy over the Christmas holidays.

"We miss you too," Claire replied. "School isn't the same at all without you."

"How come you're here?" Annie asked.

"I'm here to discuss something with Professor McGonagall," Hermione explained. Claire's eyes lit up.

"Are you going to be a teacher next year?" she asked. Hermione laughed.

"No," she said, then laughed again at Claire's pout. "No, it has to do with my job, but I really can't say anything more than that. Would you like to walk with me?" The three students nodded. The girls chattered away at her, David adding to the conversation here and there. When they reached the gargoyle, Hermione smiled at the three of them. They seemed so much happier than they had a year ago.

"I've got to get to my meeting," she said. "But I'm so happy I ran into you." Claire and Annie hugged her again and David waved good-bye. Hermione was tempted to tell them about Harry inviting them to Quidditch, but decided to wait until he knew the date.

"Bye, Hermione!" Claire called as the three of them disappeared down the corridor. Hermione gave the gargoyle the password and stepped onto the staircase.

"Good evening, Hermione," Professor McGonagall said as Hermione walked into her office.

"Hello, Professor." Hermione settled herself into one of the chairs in front of the professor's desk.

"Please, you must call me Minerva," the professor said. "You are no longer a student, my dear." Hermione smiled and inclined her head in agreement. "Now, I apologize for the outcome of the vote. While I knew that Mr. Fawley did not support the class, I never imagined this was the way he would go about making sure it was not approved."

"It wasn't your fault," Hermione said.

"Be that as it may, I am still sorry," Minerva said with a frown. "I would still like to pursue the class, but I am not sure just how we will go about it."

"I'm sure you know that I am in favor of a class that discusses the welfare and rights of all magical beings and creatures," Hermione said. "But I expect that it wouldn't be approved as another addition to the curriculum."

"Only as an elective," Minerva replied. "And that somewhat defeats the purpose."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. As an elective, the only students likely to take the class were ones who were already interested in the subject anyway, not those students whose views they really wanted to change. Hermione supposed that some students would take it, hoping it would be an easier alternative than Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, as Harry and Ron had done with Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. But that still wouldn't solve…Hermione's thoughts trailed off as she thought of something. She started a bit and sat up taller in her chair.

"Profess-, I mean, Minerva," she said. "What if we didn't make it another class at all?" The headmistress' brow furrowed in confusion.

"I am afraid I do not follow," she said.

"What if we combined it with other classes?" Hermione said. She stood from her chair, beginning to pace as she warmed to the idea. "With Care of Magical Creatures or Defense Against the Dark Arts? We could even have guest lecturers come in to do the seminars." She glanced at the Headmistress who sat with her lips pursed, clearly deep in thought.

"The only problem is that the curriculum for Defense is already very full. I am not sure how we could add more to it. It would be easier to combine with Care of Magical Creatures, but," Minerva paused.

"But not every group that should be in the class is a creature," Hermione finished with a sigh. "Not to mention that Care of Magical Creatures doesn't start until third year and not everyone takes it. We didn't study werewolves in Defense until third year either." She sat down in the chair, feeling dejected. She could just imagine how well it would go over if the Goblins, for example, found out they were being studied in Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hermione's brow furrowed. They had studied the Goblin Rebellions in History of Magic, along with the Giant Wars and the Werewolf Code of Conduct. In fact, they had studied nearly every magical being in some capacity during their five years. Why not include her werewolf seminar, along with the rest, into History of Magic?

Professor Binns. Professor Binns was the reason this wouldn't work. Besides the fact that he was dead boring, no pun intended, Hermione highly doubted they could convince him to change his curriculum to include anything that he hadn't been teaching for the last fifty or more years.

"You have had a thought?" Minerva asked, seeing the changing expression on Hermione's face.

"Yes, but I doubt it would work," she said.

"Let me be the judge of that."

"Well, I was thinking that it might be easier to include the seminars into History of Magic." Minerva's face turned thoughtful. "Many topics about these groups are already included, we would just have to expand on them. But, then I realized that Professor Binns would likely be a problem," Hermione finished.

"Yes, Cuthbert would not understand the need to change his lectures," Minerva agreed. Hermione nodded glumly.

"However," Minerva continued. Hermione looked up, a bit of hope in her expression. "I have already decided that it is high time to remove Cuthbert and find a more competent teacher. One that doesn't drive the students into a stupor when lecturing."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Do you realize how long it has been since we have had a student that continued on with History of Magic past O.W.L. level?" Minerva asked. "Not since I first began teaching here, when Cuthbert was still alive. Although I cannot say he was any more interesting then." There were a few chuckles and coughs clearly disguising laughs from the portraits behind her. Hermione tried to keep the grin from her face.

"In fact, I am not sure just _what_ some of my predecessors were thinking, allowing the man, and then ghost, to continue to teach." She mostly glared up at Professor Dumbledore, although she had a look for Professor Dippet as well.

"Now, Minerva," Professor Dippet began.

"Nothing from you, Armando," she said her voice clipped. "I distinctly remember coming to you with a petition, signed by the majority of my fellow students in my fifth year, asking for his dismissal. And you know very well how I felt about this as a teacher, Albus." Both portraits, suitably chastised, said nothing. Hermione noticed the newly hung portrait of Professor Snape hide a snort behind his hand.

"It will not be easy to remove him from the castle, Minerva," Phineas Nigellus said.

"He doesn't have to leave the castle," Minerva said. "He can stay here as long as he likes. I just want him to leave the classroom."

"Easier said than done," one of the other portraits spoke up. Apparently, this was not the first time that this particular problem had been discussed.

"Pro-, Minerva," Hermione said. "I'm sure that Mr. Nithercott from the Ministry would be willing to help. I worked with him for a few weeks last year." While Hermione had been thoroughly bored during her tenure as an employee of the Spirit Division, she would be the first to admit that the Division Head knew how to do his job.

"I will likely need to contact him, but for now, I think that you and I should discuss these new seminars," Minerva said.

"Do you think that the Board will be receptive to this idea?" Hermione asked, unsure if she should get her hopes up.

"If there is one thing the entire Board has in common, including Hubert Fawley, it is that History of Magic needs a new curriculum and a new teacher. I think this would qualify, yes?" Minerva smiled and winked. Hermione grinned and the two women began to hammer out the details of the new additions to History of Magic.

* * *

Hermione was nearly giddy with excitement when she arrived home. She couldn't get the grin off her face and wanted nothing more than to share her happiness with Remus. She ran to the fireplace and grabbed the Floo powder, then glanced at the clock on the mantel before she threw it in. It was half ten. She hadn't realized just how late they had worked and Hagrid hadn't mentioned the time when he had walked her back to the gates.

Hermione hesitated. She had told Remus that she would let him know how things had gone at her meeting, but it was rather late. While it was possible that he was still awake, Hermione couldn't be sure that he hadn't gone upstairs already. She had no idea if Andromeda would still be up or not and Hermione didn't want to disturb anyone.

Sighing, she put the powder back in the pot. She would simply have to wait until tomorrow to speak with Remus.

* * *

Remus glanced at the clock one more time, wondering again what had happened with Hermione. She had told him she would let him know how the meeting went, but it was now half ten and she hadn't contacted him. He was beginning to get a bit concerned.

Standing, he walked to the fireplace and stared into the flames. He could try and Floo call her to see what happened. He reached for the Floo powder, then stopped. If things hadn't gone well at the meeting, perhaps Hermione needed a bit of time to herself. He didn't want to intrude.

Perhaps she and Minerva had been catching up and lost track of time. Or Hermione might have been visiting with Hagrid and done the same. She was quite capable of taking care of herself, Remus knew. He shouldn't worry.

But, she might be upset and need a bit of comfort. He picked up the jar of Floo powder this time. Of course, if she was that upset, she may have just gone to bed. He didn't want to disturb her if that was the case.

Sighing, he set the jar back on the mantel. He would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what had happened.

* * *

 **18 March 2000**

Hermione woke with the smile still on her face. While she knew that the ideas she and Minerva had come up with the night before still had to be approved by the Board, not to mention that Professor Binns would need to be dealt with, Hermione couldn't help the excitement she felt. Not only would History of Magic hopefully be more interesting with a change of professor, but the inclusion of the lessons on the rights and misconceptions of many magical beings had Hermione positively ecstatic. This was what she had been hoping for since she started working for the Ministry, but she had assumed it would take her much longer to be able to introduce many of these topics. While a Hogwarts class wasn't the same as legislation, not by a long shot, it was at least a start into changing the way people thought about those that were different than themselves.

Hermione flipped off the blankets and climbed out of bed. She threw on her dressing gown and pulled on a pair of socks before making her way downstairs to the kitchen. Crookshanks was waiting impatiently for his breakfast. After she fed him, Hermione glanced into the living room, contemplating the Floo.

Remus would be up already; Teddy never let anyone have a lie-in. Hermione really wanted to tell Remus about her meeting, but she supposed she should eat something first. She glanced down at herself with a wry smile. And likely get dressed as well.

* * *

Remus looked at the clock for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. It was now almost half ten and he still hadn't heard from Hermione. He was getting rather worried. Andromeda had even taken Teddy to the park by herself, as Remus didn't want to miss Hermione's call. Mind made up, Remus grabbed the Floo powder and was just about to throw it into the grate when the flames flared and Hermione's face appeared.

"Good morning, Remus," Hermione said with a smile on her face.

"Hermione, thank Merlin," Remus replied, replacing the Floo powder and kneeling in front of the fireplace. "I was starting to worry."

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that when I got back last night I thought it was too late to call."

"I'm just glad you're all right," he said. "You are all right, aren't you?"

"Better than all right," she replied.

"I take it things went well with Minerva then?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "Are you busy?"

"Andromeda has taken Teddy to the park, so no, I'm not."

"Would you like to come through?"

"All right. I need to leave Andromeda a note and then I'll be there." Hermione smiled and withdrew from the Floo.

As Remus wrote out a quick note for his mother-in-law, he wondered if it was the best idea to be alone with Hermione right now. The wolf had stirred as soon as her face appeared in the Floo and with only two days until the moon, Remus was, to put it plainly, randy. It happened every month about this time.

He hesitated for a few more seconds before shaking his head in exasperation. He was a forty-year-old man and quite capable of controlling his sexual impulses. He need to stop being ridiculous.

Taking a pinch of Floo powder, Remus threw it into the grate and spun away to Hermione's.

* * *

She was all smiles when he arrived, and she immediately grabbed his hand and towed him to the couch. She tucked her knees up under her and faced him, fairly vibrating with excitement. He chuckled.

"I suppose you had better tell me or you're liable to explode," he said in amusement. She laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited."

"I could tell," he replied, smiling and taking one of her hands in his.

"Well, it took quite a bit of discussion and planning, but I think we've finally worked it out." She grinned and Remus shook his head at her teasing.

"Do you plan to fill me in or continue to keep me in suspense?"

"History of Magic," Hermione said with a smug smile.

"History of Magic," Remus repeated, his brow furrowing.

"Yes, we're going to incorporate the werewolf seminar, as well as the information on the other beings and creatures that Mr. Fawley asked for into History of Magic." Remus contemplated this for a few minutes. It made an odd bit of sense, he supposed, given that some war or treaty or regulations for most every magical being and creature was included in History of Magic. It wouldn't be too far a stretch to also include the werewolf seminar and things like it. Binns, however, was a different story. Surely, Hermione and Minerva had thought about the teacher of the class.

"I think it sounds wonderful," he said, trying to smile in encouragement.

"But," Hermione questioned. Remus looked nervously at his lap, loathe to put a damper on her excitement.

"It's just, well, Binns doesn't seem to be, er, open, to much change."

"No, he isn't," she agreed, grinning.

"Then why are you smiling?" Remus asked with a frown.

"Because Professor Binns isn't going to be teaching much longer," she said. Remus' eyes widened in surprise. They were actually going to get rid of Binns? He'd been a ghost even when Remus was a student.

"How are you going to manage that?" Remus asked. Hermione shrugged.

"Minerva is going to speak to Mr. Nithercott in the Spirit Division. I'm sure that between the two of them, they'll be able to figure something out. And even when the new professor starts, we've decided that the seminars should be handled by guest lecturers, at least at first." She grinned again. "So, there is still likely a job for you next fall."

"I appreciate that," Remus said. "But, even if that doesn't work out, I'm extremely happy for you."

"The best part is, because History of Magic is compulsory for first through fifth years, most of the students will already be in the class. Minerva is working out how the sixth and seventh years can sit in on those seminars since no one takes History of Magic at N.E.W.T. level right now."

"Will all the information be offered during first year?" Remus asked.

"No," Hermione replied. "And that what makes next year a bit tricky. First years will be easy, obviously, but I'd really like the older students to get the same information they would have received if the class had been going on since they were first years. Obviously the fifth years will be the most difficult to figure out, but Minerva assures me that she can do it. The fact that none of this information will be on O.W.L.S. yet will help. And she's going to try and get it all done for the fifth years during first term when they aren't so worried about studying for exams yet."

"It sounds as if the two of you have it well in hand," Remus said with a smile, giving her hand a squeeze.

"I hope so," Hermione said, biting her lip. "Getting the Board to approve it is another matter."

"From what I've heard from Andromeda, most of the Board will be more than happy to get rid of Binns. They receive enough complaints about him from students and parents alike."

"That's true, I just hope that they'll accept the revisions to the class."

"Well, Fawley was the one that suggested including the other magical beings and creatures. You've done what he requested."

"Yes, but I'm sure he'll find some other reason not to approve," she said with a sigh.

"Undoubtedly," Remus agreed. "But I am sure you will still have enough support from the rest of the Board. Remember, it was originally five to two."

"I know," Hermione said. "And I'm trying to be positive about it, really I am. But this is going to be such a huge change, I can't help thinking that it might be too much, too soon, for some people." Remus cupped her cheek with his free hand.

"Hermione, you obviously have a well thought out proposal," he said. "The Board would be foolish to reject it." She smiled at him, then leaned forward to kiss him.

What started out as a relatively chaste kiss, quickly turned heated. Though he tried to resist, Remus couldn't help but pull Hermione closer to him. Given the awkward angle, she obliged him by straddling his lap. Her arms wound tightly around his neck and she pulled herself even closer. He groaned into her mouth and tangled one hand in her hair, the other resting on her hip.

He wasn't sure how much time passed, but he eventually forced himself away from her mouth. They needed to slow down or stop all together, but his lips seemed to have their own ideas as they moved to her neck, nipping lightly at the juncture of her shoulder. Hermione gasped and shifted in his lap. He hissed and moved back to her mouth, his hands moving down to grip her hips to keep her still.

He could hear the wolf growling in satisfaction in his head and Remus knew that they should stop. It had only been a week, the rational side of his mind argued. A week since they had both agreed to pursue a relationship, but really, it had been almost three months since he had first kissed her, he justified. When Hermione rocked in his lap, he swore in his head and his hands moved under her jumper to travel up her sides. His thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts and she shivered. Neither heard the Floo activate.

* * *

Hermione rocked against Remus, vaguely wondering how they had gotten to this point this quickly. She dismissed her musing as unimportant, however, when she felt his hands move under her jumper. His palms slowly traveled up her sides. She pulled herself impossibly closer to him and when she felt his thumbs against her breasts she shivered, despite how warm his hands were.

She was just wondering how she could continue to kiss him while still getting his shirt off, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Hermione, do you…oh, shite!" Harry said. Hermione felt Remus immediately pull her jumper down where it had ridden up on her back as she broke the kiss. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean, I'll just…go." There was silence and Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see that Harry had disappeared from the Floo.

Hermione turned back to look at Remus. Amber swirled in the green of his eyes and she was mesmerized for a moment as it slowly disappeared. They were both breathing heavily and Remus looked quite shocked. Hermione was sure that she had a similar expression on her face.

"Well," she finally said, once she had caught her breath. "I suppose Harry knows." Remus stared at her for a moment before he chuckled. Hermione heard herself giggle and soon they were both laughing. Remus pulled her forward and hugged her. She rested her cheek against his and sighed. She hadn't counted on telling Harry this soon, but she supposed she had better. She sat up and looked at Remus.

"I should Floo him back, so I can explain." Remus tucked a curl behind her ear.

"I'll stay."

"No," Hermione said immediately, and he looked at her in confusion. "It's just, I think that I should talk to him about this alone first."

"Hermione, you don't have to do that."

"I do," she said. Remus studied her for a moment.

"You're afraid of what he's going to say," Remus said.

"No, not really, it's just," she trailed off and shook her head. "I can't explain it, except that I need to be the one to tell him."

"I don't want you to have to face this by yourself." She smiled and leaned down to kiss him.

"Harry will be fine," she said. "Besides, it's entirely possible that he didn't even see that it was you, given our position. I want to be the one to explain."

"I could wait upstairs," Remus offered. "In case you need me." Hermione smiled at his chivalrousness, although the thought of him going upstairs made other things cross her mind that she really didn't need to be thinking about right now.

"Thank you, but I'll be fine." She kissed him one more time before she climbed off his lap and straightened her clothes. Remus stood and did the same, then turned to her.

"I should apologize," he said. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"For what?" Remus cleared his throat.

"For getting so carried away," he said. He shifted nervously. "It's just that, this close to the moon, I, er, well-" Hermione cut him off by standing on tiptoe and kissing him again.

"You didn't do anything that I didn't want you to," she said, blushing slightly. He took her hand and entwined their fingers.

"Although," she said, wicked grin on her face. "That is good information to have about the moon." He shook his head with a wry smile and kissed her again, nearly getting carried away once more.

"Harry," he said when he finally pulled away.

"Right," she said with a nod, taking a step back from him. "I'll call you later?"

"Please," he said. He looked at her for a long moment. "Good-bye, Hermione." He grabbed a bit of Floo powder and disappeared. Hermione stared at the fireplace for a few moments, before she hurried into the downstairs loo to make sure she was presentable. Her hair was a bit of a mess, but that wasn't really anything new. Her lips were a bit swollen, but since Harry had seen her kissing Remus, it was already obvious what she'd been doing. Taking a deep breath, Hermione tried to calm herself before her conversation with Harry.

* * *

"Harry," she said as the sitting room at Grimmauld came into view.

"Hermione, shite, I'm sorry," Harry said, raking a hand through his hair. "I had no idea you were, erm, occupied." He looked embarrassed, but he didn't appear upset or shocked, so Hermione assumed he hadn't actually seen Remus.

"You'd better come through," she said. Harry's brow furrowed.

"Why?"

"Because I need to talk to you about what you saw and I don't want to do it in the Floo."

"Hermione, you don't need to tell me anything, it's your business."

"Yes," she said. "I do." Harry studied her for a moment.

"You think I'm not going to approve?" he asked.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Just…come through." She pulled her head from the fireplace and moved out of the way. Harry appeared moments later. They stared at one another, Hermione's hands twisting nervously in front of her. Harry didn't seem to know what to say and he glanced around the room before he finally settled his gaze on her.

"Is it Malfoy?" Harry blurted out before Hermione could say anything. She stared at him for a moment before she laughed.

"No, it's not Malfoy." Harry visibly relaxed. "Why would you think it was him?" Harry shrugged.

"I dunno, you seem pretty worried about it and he's the only one I could think of that you'd think I wouldn't approve of."

"Would you?" Hermione asked. Harry's eyes narrowed.

"I thought you said it wasn't him."

"It's not."

"Then why would it matter if I approved of him or not?" Hermione shrugged.

"Just curious." Harry blinked.

"I don't know," he admitted. Hermione nodded.

"Well, it's a good thing it isn't Malfoy, then, isn't it?" She laughed shakily. Harry studied her for a few moments.

"Is it another Slytherin?" Harry asked.

"Why would you-" Hermione began, but Harry interrupted.

"I mean, if you're this nervous and it's not Malfoy, then it's got to be another Slytherin, hasn't it?"

"It's not a Slytherin." Harry's brow furrowed again.

"Is it Zacharias Smith?"

"What? No!"

"McLeggan?" Hermione glared at him and Harry put his hands up in surrender. "Just trying to figure out why you're so nervous."

"Harry," she began, but Harry interrupted her again.

"Is it Charlie?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond, then closed it. Charlie wasn't even in the country as far as she knew. How could Harry think it was him? Taking her silence as confirmation, Harry continued talking.

"I can understand why you're worried."

"Harry," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It will definitely be awkward with Ron."

"Harry," she said again, but Harry didn't seem to hear her.

"But, we'll figure it out, Hermione, we always do. And Molly will probably be thrilled. You know she's always wanted you as an official daughter."

"Harry!"

"What?"

"It isn't Charlie." Harry blinked at her.

"It isn't?"

"No."

"Then what are you worried about, Hermione?" he asked in exasperation. She sighed.

"Just, sit down." Harry still looked confused, but he complied, settling on the edge of an armchair as if he'd need to jump up and pace again.

"Before I tell you, I want you to know that I'm very happy."

"Then I'm sure I'll be fine with whoever it is," Harry said. "I always want you to be happy, Hermione." Hermione smiled, feeling a bit teary at his declaration. She took a deep breath and looked at him, but found herself unable to speak.

"Do I know this person?" Harry asked.

"Yes," she said. "You know him quite well."

"Then, I can't imagine why you think I'd be upset."

"Well, there's an age difference," she said.

"Older or younger?" Harry asked.

"Older."

"Dumb question," Harry said with a laugh, then shrugged. "So, he's older, big deal."

"It's a significant age difference, Harry."

"How significant?" Hermione looked at her lap.

"Quite a bit." Harry reached over and put a hand on her knee.

"Hermione, just tell me, please." She took another breath and let it out, then looked up at Harry.

"It's Remus." Harry's mouth dropped open and he stared at her.

"Remus?" he repeated. "Remus Lupin?" She nodded. "Teddy's dad, Remus?"

"Yes, Harry," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "How many other Remus' do you know?" Harry continued to stare at her, seemingly incapable of more speech.

"Remus," he finally said under his breath. "I don't, how, when did this happen?"

"Just a week ago, at his birthday. But we've had feelings for one another for a few months." Harry sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Hermione tried not to fidget.

"Harry?" she said tentatively after a few minutes of silence.

"He's twice your age, Hermione," Harry finally said.

"I know."

"He was my dad and Sirius' best friend."

"I know."

"He has Teddy."

"I know that too," Hermione said. "Harry, I, I knew this would be a shock. It's going to be a shock to most everyone, but I, I really care about him. I'm happier than I've been in a long time. And you know I love Teddy." Harry had lapsed into silence again. Hermione bit her lip and looked down at her lap, peeking up at Harry every few seconds. His jaw was set and he looked across the room, staring at nothing in particular. He looked as if he were deep in thought, but it could have been that he was just trying to keep from exploding. Hermione certainly hoped it was the former.

Finally, he sighed and raked a hand through his hair. Hermione relaxed only slightly, still unsure what he was going to say.

"Hermione, I love you, but this is," he shook his head. Hermione's stomach dropped, and she felt tears gathering. She looked down at her lap. "Do you even know how difficult this is going to be for you?" She looked up, a bit confused. Was he saying he didn't approve or was he just worried about how everyone else was going to treat her once they found out?

"What, what are you saying, Harry?"

"The press is going to have a field day with this when they find out."

"I don't care about the press," Hermione said. "I care about what _you_ think." Harry looked down studying his hands.

"I mean, it's definitely weird," he said. She held her breath. He finally looked up at her. "But, you're my sister, Hermione and Remus is, he's like, I don't know, my uncle or something. I want you both to be happy." Hermione released her breath with a watery smile. She flew forward and threw her arms around Harry's neck. Harry hugged her tightly, until their position of being smashed together in the armchair became too uncomfortable. When Harry released her, she tugged his hand until he joined her on the couch.

"Thank you," she said, swiping at the few tears that were running down her cheeks.

"It makes a strange sort of sense, really," he said with a shrug. "I mean, you're both swots." Hermione slapped at him and Harry ducked, laughing.

"I'm telling Remus you said that." Harry paled slightly, and Hermione couldn't help breaking into peals of laughter. Harry scowled at her before joining in. When they had both finally calmed down, she smiled and leaned into him. Harry put an arm around her.

"You're really okay with this?" she asked.

"It's going to take some getting used to," Harry said. "But, like I said, I want you to be happy." Hermione smiled and kissed his cheek.

"There's just one other thing," she continued. Harry looked at her quizzically. "We're not telling anyone quite yet, so I need you to keep this to yourself." Harry groaned.

"Hermione, you _know_ I can't lie to Gin," he said, nearly whining. "She always knows I'm hiding something and she gets it out of me _every_ time." Hermione bit her lip.

"Don't be angry." Harry's eyes narrowed. "Ginny already knows."

"What?" Harry demanded. Hermione sighed.

"Look, you know how she is. She knew I had feelings for Remus practically before I did. She's been trying to get us together for months now." Harry stared at her, gobsmacked. "And she knows about what happened on Remus' birthday, but I swore her to secrecy, so you can't be upset with her."

"You know that if this had happened the other way around, she'd be furious with me that I didn't tell her," Harry groused. Hermione laughed. "What?"

"Harry, this never would have happened the other way around." He scowled at her.

"I can figure things out," he said indignantly. "I'm an Auror for Merlin's sake."

"What did you figure out at dinner at the Burrow last weekend?" Harry stared at her.

"You two were?" he began, then shook his head. Hermione grinned. "I don't want to know." She patted his shoulder consolingly.

"I'm sure you are much better at investigation when it's not your best friend that's involved." He glowered at her again.

"Watch it, or I just might change my mind about being okay with this." Hermione laughed.

"I love you, Harry." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Harry tilted his head to rest against hers.

"Love you too."

* * *

Remus looked up at the knock on the back door. They weren't expecting anyone. Hermione had already come by after Harry had left and filled Remus in on what had happened. She ended up staying for lunch and then the two of them had cuddled on the couch for a bit after putting Teddy down for his nap. Andromeda being in the house kept Remus from acting on his impulses.

Remus was relieved that Harry had seemed to accept the relationship. Remus knew it would take Harry time to get used to it, but the fact that Hermione hadn't been upset when she relayed the events of their discussion had eased his mind. Remus didn't want Hermione to lose anyone over him.

"Oh, hello, Harry," Andromeda said. Remus head whipped towards the doorway to the kitchen. He had intended to speak to Harry, but he hadn't thought that Harry would come to him. Remus set his book aside and rose from his chair as Harry stepped into the living room.

"Hello, Harry," Remus said.

"Remus," Harry said, rather formally. Andromeda stood behind Harry and Remus met her gaze. There was a smirk on her face and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"I suspect I already know the reason why you're here," Remus said. Harry glanced at Andromeda from the corner of his eye. It was clear that Hermione had neglected to mention that Andromeda knew about the two of them. "Andromeda is aware as well." Harry looked a bit surprised by that. "Why don't you sit down?" Harry moved to one of the armchairs and Remus resumed his seat on the couch.

"I'll give you two a bit of privacy," Andromeda said, going back into the kitchen. Remus cast a Muffliato around the two of them.

"Hermione was here already, I take it," Harry said.

"Yes," Remus replied. "She told me about your talk. Thank you for being so accepting." Harry shrugged.

"You're both family," he said. He looked back at Remus, serious expression on his face.

"Whatever you have to say, Harry, go ahead and say it."

"Hermione, she's like my sister." Remus waited for Harry to gather his thoughts. "Your relationship…not everyone is going to accept it."

"I'm aware."

"I don't want her hurt."

"I don't want that either," Remus said. "Hermione and I have discussed this and she insists that she doesn't care what anyone thinks." Harry snorted.

"And you believe her?"

"Not entirely," Remus said. "I know that while she likely doesn't care what the public has to say, there are some people whose approval she will definitely need. You being one of them."

"Her parents," Harry said. Remus nodded.

"She doesn't think they'll have a problem with it," Remus said. "I obviously have no idea if that is true or not."

"Ron's going to have a hard time with this," Harry said.

"Yes, I expect he will."

"It's not that I think he's still hung up on her or anything," Harry said. "He's been dating Susan Bones for a month now."

"Hermione mentioned that."

"It's just," Harry trailed off shaking his head.

"I know," Remus said, not needing Harry to explain. Ron had a temper and tended to speak without thinking at times. And while he may have accepted the fact that he and Hermione were never going to be a couple, Remus suspected that the younger man was still a little bit in love with her. Harry sat silently for a few moments.

"Was there something else on your mind?" Remus asked. Harry sighed and looked up at him.

"You can't, you can't do what you did…before." Remus colored slightly and looked down at his lap. The shame he had felt about that long-ago day at Grimmauld Place, when Harry had taken him to task for leaving his pregnant wife, returned.

"Harry, what happened back then with Dora," Remus paused and swallowed thickly. They had never actually talked about this. "Things were, well they were much different with the war going on. I was in a much different place after losing Sirius and then Dumbledore. Not to mention the werewolf laws that were being put into place." Remus paused and took a breath.

"I was wrong, horribly wrong to do what I did, and I am extremely lucky that Dora found it in her heart to forgive me." He looked up at the young man sitting before him. Harry wore a fiercely protective look on his face and Remus had never been more grateful that Hermione had someone like Harry in her life.

"Obviously, I have no idea what is going to happen with this relationship. I can't predict the future. But, I will tell you that I have no intention of leaving Hermione unless she asks me to go," Remus finished.

"Do you love her?" Harry asked quietly. Remus stiffened. Harry studied him for a moment. "Forget it, that's none of my business." But Remus saw a small smile playing about Harry's lips and knew that the younger man had figured it out. Was he really that easy to read? He supposed when it came to Hermione, he likely was. He looked down at his lap and hid a smile.

"So, Andromeda knows about you two?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus said grateful for the change of subject.

"And she's all right with it?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Remus said. "In fact, she is the one that encouraged me to pursue my feelings. She and your fiancée that is." Harry snorted.

"I'm sure Ginny was really subtle about it too." Remus chuckled.

"Like a bludger to the head," he said with fondness. Harry laughed. Remus looked up at him. "I'm glad Hermione has you, Harry."

"I'm glad I have her too," Harry said, face pinkening a bit. He stood from his chair.

"I should go, Gin has to head back to Wales in a few hours." Remus rose as well. Harry studied him for a few moments.

"This is still really weird, but, I am happy for you."

"Thank you, Harry." Remus held out a hand to the younger man, but Harry ignored it and pulled him into a hug instead.

"Just remember she's my sister," Harry said. Remus chuckled.

"I will," he promised.


	52. Secrets

**A/N - Finally, an update! My dad was released from the hospital yesterday. He is still recovering, but he is doing much better. I want to thank all of you for your kind words and your thoughts and prayers for my dad. You are all amazing and I am so lucky to have you as my readers!**

 **This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I wanted to get it posted, rather than make you wait another three or four days for another thousand or so words. There will not be another update next Thursday, as I am still trying to get back into the swing of writing every day. But it shouldn't be as long as it was this time, unless something crazy happens. Which, thinking about how my life has gone lately, is entirely possible. Let's just say I will be extremely happy when January is over. Hopefully, February will be a little nicer to me!**

 **I've rambled enough. Enjoy this chapter and again, thank you all so much!**

 **Chapter 52**

 **Secrets**

 **21 March 2000**

Remus was sitting in bed reading a book, clad in pajama pants and a t-shirt, when there was a light knock on his half-open door.

"Hermione," he said in surprise, as he looked up. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"I wanted to see how you were feeling," she said. He gave her a smile and set his book on the bedside table.

"No worse than usual," he said, gesturing for her to come in. She sat down on the edge of the bed. "The usual aches and soreness, plus being a bit tired."

"I don't mean to disturb you, if you'd rather rest," she said. Remus reached over and took her hand.

"You're not disturbing me," he said. She smiled.

"I had lunch with Harry today," she said, looking at him nervously. "He told me that the two of you spoke."

"We did." Hermione sighed.

"I'm sorry for whatever he said. I told him to mind his own business." Remus chuckled and began to rub his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. He didn't fail to notice how her fingers tightened around his in response.

"Don't worry about what he said," Remus replied. "I'm glad the two of you are so close."

"I just don't want him being ridiculous and threatening you or something," she huffed. "Like I can't take care of myself."

"Of course, you can," Remus agreed. "But it's always nice to have someone in your corner."

"I suppose," Hermione said. She looked back at him and Remus smiled at her again.

"Andromeda tells me that the Board of Governors meeting is set for next Monday."

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Prof-, Minerva, asked me to attend and give a presentation." She sighed.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Not about the presentation. It's just that, if this doesn't work, I don't know where to go from here." She paused and looked up at him. "I really wanted this seminar to be approved. I think that having Hogwarts on board would help with the other reforms that I want to make to the werewolf laws." Remus squeezed her hand.

"No matter what happens, just remember that there are plenty of people that support you. Even if the class fails, that doesn't mean everything else will."

"I know, it's just frustrating."

"Trust me, I'm aware." Hermione smiled before she leaned forward and kissed him. The kiss didn't last long, Remus pulling away when he remembered where they were. He couldn't snog Hermione in the bed he'd shared with Dora. It just didn't feel right.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No," he lied. "It's just…the moon."

"Oh, of course," Hermione said, moving back from him a little. "I'm sorry." Remus took her hand again. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel guilty.

"It's fine, Hermione, you don't need to apologize."

"I should probably go anyway," she said.

"You don't have to leave," Remus said immediately. Wonderful, now he had run her off.

"I promised Will I'd stop by tonight and check on him," she explained. Remus relaxed slightly.

"Let him know I expect those sentences to be done by the time I get there on Thursday." Hermione laughed.

"I will." She stared at him for a moment before leaning forward and gently kissing his cheek.

"Good night, Remus." He squeezed her hand one more time as she stood.

"I'm glad you stopped by." She smiled.

"Me too." She let go of his hand and walked to the door, giving him a wave as she left. Remus leaned his head back against the headboard, fighting against the guilt once again.

* * *

 **23 March 2000**

At the light knock on her open door, Hermione looked up. Gwendolyn stood in the doorway and Hermione smiled.

"Fancy a bit of lunch?" the older woman asked. Hermione glanced at the clock on her desk and realized it was already after twelve. She had been so focused on her proposal she had lost track of time.

"Absolutely," she said as she stood from her desk. "The cafeteria or elsewhere?"

"Elsewhere, I think," Gwendolyn said. "Perhaps Muggle London?" Hermione studied her friend. The woman seemed a bit upset about something, but when Hermione looked at her quizzically, Gwendolyn just shook her head. Hermione grabbed her cloak and the two of them left the Ministry.

Once they had been seated at a table in the small café they'd chosen, Hermione looked at Gwendolyn seriously.

"Tell me what's going on." Gwendolyn sighed and looked down at her plate. When she looked up again there were tears in her eyes.

"Mr. Satterfield is transferring me." Hermione sat back in her seat.

"Where?" Gwendolyn choked out a laugh.

"The Pest Advisory Board. Can you believe he's trying to spin this as a promotion? Says that since the Pest Advisory Board is its own office, it's almost on par with being the head of a division, instead of just a subdivision. Load of rubbish."

"How can he do that?" Hermione said. "Who's going to run the House-Elf support office?"

"You're never going to believe this," Gwendolyn said. "Jensen Barbary." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock. She knew from what Kingsley had said that Barbary was finally getting closer to Satterfield, but she had no idea Satterfield was ready to promote him. Barbary would be in a much better position to have Satterfield's ear now, Hermione figured.

"What the hell does someone from the Werewolf Capture Unit know about House-Elves?" Gwendolyn demanded. "Not to mention that he's been here less than a year _and_ he wanted to arrest you! Can you believe it?"

"No, actually, I can't," Hermione said, wishing she could just tell Gwendolyn the truth.

"Maybe I should just quit," Gwendolyn said miserably. "My sister runs a shop in Diagon Alley. I could always work for her."

"No," Hermione said vehemently. "You need to file a complaint with the Minister." Hermione knew that Kingsley would want to know about this, but she couldn't tell Gwendolyn that either without giving away Kingsley's plan.

"What good would it do, Hermione?" Gwendolyn said bitterly. "We both know how many grievances have been filed against him in the past and nothing's happened."

"Minister Shacklebolt is different," Hermione said. "He'll listen and take it seriously."

"I should have transferred departments when I had the chance," Gwendolyn said with a sigh. "There was an opening in the Department of International Magical Cooperation that I decided against just before you started working here. I'm regretting that now."

"I'm so sorry, Gwendolyn," Hermione said sadly. "This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't," Gwendolyn said, shaking her head. "It was my choice to back your proposal and I'd do it again."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I've been saying for years that there needed to be some kind of oversight with House-Elves. I don't regret that." The two ate their lunch in silence for a few minutes, Hermione's mind spinning. She knew that Kingsley was working on it, but Satterfield needed to be gone, now. Otherwise, the Ministry was going to start losing good people that it couldn't afford to lose.

"Gwendolyn, please don't make a decision about your job right away," Hermione said. Gwendolyn looked at her in confusion. "I've got an idea, but I'm going to need a little time."

"Another plan?" Gwendolyn said, her eyes gleaming. "Care to fill me in?"

"Not this time," Hermione said apologetically. "But, if it works, Satterfield will likely be gone for good." Gwendolyn studied Hermione for a few moments before she nodded.

"All right, I'll wait." Hermione smiled and went back to her lunch. She really hoped she was making the right decision.

* * *

 **24 March 2000**

Remus' brow furrowed as he watched Hermione staring out the window over the sink. She had gone into the kitchen to get them some wine, but when she hadn't returned for a few minutes, Remus had followed to see if she needed any help. She had the bottle of wine in one hand and the glasses in the other, but her mind was clearly on something else. She had seemed distracted since he'd gotten here, actually.

"Hermione," Remus said quietly, but she still jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Remus," she said, as if she were surprised to see him there. "I'm sorry, I was miles away."

"Here, let me help." He stepped forward and took the wine from her hands, opening it with a wave of his wand. She set down the two glasses and Remus poured them each a glass. He took a sip of his before he looked at her.

"Is everything all right?"

"Of course," Hermione replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem…distracted." Hermione looked down at her glass with a sigh, swirling the contents. Remus felt his stomach clench at the look on her face. He hadn't seen her since she had stopped by after the moon. Teddy had gotten a cold and had been a bit miserable, even with the Pepper Up and Hermione had worked late a couple of days. Remus was a bit concerned that she was upset about the kiss, even though she hadn't seemed to be when she left.

"I'm sorry," she said putting a smile on her face that looked a bit forced. "It's just…work."

"Are you having problems with your proposal?" he asked.

"No, not really. I, well," she trailed off and shook her head. Remus set his glass down on the counter and then took hers as well. He pulled her into his arms and nearly sighed in relief when she didn't resist at all. Her arms came around his back and she pulled herself tighter into his embrace.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She sighed again and pulled away from him, picking up her glass of wine and taking a healthy drink. "That bad?"

"Worse, possibly." Remus picked up his own glass and then took her hand, gently pulling her toward the couch.

"What's happened?" Hermione took another drink before looking up at him.

"You remember Gwendolyn?" she asked.

"The head of the House-Elf office?" Hermione nodded.

"We had lunch yesterday and she told me that Satterfield is transferring her."

"Where?"

"The Pest Advisory Board." Remus' brow furrowed. He wasn't an expert on the Ministry and how it ran its divisions, but he was rather familiar with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Gwendolyn's transfer didn't seem like a promotion. Before he could ask, Hermione continued.

"It's a lateral move at best, but given the amount of responsibility that Gwendolyn had once my House-Elf bill was passed, it's more like a demotion." She finished her wine and rose to fetch the bottle from the kitchen.

"Why is he moving her?" Remus asked when Hermione had returned, pouring herself another glass of wine. She opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. Remus saw her glance at him from the corner of her eye before she answered.

"I suspect it's punishment for backing my proposal," she said smoothly, although Remus got the distinct impression that she while what she said was true, she wasn't telling him everything. He had no idea what she might have left out, however. "Although, Satterfield is trying to couch it as a promotion, saying that since the Pest Advisory Board is its own entity, it's like being head of a division." She gave a derisive snort and took another drink of wine.

"Has she filed a formal complaint?" Remus asked.

"I told her she should, but I'm not sure if she followed through." Hermione sighed again and sat down heavily on the couch. "This is all my fault."

"Your fault?"

"Yes, if I hadn't pushed my proposal, Satterfield would have never had reason to be upset with Gwendolyn."

"Hermione, this isn't your fault."

"It is!" Hermione insisted vehemently. "If I hadn't taken that job, none of this would have happened."

"And if you hadn't, there would still be House-Elves being abused by their owners," Remus countered. " _You_ didn't transfer Gwendolyn."

"I hope you're not giving me some kind of 'greater good' speech," Hermione said stiffly. "Too bad about Gwendolyn, but at least you saved the House-Elves." Remus bit back a retort. Her comment stung, but he knew that she was upset about the situation, not what he'd said.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm not. I'm trying to remind you that Satterfield is the one at fault here, not you or Gwendolyn. Just because the man didn't like that your proposal was passed, does not give him the right to punish anyone that supported you." Remus watched Hermione deflate.

"Gods, I'm sorry," she said a few moments later, shaking her head. "I'm being an absolute harpy." She took the last sip of her wine.

"You're not," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. She looked up at him and gave him a tentative smile. Setting his glass on the coffee table, he moved closer to her and drew her into his arms. She sighed and rested her head against his chest, reaching out to set her own glass down before she wrapped her arms around him.

"Is Gwendolyn planning on taking the transfer?" Remus asked after a few minutes.

"She talked about quitting," Hermione said. "But, I convinced her to wait a bit."

"Because?"

"Because…because I'm going to make sure that Gwendolyn files a complaint with Kingsley." Hermione fell silent and when Remus looked down at her, she looked nervous. He pulled back from her, moving his hands to her shoulders.

"What are you planning, Hermione?" She looked surprised and a tiny bit guilty.

"I never said I was planning anything," she insisted. He looked at her disbelievingly. She huffed and moved back from him. "I didn't." Remus watched her as she picked up her wine glass again and took a sip. She was trying to look unaffected, but her eyes kept sliding away from his when he looked at her.

"You know," he said. "Some might tell you that I used to be rather good at planning, shall we say, covert operations." Hermione looked at him and smiled genuinely before she laughed.

"Yes, I had heard that," she replied.

"So, whatever you're planning, let me help," he said. Her eyes widened.

"That's…not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"It's not really that kind of plan," she said evasively. Remus' eyes narrowed. He didn't want to force her to tell him what she was going to do, but he was worried.

"Hermione, is this dangerous?"

"No," she said immediately. He was still skeptical. "I promise you, it isn't." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"You're really not going to tell me, are you?" Remus asked.

"No," she said quietly. Remus stiffened. He couldn't deny that it hurt that she wouldn't confide in him.

"I see," he said, moving away from her slightly.

"Remus," she said, reaching out a hand and putting it on his arm. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just, it's complicated."

"I understand," he said, although he really didn't. "You're entitled to your privacy."

"That's not what I meant," she said. She shook her head and made a noise of frustration. "Gods, this has gone completely wrong."

"Maybe I should," Remus began, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, don't go," she said. She grabbed his hand in hers. "Please." At the look on her face, he nodded. She sighed in relief and moved back towards his side. Remus put an arm around her and she waved her wand to light a fire in the grate. They sat there in silence, Remus still sipping on his wine and wondering just what it was that she was planning and why she couldn't tell him.

* * *

 **25 March 2000**

Hermione stared up at the townhouse, wondering again if this was a good idea. It hadn't been easy to search the Ministry archives and find the address, but Hermione had managed it. Given that she was in the archives so much doing research for her various proposals, no one had questioned why she had spent almost an entire afternoon there. And it had taken her nearly that long to track down the information. She hadn't even been sure the address was current until she had arrived. No one else would paint their front door that particular shade of acid green.

Hermione sighed, mind wandering back to Remus, as it had all morning. He had stayed for less than an hour after their disagreement, the small bit of conversation they did have, stilted and forced. He had kissed her before he left, but it had been different than their passionate kisses from a week ago or even the sweet one that they shared the day after the full moon.

It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him about what she planned to do. But Remus would have had questions and Hermione wasn't ready to answer all of them. Despite the fact that he'd been a Marauder and had a laugh over Hermione setting Professor Snape's robes on fire, she wasn't sure what he would think about her keeping Rita Skeeter in a jar, even if the woman had been a beetle at the time.

Shaking her head, Hermione crossed the street and stood at the bottom of the steps to the townhouse. There were wards, she could feel them, but a quick check didn't show anything particularly nasty. Likely just wards to alert Rita someone was at her front door. Hermione walked up the steps and knocked, keeping her wand in her hand.

When the door opened, the smile slid from Rita's face as soon as she caught sight of Hermione. Rita crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"Still breaking the rules when it suits you, I see." Hermione cocked her head as if she didn't understand. Rita rolled her eyes. "How else would you have found my address?"

"Yes, well, isn't that a bit of the pot calling the kettle black?" Rita did not look amused.

"I have nothing to say to you," Rita said as she started to close the door. Hermione stuck her foot in the doorway.

"I think you might be interested in what _I_ have to say." Rita studied her and Hermione could tell she was intrigued. "Although, this isn't a conversation I want to have on your front step." Rita snorted.

"You really think that I'm going to invite you into my house?" Hermione shrugged.

"We can meet somewhere in Muggle London, if you like." Rita curled her lip in distaste, then studied Hermione thoughtfully. Hermione could almost see the gears turning in the reporter's head as to why Hermione wouldn't want to meet in Diagon Alley.

"And why would I believe that any information from Little Miss Perfect would be something I would want?" Hermione pursed her lips in thought.

"You're right. After writing a bestseller, a Ministry scandal _is_ a bit mundane. I'm sorry to have bothered you." Hermione turned to leave. Rita heaved a loud sigh behind her and Hermione smiled. She looked at Rita over her shoulder.

"I suppose I might as well hear what you have to say," Rita said as if she were doing Hermione a great favor, although Hermione could see the interest in the older woman's eyes. "I was just taking a break from my latest masterpiece anyway." Hermione did not like the smirk on the Rita's face after her last comment, but she stepped into the house when Rita opened the door wider.

Hermione followed the woman through the entry and into a small sitting room. Rita settled onto a small settee and Hermione took the chair opposite. The reporter summoned a Quick Quotes quill and parchment and looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Oh, didn't I mention this was all off the record?" Hermione said innocently. "You won't need to take any notes." Before Rita could protest, Hermione summoned both the quill and the parchment, cast a Finite and tucked them into her beaded bag.

"I don't know what you're playing at, but I don't have time for your little games," Rita hissed.

"If you want this story, you're going to have to do your own research," Hermione said. "I'm sure your particular…talents will serve you well." Rita's eyes hardened and she stood from the settee.

"As you said, I've written a bestseller and I'm nearly finished with another." Rita smiled, but it was anything but pleasant. "I don't think I have time for your trivial little scandal." Hermione shrugged, although she was extremely curious as to who Rita was writing about now.

"You're probably right," Hermione said as she also stood. She began walking back toward the front door. "Taking down a long-standing department head _would_ be rather inconsequential compared to what you've been doing." Hermione had almost reached the front door when Rita called out to her.

"Wait." Hermione turned to look at the older woman who was standing in the doorway to the sitting room. Her face looked unaffected, but there was no missing the glint in her eye. "Long-standing department head you say?" Hermione nodded. Rita tapped a finger against her lips.

"I suppose I _could_ listen to your information," she finally said. "After all, we wouldn't want a corrupt Ministry, now would we."

"No," Hermione said, hiding a smile. "We wouldn't want that at all."

* * *

"The Golden Phoenix?" Rita asked.

"Every Friday and most Tuesdays and Wednesdays," Hermione confirmed. Rita sat back on the settee.

"You know I can't follow him back into the Ministry after," Rita said. "There are wards against people with 'special talents'."

"I'm aware," Hermione replied. "I don't need you to witness what happens once he gets back to the Ministry. Your speculation alone will force an inquiry and there are plenty of people who can speak to what happens _after_ lunch." Rita stared at her contemplatively.

"What's in this for you, Granger?"

"Getting rid of an incompetent department head isn't a good enough reason?" Rita snorted.

"Maybe for some, but not for you." Hermione should have been insulted, but the other woman wasn't wrong.

"He's hurt a friend of mine," Hermione said simply.

"Ah yes, the ever-protective Gryffindor," Rita said, disdain clear in her voice. Hermione ignored it.

"So, you'll investigate?"

"I could use a bit more incentive," Rita said. Hermione rolled her eyes. "My current project. It's about…the war. A few quotes from the Golden Trio could be helpful." Hermione was immediately suspicious at Rita's pause. Knowing the woman's penchant for sensationalism, Hermione was sure that the book was not _just_ about the war. Hermione wasn't about to be complicit in insulting one of her friends.

"As I told you earlier, everything I say today is off the record," she said sweetly. "So, even if I did discuss the war with you, you wouldn't be able to print any of it."

"Then, I'm not sure if I can find the time to go off on your little wizard hunt." Hermione shrugged.

"That's up to you." Hermione stood from her chair once again. "Although, I do know how much you adore seeing your name on the front page. I'm sure I can think of another way to get it there." Rita looked furious.

"I wonder how your friend the Minister would feel if he knew you'd kept me in a jar for days."

"You?" Hermione said innocently. "How could I keep a _person_ in a _jar_?" Hermione looked thoughtful. "I _did_ find a rather interesting looking beetle in the hospital wing once that I kept in a jar for a while. That was probably a bit unkind, but I was just so fascinated by it, it took me a bit to let it go." Rita said nothing, but Hermione could feel the anger. "Well, I suppose I'll be going then." Hermione walked to the front door and let herself out, leaving Rita stewing on the settee. However, Hermione was quite sure she would be seeing a story in the Prophet the following week.

* * *

 **26 March 2000**

Andromeda stepped out of the Floo just as Remus came downstairs with Teddy in his arms. The little boy had just woken up from his nap.

"Nanna!" Teddy called when he caught sight of his grandmother.

"Hello, my darling," she said, taking him from Remus' arms and covering his face with kisses. Teddy giggled and tried to push her away.

"How was your afternoon?" Remus asked once Andromeda had set Teddy down and his son had run off towards his basket of toys.

"Very informative," Andromeda said cryptically. Remus raised an eyebrow in question. "Narcissa had some very interesting things to say about Hubert Fawley."

"What kind of things?"

"It seems Fawley was quite the Voldemort supporter." Remus looked at her in shock.

"He's a Death Eater?"

"No, he never wanted to get his hands dirty," she explained. "However, he had no qualms about providing financial support."

"How did Kingsley miss this?" Andromeda sighed.

"I'm sure there are more in Fawley's position than any of us could imagine," she said. "And Kingsley was concerned about clearing out corruption at the Ministry. You and I both know that it is extremely easy to keep transactions such as these hidden." Remus nodded. The Goblins had never allowed much interference at Gringotts and they only cooperated with the Ministry reluctantly and if it suited their own purposes. Not to mention that there were other ways to provide financial support than with money. As a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, Remus was quite sure that the Fawley family had plenty of heirlooms and artifacts that would have fetched a good price.

"What do you intend to do with this information?" Remus asked. Andromeda smirked.

"I think I shall put it away for a rainy day."

"I heard there is a chance for rain in Scotland tomorrow night," Remus said, lips twitching from trying to hold back a smile.

"Yes, I had heard that as well," Andromeda replied with a wink.

* * *

"Hermione?"

"Remus," Hermione said in surprise when his head appeared in the Floo. She hadn't been expecting to hear from him, although she was quite glad that she had.

"Might I come through?"

"Of course," Hermione said, watching as he disappeared, then stepped out of her fireplace moments later. She stood from the couch and looked at him, trying not to fidget. Remus put his hands in his trouser pockets and looked as if he wasn't sure what to say. After a few moments, they both spoke at the same time.

"Remus, I-"

"Hermione-"

Remus chuckled as Hermione smiled and the tension broke between them. She walked towards him, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him. Remus wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss. Hermione relaxed against him, grateful that she hadn't completely ruined everything.

"Hi," she said when they finally pulled apart.

"Hello," he replied with a smile.

"I'm sorry," they both said, then laughed.

"Why are you apologizing?" Hermione asked.

"As I said before, you have every right to your privacy.," Remus said. Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Remus put a finger to her lips. "I just want you to know that if you do want to talk about it, I'll be happy to listen." Hermione felt worse than she had before, but she still didn't think she was ready to admit what she had done to Rita Skeeter.

It wasn't that Hermione regretted it, in fact, she would likely do it again if faced with the same situation. But after the way that Anthony reacted to some of the things he had discovered about her, Hermione couldn't bear to see the same look in Remus' eyes. Not that Remus was anything like Anthony, of course he wasn't, plus there was the time when he and Sirius were prepared to kill Peter Pettigrew. That was a completely different thing, though, James and Lily had died because of Peter's betrayal, but-

"Hermione?" Remus questioned, pulling Hermione from her thoughts. He looked concerned.

"Sorry," she said. "I, just lost in thought."

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied. Remus still looked worried, so she smiled reassuringly.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," he said. She took his hand and while he still looked a bit anxious, he let her lead him to the couch.

"How is Teddy?" she asked once they'd settled, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere. Remus smiled.

"He is fine, completely over his cold and back to his usual rambunctious self." Hermione laughed, and they spoke about Teddy for a few more minutes.

"I wanted to wish you good luck on your presentation to the Board of Governors. I wasn't sure if I would get a chance to see you tomorrow before the meeting," Remus said a few minutes later. She smiled.

"Thank you."

"Still nervous?" he asked, tucking a curl behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her neck and Hermione felt goosebumps break out over her skin.

"A bit," she admitted.

"I wouldn't worry," he said with a smile. She looked up at him, brow furrowing.

"What do you mean?"

"Only that you and Minerva have done considerable planning to make sure that this proposal will work in the current curriculum. I'm sure the Board will see that." Hermione got the impression that there was something he wasn't telling her, but she didn't press him on it. She was keeping secrets of her own, after all.

"I hope you're right." She looked up at him. "Can you stay for a bit?"

"A bit," he said with a smile. Hermione grinned and leaned forward to kiss him again.

* * *

Remus made his way to his bedroom, still thinking about the conversation with Hermione. He had meant what he said when he apologized to her, but that didn't mean he still wasn't hoping she would confide in him. When she had gotten lost in her thoughts, she had looked almost, scared, about something. Given the way they had just spent the last hour, it was rather obvious that she wasn't frightened of _him_ , but there was definitely something that was keeping her from telling him.

Remus sat down on the edge of his bed and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. He had no room to be upset, he was keeping his own secrets. He hadn't mentioned what Andromeda had found out about Hubert Fawley. While his mother-in-law had not explicitly said what she planned to do with the information, what she _did_ say had made it more than clear. The problem was, while Remus knew that Hermione would be happy if her proposal passed, he wasn't sure how she would feel when she found out why Fawley had voted in favor of it.

Sighing, Remus lay back on his bed and contemplated the ceiling. He almost wished that Andromeda hadn't told him about Fawley at all. Remus could pass the information on to Harry. But, an official investigation could take weeks, if not months and there was no guarantee the Aurors would be able to prove anything. While Minerva would likely have no qualms about removing Fawley on suspicion alone, she would face a backlash from other Pureblood families over it. The last thing Hogwarts needed was to lose students, or, Merlin forbid, Minerva herself. Remus knew there had already been grumbling about some of the appointments Minerva had made since the end of the war. As much as she detested him, Minerva had to keep Fawley on the Board, unless it could be proved that he had given money to Voldemort.

Sighing again, Remus rose from his bed and headed for the bathroom, knowing he wasn't going to solve anything tonight. He would just have to wait and see how the meeting went.

* * *

 **27 March 2000**

"We are ready for you, Hermione," Minerva said, and Hermione stood from the bench she had been sitting on outside the classroom where the Board of Governors was meeting. She stepped inside the room and smiled at Andromeda before her eyes swept over the rest of the people seated around the conference table. Hubert Fawley was missing. Hermione looked back at Minerva in question.

"Are you sure you're ready, Headmistress?" she asked quietly, so the Board members couldn't hear her. Minerva looked at her quizzically. "There seems to be someone missing."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Fawley," Minerva replied. "He resigned from the Board this afternoon." Hermione stared at her former professor in shock. "I spoke with the rest of the Board about postponing your presentation until we could seat a replacement, but they all felt that was unnecessary."

"He resigned?" Hermione repeated. "But, why?"

"Personal reasons, was what he said." Hermione studied the headmistress, but she gave nothing away in her expression.

"All right," Hermione finally said. Minerva smiled at her and ushered her forward. Hermione took her place at the front of the room and after another encouraging smile from Minerva, began her presentation.

* * *

"Is there anything further?" Minerva asked once Hermione had finished her presentation and had answered questions for more than a half hour. When no one responded, Minerva nodded and turned to Hermione.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I will let you know once the Board has taken their formal vote on this matter."

"Thank you, Headmistress," Hermione said formally, nodding to the rest of the Board members in acknowledgement. She gathered the rest of her things and left the classroom.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Hermione leaned back against the wall for a moment. The presentation had gone well, the questions had been thoughtful and simply seeking more specific information. But, Hermione couldn't help but wonder what had made Hubert Fawley decide to resign from the Board just hours before the meeting. She knew that he would have objected to the change in History of Magic, simply on principle. Fawley's staunchest ally on the Board had only asked one question of Hermione that had barely been relevant and when called out on it by Augusta Longbottom, the man had fallen sullenly silent. Hermione wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Hermione," a voice said, and she looked up to see Andromeda coming out of the classroom. "Excellent presentation."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Is the meeting finished?"

"No, we are taking a short break."

"Andromeda," Hermione began, biting her lip. "Do you know what happened with Mr. Fawley?" Andromeda smiled, but there was something in her expression that Hermione couldn't quite identify.

"I thought you would be happy he was gone."

"I am, it's just, it seems…strange, doesn't it?"

"Perhaps," Andromeda said. "Maybe he realized he would not be able to stop the changes at Hogwarts, but, did not want to be a part of them either."

"Maybe," Hermione said, not convinced that was what happened. Hubert Fawley didn't seem like the kind of person that would just give up like that.

"Do not waste your time thinking about Hubert Fawley, Hermione," Andromeda said. "He is not worth it." The last comment was made with a bit of disgust in Andromeda's voice and Hermione looked up at the older woman. But her face betrayed nothing, the smile Andromeda wore looked the same as the one she had first given Hermione in the classroom. Hermione bit back a sigh. Slytherins.

"I'll try," Hermione said. Andromeda smiled wider and patted her shoulder.

"I am sure Minerva will let you know as soon as we have voted, but I fully expect your proposal to pass. It is time for change around here." Hermione smiled back.

"Thank you, Andromeda." The older woman winked before turning back to the classroom. Hermione watched her go and wondered just what, exactly, Andromeda Tonks knew about Hubert Fawley's resignation. Because while the older woman may have been very good and hiding her emotions, it was still apparent that she knew _something_.


	53. Confessions

**A/N - Hello all! Very happy this chapter didn't take as long as the last one. I am slowly getting back into the swing of writing, but I am not promising that I will be getting back to posting weekly. As soon as I do that, likely something will happen, so let's just leave it at I'll post as chapters are written. Thanks so much for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 53**

 **Confessions**

 **27 March 2000**

Hermione hesitated before she Disapparated. She should go home and wait for Minerva's Floo call or owl, but Hermione knew all she would do was pace and fret. She thought about going to see Remus, but it was Teddy's bedtime and Hermione didn't want to interrupt. Teddy would likely be excited to see her and that would make it that much more difficult for Remus to get him down for the night. Instead, she turned and landed on the top step of Grimmauld Place.

She knocked on the front door despite Harry and Ron's insistence that she just let herself in. While Hermione knew she wouldn't be subject to any amorous displays from Harry and Ginny, as Ginny was in Wales, she had no such guarantees about Ron and Susan. Hermione didn't think Susan was one to be an exhibitionist, but she didn't know the woman all _that_ well.

"Miss," Kreacher said with a bow as he opened the door. "Sir is in the kitchen."

"Harry isn't here?" Hermione asked, knowing that Kreacher referred to Ron as 'sir'.

"Master Harry is working," Kreacher explained as he shut the door.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Hermione said, but the elf had already disappeared. He still hadn't forgiven Hermione for bricking over Mrs. Black's portrait. Hermione made her way to the kitchen, smiling as she saw Ron wolfing down a sandwich.

"'Mione," he said around the mouthful of food, but thankfully swallowed before he spoke again.

"Hi, Ron," she said. Ron stood from the table and gave her a peck on the cheek before sitting back down and returning to his food.

"Want something?" he asked, indicating his sandwich before he took another bite.

"Do you have wine or something?" Ron studied her as he chewed. Then he rose and went to the ice box, pulling out a bottle of ale. He poured it into a glass before he set it in front of her.

"Wasn't your Hogwarts presentation tonight?" he asked. She nodded. "Didn't go well?"

"No, it was fine," she said, taking a sip of the ale. She grimaced slightly; it definitely wasn't her favorite. Ron crossed his arms in front of him and leaned back against the sink, waiting for her to go on.

"It was just…strange," she said.

"Strange how?" Hermione sighed.

"Remember that one board member, Hubert Fawley?"

"The one who didn't want the werewolf class?"

"Yes, well, apparently, he resigned from the board this afternoon." Ron's eyebrows rose.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "Minerva said it was for personal reasons."

"Then, I don't understand the problem." Ron said.

"Well, don't you think the timing is a little odd?"

"I suppose," Ron agreed. Hermione fidgeted and took another sip of the ale. "What is it?"

"It's just, a conversation I had with Andromeda after my presentation," Hermione said, biting her lip. "I got the impression that she knew something. Maybe the real reason he resigned."

"Did you ask her about it?" Ron asked.

"Yes, and she said that maybe it was because he realized that things were going to change at Hogwarts and he didn't want to be a part of it."

"Makes sense to me," Ron said.

"I don't know, Ron, I just didn't get that impression from him."

"Hermione, isn't it good for you that he resigned? I mean, he was against your proposal."

"Well, yes, but, I," she trailed off and shook her head. Ron returned to the table and sat down.

"You just wanted to be able to convince him that your idea was a good one," Ron said with a smirk.

"No," she said with a sniff. Ron looked at her skeptically. Hermione huffed. "Fine, maybe."

"Or, maybe you just wanted to see his face when the rest of the board voted yes."

"I'm not allowed to stay for the vote," Hermione muttered. Ron laughed. She scowled at him.

"Look, Hermione, I know that you want to bring everyone around to your way of thinking and that's admirable, it is. But, it's not realistic. Just be happy he's not there to cause more problems and celebrate that your proposal passed."

"It hasn't passed yet," Hermione reminded him. He snorted.

"Technically." He returned to his sandwich and Hermione smiled fondly at him. She moved to pick up the glass of ale again, made a face and passed it to Ron.

"Sorry, that's all we've got except Firewhiskey," he said. "Want me to send Kreacher out for something?"

"No," Hermione said immediately. She stood from the table and went to the ice box, pulling out a butterbeer instead.

"How's Susan?" she asked. A slight blush creeped up Ron's neck.

"She's good," he said with a small smile. Hermione grinned and she moved back to the table.

"That's all I get?" she teased. Ron looked up at her and shook his head.

"It's just weird talking about this with you." Hermione smiled softly and put a hand on his arm.

"I'm really happy for you, Ron." Ron smiled at her, then reached over and hugged her.

"Thanks, Hermione." He took another huge bite of his sandwich and a swig of ale, then looked at her. "What about you?"

"What about me?" she said, stomach tightening.

"Seeing anyone?"

"Not really," Hermione said, busying herself taking a drink of her butterbeer. She should have never brought up Susan. Hermione should have known it would lead Ron to ask about her own love life. She wasn't ready to tell him about Remus yet. She could feel Ron's eyes on her and she forced herself to keep a neutral expression on her face while she met his gaze.

"Somehow, I'm not convinced that's true." Hermione shrugged and tried to look nonchalant.

"All right, keep your secrets," Ron said. "I'll find out eventually." He winked at her and she laughed, hoping he didn't notice how breathless she sounded. Soon, she promised herself. She would tell him soon.

* * *

Andromeda came through the Floo with a wide smile on her face. Remus felt his own lips turning up in response.

"It passed, I take it?"

"Five to one," she said smugly. Remus' brow furrowed. Five to one? But there were seven members on the Board of Governors.

"Did someone abstain?"

"No," Andromeda said with a smirk. "Hubert resigned this afternoon."

"Resigned," Remus repeated. The smirk was still on Andromeda's face. So, she'd gotten him to resign all together, instead of just blackmailing him for his vote.

"Yes, I suppose giving up his board seat was a small price to pay to avoid a cell in Azkaban." Remus' stomach twisted. While Remus was happy the man was off the board, he _should_ be in Azkaban.

"Andromeda," he began, but she interrupted.

"You know, I was thinking that I should tell Harry he might want to speak to Narcissa." Remus' brow quirked in question. "She does have so many _interesting_ stories to tell about the war." Remus smothered a smile. Just because Andromeda had likely sworn that she wouldn't tell anyone about Fawley's financial involvement if he resigned, didn't mean she couldn't lead someone else to discover the same information.

"I'm sure she does," Remus replied.

"Teddy is asleep?" Andromeda asked.

"Yes, just."

"Well, then, there is likely a young lady who is up for a bit of celebration. Or will be soon." Remus felt his face heat. It was one thing for Andromeda to support his relationship with Hermione, but another to make suggestions like _that_ to him.

"Yes, well," he said, clearing his throat. "I think I'll wait until she contacts me. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"Suit yourself," Andromeda said, not trying to hide the smile on her face. Remus rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Andromeda chuckled and kissed his cheek. "Good night, Remus."

"Good night." She smiled one last time before she left the room.

Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face when she'd gone. Merlin save him from devious Slytherins.

* * *

There was an owl waiting for her when Hermione arrived home. She and Ron had talked and laughed for over an hour and it had been like old times. She wondered if it would still be that way once Ron found out about Remus. Deciding not to think on that right now, Hermione took the note from the owl's leg and offered it a bit of leftover ham as apology for making it wait so long.

The note was from Minerva, as Hermione had expected, and Hermione couldn't help the laugh of delight when she read that the proposal had been approved. Minerva asked Hermione to contact her to set up a time to discuss specifics.

Hermione went immediately to the Floo and called the headmistress. She apologized for not being home to take Minerva's Floo call earlier, but the professor waved off Hermione's apology.

"Congratulations, Hermione," Minerva said with a smile.

"Thank you," Hermione replied. "But I couldn't have done it without your help."

"I would like to set up a meeting later this week, so we can discuss specifics on moving forward."

"Of course," Hermione said, the two of them agreeing on a time. Hermione bade the headmistress good night and pulled her head from the Floo. She sat back on her heels and smiled. Glancing up at the clock, Hermione decided that it wasn't that late, and Remus would likely still be awake. She was sure that Andromeda had already given him the news. Maybe he was even waiting for her to call him. Smiling, she grabbed a bit more Floo powder and threw it in the grate.

"Remus?" she called softly when his living room appeared. She looked around. There was a glass and a book on an end table, but no one appeared.

"Andromeda?" Hermione called. No one answered. Hermione waited a few minutes, but when the house remained silent and no one came into view, she pulled her head from the Floo in disappointment.

* * *

Remus sat in the armchair reading his book and glancing up at the clock every few minutes, hoping that Hermione would call. Andromeda had been home for nearly an hour, surely Hermione would have gotten word by now. It wasn't that late, he doubted that Hermione would think Remus had gone to bed already.

Just as he was thinking about calling her himself, there was a scream from upstairs. Remus jumped out of his chair and raced up the stairs, reaching Teddy's room just as Andromeda did. The both rushed inside to find Teddy sitting in his cot, tears running down his face as he screamed.

"Dad-dy," he sobbed, breath hitching. Remus immediately picked up his son.

"What is it, Teddy? Are you hurt?" Teddy buried his face in Remus' shoulder, and clutched at Remus' shirt. He babbled nearly incoherently as Andromeda began to cast diagnostic spells over him.

"He seems to be all right," she said in relief. "No fever or injuries." Remus let out a breath and tried to get control over the pounding of his heart while he continued to rub Teddy's back.

"Shh, it's all right. Daddy's here." Teddy's sobs gradually stopped, though he still sniffled and hiccoughed occasionally.

"What's the matter, darling?" Andromeda asked as she stroked his hair. Teddy looked at her from the safety of Remus' chest.

"Na-na," he whispered.

"Yes, love, Nanna and your daddy are both here." Teddy gave a hitching breath, then closed his eyes and snuggled into Remus. In a few moments, Remus could feel Teddy's breathing even out and the little boy was asleep again. He moved slowly to the rocking chair in the corner and sat down in it. Andromeda ran her hand once more over Teddy's head.

"Likely a nightmare," she said. Remus nodded. Once Andromeda had determined that nothing was physically wrong with Teddy, it had been Remus' first thought as well. Teddy likely wouldn't even remember it in the morning.

"I will head back to bed if you are all right here?"

"We're fine," Remus said, beginning to rock Teddy. "Thank you, Andromeda." Andromeda gave him a smile, placed a kiss on top of Teddy's head and left the room. Remus finally began to relax into the chair as he rocked his son. He turned and kissed Teddy's forehead and continued rubbing his back, unaware that Hermione was trying to Floo him downstairs.

* * *

 **28 March 2000**

Hermione hurried down to the Atrium towards the Floos. She was planning on meeting Remus after work and she was running late. After not being able to contact him the night before, Hermione had sent him an owl this morning, inviting him to dinner. They were planning to meet at her house and Hermione was going to take him to her favorite Italian restaurant. She had intended on getting home in time to change and get herself ready. Now, she would be lucky if she got there before he arrived.

Grumbling at the line at the Floos, Hermione tapped her foot impatiently. She should have Apparated, but by the time she got to the Apparition point now, it would be her turn to Floo. When she finally stepped into her living room, she was irritated, disheveled and sweaty.

Rushing upstairs, she began to strip off her clothes before she had even reached her room. Casting a cleansing charm as there was no time for a shower, she had just pulled on a short-sleeved top when she heard a knock at the back door. Blowing out a breath in exasperation, she yanked on her skirt and then grabbed a cardigan before she ran back downstairs to let Remus in. She was still pulling on the cardigan when she opened the back door.

"Hello, Hermione," Remus said with a smile.

"Hi," she said, still trying to pull herself together. The left sleeve of her cardigan had twisted and she was having a hard time getting her arm through it. She ushered Remus into the house and then shoved her hand as hard as she could. Her hand shot through the end of the sleeve and it bunched up on her forearm. Hermione hurriedly yanked it back down to her wrist as she closed the back door.

"I'm sorry, I kept you waiting. I left work late and then I needed to change and," she trailed off and shook her head at Remus' amused expression. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"I hardly had to wait," Remus said, walking towards her. "Congratulations. Andromeda told me your proposal passed." Hermione grinned.

"Thank you," she said, reaching over to take his hand. He leaned down and kissed her. Hermione sighed into his mouth and relaxed against him, resting her free hand on the back of his neck. She smiled at him when they parted, the irritation from work completely gone.

"I tried to Floo last night to tell you about it," she said. "But everyone must have already been asleep."

"Actually, Teddy had a nightmare," Remus said.

"Oh, no," Hermione replied. "Is he all right?"

"Perfectly fine this morning," Remus said. "I don't think he even remembered it. I can't say the same for Andromeda and myself."

"I can imagine," Hermione said sympathetically, squeezing his hand. Remus gave her a smile and raised their joined hands, kissing the back of hers. She smiled and glanced at the clock on the mantel. "We had better be going if we're going to make our reservation. There's an alley a block or so away. I can take you side-along."

She kept hold of Remus' hand and locked the back door once they'd left. He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed him quickly before they turned and Disapparated.

* * *

They landed in a dingy alley and Remus immediately looked around to make sure no one had seen them. He offered Hermione his arm and they made their way to the pavement and then walked the block to the restaurant.

When Hermione had answered the door, Remus saw the same glamour on her arm that he'd seen at Ginny's birthday party the summer after the war. At the time, he had thought that maybe it was an injury from the war that she was keeping covered until it was fully healed. But that had been a year and a half ago. Which likely meant it was a scar she was covering. Remus was well aware of the desire to keep scars hidden, he had plenty of his own he'd like to get rid of. He couldn't fault her for that. He hoped that she might tell him about it one day, however.

Hermione gave her name to the host at the front of the restaurant and they were led back to a small, corner table. It was far enough away from the other patrons that they wouldn't have to be worried about being overheard. Remus wondered if Hermione had requested in specifically. He was sure she wanted to talk about her presentation without having to sensor what she said around the Muggles.

They perused their menus and Hermione made recommendations based on her previous visits. Remus deferred to her on the wine, not knowing much about Muggle vintages. When they had ordered and the waiter had brought the wine, Remus raised his glass to her.

"To the success of your proposal," he said. Hermione smiled and clinked her glass with his. The two of them chatted about the presentation and the questions the board had asked until their salads arrived. Hermione's face turned pensive as she took a bite.

"Something wrong?" Remus asked.

"It's just, did Andromeda mention that Hubert Fawley wasn't at the meeting?" Remus swallowed and tried not to react to her question.

"She did," Remus confirmed. "She said he resigned."

"I thought that was extremely odd," Hermione said.

"How so?"

"He was so adamant about not passing my initial werewolf proposal," Hermione said. "Yes, he tried to make it about being fair to other beings and creatures, but I was aware of his prejudice. I just find it strange that he would resign the very day my new proposal was coming up for a vote." Remus took a sip of his wine before he answered.

"Maybe he realized that the proposal was going to pass with or without him and decided to distance himself from something he didn't support." Hermione sighed.

"Andromeda said the same thing, but," she paused and bit her lip. "I just can't help thinking that there had to be another reason."

"Even if he had been there to vote, it sounds as if it still would have been five to two," Remus pointed out. "So, it would have still passed."

"I know," Hermione said, "Ron as good as told me I was being silly about it."

"Ron?" Remus questioned, wondering when she had spoken to her ex-boyfriend.

"Yes, I went to Grimmauld Place after the meeting. I wanted to talk to Harry, but he was working. Ron was there, and we had a good talk." She smiled and then glanced at Remus. He was trying not to react to the fact she hadn't come to see him after her presentation. He understood how close she and Harry were, but Remus couldn't deny that it stung that after not finding Harry at home, Ron had been the first one she had discussed it with. But, he was being ridiculous, of course. Ron was one of her best friends, naturally, she was going to talk to him about the presentation

"Of course, I would have come to your house," Hermione continued. "But it was Teddy's bedtime and I didn't want to get him all wound up again." Remus felt a blush creep up his neck and Hermione reached across the table and put a hand over his.

"I appreciate that," Remus said. He felt like an idiot. Hermione simply smiled and returned to her salad.

The discussed a variety of topics over dinner and before Remus even realized it, nearly two hours had passed. It was a good thing it was a weeknight and not the weekend or he was sure they would have been getting glares from the waitstaff for occupying the table for so long.

When the check was delivered, Remus reached for his wallet, but Hermione stilled him with a hand on his.

"I invited you, remember?" she said.

"Hermione," he protested, but she shook her head.

"This was my idea, my treat," she insisted. Remus wanted to keep arguing with her, but he knew he would likely lose.

After Hermione had paid the bill, he stood and pulled her chair out for her and he guided her to the front of the restaurant with a hand at the small of her back. They made their way back to the alley and Remus took her in his arms once more, although they were both capable of Apparating back to her house. When they landed, he stole a kiss before following her to the back door.

Once inside, Hermione went into the kitchen to get them something to drink and Remus sat down on the couch in front of the fireplace. There was a piece of parchment on the side table and he glanced at it when he recognized the handwriting at Minerva's. When Hermione came into the room with two glasses of wine, she saw what had drawn his attention.

"Minerva and I are meeting on Thursday to discuss specifics about the new class," Hermione explained. Remus nodded and Hermione fell silent again. He reached a hand over and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"What's the matter?" She shook her head and sighed.

"I know I shouldn't keep dwelling on it, but I can't get Fawley's resignation out of my head." Remus felt guilty once more.

"Hermione," Remus began, but she interrupted.

"It's like a puzzle that I can't solve and it's driving me mad." She sighed again and stood from the couch, beginning to pace. "I know he wasn't in favor of my proposal and it doesn't make any sense that he wouldn't have fought to keep it from passing. He was successful in blocking the werewolf seminar even after everyone was convinced that it would be approved. I just don't understand." Remus looked down at his lap. He couldn't let her keep going on about this when he knew what had happened.

"Hermione," he said quietly. "I know why Fawley resigned." Hermione immediately halted.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"I know why he resigned," Remus said again. Hermione's brow furrowed.

" _You_ know?" Remus nodded. "How?"

"Please," he said. "Sit down." Hermione took her seat once again and looked at him.

"Some information came to light," he began.

"What kind of information?" Hermione interrupted. Remus sighed.

"Apparently, Fawley was funneling money to Voldemort during the war." Hermione's mouth dropped open. "He never took the Mark or verbally endorsed him, as far as I am aware, but he did support him financially." Remus looked down at his lap, loathe to tell her the rest. "Fawley was made aware that someone had this information and he resigned shortly after." Remus glanced up at Hermione and he could see her brain working. He was not planning on implicating Andromeda in all of this, if he could help it. Hermione was likely going to be upset with him for not telling her, he didn't want her to be angry with Andromeda too. Of course, it didn't surprise him that she figured it out on her own.

"This is what Andromeda wasn't telling me at the meeting," Hermione said, almost absent-mindedly. She looked back at Remus. "She had the information, didn't she?" Remus stared at her for a moment. She didn't look angry, but he couldn't be sure.

"I, well," he hedged. Hermione laughed. It wasn't bitter laughter either. Remus looked at her in surprise. She looked genuinely amused.

"I wish I could have seen his face," Hermione said. Remus was gobsmacked.

"You're, you're not…upset about this?"

"Well, I would have liked to have had him there for the proposal, just to see his reaction when it passed."

"Hermione, I," Remus trailed off, unsure what to say.

"He supported Voldemort, Remus," Hermione said. "Andromeda let him off easy." A smile played about Remus' lips.

"I believe that Harry is going to be encouraged to talk to Andromeda's source." Hermione laughed again and nodded.

"Good." Remus took her hand in his.

"Are you truly all right with this?" Remus asked. "Not the outcome, that I think we're all fine with, but the method? I know it likely seems a bit…unsavory." He was surprised when Hermione snorted and shook her head.

"Do you remember the conversation we had the other day about Gwendolyn and her transfer?"

"Yes," he said, confused by the change in topic.

"I," Hermione paused and bit her lip. Remus looked at her encouragingly.

"I kept Rita Skeeter in a jar for over a week at the end fourth year," she blurted. There was silence in the room as Remus tried to process what she'd said.

"Sorry?" he finally said. Hermione blew out a breath.

"You remember all those horrible articles she was writing about Harry during the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Remus nodded. "Well, I couldn't figure out how she was getting her information. Most of it was said in private with only a few people around, none of whom would have betrayed Harry to her. Then, she reported something that Viktor said to me, but only he and I were present when he said it. I finally realized she was an Animagus. Unregistered, of course. I spotted her in the hospital wing, she's a beetle, after the third task and I, well, I put her in a jar with an unbreakable charm on it." Hermione was wringing her hands in front of her.

"I, I kept her there until we got back to London on the Hogwarts Express and before I let her go, I made her promise that she wouldn't write anything for a year. Or I'd report her to the Ministry. That's who I went to see the other day. I want her to spy on Satterfield at lunch." Hermione had been staring at her lap, but now she glanced up at Remus. He couldn't speak. Hermione, at fifteen, had kept a reporter in a _jar_?

"I probably shouldn't have," Hermione said. "I should have just turned her in to the Ministry, but they knew I supported Harry, so I doubt they would have believed anything I had to say and I really just wanted her to leave Harry alone. She heard everything Fudge and Dumbledore argued about and she saw Sirius transform and she saw how upset Harry was and-" before she could continue, Remus put his fingers to her lips. Her rambling speech halted and she looked up at him, apprehension clear on her face.

"You really are completely brilliant," he said. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"You're not, you don't, I mean, what I did, I," but Remus shook his head.

"I'm not upset." Hermione stared at him for a few moments before she nearly sagged in relief. "I _am_ a bit scared of you now, to be honest." Hermione's head shot up and her mouth opened in surprise. When she saw his smile, she relaxed again, realizing he was teasing her. She slapped his shoulder and he chuckled. He gathered her into his arms and she sighed in relief and wrapped her arms around him before resting her head on his shoulder. He ran a hand down her curls.

"Did you really think that I would be angry with you about this?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Not…angry, exactly," she said. "More like horrified." He snorted.

"We've all done things we're not proud of, Hermione." She sighed again, but it sounded different this time. He pulled back to look at her and she bit her lip, refusing to meet his gaze. "You _are_ proud of it?"

"Not proud, no," she said. She finally looked up and met his eyes. "But, I don't regret it." He smiled softly at her.

"You were trying to protect Harry," Remus said. "I can't blame you for that." Hermione studied his face for a moment, then moved forward and kissed him. He returned it, pulling her closer to him, her arms leaving his back to twine around his neck.

"Thank you," she said, when they finally pulled apart. He kissed her temple and leaned back into the couch, pulling her into his side.

"Tell me about Satterfield."

"He takes long lunches quite often and he's nearly always drunk when they're over. I know that Victoria, his secretary, keeps sobering potions in his office, but I also know that he's conducted business while drunk at least once. I can't imagine that it hasn't happened more often."

"Is Kingsley aware of this?" Remus asked.

"Yes, but," she paused and sighed. "Satterfield signed off on my House-Elf proposal while he was drunk."

"And Kingsley didn't want the Wizengamot to reconsider if they found out that the proposal didn't really have Satterfield's support."

"Exactly," Hermione said. She reached out and began running a finger around one of the buttons on Remus' shirt. "Kingsley has his own investigation going, but it's taking too long. I'm sure Gwendolyn isn't the only one thinking about quitting. The Ministry can't afford to lose good people."

"No, they can't," Remus agreed. He tightened his arm around Hermione. "I just don't want you to be implicated in this."

"Rita won't give up her sources because then she'd have to admit how she got her newest information," Hermione said confidently.

"I hope you're right," Remus said. Hermione propped her chin on his chest and grinned. He chuckled. "I suppose now you're going to say something about always being right." She shrugged.

" _I_ didn't say it." He laughed and leaned down to kiss her again.

* * *

 **30 March 2000**

Hermione sat down to breakfast and unrolled the Daily Prophet. She glanced at the headline and dropped her fork.

 _ **Ministry Head – Drinks at Lunch a Larger Problem?**_

 _ **by Rita Skeeter**_

 _Barnaby Satterfield, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, was spotted having lunch at The Golden Phoenix yesterday. While this, in and of itself, is nothing unusual, the owner informed me that Mr. Satterfield often lunches in his establishment, the fact that the department head polished off almost an entire bottle of Firewhiskey on his own is something else altogether._

 _Sources tell me that Satterfield was dining with two other colleagues, both of whom enjoyed one glass of the potent liquor with their meals. The bottle, however, was completely empty once the bill was paid. Satterfield was observed weaving unevenly on his return to the Apparition point in Diagon Alley and this reporter questions how he managed to return to the Ministry without Splinching himself._

 _One wonders if the Minister is aware that one of his long-standing department heads is spending his lunches intoxicated and if this state continues once he resumes his duties at the Ministry. Perhaps in his zeal to rid the Ministry of You-Know-Who's followers and supporters, Minister Shacklebolt has forgotten about the other codes of conduct for employees._

Hermione blew out a breath and leaned back in her chair. The article was mostly what she wanted, except for the dig against Kingsley. However, she couldn't deny that it would likely make Kingsley all the more intent on getting rid of Satterfield. Hermione hurriedly ate her breakfast and was crossing through the living room to head back upstairs to get dressed when the Floo came to life.

"Hermione?" Gwendolyn's voice said.

"Gwendolyn," Hermione replied, dropping to her knees in front of the fireplace. Gwendolyn had a wide smile on her face.

"This was your plan, I take it?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. Gwendolyn laughed.

"Things are definitely going to be interesting at work today."

"I think that's probably an understatement," Hermione said with a smirk.

"Care to meet me after work for a drink?" Gwendolyn asked. "I'll fill you in on the inevitable fireworks."

"Absolutely," Hermione said.

"There's a pub next to that café we had lunch in last week," Gwendolyn said. Muggle London again which was probably the best idea, considering.

"I'll see you there." Gwendolyn ended the call. Hermione couldn't help but smile. Hopefully, getting rid of Satterfield would get Gwendolyn her old job back.

* * *

Remus stared at the headline in the Prophet again. He had known it was coming, of course, but that didn't make him any less worried. Kingsley would start a formal inquiry, he wouldn't have a choice, but Remus was still concerned that any proposals Satterfield had signed would come under scrutiny now. While unlikely, given how much work had already been done, the Wizengamot could reverse their decision on the House-Elf bill.

He was sure that Hermione was right; Rita wouldn't give up her sources and not just because she was an illegal Animagus. She was also a journalist and, sensationalist or not, journalists _did_ protect their sources. He doubted that anyone would try and force her to anyway. It seemed that Satterfield wasn't very careful about who saw him in his inebriated state. Any number of people could have been Rita's source.

Remus hadn't had a chance to read more than the headline while giving Teddy his breakfast earlier. It wasn't until just a short time ago that he had sat down to read the full article. Hermione would already be gone to work, he knew. Remus would have liked to take her to lunch, but they were still keeping their relationship quiet and Remus couldn't think of a reason to show up at the Ministry, let alone ask Hermione to lunch. It would have to wait until after work then.

"Daddy," Teddy called, racing into the room. "Go park!" He already had his coat on.

"I did tell you we could go to the park today, didn't I?" Teddy nodded vigorously as Andromeda walked into the room and tried to put a cap on his head. Teddy had the tendency to shift his hair color as he played, not even realizing he was doing it. Caps were must when they went to the Muggle park down the street.

"All right," Remus said with a chuckle as Andromeda finally got the hat on Teddy's head. Remus transfigured his cloak into a coat and picked Teddy up.

"No!" Teddy said squirming in Remus' arms. "Me walk!" It was going to be one of _those_ days, Remus thought with a sigh. A day when his son insisted on doing everything for himself, regardless of how long it took. Remus set the boy on his feet and took his hand instead.

"Have fun," Andromeda said, giving Remus a sympathetic look. It would take them three times as long to get to the park now that Teddy had insisted on walking.

"Bye Nanna!" Teddy said, yanking on Remus' hand and pulling him out the door.

* * *

Hermione walked into the pub that she and Gwendolyn had decided to meet in, looking around for the older woman. Hermione spotted her at a table near the back and began to make her way over. A man stepped away from the bar and Hermione, too close to stop, bumped into him. He had been carrying two glasses of ale and some of it sloshed out of the glasses and onto his hand.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Hermione said.

"Not your fault," the man replied with a smile. "I wasn't paying attention."

Hermione automatically went for her wand to cast a drying charm but stopped at the last moment when she remembered where she was. Instead, she reached over to the bar and grabbed a few napkins, trying to dry off his hand and sleeve.

"Thank you," he said when she'd finished. She glanced at Gwendolyn who had risen from her chair and looked to be on her way over. Hermione waved her off. The man glanced back at Gwendolyn and then looked again at Hermione.

"I was just on my way back to my mate there," he said indicated a table a few feet away, where another man sat. "You and your friend care to join us?"

"Oh, thank you for the invitation, but no," Hermione said with a polite smile. The man shrugged.

"Maybe next time." He winked and Hermione smiled again, leaving to join Gwendolyn.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"No one I know," Hermione replied. "I bumped into him on my way over here." Gwendolyn continued to watch the man as he walked back to his table.

"Rather good-looking, isn't he?" she asked, glint in her eye.

"I didn't really notice," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Didn't notice?" Gwendolyn repeated in disbelief. "How could you not?" Hermione chanced a glance at the man again and supposed that he _was_ attractive.

"I don't know, I guess he isn't my type."

"Not your type? With those eyes and that dimple?" Gwendolyn studied her. "I didn't think you were seeing anyone." Hermione shifted in her seat and before she could say anything Gwendolyn continued. "You _are_ seeing someone?"

"I didn't say that," Hermione replied, but her eyes shifted away.

"It's all right," Gwendolyn said. "It's none of my business." She tried to smile, but Hermione could tell it was forced.

"It's not that," Hermione insisted. "It's just, we're keeping it quiet right now."

"I see," Gwendolyn replied. Hermione could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Not for any untoward reason," Hermione said. Gwendolyn held her hands up in surrender.

"As I said, none of my business." There was a smile playing about her lips. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Can we stop talking about my love life?" Gwendolyn laughed as a waitress appeared at their table. Hermione ordered a glass of wine.

"Tell me what happened today," Hermione requested once the waitress had left.

"Well, everyone was talking about the article, of course," Gwendolyn began. "I saw Mr. Satterfield come in just before nine. He didn't look pleased. He holed himself up in his office all day, didn't even leave for lunch, but he did call in both Barbary and Mr. Hughes at one point."

Hermione wasn't surprised about Hughes. He was the head of the Beast Division and was one of Satterfield's closest allies, as far as Hermione could figure. She was a bit surprised that he would have spoken to Barbary, however. Barbary must have gotten much closer to Satterfield than Hermione had thought. She wondered how much information Barbary had already given Kingsley. The waitress returned with Hermione's wine and she took a sip, looking thoughtful.

"What's that look for?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "Did you ever file that grievance with the Minister?"

"I did, just Monday, actually," Gwendolyn replied. "I got a memo from the Minister's office just before I left asking me to be in his office tomorrow morning. I assume he wants to discuss it with me." Hermione nodded.

"I wonder if Satterfield has been summoned," Hermione said with a smirk.

"If he has, he's kept a tight lid on it," Gwendolyn said. "And that's saying something considering how gossip spreads around the Ministry."

"Well, here's to hoping that the Minister will finally get rid of Satterfield for good," Hermione said, raising her glass. Gwendolyn clinked hers against Hermione's and the two began to speculate as to who might take over the DRCMC if Satterfield was sacked.

Nearly an hour and two glasses of wine later, Hermione decided she had better head home. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch and drinking two glasses of wine on an empty stomach wasn't the smartest of ideas. She laughed at something Gwendolyn said as they passed by the man that Hermione had run into earlier. He winked at her and she smiled, buoyed by the alcohol. As she and Gwendolyn were making their good-byes outside the pub, the man came outside. Hermione didn't pay him much mind, but as she turned to leave after Gwendolyn had walked off, he grasped her arm. Not expecting, Hermione stumbled and fell into him. He let her lean against him longer than was necessary and Hermione shot him a look as she regained her footing.

"Sorry," he said as he steadied her. "I just hoped that you would stay and let me buy you a drink. My friend's left as well."

"Thank you, but no," Hermione said again. "I really need to get home."

"Oh, come on, just one," the man said, putting a hand on her arm again.

"I'm sorry, no."

"How about your number then?" he said. He had moved rather close to her and Hermione was starting to get annoyed.

"I believe I said no," she said firmly, shaking the man's hand off. She put her hand into her pocket and grasped her wand, ready to hex him if he didn't take the hint.

"All right, all right," he finally said. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"I doubt it," Hermione muttered. She spun on her heel and hurried toward the Ministry Apparition point, wanting nothing more than to get home.

* * *

Remus arrived outside Hermione's back door and knocked. After a few moments, Remus knocked again, but there was still no answer. He should have Flooed first to be sure she was home. Sighing, Remus turned to go when there was a crack and Hermione appeared next to him.

"Remus," she said, looking quite relieved to see him there. Before he could say anything, she threw herself into his arms. Remus pulled her towards him.

"Hermione, what's the mat-" he trailed off as he got a whiff of her scent. He could tell she'd been drinking, but there was something else there. Some _one_ else. It wasn't unusual for Remus to smell other people's scents mingled with Hermione's. She worked in the Ministry and came into casual contact with a variety of people throughout her day. But this was much stronger than it should have been for only casual contact and it wasn't one Remus recognized. His nostrils flared as he pulled away from her.

"Hermione, why do you smell like men's cologne?"


	54. Confrontations

**A/N - Hi everyone! I had a really good writing day today and I was able to finish up this chapter. And look at that, it's even Thursday. Not sure on the next one, next week is kind of crazy for me, but I'll do my best! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 54**

 **Confrontations**

 **30 March 2000**

"Ugh, that. Come inside," Hermione said, opening the door and stepping into the house. Not only was she still annoyed with the man from the pub, Hermione was hungry and just really wanted to talk to Remus about what Gwendolyn had told her. She had been intending to Floo him as soon as she'd eaten something and had been quite happy to see him in her back garden when she arrived.

As Hermione stepped towards the coat rack, she realized Remus wasn't behind her. Brow furrowing, she turned around and saw him still standing outside looking, well, she wasn't sure what to call the expression in his face.

"Remus?" she questioned. He finally followed her into the house and Hermione shut the door behind him.

"Have you had dinner?" she asked as she took off her coat and hung it up. "I didn't eat anything at the pub. I thought I'd just cook up some pasta and make a salad."

"Hermione," he said, and Hermione looked up at him. Her eyes widened at the expression on his face. He looked almost, angry, but she wasn't sure why. "What happened?"

"I met Gwendolyn at a pub after work to talk about Satterfield," Hermione said. "A Muggle pub. I bumped into someone as I was walking towards Gwendolyn's table." Hermione turned and walked toward the couch. When she faced Remus again, he looked slightly less tense. "The man I bumped into, he asked if Gwendolyn and I would like to join him and his friend. I said no, and he walked away."

"I thought that was the end of it," Hermione said as she sighed and crossed her arms in front of her.

"But it wasn't?" Remus asked. She shook her head.

"When he saw us leave the pub, he followed. Gwendolyn had already walked off and I was turning to go back to the Ministry to Apparate when he grabbed my arm. I stumbled and lost my balance and fell into him. That's probably why you could smell him." Hermione's irritation was growing again.

"And then he wouldn't take no for an answer," she said, throwing her hands up in the air. "He kept asking me if I would join him for a drink and for my number, even after I said no multiple times. He put his hand on my arm and kept giving me this stupid grin." Hermione continued her rant about idiotic men who thought every woman should fall at their feet with just a wink and a smile until she heard Remus growl. She looked up sharply and saw that he looked furious. His hands were fisted at his sides and his jaw was clenched. His eyes were swirling amber and Hermione was quite sure it wasn't from desire as it had been the last time.

Her eyes narrowed. Why was he so upset? Surely, he didn't think that she had done something to lead this man on. Surely, he wasn't thinking it was _her_ fault.

* * *

Remus could feel the muscle working in his jaw. He tried to say something, but he couldn't. His hands were fisted so tightly, he could feel his nails cutting into his palms. Hermione continued her rant, clearly just as upset about the situation as he was, but all Remus could think was finding the wanker and beating him to a bloody pulp.

Ever since he had smelled the scent of the other man on her, Remus had been trying not to jump to conclusions. This was Hermione, he trusted her. When she had explained that she bumped into someone in the pub, Remus had relaxed slightly. The scent had been weaker once she removed her coat. He had forced the flair of jealousy down at first. It wasn't Hermione's fault she had been hit on in the pub.

But when she told him what happened when she tried to leave, he hadn't been able to help his anger. He couldn't get the image of someone touching her after she'd said no out of his head. The wolf was both possessive and protective, but this far removed from one moon and more than two weeks until the next allowed Remus a bit more control than he might have had if the timing had been different. Otherwise, he likely _would_ have gone to try and hunt the man down, as futile as that might have been. Still, he growled before he could stop it. Hermione's eyes snapped up to his and they immediately narrowed. Remus tried to get himself under control as she stared at him.

"You don't think," she began, then stopped and shook her head. She looked at him again and he tried to say something, but he was having trouble forming words. His nostrils flared again, and her eyes narrowed further before she glared at him.

"Are you, you're not thinking this is _my_ fault?" she said angrily. When he didn't immediately respond, she looked incensed for a moment, the expression changing to disappointment seconds later. "I can't believe you would, would think that." She turned slightly away from him, shaking her head.

"No!" Remus finally shouted. Hermione jumped and stared at him in shock. He drew in a breath through his nose, his hands still fisted.

"No," he said again, quieter this time. "I don't think that."

"Then _why_ are you so angry?" she demanded, hands on her hips. "Is this some stupid, unwarranted jealousy thing because I've had to deal with that before and-"

"He touched you," Remus interrupted with a growl. "Even after you said no more than once, he still touched you." Hermione's expression softened.

"Remus, he just put his hand on my arm," she said. "He didn't hurt me."

"You said no." Hermione took a step forward. He watched her until she stood right in front of him. He had calmed somewhat and when she reached for his hand, he let her take it. She ran a thumb back and forth over his knuckles which calmed him further. Sighing, she leaned into him and after a few seconds, he wrapped his free arm around her and pulled her tightly to him.

* * *

Hermione sighed in relief when Remus wrapped his arm around her and hugged her. She hadn't even noticed how angry Remus was getting at first. The fact that he had really been angry with the man from the pub had made sense once she'd realized. But she never expected that he would get _this_ upset about it. She could take care of herself, after all. Maybe the way she'd thrown herself into Remus' arms when she'd seen him had led him to believe that she had been more frightened than she let on.

Truthfully, she hadn't been scared at all. As a witch, she was more than capable of protecting herself from a Muggle, as long as she had her wand. She had simply been happy to see Remus after her long day of speculation as to what was going to happen after the article came out. The two glasses of wine she'd had at the pub had been a part of it too, she supposed.

She finally felt the rigidity leave Remus' body and she pulled back to look at him. There was still a bit of amber in his eyes, but it had lessened significantly. She kissed him gently on the lips, then smiled as she pulled back. He stared at her for a moment before he reached up with one hand and cupped her face, then kissed her. His other hand went to the small of her back and he pulled her tightly against him. Hermione wound her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Before she could register what had happened, he had her up against the wall, his body pressing into hers, as he nearly snogged the life out of her.

When Hermione finally pulled away, panting for breath, his mouth went to her neck, nipping and sucking his way to her collarbone. She buried her hands in his hair and pulled his mouth back up to hers. Remus growled again, a sound Hermione decided she was starting to like, at least in this context. She suspected that his actions now were related to what had happened earlier and while it maybe wasn't the _best_ idea, Hermione found that she didn't especially care.

She wasn't sure how long they snogged against the wall, but one of his legs had moved between hers and his hand was under her top when she broke the kiss again to breathe. Remus immediately moved back to her neck and Hermione was unbuttoning his shirt when the ringing of the telephone pierced the room. They both stopped and stared at each other, before Remus moved back to kiss her again.

"Ignore it," he whispered against her lips. She nodded and stuck a hand inside his half-opened shirt. Remus hissed and nipped at her neck as Hermione's head fell back against the wall. The telephone stopped ringing but started again just a few moments later. Still ignoring it, Remus claimed her mouth again, pulling a leg up around his hip. Hermione moved against him and the ringing stopped. She had just decided that they should perhaps try to get upstairs when the telephone rang for the third time. Her muddled brain finally processed the fact that no one actually called her except her parents and if they had rung three times in a row, she should probably answer.

"Remus," she said as he licked at a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. She mewled and he did it again.

"Remus," she said again, this time more successful in pushing him away slightly. "Remus, I have to get that."

"You don't," he said, trying to capture her lips again. She shook her head.

"I do," she said. "It's probably my parents." It was like someone had doused him with a bucket of cold water. He immediately stepped back from her, his hands falling to his sides as his face turned red. Hermione nearly broke down into hysterical giggles. She hurried toward the kitchen and picked up the phone.

"Hello," Hermione greeted, a little breathlessly. "Oh, hi, Mum. Sorry, I just…walked in." She turned away from Remus as her face flushed.

* * *

Remus stood trying to collect himself. He raked a hand through his hair before looking down and quickly rebuttoning his shirt. He closed his eyes and blew out a breath as Hermione spoke quietly to her mother.

Scrubbing a hand down his face, he sat down on the couch and propped his elbows on his knees. Despite fighting against it, his mind went immediately to what he and Hermione might be doing at this very second if the phone hadn't rung. Of course, as soon as he thought about the fact that it was her parents on the other end of the line, those thoughts flew instantly from his head. He was quite sure Hermione's parents wouldn't want him thinking about defiling their daughter in their own living room.

He shook his head, knowing he had gotten carried away. He had been upset about what had happened at the pub because of the man's inability to listen when he was told no, true. But Remus _had_ been jealous and stupidly decided he needed to 'mark his territory'. It was utterly ridiculous given that the chances of Hermione running into the man again were extremely remote. But instinct had taken over and Remus had let it.

There was a noise and Remus looked up. Hermione walked back into the living room and sat down next to him on the couch. She leaned against his shoulder.

"What did your parents have to say?" Remus managed to ask, his face coloring again.

"They're coming for a visit."

"Oh? When?"

"Tomorrow." Remus turned and looked at her incredulously.

"Tomorrow?" he repeated. Hermione nodded.

"They've been trying to reach me all week. My mum said it was a last-minute decision, they got a great deal on the airfare or something. They're also insisting that I get voicemail because they were just about to call one of the neighbors to check on me." Remus wasn't sure what voicemail was, but he guessed it was some kind of answering system.

"How long are they staying?" he asked, imagining them being interrupted by one of the older neighbors that seemed to populate Hermione's neighborhood and felt his face heat.

"A week," Hermione said. He nodded. She sighed. "I'm sorry for the interruption."

"You don't have to apologize," he said. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Remus," she finally said.

"Yes?"

"Is everything, that is, are you still upset about…what happened?" Remus moved to wrap an arm around her. She rested her head against his shoulder again and he kissed her temple.

"I was never upset with you. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. I just," he shook his head and sighed. "Sometimes my…instincts take over and that's why I was so…livid that anyone would treat you like that. Not that I wouldn't have been upset anyway."

"You know that I can take care of myself, right?" she said.

"Yes, but because of my…nature, I'm protective of those that I, er, care about." He stopped and looked down at the floor. He had seen Ron's jealousy and given what Hermione had said earlier, Remus was positive that Hermione hadn't appreciated it. He didn't want to admit to her that he'd been jealous, but he knew he couldn't lie about it either.

"What you said earlier," Remus began. "About…jealousy. I, well, I suppose that was part of it too. I'm sorry." She took his free hand, holding it between both of hers. "I trust you, Hermione. It's not about that."

"I know," she said. He pulled back from her slightly, so he could look her in the eye.

"I can't deny that I'm a little bit possessive," he said. "Again, it's…instinct. I try very much to keep it under control and I'm usually successful. I just, I don't want you hurt."

"Remus, like I said, I _can_ take care of myself."

"I know that you can," he said with a smile. "I've seen it more than once. But, I'm still going to want to protect you."

"What does that mean exactly? That you're going to growl at anyone who looks at me?" she said in exasperation, letting go of his hand and sitting up straighter on the couch. "Because I can promise you, Remus Lupin, that I'm not going to put up with that." Remus held back a laugh. He'd had a very similar conversation with Dora, although that conversation had been punctuated with a bit more swearing on Dora's part.

"Did I growl at the waiter the last time we went out for dinner?" Hermione frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't notice the way he was looking at you?" Remus asked.

"He wasn't looking at me like that."

"I promise you, he was," Remus said. "It happens more often than you think." Hermione looked at him disbelievingly. He reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear. "Sometimes it makes me wonder why you bother with me when there are so many other men that would be so much better for you."

"Please don't start that," Hermione said, grabbing his hand. "I don't want anyone else." Remus smiled at her.

"Lucky for me," he said, raising their joined hands and kissing the back of hers. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. Remus returned the kiss for a moment before images of her parents walking through the door flooded his mind. Even though he knew they weren't arriving until tomorrow, he couldn't help but glance towards the front door.

"Remus?" she said in confusion as he broke the kiss.

"Didn't you say something about being hungry?" he asked.

"I've forgotten all about that," she said, moving towards him again. Remus kissed her chastely before pulling back. She opened her mouth to protest when her stomach growled. Remus chuckled as Hermione huffed in exasperation. He stood from the couch and held out a hand to her, pulling her to her feet.

"Pasta, I think you said?" He led her into the kitchen and pulled out a chair at the table for her.

"Why am I sitting down if I need to make dinner?"

"I'll cook," Remus said. Hermione eyed him speculatively.

"Do you know how to use Muggle appliances?"

"My mother was a Muggle, if you remember," Remus said.

"Oh, right."

"And," he said, bending down to the cupboard where she kept the pots and pans, "she taught me how to cook a few things." He filled the pot with water from the sink and set in on the cooker, before turning to Hermione. "I did live on my own for many years you know." Hermione blushed.

"You don't have to cook for me," she said.

"I want to," he replied with a smile. He turned back to the cupboards to pull out the pasta and sauce. It would give him something to think about other than Hermione's lips. Or her neck. Or her breasts.

 _Stop it,_ he admonished himself, glad he had his back to her. There was no way he was going to get himself worked up again, only to have visions of her parents pop into his head and kill the mood. He would end up making Hermione think it was something about her. It was stupid, he knew, they had the entire night alone, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Remus only hoped that he wouldn't have the same problem once the Grangers returned to Australia.

"Remus?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes," Remus replied, turning to face her when she didn't respond for a few seconds. She was looking at the table top and biting her lip. "Hermione?"

"I'd like to, to tell my parents about us when they're here," she said.

"That's, that's entirely up to you," he managed, hoping he didn't look as petrified as he felt. She looked up at him through her lashes.

"I want them to meet you."

"Oh, I, uh, of course," he said.

"You don't want to meet them?" Hermione asked, looking worried.

"No, it's not that I don't want to, it's just," he trailed off, unsure how to articulate his ridiculous insecurities to her. Hermione rose from her chair and walked over to him.

"They're going to like you," she said. "I know they will." Remus nodded and pulled her to him. She stepped happily into his embrace and he closed his eyes, wondering if this would be one of the last times he would get to hold her like this. Because despite what she had said weeks ago, Remus knew that her parents' approval was extremely important to her. And if her parents didn't approve of Remus, well, he didn't like to think about what might happen.

* * *

 **2 April 2000**

Hermione and her mother walked into the small café for lunch. Hermione's dad had gone to play golf with a few of his old friends and Hermione and her mum had decided to do a bit of shopping and have lunch together. Her parents had arrived on Friday, but Hermione had changed her appointment with Minerva to Friday after meeting Gwendolyn on Thursday. As such, Hermione had left for Hogwarts right after work and so she hadn't had a chance to speak to Gwendolyn that day. As far as the rumor mill at the Ministry, Hermione had heard that the Minister had personally gone to Satterfield's office late that morning. When Kingsley left, Satterfield had not been with him, nor had the man come out of his office the rest of the day. Hermione had spoken to Gwendolyn yesterday, but her friend hadn't been sure about what the outcome of the meeting with the Minister had been either. Of course, it didn't stop anyone from speculating and opinions ranged from Satterfield being let off once again, to being sacked, to being sent to Azkaban. The last was highly unlikely, of course, but Hermione couldn't deny that she would like to see her former boss there.

She and her mother were seated and given menus to peruse. Hermione was grateful for the time alone, as she had decided to tell her mum about Remus before she told her father. While her dad was the more laid-back one in general, when it came to Hermione and dating, well, there was no one good enough for his Princess.

"Are you finally going to tell me?" her mother asked once they had ordered their lunch. Hermione looked at her mum in surprise.

"Tell you what?"

"Whatever it is that's been eating away at you since your dad and I got here." Hermione laughed under her breath.

"It's, well, it's some _one_ , actually," Hermione said.

"New beau?" her mum asked with a smirk. Hermione nodded, blushing. "How long have you been dating?"

"Officially? Not long, only about three weeks. But we've had feelings for one another for a while."

"When do we get to meet him?"

"I want to introduce you while you're here, but," Hermione paused and bit her lip.

"But?" her mum prompted.

"There are a few things you should know first." Jean's brow furrowed.

"What kind of things?" she asked, clearly concerned.

"He's…older than me," Hermione said. She saw her mother visibly relax.

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing," her mum said. "You've always been more mature than most people your age. It's one of the reasons you and Ron didn't work out, isn't it?" Hermione nodded.

"From what you've told me about," her mum lowered her voice to a whisper, "how much longer witches and wizards live, what's five or ten years?" Hermione bit her lip again.

"He's older than that?" Hermione nodded again. As Hermione had once told Remus, her parents were older than him, they were older than even Molly and Arthur. Their dental practice had been well-established before they decided to have children and then her mum had had a hard time falling pregnant. Hermione wasn't worried that Remus was close to her parents' age, technically, they were old enough to be _his_ parents. But still, twenty years was quite a long time.

"How much older?" her mum asked.

"Twenty years," Hermione mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"I'm sorry, did you say twenty?"

"Well, technically, nineteen and a half," Hermione said, risking a glance at her mother. She looked a bit shocked. Before she could say anything, the waitress returned with their lunches. Hermione poured dressing onto her salad and looked at her mother again. Jean sat motionless in front of her, staring at her plate in silence.

"Mum?" Hermione said tentatively. Her mother startled a bit and looked at her.

"Hermione, I," she sighed and shook her head. "You know that your father and I just want you to be happy, but twenty years?"

"I know," Hermione said. "But, Mum, I _am_ happy." She glanced around the café to be sure no one was listening to their conversation. "And like you said earlier, we live longer, so twenty years to us _is_ more like five or ten to you."

"Hermione, I, this is going to take a bit of getting used to," her mum said.

"I know," Hermione replied. She debated internally for a moment before she looked at her mother again. "There's more." Her mother looked at her warily.

"He has a son." Her mother stared at her.

"How old?"

"He'll be two in a few days," Hermione said. "And he is the sweetest little boy, Mum."

"Hermione, you know that I love you, but sweetheart, you should be out going to clubs and parties and having fun. Not being pushed into the role of mum at twenty."

"It's not like that," Hermione said. "Remus lives with his mother-in-law and she is helping to raise Teddy. Remus doesn't expect me to be Teddy's mum. And besides, when have I ever given you the indication that I'm the kind of person that wants to go clubbing?" Her mother smiled at that, but then her brow furrowed.

"Remus?" she said. "Why does that name sound familiar?" Hermione swore in her head. She hadn't intended to say his name just yet. Her mother was deep in thought and Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before the woman remembered that Remus had been Hermione's professor.

"Mum, he was my-" Hermione began, but her mother's head whipped up at the same time.

"Hermione Jean," she hissed. "He was your _professor_!"

"Mum, he hasn't been my professor for years. Calm down," Hermione said, glancing around to be sure that they weren't attracting attention.

"I will not calm down!" her mother said, louder than Hermione would have liked. "Just how long has this man had feelings for you?"

"God, Mum!" Hermione returned, disgusted by what her mother was insinuating. "Did you miss the part where I said he had a son and that he lived with his mother-in-law? Meaning that he was _married_ at one point?"

"Answer my question," her mother demanded.

"Since sometime last fall," Hermione said. She wasn't sure exactly when Remus' feelings had started, but she knew it had been before the kiss under the mistletoe. Her mother sat back in her chair, seeming to accept Hermione's answer.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," her mother said with a sigh. "This is just all a bit overwhelming."

"I know, but, Mum, I really am happy." Hermione looked earnestly at her mother.

"I just don't understand how this all came about," her mother said.

"We've been friends for a while," Hermione said. "Remus' wife died in the war and Harry is Teddy's godfather. You know what Molly Weasley is like. Remus and Teddy and Andromeda got adopted into the Weasley family, so we saw each other often. Things just sort of developed from there." She looked up at her mother.

"I want you to know that I was the one that pursued him," Hermione said. "He gave me all kinds of reasons and excuses as to why we shouldn't be together, but I wouldn't let it go."

"What were his reasons?" her mum asked curiously.

"Pretty much everything you've mentioned," Hermione said with a shrug. "He was too old, he had a son, he was once my teacher." She didn't continue, not intending to make things worse by telling her mother Remus was a werewolf. Hermione thought she might have mentioned it after third year, but she couldn't be certain. She was already starting to censor what she told her parents about Hogwarts by then.

"What made him change his mind?"

"Ginny, actually. They told him to stop being stupid," Hermione said with a small smile. Her mum chuckled. She had only met the redhead a handful of times, but Ginny was not one to hide her personality. Hermione's mother studied her.

"You're truly happy?"

"I am," Hermione said with a smile. "Happier than I've been in a long time."

"I'm not saying I'm completely on board with this yet, but, I do want you to be happy, Hermione." Hermione smiled and rose from the table, moving to give her mother a hug. Her mum kissed her cheek and Hermione returned to her seat, but not before casting an inconspicuous warming charm on her mother's soup.

"So, what does he do for a living?" her mother asked as they both finally tucked into their lunches. Hermione swore in her head again.

"He's doing some tutoring right now," Hermione said. "In the fall, he is probably going to go back to teaching part-time."

"Only part-time?" her mother asked. Hermione shrugged.

"He wants to be with Teddy while he's still small."

"But, I thought you said that Remus' mother-in-law was helping to raise Teddy."

"I did," Hermione replied. "But that doesn't mean that Remus doesn't want to be there."

"What about his father-in-law?"

"Killed in the war," Hermione said. "He was a Muggle-born too." Her mother shook her head sadly.

"So much hatred," she said. Hermione nodded in agreement. They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"You know your father is going to have a hard time with this," her mum said.

"I know," Hermione sighed. "That's why I told you first." Her mum snorted in amusement.

"Hoping I'll soften the blow, are you?"

"Maybe," Hermione said, looking at her mother hopefully.

"You have to be the one to tell him," her mum said pointing her spoon in Hermione's direction. "But, invite Remus to dinner on Tuesday. Your father will behave." Hermione grinned.

"Thanks, Mum."

* * *

"How did it go?" Remus asked as he and Hermione sat in his living room. She had arrived just after Teddy's bath and after a few minutes of excitement from his son, Hermione had read Teddy a story and then put him to bed. Remus and Hermione were now curled up on the couch together. Andromeda had retired to her room.

"It was all right," she said, a bit evasively in Remus' opinion.

"Hermione," he prodded. She sighed.

"My mum was a bit taken aback by the age difference," she said. "But she told me she just wants me to be happy and I am." Somehow, Remus suspected that her mother had been more than a 'bit' surprised, but he didn't press the issue.

"And your father?"

"He had a harder time with it," Hermione admitted. "But that's really nothing to do with you. He had that reaction when he found out about Ron and Anthony too."

"I suspect that his reaction to me was different than it was to either Ron or Anthony," Remus said. Hermione looked up at him from where she was snuggled into his side.

"It doesn't matter, Remus," she said. "It's my life and I can date who I like."

"I know that your parents' approval is important to you, Hermione. You don't have to pretend that it isn't."

"I'm not," she insisted. "But if they're judging you just because of your age and not who you are, then they don't get a say." He looked at her skeptically. She sat up straighter and took his hands in hers.

"Do I want my parents to accept you? Of course, I do. Just as Andromeda has accepted me. But, if they don't for reasons that simply don't matter, then no, I don't care what they say." Then she leaned forward and kissed him. Remus let himself get lost in her for a few moments, before he pulled back.

"They want you to come to dinner on Tuesday," Hermione said. "And I know after they meet you, they won't have any concerns."

"Do they know everything?" Remus asked, keeping hold of one of her hands and rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"They know about Teddy and that you were my professor."

"You didn't tell them I was a werewolf?" Hermione bit her lip.

"Not yet."

"Hermione," he said with a sigh, shaking his head.

"I want them to base their opinion of you on _you_ , Remus."

"And what shall I tell them when they ask about my scars? Because you know they're going to ask."

"You could have gotten them in the war," she said, almost defiantly, dropping his hand.

"I thought you weren't ashamed of what I am," he said.

"I'm not!" she insisted.

"They why won't you tell your parents?"

"It's not that I _won't_ tell them, I just haven't told them _yet_!"

"Didn't want to overwhelm them with all of my faults?" Remus asked. Hermione looked up at him and while he wasn't surprised to see the shock on her face, he didn't expect the anger.

"Are you saying Teddy is a fault?"

"Of course not," Remus said immediately.

"That's not what it sounded like."

"You know I didn't mean my son!"

"No, just everything else about you, right?" Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Hermione," he said tiredly.

"No," she said. "You told me that you weren't going to do this anymore."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But, I knew that this would happen."

"Knew what would happen?"

"I knew that your parents wouldn't be able to accept certain things about me and you haven't even told them everything!"

"You don't know what my parents have or haven't accepted!" Hermione retorted. "You've never even spoken to them!"

"The two of you are going to wake up Teddy," a voice said from the doorway. Hermione and Remus spun to see Andromeda standing there, arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm sorry, Andromeda," Remus said immediately. Hermione apologized as well.

"A privacy charm wouldn't go amiss," Andromeda said, not commenting further on their argument. Remus nodded and his mother-in-law turned to go back upstairs. When he looked to Hermione, she had her back to him.

"Hermione," he began, putting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off. Remus sighed.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did." She turned towards him and he cursed himself when he saw she was crying. He reached out a tentative hand to her and she let herself be pulled into his arms.

"I'm sorry," he said again and then relaxed when he felt her arms go around him.

"I'll tell my parents that you're a werewolf if you want me to," she said quietly.

"Why don't we wait and see if they ask about my scars," he said. "And then we can tell them together." She looked up at him and nodded. He brushed the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs.

"All right." She rested her head back against his chest and he pulled her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Remus?" she said a few minutes later.

"Yes?"

"I'm not ashamed of you."

"I know." She looked up at him again and he leaned down and kissed her. When they pulled apart, Hermione smiled at him tentatively. He returned it and she hugged him again.

"I should go," she said. Remus nodded, even though he didn't want to let go of her quite yet. But with her parents at her house and Andromeda and Teddy here, there really wasn't anywhere for them to go for privacy. He would just have to be patient. He kissed her one more time, assured her he would be at the dinner Tuesday and then watched her go through the Floo.

When she had gone, Remus sighed and sat down on the couch, elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. He was exhausted and he hadn't even met her parents yet.

"Everything all right?" Andromeda asked. "I heard the Floo."

"It's fine," Remus said. "I am sorry that we were so loud." She came the rest of the way into the room and sat down in the armchair opposite him.

"How do you feel about this dinner?" she asked. When Remus looked at her in surprised she chuckled. "I was not trying to eavesdrop, but it was not all that difficult to hear what the two of you were arguing about."

"I, I'm just afraid that Hermione isn't going to get the outcome that she wants."

"You do not give yourself enough credit," Andromeda said.

"Honestly, Andromeda, with all the baggage I carry, what parent would be glad their child was dating me?"

"I was." He looked at her and she smiled at him.

"Now maybe, but you can't tell me that you were happy when you first found out about me."

"I won't deny that I had a few reservations, but none of them were related to your age or your lycanthropy." Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "There was a war on and you were both part of the Order. Nymphadora was an Auror. You were both in danger and it wasn't the time to be getting married or having a child, in my opinion. And when you left after you found out she was pregnant, well." Remus looked down at his lap, still ashamed of his actions.

"But, you came back, and my daughter was happy. Happier than I had ever seen her before. And when that little boy was born," Andromeda paused, and Remus could tell that she was getting hold of her emotions. "I have told you this before, but you are a good man, Remus. Hermione's parents will see that, regardless of any 'baggage' that you carry."

"I hope you're right, for Hermione's sake."

"Hermione is a kind, caring woman with a good head on her shoulders." Andromeda rose from her chair and patted Remus on the arm. "That had to come from somewhere."

* * *

 **3 April 2000**

Hermione sighed as she set down her quill. She hadn't been able to concentrate all morning, her mind still on her argument with Remus. While she felt like they had resolved things before she left, she still couldn't help but worry about Remus' state of mind.

It wasn't that she didn't understand why he was nervous. Their world had looked down on him and put restrictions on his basic rights his entire life. Hermione knew that he had been rejected by others more times than she could even imagine. It was only natural that he would be wary about what her parents might think.

But, he had gone back to his old excuses as to why he wasn't good enough for her and that was what bothered her most of all. While she knew that he was concerned there would be fall-out from revealing their relationship to others, so far no one had had a problem with it. Granted, they'd only told three people, but still. Hermione was afraid that if her parents were anything less than accepting, Remus would fall back into his old patterns. She didn't think she could go through everything Tonks had gone through before Remus finally gave in.

Sighing again, Hermione picked up her quill. She would just have to talk to her mum again and make sure that her dad didn't put on the protective act when Remus came to dinner.

"Hermione?" Hermione looked up and saw Gwendolyn standing in her doorway. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" Hermione asked. Gwendolyn walked into her office and closed the door behind her.

"Mr. Satterfield was just escorted from his office by Magical Law Enforcement." Hermione's eyes widened as Gwendolyn grinned.

"Do you know where they took him?" Hermione asked. Gwendolyn shook her head. Hermione chewed her lip for a moment before she jumped up from her desk.

"Wait here," Hermione said to the other woman.

"Where are you going?" Gwendolyn asked.

"I'll be right back." Hermione hurried from her office and down the corridor to the Auror office. She waved at the department secretary and hurried towards Harry's cubicle. Thankfully, he was at his desk.

"Harry," she said. "What's going on?" Harry glanced up at her and then looked around, casting a Muffliato before he spoke.

"Kingsley's finally gathered all his evidence and brought Satterfield in," Harry said.

"Who's questioning him?"

"No one," Harry said. At Hermione's quizzical look, Harry grinned. "Kingsley is going to let him stew for a while." Hermione couldn't help the laugh that escaped her.

"Kingsley is going to interrogate him personally," Harry said. "He's gathering all the Pensieve memories right now."

"Do you really think this is it?" Hermione asked.

"With all the evidence that Kingsley has against him? I think Satterfield's going to get more than just fired."

"What do you mean?" Harry glanced around, despite the privacy charm he'd cast.

"I can't say anything else, Hermione, not yet." Hermione was about to protest, but at the look on Harry's face, she stopped. Obviously, Satterfield had bigger issues than just being an arse and drinking too much. And if Harry couldn't tell her, that meant it was part of the official investigation.

"I'll keep you in the loop as much as I can," Harry said.

"I understand," Hermione said. She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Harry." Harry dropped the Muffliato and Hermione left the office and hurried back to Gwendolyn. Something big was happening; she just hoped that Satterfield got his in the end.


	55. Revelations

**A/N - Hello all! Hopefully, FFN's glitches have been fixed and everyone is getting notifications again. Posting of chapters is still going to be sporadic for me, likely at least through the end of March. I hope you all enjoy the dinner with the parents. :) Thanks to everyone who continues to read and review!**

 **Chapter 55**

 **Revelations**

 **4 April 2000**

Hermione sat at her desk, once again unable to concentrate. This time, however, it didn't have anything to do with Remus. She was still a bit worried about the dinner tonight, but her mother had assured her that both her parents would be on their best behavior. Hermione's mind was occupied with Satterfield and whatever was happening.

Hermione knew the man had spent the night in one of the Ministry's holding cells. Harry couldn't give her any details, but for them to actually arrest her old boss and keep him overnight, something bigger than abuse of power had happened.

Gossip was running rampant, of course. Hardly anyone had any concrete information, however, and those that did weren't talking. Harry had told her about the arrest, but he hadn't given her any other information. Hermione had asked him why the Auror office was involved, as their investigations were usually only about Dark wizards or magic. Other issues were handled by the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. Harry had given her an apologetic look and hadn't said anything else.

Hermione tried to go back to her work, but after a few minutes, gave it up as a bad job. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and contemplated the ceiling, wondering again, just what Satterfield had done.

"Hermione," a voice said from her doorway and Hermione sat up straight as her boss walked into her office.

"Margaret," Hermione said, shuffling parchment on her desk and trying to look like she hadn't just been staring off into space. Margaret chuckled and sat down in the chair in front of Hermione's desk.

"Don't worry, I don't think many of us are getting a whole lot done today." Hermione smiled sheepishly, then looked at the older woman.

"Have you heard anything?"

"I have heard many things," Margaret replied. "Whether they are true or not, that remains to be seen." Hermione smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose it's the same for me."

"I do have a bit of information, however. Something I think might be a bit more credible than most of the other rubbish I've heard today." Hermione cocked her head in question.

"Obviously, Satterfield will not be returning as Head of the DRCMC. Regardless of what happens with this investigation, I highly doubt the Minister would have kept Satterfield locked up overnight if he wasn't sure he could make whatever the charges are stick." Hermione nodded.

"So, of course, speculation has been running rampant as to who will take over."

"I can't say I haven't wondered myself."

"Going by seniority along, Jasper Nithercott is the obvious choice." Hermione nodded. The head of the Spirit Division had been with the Ministry even longer than Satterfield. "However, I know Jasper quite well and I am confident that he will turn down the job. He is perfectly happy in the Spirit Division and really does not want more responsibility at this point in his life."

"No, he seemed quite content where he was when I worked for him," Hermione said.

"It's also quite obvious to anyone with eyes that Leland Hughes is in Satterfield's back pocket, so I'm guessing he will be passed over, if he even has a job himself after all of this is said and done." Hermione couldn't help but agree. Promoting the head of the Beast Division wouldn't be any different than still having Satterfield in charge, as far as she was concerned.

"Which, if they do not intend to bring someone in from another department, leaves only Fiona Campbell."

Fiona Campbell was the head of the Being Division. While not particularly warm and friendly, she had always seemed competent to Hermione and she didn't always agree with Satterfield. Hermione's House-Elf proposal was a prime example of that. Gwendolyn had never had anything bad to say about her boss.

"Ms. Campbell would be a good choice," Hermione said. She wondered, though, what the point of this conversation was. Margaret had said that she had a bit of information. So far, nothing she'd said was news to Hermione.

"Rumor has it that Gwendolyn Newberry is being recommended for Head of the Being Division if Fiona is promoted." Well, that _was_ news.

"Really?" Hermione said, excited for her friend.

"So, I've heard," Margaret said. "Which means, of course, that Gwendolyn's old job will be available." Margaret paused. "Your name has come up." Hermione's brow furrowed. She had no desire to work for the Pest Advisory Board, head or not. She told Margaret as much.

"I am not speaking about the Pest Advisory Board, Hermione. I meant the House-Elf Liaison Office."

"But, Gwendolyn isn't head of that office, anymore," Hermione said. "Satterfield transferred her to the Pest Advisory Board and put Jensen Barbary in charge of the House-Elf office."

"Jensen Barbary who has also cozied up to Satterfield. Don't you think the Minister is planning on completely cleaning house?" Hermione was quite sure that Kingsley planned to do just that, but she couldn't tell Margaret that Barbary had really been planted by Kingsley. Still, Hermione supposed that Kingsley wouldn't leave Barbary in the DRCMC once all was said and done. He likely wouldn't be trusted by anyone.

"I suppose," Hermione finally said. Margaret studied her for a few moments.

"I know that your House Elf legislation is what brought you to the DRCMC in the first place," the older woman finally said. "I know it is a cause that is dear to your heart." Hermione finally understood what her boss was asking her.

House-elves had been the first creatures that Hermione had wanted to champion, true. And while it would be a promotion and likely more money if she was head of the House-Elf Liaison office, Hermione felt as if she'd done everything she set out to do there.

"It is," Hermione agreed. "But I feel as if I've accomplished what I wanted to as far as House-Elf rights. Running the office would be nice, but it's not what I want to do long-term. There are plenty of other creatures and beings that I'd like to help. I have no plans to leave this department." Margaret smiled at her.

"I suspected as much," she said. "But I wanted to be sure."

"You're stuck with me for the foreseeable future," Hermione joked. Margaret chuckled.

"I do not consider that a hardship, Hermione." Hermione blushed slightly. Her boss stood from the chair. "Perhaps you shouldn't mention this conversation to Ms. Newberry just yet."

"Of course not," Hermione said with a smile.

"I will speak with you later." And with that, her boss was gone. Hermione leaned back in her chair again. Once, she would have been thrilled to be the head of the House-Elf Liaison office. Now, though, her werewolf research was much more important to her. She sat up and pulled her stack of parchment towards her, wondering just what Satterfield had been up to.

* * *

Hermione was just tidying up her desk, ready to go home and get ready for their dinner tonight, when Harry walked into her office. He shut the door and threw up a Muffliato. Hermione dropped the quill she was holding and sat back down in her chair.

"Well?" she asked.

"He's done," Harry said with a smile. Hermione sighed in relief. A part of her had been worried that she'd forced Kingsley's hand with Skeeter's article and that Satterfield would find his way out of trouble once again.

"Charges?" Hermione asked.

"Forthcoming," Harry said, but didn't elaborate. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"How bad?"

"Bad, Hermione," Harry said with a sigh.

"But, you can't tell me anything else." Harry shook his head apologetically.

"This, there's more to it than we thought," Harry said. Hermione studied her best friend. She knew that the want to tell her everything was currently warring with the oath he'd taken for his job as an Auror.

"It's okay, Harry," she said with a smile. "I understand."

"As soon as Kingsley gives me the okay, I swear that I'll come straight to you and explain." Hermione laughed.

"I know you will." She glanced at her watch. "Oh bugger, I've got to go."

"Hot date?" Harry asked, waggling his eyebrows. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him.

"Remus is coming for dinner to meet my parents." Harry stared at her for a moment.

"Oh, well, that's going to be," he trailed off.

"Nerve-wracking, terrifying, a disaster?" Hermione said, grabbing her cloak from the hook behind her desk. Harry grimaced. "Trust me, I've been through the gamut of emotions on this."

"Do they know, you know, everything?" Harry asked.

"Not that he's a werewolf," Hermione said with a sigh as she pulled on her cloak. "They know everything else though."

"When are you going to tell them?"

"If they ask about his scars, we'll tell them tonight," she said. "Otherwise, I don't know, later, maybe."

"Hermione, they love you and Remus is a great person," Harry said. "It will be okay."

"I hope so," she said. Harry pulled her into a hug and kissed her cheek before dropping the privacy spell. They left her office together.

"Good luck," he said once they had reached the doors to the Auror offices.

"Thanks, Harry." She smiled and continued to the lifts, stomach in knots.

* * *

Remus walked up the pavement towards Hermione's. He had Apparated to the small park down the street and walked. To Apparate into her back garden or Floo seemed, presumptuous, somehow.

He climbed the front steps nervously, clearing his throat unnecessarily as he rang the bell. Andromeda had thrust a bottle of wine into his hands just before he left. Remus would have to remember to thank her later as he hadn't even thought of bringing a hostess gift with him.

The door opened, and Remus relaxed somewhat as Hermione smiled brilliantly at him.

"You could have Flooed," she said as she ushered him inside. Remus shrugged and she stepped forward and kissed him lightly. His eyes darted around, searching for her parents as soon as she stepped back. Hermione took his hand and squeezed it.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Not even remotely," Remus replied and Hermione laughed, then kissed him again before leading him into the living room.

Her father was standing by the fireplace looking solemn, and Remus was glad he hadn't decided to Floo. Mr. Granger glanced down at their clasped hands and Remus felt himself releasing his grip. Hermione refused to let go, however. Her mother was seated on the couch and stood as they came into the room.

"Mum, Dad, this is Remus Lupin," Hermione said. "Remus, these are my parents, Richard and Jean Granger."

"It's very nice to meet you, Remus," Mrs. Granger said. Remus reached forward and shook her outstretched hand.

"Likewise," he said. "Thank you for inviting me. This is for you." He handed her the bottle of wine.

"Thank you," Mrs. Granger said, smiling as she took the wine. "I'll just get a few glasses, shall I?" She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Remus and Hermione with her father.

"Mr. Lupin," Mr. Granger said. He stepped forward and held out a hand. He gripped Remus' hand harder than was necessary, but Remus made no complaint.

"Please call me Remus," he said. Mr. Granger nodded his head in acknowledgement. Hermione's mother returned with wine glasses and a corkscrew.

"I can do that, Mum," Hermione said, waving her wand and uncorking the bottle. Her mother poured the wine and Hermione passed the glasses around. They settled onto the couch and chairs, except for Mr. Granger who remained standing by the fireplace.

"This is very good," Mrs. Granger said as she took a sip of her wine.

"My mother-in-law recommended it," Remus said, deciding not to tell them that Andromeda had given him the bottle.

"Yes, Hermione told us that you live with her. She helps care for your son?"

"Yes," Remus said. "I don't know what I would have done without her these past two years."

"Do you have a picture of your son?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Yes, of course," Remus said, pulling the photograph from his pocket. Hermione had warned him that her mother was likely to ask. Remus handed the photo to Mrs. Granger. It had been taken a few weeks ago. Teddy was playing with his dragons, but laughed when he looked up and saw the camera. His hair also cycled from black to Remus' sandy brown just as the photo was snapped.

"Oh," Mrs. Granger said in surprise.

"He's a metamorphmagus," Remus explained. "His mother was one as well. She could change her appearance at will. Teddy has just begun to be able to control the change in his hair color. When he was younger, it would just cycle at random." Mrs. Granger handed the picture to her husband, who's eyes widened as he saw Teddy's hair change.

"He's an adorable child," Mrs. Granger said.

"Thank you," Remus replied.

"That must be hard to manage," Mr. Granger said. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "Or do you just stay in wizarding areas?"

"Oh, no, we live in a non-magical neighborhood actually," Remus said. "Teddy just wears a cap when we take him outside. When he's a little older, we'll explain to him about controlling it when we're out in public." Remus smiled as Mr. Granger handed the photograph back to him, but the other man didn't return it.

The sound of a small bell from the kitchen had Mrs. Granger getting to her feet.

"That will be the roast," she said. "Richard, help me in the kitchen, please. Hermione, can you show Remus to the dining room?"

"Of course, Mum." Hermione rose from the couch and took Remus' hand as her parents disappeared into the kitchen.

"All right?" Hermione asked when they reached the dining room.

"Fine," Remus said. She stepped towards him and he let himself wrap his free arm around her, breathing in her scent and calming slightly. Hermione smiled at him as she stepped back, setting her wine glass on the table. She took Remus' from his hand and set it down as well. Remus pulled out her chair for her just as her father walked in with a platter holding the roast. He glanced at Remus before setting it on the table. Hermione's mother followed behind with two serving bowls.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Remus asked.

"Oh, no, that's all right," Hermione's mother said, setting down the potatoes and vegetables on the table. "Richard is just going back for the bread. Sit down, please." Remus pulled out Mrs. Granger's chair for her and then sat down himself.

The next several minutes were spent passing dishes around the table and the clink of cutlery as they all served themselves and then finally tucked in.

"Hermione says that you really enjoy Australia," Remus said after they had been eating in silence for a few minutes.

"We do," Mrs. Granger agreed. "I'd rather it wasn't so far away from England, so we could see Hermione more often, but I am glad we decided to stay. Perhaps after Richard finally retires, we'll spend more time here. I do hope the two of you will come and visit us sometime. Maybe you could bring Teddy with you." Remus saw Mr. Granger look up from his plate and stare at Remus, as if waiting to see what he was going to say.

"I think I would enjoy that," Remus said. He seemed to have passed some kind of test because Hermione's father nodded almost imperceptibly and went back to his dinner.

"Hermione says you may be going back to teaching next fall," Mrs. Granger said.

"Yes, I hope to," Remus said. "I very much enjoyed the year I taught at Hogwarts."

"Yes, that was where you first met my daughter, wasn't it?" Mr. Granger put in.

"It was," Remus agreed, forcing himself not to squirm. He had known this would come up at some point.

"Hm," Mr. Granger said, staring Remus down. Remus returned the man's gaze.

"Richard," Mrs. Granger said and Hermione's father looked at his wife, then sighed and returned to his dinner. He stabbed at a carrot like it had done him a personal disservice.

Most of the rest of dinner was spent in conversation, mainly between Hermione, Remus and her mother. Her father did interject every now and then, but for the most part he simply listened and watched Remus. Remus got the feeling the man was studying the scar on his face and the ones on his hands and had to force himself not to hide his hands under the table. If Mr. Granger wanted to know what they were, he would have to ask.

"And you're doing some tutoring right now?" Mrs. Granger said when they had all finished eating and were letting their dinner settle before pudding.

"Yes," Remus replied. "I'm helping a young man prepare for Hogwarts."

"Oh, is that something that's normally done?" Hermione's mother asked.

"No, this particular child needed a bit of…extra help," Remus said, hoping it could be left at that.

"His parents didn't teach him?" Mr. Granger asked. "I thought magical children that weren't Muggle-born were homeschooled before Hogwarts."

"Yes, that's the usual way of things," Remus said. He glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye. She was biting her lip and looked nervous. "Will was…taken during the war. He has recently been reunited with his family."

"Oh, how awful," Mrs. Granger said.

"But, if he wasn't a Muggle-born, why was he taken?" Mr. Granger asked. Remus glanced at Hermione again.

"Will was taken by Death Eaters, Dad," Hermione said. "His parents were Purebloods and the Death Eaters were upset that his father wouldn't join them. Taking Will was his punishment." Hermione's mother looked horrified.

"Where was he all that time?" Mrs. Granger asked. "In the prison? Azkaban?"

"No," Hermione said quietly. "He was given to a werewolf pack. Will is a werewolf." Her parents sat in stunned silence.

"Sorry, a what?" Mr. Granger finally asked. Remus tried not to shift in his seat. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Hermione sighed.

"He's a werewolf, Dad." Mr. Granger leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," he said. "Knowing everything else we always thought was just fantasy we've since found out was real."

"I don't understand," Mrs. Granger said, horrified look returning. "How can he live with his family if he's a werewolf?"

"He's only a werewolf on the full moon, Mum," Hermione said. "Otherwise, he's just a normal boy." Her mother looked shocked.

"But, doesn't he want to…eat them or something?" Remus looked down at his plate, his appetite suddenly gone. Hermione huffed in exasperation and Remus felt her hand on his leg, trying to give him comfort. He pulled in a breath and let it out silently.

"Merlin, Mum, it's not like the movies."

"Well, how is it then?" her mother asked, voiced clipped.

"On the full moon, yes, Will turns into a werewolf. And if given the chance, he might bite someone. But, he isn't given the chance. There's a potion that he takes that lets him keep his human mind and he's locked and warded into a shed in the backyard. With the potion, it really isn't necessary, but his mother takes extra precautions, just in case."

"What about when he was with the other werewolves?" Mr. Granger asked. "Was he biting people then?" Hermione turned quiet.

"He doesn't think so," she said. "But werewolves don't remember what happens when they're transformed. Not unless they take the potion. And the packs don't."

"And you're comfortable teaching this boy and letting him go to Hogwarts?" Mrs. Granger asked Remus. Remus looked up at Hermione's mother and then her father. He looked at Hermione again, who squeezed his leg under the table.

"I am very comfortable doing so," Remus said. "I went to Hogwarts too, after all." He fell silent and watched the Grangers. Her mother figured it out first, gasping and bringing a hand to her mouth. Her father did more than that. He suddenly jumped up from his chair, looking between his wife and daughter as if trying to figure out who to protect first. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Sit down, Dad."

"I will not sit down," Mr. Granger insisted. Hermione sighed.

"Honestly, we've been sitting here eating dinner for the last hour. If Remus was going to attack any of us, don't you think he would have done it by now?"

"Hermione," her mother began, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, Mum, you're both being ridiculous."

"Hermione," Remus said, and she looked at him, fire flashing in her eyes. "It's all right."

"It's not!" Hermione insisted.

"Someone had better start explaining, right now!" Mr. Granger snapped. Remus squeezed Hermione's hand under the table and then looked at Hermione's father.

"When I was four years old, I was attacked by a werewolf. My father heard my screams and managed to drive the wolf away, but not before I was bitten. I then became a werewolf myself." He saw Hermione's mother bring a hand to her mouth again, but she looked saddened instead of afraid this time.

"Four?" she repeated and Remus nodded.

"My childhood was spent moving from place to place, as my parents were terrified that someone would discover my secret. When I turned eleven, Professor Dumbledore came to visit and assured my parents that I could indeed attend Hogwarts. He had set up a special place for me to transform that kept the students protected from me and me from them. The potion that Hermione spoke of was not yet invented, so I needed to be contained."

"When I returned to Hogwarts to teach, our potions master began to make the potion for me and the full moon nights were much more peaceful after that. My mother-in-law makes it for me now, but I am still locked in the cellar, which is also warded to prevent my escape."

"I completely understand your concern," Remus continued. "Even in the wizarding world, werewolves are feared by many. Unfortunately, the werewolf that turned me has done much to perpetuate this fear. He was known to attack people, even in his human form, and used as a weapon by Voldemort in the war." Mrs. Granger shuddered. "He lost his humanity and while I would have rather he had died in the war, I suppose a life sentence is Azkaban is the next best thing." Remus fell silent and Hermione smiled at him.

"I don't like this," Mr. Granger said after a few minutes.

"Dad, I'm perfectly safe," Hermione said. "Remus has never bitten anyone."

"If this potion makes you so calm, why do you still lock yourself up?"

"Habit, mostly," Remus said. "But, also as an added measure of security. There is always the slim chance that the potion could fail."

"The _very_ slim chance," Hermione said. "Like a billion to one." She looked at both of her parents. "It isn't Remus' fault he was bitten. He deserves the same chance at happiness as anyone else."

"Of course," Mrs. Granger said. "I, this is just, a bit of a shock, Hermione."

"He's not any different than the man you thought he was a before this conversation," Hermione said. There was an uncomfortable silence and Remus looked at Hermione.

"Perhaps I should go," he said. "And let the three of you talk."

"No!" Hermione insisted. She looked pleadingly at her mother.

"I'm sorry," Mrs. Granger said. "We have been a bit rude, haven't we? Please don't think we want you to leave." She looked at her husband, who was still standing and had his arms crossed over his chest. "Richard?"

"No, you don't need to leave."

"Didn't you have that chocolate torte for afters, Mum?" Hermione asked. She had a death grip on Remus' leg.

"Yes, of course," her mother said. "Why don't you help me with that, Hermione?" Hermione glanced between her father and Remus.

"Erm, maybe Daddy should help you with it," she said.

"Go and help your mother, Hermione," her father said. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Remus covered her hand with his.

"It's all right," he said. Hermione did not look convinced at all, but she stood from the table and followed her mother into the kitchen. When the two women were gone, Mr. Granger stared at Remus.

"Go ahead and ask," Remus finally said.

"What about the scars?"

"Without the potion, the wolf doesn't appreciate being locked up," Remus said calmly. "I would attack myself." Mr. Granger grimaced.

"What about after?"

"After?" Remus repeated.

"After the full moon. Do you have to…recover?"

"The transformation is extremely painful," Remus said. "When I was younger, I would spend a couple of days recovering, depending on how badly I injured myself that month. Even now, with the potion, I am still quite tired and sore afterwards."

"And this has been going on since you were four years old?"

"Yes," Remus said. Mr. Granger shook his head and sighed. He finally sat down in his chair and when he looked up, his face was troubled.

"How have you managed to deal with it all these years?"

"I haven't had much choice," Remus said wryly.

"No, I suppose not," Mr. Granger agreed. "Magic can't do anything to help this?"

"As much as we would like it to, magic cannot cure everything," Remus said.

"But what about this potion that you've talked about? If that is successful, isn't it possible that someone could find a cure."

"Anything is possible," Remus said. "But werewolves are looked down upon by much of our society. No one has exactly been enthusiastic about doing research into a cure." Mr. Granger nodded.

"Prejudice is everywhere, I suppose."

"Indeed," Remus agreed. Hermione's father studied the tabletop for a few moments before he looked up again.

"I need your word that my daughter is safe with you." Remus could hear the emotion behind his words.

"Our relationship isn't public knowledge yet," Remus said. "Your daughter is quite famous in our world and I am definitely not unknown. There will be those that won't approve."

"That's not what I asked," Mr. Granger said.

"I would protect Hermione with my life." The unspoken words sat between the two men for a few moments and finally Mr. Granger reached across the table and held out his hand again. Remus shook it and Mr. Granger nodded once before he stood.

"Call me Richard." Remus nodded in acknowledgement. "We might as well clear the table before Jean comes out here upset that we haven't." Remus chuckled. Richard grabbed two plates and Remus waved his wand to levitate the others, following Hermione's father into the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione followed her mother into the kitchen, still worried about what her father was going to say to Remus. Hermione knew they would be shocked to hear about Remus' lycanthropy, especially since they'd had no idea that werewolves even existed before tonight. She supposed that answered her question of whether she had told them about Remus when she was still in school.

Still, they hadn't asked him to leave and her mum had realized they weren't being very welcoming. She supposed that was something, even if her dad was likely bombarding Remus with questions right now.

"You can't do this, Hermione," her mother said, suddenly whirling on her daughter.

"Do what?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"You cannot date this man. It isn't safe." Hermione stared at her mother in shock. Her parents had always been fairly open-minded, and Hermione had never known either of them to be prejudiced.

"Mum, did you not hear what I said before?" Hermione asked. "Remus is only dangerous on the full moon. And really not even then as long as he has taken his potion."

"You can't tell me that this can't be spread in…other ways," her mother insisted. Hermione's brow furrowed. She wasn't sure what, exactly, her mother was getting at.

"What other ways?" Hermione asked. Her mother's cheeks colored slightly.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

"Mum, I don't," Hermione began, but trailed off when she realized what her mother was getting at. "Oh my god, Mum!"

"Hermione," her mum began, but Hermione shook her head.

"No!" she insisted. "Merlin, Mum, it's not a sexually transmitted disease."

"And how do you know?" her mum demanded, hands on her hips. Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Besides the fact that I've read pretty much everything ever printed about werewolves, he was _married_ , Mum. His wife did _not_ have lycanthropy. And before you ask, no, Teddy is not a werewolf either." Her mum didn't look convinced.

"Hermione, I," but her interrupted once more.

"I know that this has come as a shock to you and I completely understand. But Remus is _not_ dangerous. He is one of the kindest, most caring people I have ever known. He would be horrified if he knew you thought this about him. It's something he's been running away from his whole life. It's kept him from relationships and friendships, even. He doesn't want to hurt _anyone_ , _ever._ "

"I never said he _wanted_ to hurt anyone. But, Hermione, I," her mum sighed and rubbed at her forehead with her fingertips. "You're my daughter, Hermione. I find out well after the fact that you've been in danger since you were eleven and now you're telling me that the man you're dating is a werewolf." Her mother sank down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "It's a lot to take in."

"I know it is, Mum," Hermione said, sliding into a chair across from her mother. "But, if you hadn't found this out about Remus, would you have had any issue with me dating him?" Her mum looked up at her.

"No," she admitted. "It's not hard to tell that he cares for you, very much. And I've never seen you quite as smitten, either." Hermione blushed a bit. Her mum reached across the table and took hold of one of her hands. "That doesn't mean I don't worry."

"I know, Mum, I understand. But, he's lived with Andromeda for more than two years now. She has seen him through dozens of full moons. He's never once tried to hurt anyone. I'm perfectly safe, I swear."

"And the scars?" her mother asked quietly. Hermione felt her eyes tear up.

"Most of them self-inflicted," Hermione said. "Before the potion was invented, the wolf would get angry about being confined and take it out on Remus." Her mother looked saddened at this.

"What about the others?" her mum asked. Hermione glanced up at her in question. "You said most of them were self-inflicted." Hermione sighed.

"During the war, Voldemort was trying to recruit the werewolf packs to his side. Professor Dumbledore sent Remus to the packs to try and get them to side with the Light. Some of them weren't very welcoming." Her mother shuddered.

"He's had a hard life, Mum. But, now the war is over and I'm working on the ridiculous werewolf laws that were put in place. Remus deserves some happiness."

"And you make him happy," her mum said, squeezing Hermione's hand. Hermione blushed again.

"He makes _me_ happy," she said. Her mum smiled and stood from her chair, pulling Hermione up as well. Hermione went willingly into her mother's outstretched arms and hugged her tightly.

"Can you forgive my momentary lapse into protective mother mode?" her mum asked. Hermione laughed.

"Is it really only momentary?" Her mum pulled back and glared at her. Hermione smirked.

"Cheeky," her mum said and Hermione laughed again. Her mother shook her head.

"We had better get this torte served," her mum said. "And save Remus from your father." Hermione paled. She had nearly forgotten about that.

"Maybe I should just check-" she began, turning to head out of the kitchen, but her mum put a hand on her arm.

"Leave them be," her mum said.

"But," Hermione protested, as her mother shook her head.

"If Remus is half the man you believe him to be, a few questions from your father will not bother him." Hermione bit her lip. Her mum was right, Remus could hold his own against her dad, but she just didn't want him to have to.

"Besides," her mum continued as she pulled the torte from the refrigerator. "Your father is just as kind and caring as you claim Remus is. You don't need to worry." She turned and handed two plates to Hermione. "But since I know you still will, take these out. I'll bring the rest."

Hermione gratefully took the plates and turned to leave the kitchen when Remus and her father walked in. Her dad had a handful of plates and dishes and Remus was directing the rest with his wand. Her dad even had a smile on his face. Hermione looked from one to the other in disbelief.

"Close your mouth, Princess," her dad said. "You'll catch flies." Remus chuckled as he settled the dishes he was levitating on the counter next to the sink.

"Is that for me?" he asked, indicating the plate in Hermione's hand.

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, handing Remus one of the plates. Her dad took the other.

"One thing you'll soon learn about my wife, Remus," her dad said as clapped Remus on the shoulder and guided him towards the living room. "She doesn't often let us have sweets, but when she does, she makes the best chocolate torte you'll ever taste." The two men left the kitchen together. Hermione turned around and stared at her mother.

"I, I don't, but," Hermione said, unable to form a coherent sentence. "What?" Her mum laughed and handed Hermione another plate.

"I told you," she said, eyes twinkling. She walked towards the living room, leaving Hermione standing in shocked silence in the kitchen.

* * *

 **5 April 2000**

Hermione was deep in thought as she walked to her office the next morning. Remus had stayed for another hour or so after dinner and things had gone very well. Remus had been quite relaxed when he left, enough to even return the kiss she gave him at the front door without looking around for her parents the entire time. He had refused to tell her what he and her father had talked about while she was in the kitchen with her mother, saying only that they had come to an understanding. Hermione wasn't sure what that meant, but since her dad had insisted that Remus call him by his first name and the two seemed comfortable around each other the rest of the evening, Hermione hadn't pressed it. She was just glad that she'd been able to make her mother see sense. Having her parents' approval was a large weight off her shoulders.

Hermione was passing the Auror office on the way to her own, when Harry stepped out the door. He looked exhausted, but smiled when he saw her.

"I was just coming to see if you were in yet," Harry said. "Kingsley is going to file charges this morning."

"Have you been here all night?" Hermione asked. Harry shrugged.

"I left for dinner, but yeah." Harry glanced around and took Hermione's arm. "Let's go to your office." Hermione let him lead her there, then watched as he put up not only a Muffliato, but a few other privacy spells for good measure.

"Are you sure it's okay to tell me whatever you're going to tell me?" she asked dubiously as she watched him layer the wards on her office.

"This is more for you than me," he said. Hermione's brow furrowed. Harry sighed again and flopped down in the chair in front of her desk. "You're not going to like it, Hermione." Hermione slowly sank into her chair with the realization that Harry had put up so many wards, not to protect the information he was going to give her, but to protect everyone outside her office from what he assumed would be her reaction to the news.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Andromeda came to me last week with a suggestion that I talk to Narcissa Malfoy," Harry said. Hermione sat up a bit straighter in her chair. She had suspected that Andromeda's 'contact' that had given her the information about Hubert Fawley had been her sister.

"And?" Hermione said.

"And she had some interesting information to give me about Satterfield."

"Such as?"

"Such as the fact that he was funneling money to Voldemort's cause." Hermione blew out a breath and sat back in her chair. She couldn't say that she was shocked to hear this, but one thing bothered her.

"If he was a Voldemort supporter, Harry, why did he hire me? I mean, everyone knows I'm Muggleborn."

"After questioning him, we don't think he was a true supporter, per se," Harry said. "It was more that he was keeping all his bases covered. He didn't become a Death Eater or even vocally support Voldemort's cause, but he figured his financial backing would help him if Voldemort won. On the other hand, if the Light won, he thought that no one would ever find out he'd been making donations."

"And since he hadn't spoken out in support of Voldemort, no one would be the wiser," Hermione finished. That made much more sense to her. Satterfield was nothing if not an opportunist.

"So, we started digging into his finances and found something much more disturbing," Harry said. He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. Hermione wondered just how bad this was.

"When Umbridge was put in charge of the Muggleborn Registration Commission, she started a little…side project, that hardly anyone knew about." Harry looked up at Hermione with sadness in his eyes.

"What?" Hermione asked warily.

"She wanted to eradicate quite a number of beings," Harry said quietly. "Centaurs were at the top of her list, but, unsurprisingly, she didn't get anywhere with that." Harry paused and Hermione was almost afraid of what he was going to say. "Werewolves were next." Hermione's heart began beat faster in her chest. "She paid off Satterfield for access to the Registry and used the Werewolf Capture Unit, namely Warrington, to bring in werewolves off the list."

"Oh gods," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded grimly. Hermione didn't need him to tell her what had happened to the werewolves that they brought to Umbridge.

"Right after Voldemort was defeated, Kingsley and Arthur were most concerned with getting all the Death Eaters out of the Ministry and restoring order. When Umbridge was arrested, she never said anything about the werewolves. Warrington and Satterfield certainly didn't either. But after things died down and the trials were over, Warrington decided that he had rather enjoyed his little project and continued with it. Hughes and Satterfield looked the other way." Hermione brought a hand to her mouth in horror. Harry raked a hand through his hair.

"When Kingsley passed the bill granting werewolves the right to work as long as they were registered, Warrington had a whole new list to work from." Hermione felt the bile rise in her throat. "He had to be more careful, of course. He couldn't go after anyone who had a family or would be missed right away. But, there were plenty of others on that list that have since disappeared. At first, no one thought much of it. Apparently, quite a few werewolves who came in to register ended up going back to their packs, eventually. The bill Kingsley passed couldn't change long-held prejudices and many of them, even though they were now employable, still couldn't get jobs. So, no one was really looking for them."

"Gods, Harry, how many?"

"We're not sure, but at least fifteen," Harry paused and looked up at her. "Maybe as many as thirty or forty." Hermione's stomach gave a lurch. She turned to her rubbish bin and promptly lost the contents of her stomach. She cursed Umbridge, Warrington, Hughes and Satterfield to all the fiery pits of hell. Harry was immediately at her side and he vanished the mess, then hugged her.

"I can't believe this, Harry," she said as she clung to him.

"I know," Harry said with a sigh. Hermione pulled away from him and swiped at her eyes.

"Are you sure Kingsley can't find a Dementor somewhere?" Hermione asked, her voice hard, even as the tears ran down her cheeks.

"Believe me, I asked him the same question." Hermione wiped at the tears on her face.

"Will was right," she said after a few moments.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"When Remus and I were still at Grimmauld Place with him, Will told us that some of the werewolves in his pack wanted to register, but Felix, the alpha, said no because the Ministry was just trying to lure them in and then was going to kill them." She laughed bitterly. "I promised Will that it wasn't happening."

"First, it wasn't the Ministry," Harry said. "And second, there's no way you could have known."

"Gods, Harry, what about Remus?" Hermione asked. "He personally brought in some of those werewolves to register after the war." Her tears began again at the horror Remus would feel when he found out. He would feel like he had killed them himself.

"I know, Hermione," Harry said, hugging her again. Hermione let herself cry into her best friend's shoulder for a few minutes. When she had put all of this in motion, she had never expected that this would be the outcome.

Her werewolf reform was even more important than before, she realized. When this all came out, werewolves were not going to trust the Ministry at all and with good reason. Hermione was more determined than ever to get her proposal finished and before the Wizengamot.

"When is Kingsley filing the charges?" she asked, pulling away from Harry and drying her tears. She cast a spell on her face to get rid of her red eyes and blotchy skin.

"We arrested Warrington and Hughes early this morning," Harry said. "Everything has been written up and Kingsley will file it with the Wizengamot in an hour or so. He wants them in Azkaban as soon as possible." Hermione nodded.

"I need to talk to Remus," she said. "I want to tell him before he reads about it in the Prophet."

"Can you wait until lunch?" Harry asked. "I'll run it past Kingsley, but everything should be in place by then. Kingsley is going to want to talk to Remus anyway, see if he has any information that might help find some of these people that we can't locate."

"All right," Hermione agreed. "I'll send him an owl and have him meet me here." Harry nodded.

"Kingsley is also getting rid of the Werewolf Capture Unit," Harry said. "He's turning those duties over to the Auror Department for now." Hermione nodded in approval. At least Aurors had training and actual rules about how to treat suspects and prisoners.

"Was anyone else in the Capture Unit involved in this?" Hermione asked.

"We don't think so," Harry said. "Or if they were, it was unwittingly. Most of this was done on Warrington's own time. If he did anything on Ministry time, his co-workers thought it was a legitimate complaint. Warrington was always the one to escort prisoners to holding cells. After that, the rest of the Capture unit thought it was turned over to the DMLE. They never asked what had happened to any of the werewolves they brought in." Hermione supposed that was something. As Harry turned to go, she pulled a piece of parchment towards her to write a quick note to Remus.

"Hermione," Harry said from the door as he cancelled all the privacy spells he had put up. Hermione looked up. "Let me know if you need anything. Or help explaining to Remus."

"Thanks, Harry." Harry gave her a small smile and left her office. Hermione sighed and returned to her note, hating what she was going to have to tell Remus.


	56. Horrors

**A/N - Sorry for the delay! I hoped to have this chapter up earlier, but having kids home for spring break really messes with my writing time. Just a warning that this one is pretty emotional. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 56**

 **Horrors**

 **5 April 2000**

Remus walked towards Hermione's office, wondering just what she wanted to meet him about. Her note had been decidedly vague, and he was concerned that her parents had said something after he'd left last night. While both Richard and Jean had seemed accepting after Remus' talk with Richard, Remus couldn't be sure that they hadn't changed their minds once he'd left. It wouldn't surprise him if they had. He doubted that they wanted their daughter to be with someone who carried as much baggage as he did.

The question, of course, was how Hermione would feel about it. He wouldn't come in between her and her parents, that much he knew. Remus would never forgive himself if his presence ruined the relationship Hermione and her parents were trying to rebuild.

Hermione's office door was open when he reached it and she sat at her desk with a pensive look on her face. When he knocked on the open door, she looked up and there was a flash of pain in her eyes before she smiled. Remus could tell that it was forced, however, and he feared that his suspicions were correct. He was a bit surprised that she would want to speak to him about it at work, rather than asking him to meet her afterwards. But, he supposed that her office was the most privacy they would get with her parents in town.

"Thanks for coming," she said.

"Of course," he replied. She reached behind him and closed her door, casting a privacy charm as well. Remus' heart sank, even as he realized it wasn't a simple Muffliato. He wondered for a moment what it was and where she had learned it

Instead of walking back behind her desk, she gestured for him to sit down in the chair in front and then conjured another, sitting next to him. She sighed and looked at her lap for a moment, before she met his gaze. The pain in her eyes was even more evident now and Remus couldn't help but reach for her hand.

"There's something I need to tell you," Hermione said. "But, I'm not sure how, to be honest." Remus squeezed her hand, knowing now, that he was right. He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice when he spoke.

"It's all right, Hermione," he said. "I know what you're going to say." Her head whipped towards him in shock.

"You do?" Remus nodded. "But, but how do you…how do you know?"

"It's not as if I wasn't expecting it." Hermione nearly choked.

"Expecting it?" she said shrilly.

"I hoped, of course, after last night, but," he paused and shook his head, looking away from her for a moment. He needed to get himself under control. The last thing Hermione needed was for him to get upset when she so clearly was. He would accept whatever her decision was, but he couldn't deny that it was going to rip his heart out if she decided to end things.

When he looked up, the look on Hermione's face made his brow furrow. Why did she look so confused?

"Remus," she said tentatively. "What do you think we're talking about?"

"Your parents," he said. "I assume they've changed their minds about me." Hermione shook her head, a strangled laugh escaping her.

"If only it were that trivial," she said.

"Trivial?" Remus repeated, a bit hurt. "I don't think your parents not wanting you to date me is trivial."

"No, of course not," Hermione said. "That's not what I meant. I, this is, Remus that isn't what I was talking about." It was his turn for confusion. "My parents didn't change their minds."

"Then why am I here?" Remus asked. Hermione sighed.

"You know that Satterfield was arrested," she began. Remus nodded. "Besides being a drunk, he was also funneling money to Voldemort." Remus blew out a breath. He had figured that Narcissa had information on more people than just Hubert Fawley.

"Not an exorbitant amount and Harry doesn't think that Satterfield really even cared about Voldemort's agenda one way or another. He was simply covering himself in case Voldemort won."

"From what you've told me about Satterfield, that doesn't surprise me." Although this was not good news, Remus wondered why Hermione felt the need to summon him to the Ministry to tell him.

"There's more," she said before Remus could ask that very question. She dropped her eyes to the floor and squeezed his hand again. Remus was starting to get nervous. When she looked up at him, he could see the tears in her eyes. Now, he was worried.

"Hermione," he said, gripping her hand tighter. "Please tell me what's going on."

"When Umbridge was put in charge of the Muggleborn Registration Commission, she decided that more than Muggleborns needed to be taken care of." Remus' heart began to beat faster in his chest. It was no secret that Dolores Umbridge despised those she considered half-breeds.

"Her first target was the centaurs. But, predictably, she got nowhere with that. So, she moved on." Hermione bit her lip and looked at her lap again.

"Moved on to whom?" Remus heard himself ask, although he knew in his gut what Hermione was going to say. She swallowed thickly and looked up at him.

"Werewolves," she whispered. Remus' eyes closed in resignation. "She paid off Satterfield for the werewolf registry and sent Warrington out to round up as many on the list as he could. Leland Hughes, the head of the Beast Division, did nothing to stop it." Remus felt his breath coming faster.

"Warrington," Hermione continued, her voice cracking, "enjoyed his new role so much that he didn't want to stop after the war was over and Umbridge was arrested." Remus heard a whine escape his throat. Hermione grabbed his other hand and held both tightly.

"After Kingsley passed the new bill, allowing werewolves employment if they registered, Warrington, he," Hermione paused and tried to gather herself. Remus still had his eyes closed, not wanting to hear anymore. "He took the new list and, and," but she stopped, overcome by her tears. Remus shook his head.

"No," he said.

"I'm sorry, Remus," Hermione whispered. Remus dropped her hands and stood, still shaking his head.

"No," he said again. "No, don't say it." He raked his hands through his hair and started to pace in her small office. He was muttering under his breath and finally Hermione stood in front of him to stop his movements.

"Remus," she said, trying to offer him some kind of comfort. Remus shook his head. He didn't deserve it. He had personally encouraged more than one werewolf to register after the war and he had promised them, _promised_ , that it was safe. And now, now…he couldn't even say it in his head.

"No," he said again. He couldn't stop the mental pictures flying through his head.

"Remus, this isn't your fault," Hermione said. "You couldn't have known."

"I _should_ have known," Remus roared. Hermione jumped in surprise. "I _knew_ what Warrington was like. I should have _known_."

"No," Hermione insisted. "You might have known Warrington, but you also knew Kingsley. Kingsley would _never_ have passed that law if he had known. _No one_ knew what Umbridge had been up to. Even after all the things Satterfield did, I _never_ would have expected this. You cannot blame yourself.

"I brought them here, Hermione," Remus shouted. "I told them, _urged them_ , to register. And they, they, he," Remus trailed off, shaking his head and growling in anger. "Where are they?"

"Who?" Hermione asked, although he was quite sure she knew who he meant.

"Warrington, Satterfield, where are they?" he demanded.

"They're in the Ministry holding cells," Hermione said. She grasped his arm. "But Remus, you can't-" she trailed off as he shook off her hand. He stalked to the door, grasped the doorknob and tried to wrench it open. The door wouldn't budge.

"Open the door, Hermione," Remus said, his voice barely under control.

"No," Hermione replied.

"Hermione, open the door," Remus said again through gritted teeth.

"And what are you going to do, Remus? Fight your way through the DMLE to the holding cells?" she said, crossing her arms in front of her. "And if you do make it there, which is doubtful, what then? Are you going to kill them?"

"They deserve it!" Remus roared.

"That may be," Hermione agreed. "But, does Teddy deserve to lose his father? Because no matter what they've done, Remus, if you do this, you'll get sent to Azkaban right along with them." Remus stared at her for a few moments before snarling in rage and punching the wall next to the door.

"Remus!" she shouted and ran towards him, grabbing his throbbing hand in hers. He leaned back against the door, his shoulders slumped, the horror of the situation overtaking his anger.

Hermione ran her wand over his knuckles, whispering a healing spell. He winced as the bones popped back into the joints. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"It's not your fault," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around him. "It's not your fault." Remus stood rigid in her embrace, unable to take the comfort she was offering him. He had brought them here, maybe led them to their deaths, when all they'd wanted was a better life, an easier life. Images flickered through his mind of what they had likely suffered, and his knees buckled under him. Hermione held onto him and they both sank to the floor of her office, Remus' back still against the door.

"It's not your fault," she said again. Remus finally pulled her to him, buried his face in her neck, and howled in anguish.

* * *

Hermione clung to Remus even after his cries had stopped. She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting there, although her legs were starting to go a bit numb. She shifted slightly and Remus slowly pulled away from her. He rested his head against the door and looked up at the ceiling, taking a shuddering breath.

"Forgive me," he said.

"For what?" Hermione asked, moving position and feeling the pins and needles in her legs.

"For losing control," he said quietly.

"You don't have to apologize for that," Hermione said, moving next to him and laying her head on his shoulder. She took his injured hand and gently ran her thumb over the back of it. He gave her hand a squeeze in response.

"Do you know how many?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Not exactly," Hermione hedged. He looked down at her and she bit her lip. "Harry says around fifteen, maybe more." Remus' eyes closed and she could see him fighting for control. He was quiet for a long time.

"Most of them never had a chance," he finally said. "My parents, they weren't perfect, but at least they didn't abandon me." He pulled in a breath. "I thought, I thought that if I could help, even in just a small way, that maybe, maybe they could have lives. Lives they didn't have to live in the shadows. If more of us could work and live in normal society, then maybe everyone could finally see, finally show us."

"Show you what?" Hermione asked softly when he didn't continue. Remus turned to her and the emotion in his eyes took her breath away.

"That not all of us are monsters." She felt a few tears leak from her eyes and she put her hands on either side of his face.

"You are _not_ a monster, Remus Lupin." He lowered his head and rested his forehead against hers.

"Do you know their names?" he whispered. Hermione shook her head.

"Harry didn't tell me."

"I need to know."

"I know," she said. She kissed him quickly and then stood, holding out a hand to help him up. He rose and then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. Hermione hugged him back just as fiercely. She knew it would be difficult, but she would help him get through all of this.

"Harry wants to speak with you, if you're up to it." Remus took a deep breath and let it out. He nodded. Hermione squeezed his hand once more and then raised her wand to lower the wards Harry had quickly shown her. They were the wards the DMLE kept on the interrogation rooms so that suspects, if they managed to overpower the official questioning them, couldn't escape the room. She'd added the strongest silencing charm she knew, suspecting what Remus' reaction would be.

When the wards on her office were lowered, she turned back to him. After raising her wand toward him and giving him a questioning look, he nodded. Hermione cast the same charm on him she had on herself earlier, taking away all evidence of his breakdown. Remus smiled at her gratefully and she squeezed his hand one last time, before opening her door and walking with him to the Auror department.

* * *

Remus blew out a breath as he left the flat, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him again. After speaking to Harry, Remus had taken it upon himself to track down the two men and one woman he had helped register after the war. He was extremely grateful that not only had he found all of them, but that they had been all right.

He had suspected that two of them would be safe. Harry had explained that Warrington had targeted those that didn't have friends or family to speak of, so they wouldn't be missed. Jules had been bitten near the end of the war and his wife refused to let him leave their home, even though he tried to, saying he was dangerous. His wife had stood by him and Jules had remained. Tanya had moved in with her great-aunt after her parents had kicked her out of their house. Both would have been reported missing within hours, had they suddenly disappeared.

Phillip, on the other hand, had already been living on the streets when he was caught on the full moon and bitten. Although he now had a job and had recently found a flat, Remus had been sure that he would have been one of the ones that Warrington had gone after. Finding him alive and well had nearly made Remus break down again. Somehow, though, it didn't make him feel less guilty.

Remus had explained the situation himself, not wanting any of them to find out through the Prophet. While none of them blamed him, they all were immediately distrustful of the Ministry. Remus had expected this and while he knew that his word didn't carry as much weight as it had, given the circumstances, he begged all three to reserve judgement until after the Ministry's response to the situation.

Remus walked down the pavement, hands in his pockets. He had spoken briefly with Kingsley and had an appointment to talk to him again the following morning. Kingsley wanted Remus' input as to how to handle the entire situation. Kingsley had made it his priority to remove corruption in the Ministry after he took office. This situation, undiscovered until almost two years after the end of the war, was not going to be easy to weather.

Reaching the small park that he had been walking towards, Remus sighed and looked around. It was late and the park was deserted, but he still made his way to a small copse of trees to Disapparate. He glanced at his watch and hoped that Teddy wasn't in bed just yet. A cuddle with his son sounded like a wonderful idea.

* * *

Hermione's quill moved quickly across the parchment. Kingsley had visited her office after Remus had left and asked her how close her legislation was to being ready. He wanted her to make her presentation to the Wizengamot as soon as the trials were over.

She had to admit that it was a good strategy. While there would be some on the Wizengamot that would never change their minds about werewolves regardless of what happened, many would be horrified or at least bothered at what Umbridge and Warrington had done. They would be more likely to approve new legislation with the crimes fresh in their minds.

Of course, some would claim that Kingsley was only trying to cover his own arse by presenting the proposal. But, Hermione knew the man and had seen the look in his eyes when he spoke with her about her plan. He was haunted by what had happened and she knew that he blamed himself for not discovering it sooner.

" _I knew Satterfield was no good for months, Hermione," he said. "I should have gotten him out ages ago, protocol be damned." Hermione shook her head._

" _I worked with the man for months and I never expected this. I doubt_ anyone _in that department did. Besides, Warrington had full access to the Registry. Even with Satterfield gone, Warrington could have continued. He just would have gotten more careful at hiding it." Kingsley sighed and for a moment, Hermione could see the weight that he carried every day as Minister. He looked exhausted and a bit broken by what had happened. Hermione reached a hand over her desk and squeezed his arm. He gave her a slight smile before his features settled into his normal, authoritative expression._

" _Let me know as soon as you've finished your proposal." He nodded to her and then swept out of her office._

Hermione sighed and reached for one of the open books on her desk. There had been so many different werewolf laws passed and then replaced over the years, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of them all. This was especially true when new laws didn't cover the exact same issues as previous ones. There were bits and pieces of laws dating back hundreds of years that were technically still on the books, but no one enforced anymore.

The easiest thing to do would be to repeal all previous laws pertaining to werewolves. This was easier said than done, however, as the Wizengamot was always hesitant to do away with everything. They were more of a mind to 'improve' what was already in place. It was why Hermione had to make sure that her proposal was precise, clear and thorough. She hoped that if she covered everything there possibly was to cover, the Wizengamot couldn't find a reason to object to doing away with all the older laws and implementing her proposal in their place.

"Don't you think you should call it a night?" a voice asked. Hermione looked up to see Harry leaning against the doorframe. He looked about as wrecked as she felt.

"I could ask you the same question," she said.

"I'm on my way home, actually," Harry said. "It's been a long two days." Harry pushed off the wall and walked to her desk, dropping down into a chair.

"Kingsley wants my proposal ready as soon as the trials are over."

"Makes sense," Harry said, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. Hermione smiled at him fondly and then blinked as she felt tears fill her eyes. She wasn't even sure what she was crying about this time. Harry glanced up at her and his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Hermione shook her head, unable to say anything. Harry stood and walked around her desk. He squatted down beside her and took her hand. "Talk to me."

"Gods, Harry, it was awful," she finally managed, the tears running freely down her cheeks. "Remus, he was so, so, _anguished_. If any of the people that he convinced to register turn up missing, I, I'm not sure what will happen."

"They're all fine," Harry said.

"What?" Hermione questioned. "How do you know?"

"I got an owl from Remus about thirty minutes ago. He visited all three of them and they're fine."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Hermione said, squeezing her eyes shut to fend off the remaining tears.

"You need to go home, Hermione. Get some sleep."

"I can't," she said pulling away from him and wiping at her face. "I've got so much to do on this proposal and-" but Harry cut her off with a shake of his head.

"You're not going to do any good when you're in this state. Besides, you've been working on this thing for weeks. It's probably ready for presentation right now."

"It isn't, Harry," Hermione insisted.

"Hermione," Harry said, sounding stern. "Go home."

"But-"

"No buts," Harry said. "Sleep. Start fresh tomorrow." Hermione sighed, then frowned as her stomach growled. "Eat something too."

Harry was probably right. She was liable to make a mistake as tired and emotionally drained as she was. And the proposal had to be perfect. She couldn't afford mistakes.

"All right," she finally agreed. Harry waited while she gathered up her parchment and marked her place in all the books she was using. He helped her with her cloak and then walked with her to the lifts.

"How was the dinner last night?" Harry asked as they waited for the lift to arrive. Hermione smiled slightly.

"It went well until Remus told them he was a werewolf." Harry's eyes widened.

"I thought you were going to wait to tell them that."

"It sort of came up," Hermione said and proceeded to explain to Harry what had happened.

"So, it's all okay now?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. Harry took her hand and squeezed it. "I'm glad, Hermione."

They stepped into the lift and rode in silence to the Atrium. Harry glanced at her every few seconds and Hermione knew there was something else he wanted to say.

"Just ask me already, Harry," she said as the lift came to a stop.

"I know with everything going on, this is the last thing you should be thinking about right now, but have you thought about when you're going to tell Ron?" Hermione sighed. She knew that she needed to tell him, especially before anyone else found out. But, Hermione was also nervous about it. She wasn't sure just how he was going to react.

"I thought about telling him after Ginny's match on Saturday, but now, I don't know what's going to happen with this proposal. I may need to skip the match and work so that I can still go to Teddy's birthday party on Sunday." They were nearly to the Floos.

"Hermione, I really think you need to tell him before the party," Harry said.

"Why?"

"Do you really think that you and Remus are going to be able to be around each other for an entire afternoon without giving something away?" Hermione bit her lip. "I mean, I know Ron isn't the most observant person, but he's not stupid. And don't forget about Molly."

Hermione sighed. Molly Weasley could ferret out romantic feelings miles away. And given that she would likely be shocked, she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself. Harry was probably right. Even if Ron didn't notice anything, Molly likely would.

"You're right, Harry. I'll, I'll try and figure out a time to tell him." Harry gave her a pinch of Floo powder and kissed her cheek.

"Get some sleep," he said. Hermione smiled and threw in the Floo powder, calling out for her house as she stepped into the flames.

* * *

Remus continued to rock Teddy long after the little boy had fallen asleep. The comforting weight of his son's body and his small breaths against Remus' neck were like a balm to Remus' aching heart.

With all the prejudice that Remus had faced throughout his life, all the hate and the disgust, he shouldn't have been shocked by what Umbridge and Warrington had done. Shouldn't have been surprised that Satterfield and Hughes had pretended that it wasn't happening. But, Remus had still been horrified when he found out. He wasn't sure when he had started to believe the world might be a better place than he'd thought, but he suspected it had everything to do with Dora and Teddy.

Even now, after everything that he had heard today, there was still that small kernel of hope that refused to leave him. It should have been stamped out the moment in Hermione's office when he learned the truth, but even after everything he had found out at the Ministry, it was still there. Remus was quite certain _that_ had everything to do with Hermione.

Teddy shifted a bit in his sleep and Remus kissed the top of his head before he carefully stood. It was late, and Remus needed to at least try and get some sleep. He knew it likely wouldn't be much, but he should at least rest. He gently placed Teddy in his cot and covered him with a blanket before resting a hand gently on Teddy's head for a few moments. Taking one last look at his son, Remus finally left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Are you all right?" Andromeda asked softly from the doorway of her bedroom.

"Not really," Remus admitted. His mother-in-law stepped out of her room.

"Come down to the kitchen," she said. "I'll make you some hot cocoa and you can tell me exactly what is going on." Remus had stopped in at home after he left the Ministry and before he went to visit Jules, Tanya and Phillip. He had given her a basic idea of what happened but couldn't say much with Teddy in the room. He owed her an explanation and he suspected he was a bit too keyed up to go to bed yet anyway.

"All right," he agreed. Andromeda squeezed his shoulder and he followed her to the kitchen.

* * *

"They finally let you leave, eh?" Richard said with a chuckle as his daughter stepped from the fireplace. Hermione tried to smile at her father but failed miserably. Her parents didn't know anything of what had gone on today, she had simply Flooed and told them she would be working late.

"Hermione?" her mum questioned, brow furrowed. "What's the matter?" Hermione pressed her lips together in an effort to keep from crying again, but a strangled sob escaped. Her parents were immediately on their feet and she felt her dad's arms come around her.

"What is it, Princess?" Hermione couldn't speak, she simply clung to her father and cried. He ran a hand up and down her back, whispered soothing words to her, even as her mum wrapped her arms around Hermione's shoulders to lend some comfort of her own.

When Hermione had finally cried herself out, she let her dad lead her to the couch. They all sat down, her parents looking extremely worried. The whole story began to pour out of Hermione and by the time she was finished, her mum was crying and her dad looked like he wanted to murder someone.

Her parents had questions and Hermione tried to answer them, but she soon found herself leaning against her father's shoulder, her eyes drooping. She was completely and utterly spent, emotionally and physically.

"Let's get you up to bed, Princess," her dad said, helping her to stand. "We can talk more in the morning." Hermione yawned widely and leaned against her father as they walked up the stairs. Her mum followed behind and helped Hermione once she reached her bedroom, much like she used to when Hermione was small. After she was tucked into bed, her mum sat down on the edge and brushed the hair back from Hermione's face.

"Sleep, sweetheart," her mum said. Hermione closed her eyes and drifted off to the sound of her mother softly humming.

* * *

 **6 April 2000**

 _Umbridge grinned evilly at Will as she handed him a quill. When he refused to take it, she pointed her wand at him and muttered, 'Imperio'. Will grasped the quill and brought it to the parchment. The words 'I am a filthy half-breed' began to etch themselves into the back of his hand. Umbridge smiled again and turned to look to the side where Remus was struggling to get free of his bonds. She laughed and then cast a spell on the quill Will was using. The same words began to carve themselves into Remus' chest._

 _Greyback sniffed her hair and his hands tightened on her shoulders. Hermione squirmed in his hold and he gripped her tighter, his dirty nails digging into her skin, drawing blood. Bellatrix yanked her from Fenrir's grasp and cursed her, then began carving into her arm. Hermione screamed and Greyback hovered over her, nearly panting in delight at her pain. Hermione screamed again._

 _Will's hand was now unrecognizable, but the boy continued writing the same words, unable to fight against the Imperius curse. Remus was gasping as the words were carved deeper and deeper into his chest. He sagged against the wall and his eyes rolled back in his head as he finally passed out, his breath stuttering out a few minutes later._

 _Hermione screamed._

"Hermione, sweetheart, wake up!" a voice insisted as Hermione felt herself being shaken lightly. She sat up with a gasp and looked into the worried faces of her parents. Hermione's hand immediately went to the word on her arm and she looked frantically around the room, expecting to see Bellatrix or Umbridge or Greyback staring back at her.

"It's all right," her mum soothed, reaching out a tentative hand to touch her. Hermione flinched and her mother moved her hand back slightly.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, still grasping her forearm. She became aware that there were tears running down her cheeks. Her mum moved forward again and this time, Hermione didn't flinch, letting her mother gather Hermione into her arms.

"You don't have to apologize," her dad said. "I can't say I didn't have a few nightmares of my own tonight."

"I'm just glad we were here," her mum said, rubbing Hermione's back. Hermione nodded into her mother's shoulder.

"I'm glad you were here too," she said as she pulled away from her mum. She gave them both a weak smile.

"Is your arm bothering you?" her mum asked.

"No, it's, it's fine," Hermione said, forcing herself to let go of it. Her mum smoothed Hermione's hair back from her face.

"Do you want me to sit with you until you fall asleep?"

"No, Mum, I'll be fine," Hermione said despite really wanting to say yes.

"I don't mind," her mum said with a smile, squeezing Hermione's hand. Hermione just shook her head. "All right, but if you need us, please wake us."

"I will," Hermione assured her, having no intention of doing any such thing. Her mum squeezed Hermione's hand again, then rose from the bed. Her dad leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Dad." Her father glanced back one more time as they left the room. Hermione mustered a smile that must have convinced him, because he followed her mother into the corridor, closing the door behind him.

When they had gone, Hermione blew out a breath and grabbed her wand, throwing up a silencing spell on her room. She doubted she would sleep anymore, but if she did, she didn't want to wake her parents again.

As soon as she laid back down in her bed, the images from her dream returned and she had an overwhelming urge to Floo Remus and talk to him. Given it was nearly four in the morning, however, she resisted. She was sure that Remus had had trouble sleeping as well and the last thing she wanted to do was interrupt him if he was finally able to rest.

* * *

 _Remus ran through the maze of corridors, frantically trying to find his way. He could hear them, hear the calls and the howls and Remus had to find them before it was too late. He could feel the pull of the moon, but there was still time. Still time to find them and help them._

 _Remus skidded around another corner and stopped in front of a large wooden door. This was it, he'd found it. He pushed open the door, wondering vaguely why it wasn't locked. That thought was pushed from his mind when he saw the rows of cages lining both sides of the walls. Remus hurried forward and came face to face with Will._

" _Help me," Will begged and Remus reached for his wand only to find it wasn't there. He grabbed at the large padlock on the cage door, but it wouldn't budge. Remus shook the bars and threw himself against them, but to no avail._

" _I'll be back," he promised Will and moved forward looking for something he could use to pry the lock open. Tanya was in the next cage, Jules and Phillip across from her. Remus stared in horror as he made his way past more and more cages, every werewolf he had ever run across in his undercover work in the packs, sitting in a cage, begging him to help them._

" _Remus!" a voice called and Remus' head snapped around. Hermione stood in a cage at the end of the room, holding Teddy. Andromeda and Harry were on either side of her. Teddy was crying. "Remus go back, get out!" Remus ignored her and ran forward._

 _As he reached the cage the door opened of its own accord. Before Remus could react, he was shoved into the cage and the door pulled shut, a large heavy lock snapped into place. Remus spun around and saw Warrington and Umbridge staring at him._

" _Let them go!" Remus demanded. Warrington threw his head back and laughed, while Umbridge simply smirked._

" _Oh, I don't think so," she said, her voice syrupy sweet. Remus threw himself into the bars of the cage._

" _Let them out!" he shouted. He could feel the moon, closer now. There were only minutes until moonrise._

" _Please," Remus begged. "Please, my son."_

" _Your kind isn't supposed to breed," Umbridge said, her lips curled in disgust. "He's just as filthy as you are." She spun on her heel and walked away, giving the rest of the werewolves in the room looks of disgust as she passed._

" _He'll be just like you come mornin'," Warrington sneered. "If he lives, that is." With another laugh, he turned and followed Umbridge from the room. Remus spun, staring at Hermione and Andromeda frantically._

" _It's all right, Remus," Hermione said, tears in her eyes. Remus backed himself into the corner of the cage and Harry put himself in front of Andromeda and Hermione. Hermione shielded Teddy with her body and Andromeda stepped in front of her as well._

" _This isn't your fault," Harry said. "We don't blame you." Remus curled into as small of a ball as he could, horror on his face._

 _And then the moon rose and all he knew was pain._

Remus sat up in bed with a shout. He threw off the blankets and bolted from his bed, hurrying down the corridor to Teddy's room. He opened his son's door and walked inside, all the breath leaving his lungs when he saw Teddy sleeping peacefully in his cot. Remus braced his hands against the cot's headboard and tried to stop shaking.

"Remus?" Andromeda whispered from the doorway. Remus spun, his eyes searching quickly over his mother-in-law. The dream had been so real, he almost expected to find slashes and bite marks everywhere. Remus looked back at Teddy, pulling the blanket more securely around him before he left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he said.

"Dreams?" Andromeda asked and Remus nodded. She looked at him in understanding. "I've had a few myself." Scrubbing a hand down his face, Remus sighed.

"Come downstairs," Andromeda said. "I'll make tea."

"I'm fine, Andromeda, you should go back to bed."

"Nonsense," she said and began walking towards the stairs. Remus knew better than to argue, knowing he was unlikely to sleep anymore anyway. He wanted to Floo Hermione and check on her, but it was four in the morning and her parents likely wouldn't appreciate being woken this early. Besides, it had only been a dream, she was fine. So was Harry. Remus shuddered again at the images from the dream and then shoved them from his mind, following Andromeda to the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione rubbed at her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. The words in the book were beginning to blur. She knew she should take a break but stopping meant thinking and it was better if she concentrated on the task at hand. At least it kept her mind from that horrible dream she'd had last night.

She unconsciously rubbed at her arm again, wondering again how Remus was doing. She had intended to Floo him before work, but despite her thoughts to the contrary, she had fallen back asleep just before daybreak. She had ended up oversleeping and was almost late for work as a result. She would have to stop by this evening.

As though her thoughts had conjured him, she looked up to see Remus standing in her doorway. She stood, hurrying towards him. He closed the door and met her halfway, drawing her into his arms. Hermione clung to him as he buried his face in her hair and breathed her in.

"Nightmares?" he asked quietly a few moments later. Hermione nodded.

"You?"

"Yes," he replied. She squeezed him tighter and he sighed, kissing the top of her head. Hermione drew comfort from his embrace and hoped that he was doing the same.

"Are you here for your meeting with Kingsley?" she asked.

"Just finished, actually," he said.

"How did it go?" she asked, pulling away from him slightly so she could see his face.

"Productive, I think," Remus said, running a hand up and down her back. "He is going to schedule a press conference this afternoon to make a statement." Hermione nodded.

"Harry told me that the people you helped register are all right," she said. Remus nodded. "I'm so glad."

"So am I," Remus admitted. "But, the others." He trailed off and shook his head, pain in his eyes.

"I know," Hermione said, hugging him tighter again. They stood that way for a few minutes, before Remus finally pulled back from her. He studied her face and Hermione knew she looked haggard and tired. She hadn't even bothered with a glamour, knowing she was going to be holed up in her office working on her proposal all day.

"Have you eaten?" he asked. Hermione shook her head.

"Hermione," he admonished. "It's half two."

"I'm not hungry," she said.

"You still need to eat."

"I've got too much to do."

"Hermione," he said again. "Have lunch with me." She started to refuse, then decided that she didn't want to part from him just yet.

"All right," she agreed. Remus smiled, kissed her once and then helped her with her cloak before he opened the door of her office. As they left, Hermione saw Margaret's secretary glance between she and Remus, then return to the parchment on her desk. Given Hermione's work on the werewolf laws, everyone had gotten used to seeing Remus in her office. Hermione resisted the urge to take his hand as they walked towards the lifts to head into London for lunch.

* * *

 **8 April 2000**

Hermione glanced at her watch, her eyes widening. She quickly finished the paragraph she had been working on and then stacked up her books and parchment. She had come into work this morning to finish up a section of her proposal before heading to Ginny's Quidditch match. Although Hermione had told Harry that she wasn't sure she would be able to attend, she had spent so much time in both her office and at home working on it, that she was actually ahead of where she intended to be by the weekend.

The nightmares hadn't stopped the last few nights, but Hermione had used silencing charms so she didn't wake her parents. She had used the extra time during the night when she couldn't sleep to work on her proposal. As a result, she was exhausted, but that wasn't anything she couldn't hide with a glamour charm. She wasn't convinced that her mum didn't realize anyway, but she hadn't pressed Hermione about it. Her parents had reluctantly flown back home early this morning after making Hermione promise to call if she needed them to return. As much as Hermione enjoyed having them visit, she was also glad to have the house to herself again. Spending some time alone with Remus was the first thing she intended to do.

She hadn't seen Remus since the day he had taken her to lunch, save for one short Floo call the next night. She could tell that he was still struggling as well, but the preparations for Teddy's birthday party on Sunday had kept him somewhat occupied. He had also visited Will's mother to let her know what had happened with Warrington. Remus hadn't wanted her to read about it in the Prophet.

The press conference that Kingsley held had been pandemonium after he had read his statement. He had answered as many questions as he could without compromising anything about the case and the articles in all the Wizarding publications had been wild with speculation ever since. The trials were set to begin on Monday. Hermione knew that Remus was going to attend. She hoped, for everyone's sake, that justice would be swift.

She sighed as she made her way to the Floo and remembered that she was going to have to talk to Ron after the match today. She hadn't had time to before, as busy as she had been with her proposal. As Hermione reached the Floos, she decided that she had just enough time to stop at Remus' before the match. She wanted to wish Teddy a happy birthday and spend a bit of time with Remus as well. Seeing him would give her the boost of confidence she knew she was going to need to tell Ron. Stepping into the Floo, she called out for Remus' house and disappeared in the flames.

"My-nee!" a little voice said as Hermione stepped from the fireplace. Dutifully, Teddy waited until Hermione was fully out of the Floo before flinging his little arms around her legs.

"Hey, you," Hermione said with a laugh, bending down to pick him up. "Happy Birthday."

"I two!" Teddy said, grinning.

"You are," Hermione agreed with a laugh, rubbing noses with him.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger," a voice said, and Hermione inhaled sharply as she looked up. Narcissa Malfoy stood in the living room near Teddy's toy basket. Hermione grasped Teddy more tightly and instinctively turned to shield him with her body. She saw the polite smile on Mrs. Malfoy's face twitch slightly before it reasserted itself.

"Aunty Cissy here," Teddy said to Hermione.

"Yes, I, I see that," Hermione finally managed, willing herself to calm down. She was aware that Andromeda spent time with her sister. Mrs. Malfoy was likely here celebrating Teddy's birthday, as his party was not until tomorrow. Hermione swallowed hard.

"Hello," she said quietly. The two stood there in awkward silence until Teddy began to squirm to be put down.

"Cissy, did I hear the Fl-" Andromeda trailed off as she saw Hermione standing in the living room.

"Nanna, My-nee here!" Teddy announced. Hermione set him on his feet and he ran to his grandmother. "My-nee, Nanna!"

"I see that Hermione is here, Teddy," Andromeda said with a smile as she picked up her grandson and settled him on her hip. "Hello, Hermione."

"I'm sorry to intrude," Hermione said.

"You're not intruding," Andromeda assured her.

"Is Remus here?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, let me just let him know you're here." Before Hermione could stop her, Andromeda had left the room with Teddy, leaving Hermione alone with Mrs. Malfoy.

Hermione glanced at the older woman and then looked away, the dreams she had been having of her torture returning. She grasped at her arm and saw Mrs. Malfoy's gaze follow her movements. Hermione could have sworn she saw the woman flinch, but the expression on her face didn't change.

"Miss Granger, I-" but Hermione never got the chance to hear what Mrs. Malfoy was going to say as Remus walked into the room.

"Hermione?" Hermione's head swung toward Remus. He frowned when he saw her clutching at her arm. "I thought you were going to Ginny's match."

"I will leave the two of you alone," Mrs. Malfoy said and with a nod to both of them, she hurried from the room. Hermione let out a shaky breath and Remus put his hands on her upper arms.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"Y-yes," Hermione said, still grasping her arm.

"You don't look it," he said. "What's the matter with your arm?" Hermione bit her lip and blinked to try and stop the tears she knew had gathered. She shook her head. She couldn't stop reliving the torture in her mind. The fact that she'd dreamed about it for the last three nights didn't help.

"Hermione, talk to me," Remus pleaded. She shook her head again and stepped away from him.

"I need, I need to go."

"Hermione, wait," Remus said, but Hermione had already spun and grabbed the Floo powder from the mantel. She jumped into the Floo and fell out in her living room. She managed to make it to the couch where she curled into a ball, shaking and gripping her arm. Moments later, she heard the Floo flare and then Remus was gathering her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and squeezed her eyes shut tightly before she began to cry.


	57. Love

**A/N - After picking at and tweaking this chapter for two days I finally decided just to be done with it and post it. I think that there are a few things in this one that many of you have been waiting for. ;) I hope you enjoy and as always, thank you so much for reading and thank you to those who review!**

 **Chapter 57**

 **Love**

 **8 April 2000**

Remus continued to try and soothe Hermione, rubbing a hand up and down her back and kissing the top of her head. When he had arrived, he hadn't missed that she had been holding her arm in the exact spot he'd seen the glamour. She had been doing the same thing at his house.

Remus wasn't sure what had happened, only that Hermione had been standing alone in the living with Narcissa when he walked in. Narcissa had been saying something to Hermione, but Remus had interrupted, seeing that Hermione was already upset. He had no idea what Narcissa had been going to say, but Remus intended to find out.

"Hermione," he said again, hoping that she had finally calmed enough to tell him what was wrong. "What happened?" Hermione said nothing, just tried to burrow closer to him. Remus wrapped one arm more tightly around her and kissed the top of her head again.

"Please talk to me, love." The term of endearment was out of Remus' mouth before he could stop it. He froze for a moment, hoping that he hadn't just made things worse. Then he felt Hermione shift and she finally looked up at him. He put a hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear with his thumb. She sighed and closed her eyes for a few moments, leaning into his hand. He wanted to tell her, wanted to say the words, right then, but held back.

"Did Narcissa say something to upset you?" he asked instead. Hermione shook her head. Remus moved his hand to her arm and held her wrist lightly in his hand, running this thumb over her forearm. She flinched and tried to pull away. He loosened his grip so she could, but she stopped before she had completely pulled away from him. Remus nudged the cuff of her sleeve up with his thumb and saw the edges of the glamour charm.

"Does it have something to do with this?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said quietly.

"We've all got scars, Hermione."

"I know," she said with a small sigh. "But, this is…different." He waited and when she didn't continue, he kissed her forehead and gave her hand a squeeze.

"You don't have to tell me."

"It's not that," she said immediately. She bit her lip. Remus gently pulled it from between her lips. Hermione gave him a small smile.

"I want to tell you, but, I," she shook her head again and took a shuddering breath. She looked nervous and a bit…self-conscious? Remus wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if he didn't have a myriad of scars on his body, some of which Hermione had already seen. Save the small scar at the base of her throat, her skin was completely unblemished. Well, what Remus had seen of it so far anyway. He forced those thoughts from his head. Now wasn't the time.

"Whatever it is," he said. "It's not going to make me think any differently about you."

Hermione pulled in a breath, then sat up on the couch. She shifted so she was facing him. Remus reached over and took hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it to try and continue to soothe her. She glanced at the fireplace even as she opened her mouth to speak. Her eyes widened when she saw the clock on the mantel.

"Oh no, Ginny's game!" Remus' brow furrowed.

"You're still intending to go?"

"No, but," Hermione bit her lip again. "I told Harry I was definitely coming. He'll worry." Remus nodded as Hermione worried her lip with her teeth.

"I'll have to send him a Patronus," she said with a sigh. There was no way to Floo-call the stadium and she didn't have an owl. An owl would take too long to get there anyway.

Hermione drew her wand and was silent for a moment before casting the spell. Nothing happened. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, she tried again. She managed a bit of white mist, but no otter appeared. Eyes filling, she tried again and again, with the same results.

"It's all right," Remus said, putting a hand on top of her wand and slowly lowering it.

"Why can't I do it?" she demanded, teary and angry in equal measure.

"You're not exactly in the right state of mind," Remus said gently.

"But Harry will worry and I don't want him to leave and come here to check on me. He'll think he needs to stay and he's never missed a match and he hasn't seen Ginny for nearly two weeks and-" Remus pulled her back into his arms to cut off her babbling. She sniffled against his chest, even as he took his own wand out of his pocket.

"Expecto Patronum," he said, using the same memory he had for the last two years, the day he held his son in his arms for the first time. The wolf formed and looked at him expectantly. Remus cast another charm before speaking softly to the wolf and sending him on his way. He turned back to Hermione and kissed her temple. "Taken care of."

"Thank you," she said, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. Remus conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She smiled gratefully and dried her face. She sat up again and began toying with the handkerchief in her hand.

"The last few days," she finally began, "I've been having…nightmares again." Remus moved a bit closer to her. If her dreams had been anywhere near as bad as his, he knew how horrible these last few nights must have been. He tucked a curl behind her ear and she managed a half-smile. "They've been about Umbridge and…you and Will." Remus' hand moved to her arm, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"But, also," Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out. "Greyback." Remus' hand stilled on her arm. Hermione looked up at him. "He, he was with the Snatchers when we were captured in the forest. He was the one that decided to bring us to Malfoy Manor."

"Bloody hell," Remus swore.

"He was there when, when Bellatrix tortured me. She told him that he could h-have me when she was, when she had gotten what she w-wanted." Hermione shuddered and Remus couldn't stop himself from pulling her into his embrace. He needed it as much as she did because if left to his own rage right now, he might go and do something stupid. She rested there for a few moments, blowing out a shaky breath before she pulled back from him. She squeezed his hand.

"I, you know about the Cruciatus, but," she paused and bit her lip again. Remus held his breath. What the hell had Bellatrix done to her? He watched as Hermione pushed up her sleeve to fully reveal the glamour that was cast over her forearm. She picked up her wand and her hand shook as she pointed it at her arm. Remus wrapped his own hand around hers to help steady her wand and Hermione drew in a deep breath. Her wand now steady, she whispered 'Finite'.

Remus watched as the glamour disappeared and his eyes widened in horror as he saw the word carved into her skin.

Mudblood.

"Hermione," he breathed. "What is this?"

"Bellatrix wanted, she wanted to know about the s-sword we had," Hermione continued, and Remus tried to concentrate on what she was saying. He was having a hard time over the roaring in his ears. He focused in on Hermione's face.

"She thought that we'd, we'd gotten into her vault and wanted me to, to tell her how. After, after she c-cursed me a few times and I wasn't telling her what she wanted to know, she, she pulled out a kn-knife." Hermione reached up to her throat and ran her fingers over the small scar there. "She gave me this, later, but first, she, she, did, this." She held out her arm again and Remus had to swallow back his anger. He wanted to kill Bellatrix, if only Molly hadn't already done it for him. Her death hadn't been nearly as painful as it should have been. He wanted to go to Azkaban and drag Greyback from his cell and beat him until he begged for mercy. Remus' hands curled into fists on his lap. Hermione was talking again, and he tried to concentrate on her words, but the blood pounding in his ears made it difficult.

"I guess, because of, of everything with the werewolves, I've been dreaming about Greyback and that, that day. And then seeing Mrs. Malfoy today, just brought it all…back." Narcissa. Narcissa had stood by and let this happen. Hermione had not only been tortured, but her skin had been carved into and Narcissa had stood by and done nothing. Nothing!

"Remus?" Hermione said in confusion. She tried to catch his eye, but all Remus could see was Hermione lying on the floor of Malfoy Manor while Bellatrix cut into her arm with Narcissa watching. He stood abruptly from the couch and turned away from Hermione. He looked at the mantel where the Floo powder sat. Narcissa was likely still at his house. He could go there right now and, and-

"Remus?" Hermione said again, but this time her voice was shaking. He turned back towards her and forced himself to look at her. Her lips were trembling and there were two tears making their way down her cheeks. "I-I'm sorry." Remus' brow furrowed. She was sorry? What on earth was she sorry for?

"I know it l-looks awful, that's why I usually keep the gl-glamour on it and I should have w-warned you or s-something, I-"

"No!" Remus said as he pushed his anger aside. She thought he was upset with _her_? Gods, he was an arse. "That's not, that's not why I'm upset." He sat down on the couch and reached for her, shoving his anger aside. Later. He would think about that later. She flinched and he cursed himself again. He looked up at her for permission and when she finally nodded, he gently grasped her arm. She was trembling.

Remus studied the horrible word on her arm. The letters were still red, although he suspected that they had faded somewhat.

"It was a cursed blade," Hermione said, so quietly he had to strain to hear her. "Madame Pomfrey said it won't ever go away completely." Remus ran a thumb over her forearm and she flinched again. He frowned.

"Does it hurt?"

"No," she whispered, looking at her lap. "It's just, I don't, no one usually…touches it." Remus' heart broke a little at that. Ron must have known what had happened, he was there, after all. Had he made her feel as if she was lesser because of the word on her arm? And Anthony? What had his response been to seeing it? Remus felt his anger growing once more, that she might have been rejected because of something that wasn't at all her fault. After a few moments, he collected himself. He had no idea what Hermione's exes had thought about the scar. Perhaps, she hadn't even let them see it.

"Hermione," he said softly, but she wouldn't look at him. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, but she refused to open them. Two tears leaked from beneath her closed eyelids and ran down her cheeks. Remus cupped her face in his hands and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. He took a silent breath and gathered his courage.

"Please, open your eyes, love," he said. Hermione's eyes popped open and widened so quickly, he wondered if she even realized that he'd called her that earlier. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think that I was angry with your or disgusted that you showed this to me. I _am_ angry. But not with you." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. Hermione gave a shuddering little sigh as she sat back. Remus took her arm in his hands again. He ran his fingertips over the scar and he saw her bite her lip, trying to fight back more tears.

"I hate it," she said.

"Sirius told me once that I should look at my scars as badges of honor."

"This is anything but a badge of honor," she said in disgust. Remus nodded.

"I told Sirius the same thing, but he pointed out that I'd survived. Despite everything Greyback had done, despite ripping into myself in the Shack every month, I lived to fight another day." He looked at her. "You showed her how strong you were, Hermione. You endured this and the Cruciatus curse and you _beat_ her. She's gone, but you're still here and her side is either dead or locked up. This, this is tangible proof of your bravery."

"I don't want tangible proof."

"I know that you don't," Remus said with a sad smile. She sighed and glanced back down at her arm.

"You don't, it doesn't, doesn't…repulse you?" Her voice sounded so small and unsure that his heart ached.

"What happened to you was horrible, but this," he paused and ran his fingers over her scar, "this doesn't change anything about who you are or how I feel about you." Her head snapped up and she stared at him. She looked uncertain, but also a bit…hopeful. Remus opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. His heart was pounding and he could feel his palms getting sweaty. For fuck's sake, what was wrong with him? After a few moments, Hermione sadly dropped her gaze. Remus heard Sirius' voice in his head.

' _Excellent job there, Moony. First rate.'_ Making a face, Remus swallowed and gathered his courage.

"Hermione." It took her a moment, but she finally looked up at him. "I love you."

She stared at him for what felt like forever before she launched herself into his arms and kissed him. Remus pulled her to him and enthusiastically kissed her back. When they broke apart to breathe, she smiled.

"I love you, too." Remus' heart soared as he kissed her again.

* * *

Harry started as the large wolf Patronus appeared in their box at the Quidditch stadium. The wolf looked at him and then delivered his message.

 _Hermione won't make it to the match. She's all right, but something has come up. I'm with her._

Harry glanced at Ron from the corner of his eye, but besides looking confused as to why Remus' Patronus had shown up, Ron didn't seem to have heard the message. Remus must have cast the extra privacy charm before he sent it. Developed by Dumbledore during the second war, the privacy charm allowed only the person whom the message was for to hear it.

Despite what Remus said, Harry was worried. He had spoken to Hermione the night before and she had told him that she was sure she would be able to make the match today. She was planning on working this morning to finish up a few things on her proposal, but she was ahead of where she expected. And even if something had changed and she needed to continue working, why hadn't she sent her own Patronus?

"I didn't think Remus was coming today," Ron said.

"He wasn't," Harry replied.

"Then why send a Patronus?" Harry racked his brain for an excuse and came up empty. Besides, the game was supposed to start in ten minutes. Ron was going to start wondering about Hermione soon.

"It was for Hermione, actually," Harry said. "She's not going to make it. Work." Ron's eyes narrowed.

"I thought she said she was ahead of where she wanted to be."

"She did, but I guess something came up."

"But, why did Remus send the Patronus?"

"I don't know Ron, I guess he's working with her today."

"That still doesn't explain why Hermione didn't send it."

"Maybe she was busy," Harry replied, getting a bit irritated. He was worried about Hermione and Ron's questions weren't helping. Ron stared at him for a few moments.

"Why the secrecy?"

"What?"

"The privacy charm, the Patronus only spoke to you. If they're working, then why not just have it be a general message?"

"I don't know, Ron, why don't you go to the Ministry and ask them?" Harry said, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

"Maybe I should," Ron said, starting to stand. A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back into his seat.

"Ron, I'm sure Hermione is fine," Susan said. "If you bother her at work, she's just going to be cross with you."

"But, why did Remus-" Ron began, but Susan interrupted.

"Didn't you say that he's been helping her with her werewolf proposal?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then, they're obviously working on that. I remember how Hermione used to get in school around exam time. If she's that focused on this project, then she probably didn't even think of taking a break to send a message. Professor Lupin probably just did it for her." Ron frowned. Harry didn't think he was convinced, but he didn't make a move to get out of his seat again. Thank Merlin for Susan.

Somehow, Harry suspected that something more serious was going on. Something that had kept Hermione from being able to make her own Patronus. He knew that Hermione had been upset and out of sorts the last few days. Still, Remus was with her and _he_ was obviously able to form a Patronus, so he couldn't be hurt or in trouble. Remus wouldn't say she was all right if she wasn't. Harry trusted him to take care of her.

The announcer began introducing the teams and Harry sat back in his seat, still warily glancing at Ron from time to time. Harry wasn't convinced that his friend wouldn't change his mind and try to find Hermione, regardless of what Susan said. Harry _really_ wished Hermione had had a chance to talk to Ron.

* * *

Hermione pulled back and looked at Remus. His lips were swollen and his hair was in disarray from her hands running through it. He looked thoroughly snogged and she couldn't help but smile. Remus smiled back and leaned forward to nip at her bottom lip. Hermione let herself fall back into the kiss, while maneuvering herself until she was straddling his lap. Remus' hands immediately went to her hips and then one slid under her top. Her hands went to the buttons on his shirt.

They finally broke the kiss and Remus moved to her neck. Hermione shuddered and lost her concentration as Remus lips and tongue worked over her neck. When he kissed the hollow of her throat, she might have whimpered, but she renewed her attack on his buttons when he moved back to her mouth. His hands were wandering as well and when Hermione finally got his shirt undone, he was cupping her breasts. She looked down at him.

"You don't," she gasped and rocked in his lap, "have to leave, do you?" She had no idea what he'd said to Andromeda before he left.

"No, Remus mumbled, against her collarbone.

"Good," Hermione replied, pulling him back to her and kissing him again, her hands moving to his chest. When they broke apart to breathe once more, Hermione's hand was on the buttons of his trousers. He looked at her.

"Hermione, are you sure?"

"Gods, yes," she said a bit breathlessly.

"It's been an emotional day," he said, gently grasping her wrists in his hands and keeping them still. Hermione was almost hurt for a moment, thinking that perhaps she wanted this more than he did. But then she looked in his eyes and there was no doubt that he wanted it just as much. She leaned forward and kissed him gently.

"I love you, Remus," she said. "I have for weeks. This isn't about anything else but that." He let go of her hands and cupped her head, kissing her slowly, languidly. Hermione felt a bit drugged when he pulled back from her.

"I love you," he said. She smiled and pulled her wand from her pocket, casting a spell at the fireplace, the door and then the telephone. When she looked back at him, he had an eyebrow raised.

"I'm tired of being interrupted," she explained. Remus laughed and stood, picking her up with him. Hermione shrieked in surprise, wrapping her legs around his waist. She grinned at him. He kissed her again as he walked towards the stairs.

* * *

Remus wasn't sure how they had finally made it to her bedroom. He had stopped to snog her against the wall so many times, he was surprised they were actually in the bed and not on the floor. His shirt was somewhere on the stairs, hers on the floor in the hall. Trousers had been shed the moment they stepped into her room, although he had had to reluctantly put her down to do so.

Their frenzied snogging had slowed slightly once they made it to her bedroom and lost the rest of their clothes. Now, she lay bare beneath him and Remus was simply taking in the sight of her. He still couldn't quite believe that she was here, that she wanted this as much as he did. She stared up at him, blush on her face. He leaned down and kissed her in reassurance and she sighed into his mouth. A few more minutes had her hips bucking against him and he broke the kiss and looked down at her. She put a hand to his cheek and smiled. He grabbed his wand, whispered a contraception charm and threw his wand to the floor.

Looking down at her once more, he pushed into her with a groan, and then held himself as still as possible. It had been a long time and he was afraid it would be over before it began. Hermione indulged him for a few moments, kissing his shoulder and running a hand down his back.

"Remus, please," she finally said, shifting her hips and making him groan again. He began to move and she sighed, her breath hitching slightly as he picked up his pace. Her nails dug into his back as she moved with him. He kissed her, drinking in all the noises she made.

"Hermione," he managed, his breath coming faster. She shifted again and he moved faster, gritting his teeth to hold himself back until he felt her freeze and then call out his name. He moved again, twice, three times before his own shout and then he collapsed against her, whispering endearments and kissing her temple, before rolling to the side and pulling her with him. She kissed his chest and wrapped an arm around his waist, then rested her head on his shoulder. He ran a hand lightly up and down her arm, smile on his face. Hermione hummed in contentment.

"I love you," she said around a yawn. Remus smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep, love. I'll be here when you wake up." Her felt her eyes flutter shut and heard her breathing even out almost immediately.

* * *

Hermione whimpered in her sleep. Remus tightened his arm around her.

"Shh, love, it's all right," he mumbled sleepily. She sighed and pulled herself closer to him, relaxing back into sleep once more. Remus squeezed her shoulder, yawned, and closed his eyes again.

* * *

Hermione's eyes opened slowly, and she glanced around the room, taking in the waning light outside. It must have been close to dinner, they'd slept most of the afternoon. She turned to look at Remus and smiled. His mouth was half open and he was snoring lightly. If his sleep had been anything like hers these past few days, he needed the rest.

She turned her arm where it lay across his torso and stared at her scar. Remus's words, well, Sirius' really, she supposed, echoed in her head. _Badge of honor._ To her, it was still an ugly slur, a constant reminder of the fact that there were those who didn't think her worthy. But, Remus hadn't been disgusted by it and she knew that there was truth to his words.

Despite everything that Ron had said to her that day at the Burrow, she knew he couldn't stand to look at it. Not because of what it said, but because he had never been able to forgive himself for not protecting her. Hermione had never expected the protection, had been glad that it was her and not Ron or Harry that were tortured, but Ron could never fully let it go. Had they stayed together it would have become one more thing that drove a wedge between them. She had never even shown it to Anthony. That alone should have made it clear to her that they would never work long-term.

Hermione propped herself up on one elbow and watched Remus sleep. He muttered something, his brow furrowing. She reached up and gently ran a hand down the crease in his forehead and his face relaxed. He stirred in his sleep a few minutes later and his eyes blinked open. She smiled. He returned it and reached a hand up, cupping the back of her neck. He pulled her slightly forward, so he could kiss her.

"Sleep well?" he asked when they separated.

"Better than I have in days," she said. "You?"

"Very well," he replied. He stared at her until Hermione began to squirm under his scrutiny.

"What?" she finally said.

"I love you," he replied with a smile. She laughed and leaned down to kiss him again. He pulled her on top of him and deepened the kiss. His hands stroked up and down her sides, making her shiver. When they broke the kiss, she rested her chin on his chest, finger running over one of his scars. It looked different than the others, one thin line instead of claw marks or slashes.

"Antler to the chest," he said in response to her unasked question. Hermione's eyes widened as she ran her finger over it again. Remus chuckled.

"It was early on, he didn't have much control over himself yet. Sirius said the first time James transformed, he was so unprepared for the weight of the antlers, his head dropped immediately. He's lucky none of his points stuck in the floor." Hermione laughed. "That first month, in the Shack, he gave me this. Poppy was quite suspicious the next morning when she was healing all my injuries."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I must have cut myself on a broken chair leg. I'm not sure she believed me." Hermione grinned and then kissed the scar. When she looked up at him, he pushed the hair back from her face, leaned up and kissed her.

Rolling them to the side, he continued kissing her as his hands began to wander. Hermione thought that she would be completely fine with never leaving her bed again as he broke the kiss, his mouth following the path of his hands. She buried her hands in his hair as his lips moved to her breasts.

"Remus," she breathed.

"Tell me what you want, love," he said from somewhere around her navel.

"I, I," she stuttered, unable to form words. Then, her stomach growled. Loudly. Remus paused and looked up at her. She took her hands out of his hair and covered her face, turning red. Remus chuckled and gently pulled her hands away.

"I _did_ ask you what you wanted," he said with a smirk.

"That's really not what I had in mind," she said and he laughed again.

"Let's get you some food," he said, kissing her neck. "And then you can tell me _exactly_ what you had in mind." Before Hermione could protest that food was really overrated, and she didn't need to eat _right_ now, her stomach betrayed her and growled again.

"When did you eat last?" he asked in concern. She shrugged.

"I had a bit of toast on my way to work this morning."

"Hermione," he admonished. "It's nearly seven."

"I wasn't hungry." Remus sighed and then kissed her lightly on the lips. Standing, he held a hand out to her and helped her up. He pulled her to him and kissed her breathless.

"I'm a bit hungry, myself," he said. He reached over and picked up an oversized jumper which was lying on the chair next to her bed. She pulled it on as he stepped into his trousers.

"Will Andromeda be expecting you?" Hermione asked.

"I'll Floo when we get downstairs."

"But, it's Teddy's birthday."

"Which we celebrated today at lunch." Hermione bit her lip, still feeling guilty.

"None of that now," Remus said, gently pulling her lip from between her teeth. "Teddy is most excited about his party tomorrow, anyway." Hermione still wasn't convinced.

"Teddy and Andromeda will have already had dinner, at any rate. Why don't you and I get something to eat and then I'll call her. I'll decide then, all right?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. He kissed her once more and they left the bedroom hand in hand.

* * *

After searching through Hermione's ice box and cupboards and realizing she hadn't been to the market in some time, they ordered Chinese. While they waited for it to be delivered, Remus got dressed and went through the Floo to speak to Andromeda. Hermione had insisted that he speak to Andromeda in person instead of through the fireplace.

"Daddy!" Teddy called as Remus stepped into the living room. He was surrounded by the new toys he had been given by Remus and Andromeda, as well as Narcissa. Remus jaw tightened as he thought about his mother-in-law's sister, but he forced himself to remain calm. Later. He would deal with Narcissa later.

Teddy ran towards him. Remus picked him up and threw his son into the air as Teddy shrieked in delight.

"Daddy, pay!" Teddy insisted.

"In just a minute, all right? I need to talk to your nanna." He set Teddy on his feet and the little boy ran happily back to his toys.

"Remus," Andromeda said. "Is Hermione all right?"

"She will be," Remus said.

"What happened?" Remus glanced at his son and then back to Andromeda.

"It's a rather long story and parts of it are Hermione's to tell," he said. Andromeda looked at her grandson, then lowered her voice.

"I know Narcissa was here when Hermione arrived, but Narcissa swore that she didn't know what had upset Hermione." Remus' expression hardened.

"She was…a trigger." Andromeda looked pained. Remus' face softened.

"Andromeda, like I said, it's a long story and there's more to it than just Narcissa being here. I," he blew out a breath. "We're going to have to have a discussion, but…not tonight." Andromeda nodded.

"Where is Hermione now?" Andromeda asked.

"She's still at her house. I, she's," he rubbed the back of his neck and felt his face heat. Andromeda's lips twitched.

"You shouldn't keep the lady waiting," she said with a knowing smirk. Remus' face turned redder and he swore in his head. He wasn't a teenager anymore for Merlin's sake. His private life was his own business.

"We're going to have a bite to eat. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right here."

"As you can see, your son has virtually ignored me since he got up from his nap, in favor of his new toys." Remus smiled at Teddy who was deep in concentration as he moved his dragons and knights around the floor. "I could barely get him to the dinner table earlier." Remus chuckled.

"You're sure I shouldn't stay?"

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of my grandson for the evening," Andromeda said tartly.

"That's not what I meant," Remus said. "It's his birthday."

"Which you've celebrated with him," Andromeda reminded him. "He's going to be in bed in less than an hour. We'll be fine."

"Teddy," Remus said, and his son looked up.

"See, Daddy, see!" Teddy indicated the toys scattered all around him. Remus smiled and walked towards him, settling down next to him. He listened to Teddy chatter about all his toys, only about half of which Remus understood, then played with him for a few minutes when Teddy handed him a knight.

"Teddy, Nanna is going to give you a bath and put you to bed tonight."

"No bed," Teddy said immediately. "Me pay!"

"You don't have to go to bed right now, but I'm going to say good night to you because I have to leave." Teddy looked up him in curiosity. "I'm, erm, helping Hermione." Remus ignored Andromeda's snort, but knew his face had colored again.

"My-nee?" Teddy questioned. "Me go!" He jumped up. Remus took hold of his arm.

"Not this time," Remus said.

"See My-nee, Daddy," Teddy whined.

"You'll see Hermione tomorrow," Remus replied. "Remember, it's your party?"

"Ha-wy!" Teddy shouted. "Gin!"

"Yes, Harry and Ginny will be there too. And there will be more cake and presents."

"Take!" Teddy said with a grin.

"Yes, cake," Remus said with a chuckle. "Now, give me a hug and be good for Nanna." Teddy threw himself into his father's arms. Remus hugged him tightly and then kissed his forehead.

"I love you."

"Love you, Daddy." Then Teddy happily returned to his toys. Remus stood and walked back towards the Floo.

"We'll see you in the morning," Andromeda said with another smirk.

"I, that's," Remus blushed again and Andromeda chuckled. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you," he said. He turned and picked up the Floo powder from the mantel.

"Give Hermione my best," Andromeda said with a wink. Remus, sure his face couldn't be any redder, turned and stepped into the fireplace and called out for Hermione's house.

* * *

Hermione padded back into the living room after having gone upstairs to put on a pair of sleep shorts. The jumper covered her bum, falling to mid-thigh, but the last thing she needed was to give the delivery person a show when she paid for the food. Her stomach growled again and Hermione huffed in annoyance. She had intended to eat something at Ginny's match, although Hermione couldn't say she was sorry that she hadn't made it. Smiling to herself, she moved toward the kitchen to get a few crackers to tide her over until the food arrived.

There was a knock on the door and Hermione turned, brow furrowed. They should have come to the front door, not the back.

"Hermione!" a voice called as the knocking got louder.

"Shite," Hermione said when she recognized Ron's voice. What was he doing here? Hermione bit her lip. The Patronus. Of course, Ron was going to be suspicious about why she hadn't sent her own. Swearing again, Hermione moved toward the door. Remus hadn't been gone that long. She could probably get rid of Ron before Remus got back.

"Hermione!" he shouted, and Hermione hurried to the door before the neighbors called the police or something.

"Ron," she said as she pulled the door open. "Why are you shouting?"

"Are you all right?" he demanded, looking her up and down as if for injuries.

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest, wishing she had put on a bra when she'd been upstairs. Ron stared at her, eyes narrowed.

"You said you were coming to Ginny's match," he said, sounding a bit accusatory.

"I planned on it," Hermione replied.

"Instead, you don't show up and Remus' Patronus is how you let us know?" Damn it, she'd forgotten to ask Remus what he'd told Harry. Although, it was likely that Harry had told Ron something different. _Why_ did Ron have to show up here?

"Ron, I'm fine," Hermione said. "Something just came up and I wasn't able to make it to Ginny's game. I appreciate you coming to check on me, but-"

"Something at work?" Ron interrupted. Hermione tried to read his expression, but she couldn't tell if that was the answer he was expecting or not.

"I, well, yes," she finally said.

"You don't sound sure."

"Is there a reason you're interrogating me?" Hermione demanded, hands on her hips. She felt badly for lying to him, but she wasn't ready to deal with his reaction right now.

"I just want to know what's going on with you." Ron's expression softened. "I know this has been a hard week for everyone." Hermione sighed.

"I'm fine, Ron, honestly. I intended to come, I just, I need to be sure this werewolf proposal is perfect. I'll explain to Ginny tomorrow. Did they win?"

"Yeah," Ron said with a smile.

"Congratulate her for me. You should probably get back to celebrate with everyone."

"Why don't you come with me?"

"I'm tired, Ron. Like you said, it's been a hard week. I'm just going to eat something and then go to bed." Ron studied her for a few moments, then nodded and turned toward the door. Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief. When they reached the door, Ron turned back.

"Hermione," he began, but was cut off by the sound of the Floo. Hermione swore in her head and spun around just as Remus stepped from the fireplace.

* * *

Remus pulled his wand from his pocket and began siphoning the ash from his clothes. He saw Hermione from the corner of his eye and began speaking before he looked up.

"Teddy is fine. Is the food here yet, I'm-" he trailed off as he caught sight of Ron. "Oh, hello, Ron." Remus glanced at Hermione, still wearing the jumper she had been in when he left, although she had put on a pair of shorts. Remus stamped down on his possessiveness and told himself to stop being stupid.

"Remus," Ron replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "What are you doing here?" Remus glanced at Hermione, who looked a bit terrified. Ron looked between the two of them, eyes narrowed.

"Hermione, maybe you should get dressed," Ron said. Remus held back a snort by the slimmest of margins.

"Ron, honestly," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"What is going _on_ , Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," she snapped. Before Remus could say anything, the doorbell rang. Hermione jumped and it took everything Remus had not to put an arm around her.

"Do you want me to get that?" he asked.

"Please," she said. "Here, wait." She grabbed her beaded bag from the end table and dug through it, pressing Muggle pounds into his hand. "That should cover it and the tip." Remus managed to stroke her hand with his thumb without Ron noticing. She smiled at him before she turned back to Ron.

Although they lowered their voices, thanks to the wolf's senses, Remus was still able to hear everything as he answered the front door and paid for the food. Ron was still demanding to know why Remus was there and Hermione was still refusing to answer him. Remus carried the food into the kitchen and set it on the table, casting a stasis charm on it before he returned to the living room.

"Hermione," he said quietly. She looked at him, then closed her eyes, resignation on her face. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and Remus walked to her side. Placing a hand on the small of her back, he felt her lean into him slightly. Hermione took a breath and looked at Ron. He looked confused for a moment, but then his eyes widened in realization.

"What's going on?" He demanded.

"Remus and I are together." Ron stared at her for a moment.

"What do you mean 'together'?"

"I mean exactly what you think I mean, Ron," Hermione said. If the situation hadn't been what it was, Ron's expression would have been comical. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head and his mouth opened and closed like a fish.

"What the hell are you talking about, Hermione?" he finally managed. Hermione sighed again.

"I mean, we're dating. A couple. You know, you and Susan, Harry and Ginny? Me and Remus."

"You can't be dating Remus," Ron said.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, as Remus bristled a bit. He felt her hand slip into his and give him a squeeze.

"Because, because, he's, he's Remus."

"Well that clears everything right up," Hermione said dryly. Ron glanced at Remus and then back at Hermione. He looked nervous but soldiered on anyway.

"Hermione, he's, the age…thing."

"What of it?" Hermione asked.

"He, I mean," Ron glanced at Remus again. Remus could tell that Ron didn't want to say it in front of him. But, Remus was not going to leave Hermione to deal with this on her own.

"I'm aware that Remus is older than me," Hermione said. "I don't care." Ron continued to glance between the two of them and Remus finally took pity on him.

"Ron, we're aware that this is a surprise and that there are things about our relationship that will make it difficult for some people to accept. The age difference being one of them."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Hermione said. Ron's eyes suddenly narrowed suspiciously.

"How long has this been going on?"

"About a month," Hermione said.

"A month!" Ron repeated. "You've been dating for a _month_ and you're just now telling me?" Hermione grimaced.

"I, we didn't tell anyone at first."

"At first." Ron said, crossing his arms in front of him. "Who else knows then?"

"Ginny," Hermione said. "And Andromeda." Ron was clearly surprised that Andromeda knew.

"And," Hermione hesitated, biting her lip. "Harry." Ron's anger was apparent immediately.

"Harry knows?"

"Only because he walked in on us once and," Hermione trailed off as Ron put his hands up in front of him.

"I don't need to hear about it." He glared at Hermione for a few moments. "How long has he known?"

"A few weeks," Hermione said quietly, looking defeated.

"So, Harry has known for a few _weeks_ and you didn't think you should tell _me_?"

"I was going to, I just," Hermione trailed off again.

"Just what, Hermione?" Ron's voice had risen again, and Remus stepped closer to Hermione, giving Ron a look as he did so. The younger man didn't seem particularly affected by it.

"I wasn't sure how you'd react," she finally said. She looked up at him.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he snapped. Remus could see the muscle working in his jaw.

"Ron, I'm sorry." Ron was looking between Hermione and Remus again and Remus could tell that his anger hadn't abated at all. In fact, he seemed to be getting even more upset. Remus didn't want either of them to say something they might regret later.

"Perhaps we should talk about this tomorrow," Remus suggested. "Once everyone has had a chance to calm down and think about things."

"No," Ron said. "I think we should keep talking about it right now." Hermione looked at him warily, obviously concerned about what he was going to say.

"Ron, I think Remus is right."

"You do, do you?" Ron said. "The two of you have only been together for a month, huh?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"Yes," she said, unsure. Ron snorted derisively. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"I don't understand what you're implying."

"I think you do," Ron said, looking angrier by the second. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, jaw clenching and unclenching. Hermione stared at him in confusion. Then, suddenly, her look of confusion changed to one of fury.

"You complete _arse_ , Ronald Weasley! I can't believe you would even suggest that!" Remus knew he'd missed something.

"Why not? I suspected it back then and now here the two of you are."

"Back when?" Remus asked, completely confused. They both ignored him as Hermione spoke again.

"In case you've forgotten, I dated Anthony after you and I broke things off. Well _before_ I started seeing Remus. I told you that we were just friends back then and I meant it." At Hermione's last statement, realization dawned on Remus. Ron thought that there had been something going on between Remus and Hermione before she ever dated Anthony? Maybe even while she was still dating Ron?

"I," Ron began, but he sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face moments later. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Wait just a minute," Remus said, still stuck on the fact that Ron had accused Hermione of cheating on him with Remus, only _weeks_ after Dora had been killed. Remus could feel his anger rising. Hermione put a hand on his arm and Remus tried to rein it in.

"Ron was just being an idiot," Hermione said. "Weren't you Ron?"

"It was stupid," Ron agreed, looking a bit fearful of Remus. "Like I said, I shouldn't have said it."

"No, you shouldn't have," Remus said flatly. He turned away from the other man before he did something stupid like killing him. He didn't think Molly and Arthur would appreciate that.

"I think you should leave, Ron," Hermione said.

"Hermione, I'm sorry about what I said. But, this, this isn't a good idea."

"I really don't care what you think," Hermione snapped.

"Hermione, please," Ron said. "Just listen."

"Just, just go, Ron," she said resignedly. Remus turned slightly, and Ron met his gaze.

"I believe that Hermione has asked you to leave," Remus said tightly. Ron stared at the both of them for a few moments.

"I'm sorry for what I insinuated," he finally said. "But we need to talk, Hermione." With that, Ron turned and left, closing the back door quietly behind him. Hermione turned to Remus and put a hand on his arm.

"Remus?" she said softly. He said nothing, just pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked when he had calmed a bit.

"Tell you what?"

"What Ron suspected back then?"

"Because it was too stupid to repeat." Remus snorted and felt more of the anger drain from him.

"Is that what came between the two of you?"

"Not really," Hermione said with a sigh. "I mean, the row we had about it didn't help, but there were a lot of bigger reasons. It came down to the fact that Ron and I just weren't suited. We never would have lasted and likely would have made each other miserable in the process." Remus pulled back from her and looked into her eyes.

"How do you feel, now that he knows?"

"The fact that he acted like a complete prat should make it easier to not care about what he thinks," she said.

"But you do," Remus guessed. She sighed.

"I don't know why, but I do."

"He's one of your best friends, Hermione. Of course, you care about what he thinks."

"It would be a lot easier if I didn't," she muttered. Remus couldn't help his smile. She looked up at him.

"Are _you_ all right?" At his quizzical expression, she continued. "I don't think I've seen you that angry. Well, maybe in the Shrieking Shack third year." He pulled her closer to him again.

"I admit, my first instinct was to punch him in the face," Remus said. Hermione laughed. "But, I do believe he was sorry that he said it at all."

"He was reacting to Harry knowing when he didn't," Hermione agreed. "He lashed out because he was jealous. It's probably his worst fault."

"Do you think that he was angrier about the two of us being together or that he didn't know?"

"That he didn't know," Hermione said immediately. "If it had just been Ginny and Andromeda that knew, he wouldn't have gotten so upset."

"I thought he had gotten over being jealous of Harry."

"He has, for the most part. He's not jealous of Harry's celebrity anyway. But, when it comes to the three of us." Hermione shook her head. Remus waited while she collected her thoughts. "Harry and I are very close, but in a sibling kind of way. Ron and I, well, we're friends, close friends, but after things didn't work out between us romantically, we won't ever have as close of a relationship as Harry and I do. I think it's hard for Ron still, sometimes." Remus studied her for a few moments.

"Do you think he still has feelings for you?" Hermione pursed her lips in thought.

"Not exactly," she said. "I think that he still has a…fondness for me, I guess. But I think that has more to do with the fact that I was his first love, than anything." Remus nodded, swallowing down the bit of jealousy that had reared its head again. He was being ridiculous, he had no suspicions that Hermione still harbored feelings for Ron.

"You don't think _I_ still have feelings for _him_ , do you?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not," Remus said immediately. A bit too quickly, apparently. Hermione stood up on tip toe and kissed him.

"I don't," she said.

"I know," Remus replied. "I'm sorry." She smiled, then laid her head against his chest. Remus kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. She leaned fully into him and Remus knew she was exhausted.

"Let's eat and then you should get some sleep."

"I'm not hungry," Hermione said, her voice a bit muffled in his shirt. He pulled back from her and forced her to look at him.

"You need to eat something, love," he said. "Please."

"All right," she finally agreed with a sigh. He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. Despite her protests, Hermione ate quite a bit. When he gave her a knowing look, she stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled.

"Fine, you were right, I was hungry," she huffed. Remus said nothing, just stood and gathered up what was left, putting the containers into the ice box. He felt Hermione's arms come around him and she rested her head against his back.

"It's all right, if you need to go home," she said, but he could hear the small tremor in her voice. He hadn't planned on leaving anyway, but there was no way he was going to now, after everything that had happened with Ron.

"Andromeda isn't expecting me until the morning," he said as he turned in her embrace. Hermione's face colored slightly before she laughed, shaking her head.

"Isn't that weird for you?"

"Extremely," he replied. "Which is why we are not going to talk about it. Ever." She laughed again, and he leaned down to kiss her, then scooped her up into his arms.

"Remus, put me down!" she insisted.

"You're nearly asleep on your feet," he said. "It's my responsibility to get you to your bedroom safely."

"Oh, really?" Hermione replied, eyebrows raised.

"Absolutely," he replied, completely serious. She smirked and leaned her head against his shoulder as he carried her out of the kitchen. She whispered in his ear and his eyes widened, even as his feet moved more quickly. Hermione's laughter echoed off the walls as he nearly ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.


	58. Party

**A/N - Thank you all for the great responses to the last chapter! I'm so glad everyone liked it! Also good news on my end, I have about half of the next chapter written, so I am hoping that I might be able to get back to my weekly posting schedule. We shall see. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 58**

 **Party**

 **9 April 2000**

When Hermione woke, Remus was spooned behind her, his arm around her middle, his face buried in her hair. She smiled and relaxed further against him, glancing at the clock on her bedside table. Remus would have to leave soon, but they still had some time.

Her mind wandered to Teddy's party. She wondered if Ron would still show up, knowing how angry Remus had been with him. Not that Hermione hadn't been furious. She had thought, after all these years, Ron would have learned to think before reacting. Hermione figured Ron had gone straight to Grimmauld after their argument. Hopefully, Harry had been able to talk some sense into him. Or maybe Ginny had just bat bogeyed him. Hermione failed to hold back a snicker.

"Something funny?" a sleepy voice behind her asked.

"It's nothing," Hermione said, smile still on her face. Remus kissed her shoulder and then the side of her neck. His arm tightened around her and he pulled her closer to him. He nuzzled her neck again. Hermione rolled to face him.

"Good morning," she said after he'd kissed her. He smiled.

"Did you sleep all right?" he asked. She nodded.

"You?"

"Wonderfully." He began to run his fingers up and down her arm. "What time is it?"

"Half seven."

"We still have a bit of time," he said. Hermione smiled at him, then maneuvered herself so she was straddling him.

"Well in that case," she said, grinning wickedly. Remus chuckled and pulled her forward to kiss her, her hair hanging in a curtain around their faces. She sat up and repositioned herself, then sank down on him and he seemed to lose his focus for a few moments. Hermione began to move, her hands braced against his chest, until he pulled her to him for another kiss.

* * *

Not long later, she collapsed against him, both of them out of breath, his arm coming around her back to hold her to him. When they had recovered slightly, he pushed the hair back from her face and rolled them to the side before he kissed her again.

"I've got to leave soon," he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I know," she replied, tracing the scar on his chest from Prongs' antlers. He pushed back from her, propping himself up on an elbow and looked at her quizzically.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said.

"Hermione," he said, his tone letting her know that he didn't believe her.

"I don't want to tell you," she replied. Remus' brow furrowed.

"Why not?"

"Because it makes me sound like a selfish brat."

"I doubt you could ever be a selfish brat," Remus said in amusement. She scowled at him and he chuckled. "Besides, I have an idea of what you're thinking."

"That I want to keep you here, lock the Floo, ward the doors and unplug the phone for the next week?"

"Exactly." She grinned.

"One day, love, I promise you," he said. Hermione looked up at him with such want in her eyes that he kissed her again, fiercely. They were both panting for breath when they parted. He rested his forehead against hers again.

"You're not making this easy for me," he groaned.

"Teddy," she said. "Think of Teddy." The mention of his son cooled his desire quite sufficiently and she laughed as he rolled away from her.

"Do you want to shower here?" she asked innocently. His eyes narrowed.

"I think that would be a very dangerous, very bad, idea." She pouted and he kissed the tip of her nose before he rose from the bed. He picked up his wand and cast a cleansing charm on himself before he pulled on his pants and his trousers. He would shower when he got home. She sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up with her, for which he was grateful. He was distracted enough without staring at her breasts while he tried to get dressed.

When he started buttoning his shirt, she got up as well and he watched as she pulled on the jumper from the night before. His fingers fumbled on a button and he looked down when she laughed. He had missed a button and his shirt was crooked. She walked towards him, redoing the buttons and straightening his shirt. He put a hand behind her head and kissed her once more.

"Teddy, his party, I've got to go," he said as he finally pulled away from her.

"Right," she said. She shook her head as if to clear it, then took his hand and led him to the living room.

"Shall I come over a little early?" she asked.

"If you like," he replied with a smile. Truth be told, it would be nice to have a bit more time with her before they had to act as if they were just friends again. Most of the guests didn't know about them after all.

"All right, I'll be there once I've eaten and showered." Remus' eyes briefly glazed over at the thought of her in the shower. She smirked, and he shook his head.

"Minx," he said. "I'll see you in a bit."

"I love you." Remus smiled and kissed her one last time.

"I love you, too." Then he threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and forced himself to step through.

* * *

"Good morning," Andromeda said as Remus walked into the kitchen. She was just setting Teddy's breakfast in front of him.

"Daddy!" Teddy said, grinning and switching his hair to Remus' own sandy brown.

"Good morning," Remus replied, ruffling Teddy's hair. Andromeda dished up another plate of eggs and handed it to Remus. She sent the platter of bacon and bowl of fruit to the table before sitting down with her own plate.

"You had a good evening, I trust," she said and Remus immediately reddened. Andromeda chuckled.

"Yes, I, I did," he said clearing his throat.

"And did Hermione have a good evening as well?" He glanced at her and Remus could see the amusement in her eyes. He sighed.

"My-nee!" Teddy called around a mouthful of eggs. "My-nee see me, Daddy?"

"Yes," Remus said to his son with a smile. "Hermione will be here for your party."

"Take!" Teddy said in excitement. Remus chuckled.

"Yes, we're going to have cake." Teddy nodded happily and returned to his breakfast. Remus shook his head fondly and turned back to Andromeda. She was still smirking.

"Do you enjoy making me feel like a teenager trying to hide something?" he asked in exasperation.

"But, it's so easy, darling," she said, taking a sip of her tea. Remus couldn't help but laugh. She reached over and patted his hand. "In all seriousness, I am very happy for you. Hermione is a lovely woman. You two are good for one another." Remus turned his hand, so he was grasping Andromeda's.

"Thank you," he said, kissing the back of her hand. She smiled at him and they both returned to their breakfast.

* * *

Hermione glanced in the mirror one last time, then took a deep breath to try and settle her nerves. Andromeda had never been anything but supportive of Hermione and Remus' relationship. But now that they'd spent the night together, Hermione was concerned about what the older woman might think. Remus had been her daughter's husband, after all.

Deciding that worrying about it wasn't going to make it any easier, Hermione resolutely walked to the fireplace and threw the powder into the grate.

When she stepped into Remus' living room, it was quiet, the only sounds coming from the kitchen.

"Hello?" Hermione called as she began to walk towards the kitchen.

"Oh, Hermione, hello," Andromeda said with a smile as she came into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel. "Remus said you might be coming over a bit early."

"Where's the birthday boy?" Hermione asked. Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"Remus is upstairs changing Teddy's clothes. He spilled an entire glass of juice down his front." Hermione laughed.

"Can I help you with anything?"

"Of course, come into the kitchen." Hermione followed, relaxing a bit that Andromeda wasn't treating her any differently than usual. Andromeda set Hermione to helping organize the trays of food. They were serving lunch so that the festivities would be over in time for Teddy to take a nap.

"May I ask you something?" Andromeda said after a few moments. Hermione tensed and hoped the other woman didn't notice.

"Of course," she said.

"Are the two of you still not telling anyone about your relationship?" Hermione worried her lip between her teeth.

"We told Ron last night and it didn't go well," Hermione said.

"Remus mentioned that." Andromeda paused. "There are going to be quite a few people here today that don't know." Hermione looked up at her, wondering what she was getting at.

"I have seen the way Remus looks at you," Andromeda continued. "And you him. Are you sure that you will be able to pretend today? Especially after last night?" Hermione blushed.

"I do not mean to embarrass you," the older woman said quickly. "The specifics of your relationship are not my business. I just do not want you to have to explain something if you are not ready."

"I understand," Hermione said. "I, we, haven't really discussed it."

"Perhaps you should," Andromeda said. "There is still time before the party." Hermione nodded. Andromeda smiled and returned to her food preparation just as Remus and Teddy walked into the kitchen.

"My-nee!" Teddy cried and he ran towards her.

"Happy Birthday," she said as she bent down to pick him up.

"Me two!" Teddy said excitedly and tried to hold up two fingers. He frowned as some of his fingers refused to cooperate. Remus stepped closer and helped, Teddy looking proud of himself as he finally held up two fingers.

"You are," Hermione agreed with a laugh. She looked up at Remus who smiled at her softly. Hermione tried to return it, but Andromeda's words still echoed in her head. Remus frowned and stepped closer to her, putting a hand on her arm. Hermione shook her head and indicated Teddy. Remus nodded and stepped back from her.

"Teddy," he said. "Shall we go outside and put up the decorations for your party?"

"Yes!" Teddy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She set him down and he raced to the back door.

"Does he ever walk anywhere anymore?" she asked.

"Not usually," Remus said. While Teddy was busy trying to reach the doorknob, Remus leaned in and kissed her quickly. Then he returned his attention to his son, helping Teddy with the door and following him outside.

Hermione returned to the kitchen and after a few minutes, Andromeda turned to her.

"I can finish with this," she said. "Why don't you go outside and help Remus? I am certain that Teddy will make more of a mess than anything."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. Andromeda nodded and returned to the cake that was currently icing itself. "All right, just let me know if you need more help."

"I will, thank you," Andromeda said with a smile.

Hermione walked out into the backyard where Remus was directing streamers and ribbons with his wand. He had filled a few balloons and Teddy was alternately trying to kick them around the garden and falling on top of them, squealing with laughter when he bounced and then rolled to the ground. The balloons had obviously been charmed not to break.

Remus paused in his decorating when she reached his side.

"What's the matter?" he immediately asked.

"Nothing really," Hermione said. "It's just, Andromeda pointed out that it was going to be difficult for us to keep our feelings to ourselves during the party."

"Does she think I'm going to ravage you in front of the guests?" Remus quipped. Hermione couldn't help but laugh, although at talk of ravaging, something flipped in her belly. She stared up at him, swallowing thickly. _Focus, Hermione_ , she chastised herself.

"No, but she said she's seen the way we look at one another." Studying his face, Hermione immediately saw what Andromeda was talking about. It was something about his smile and the way his features softened. Although at Hermione's reaction to his words, there was now a hunger in his eyes as well. She dropped her gaze and pulled in a breath. She heard him do the same a moment later.

"Yes, well, I suppose I can see what she's talking about," Remus said. Hermione gave a shaky laugh. "What do you want to do, love?"

"I don't know," Hermione said with a sigh. "Things went so badly with Ron last night and I don't want to ruin Teddy's birthday." She looked up at him again. "It's only for a few hours." Remus nodded and stepped closer to her, kissing her forehead. Hermione's eyes closed and she breathed him in, chocolate and old books and the forest.

At a shout from Teddy, they stepped back from one another and Hermione was soon occupied with a toddler that was babbling away to her about the balloons and his cake and the gifts he had already received. She glanced over her shoulder at Remus who had resumed hanging the decorations. He smiled at her and Hermione returned her attention to Teddy, wondering if she had made the right decision.

* * *

Ginny came through the Floo, followed closely by Harry. Teddy ran towards them and Harry swung him up, then hung him over his shoulder. Teddy giggled like mad as Ginny planted kisses all over his face. When Harry righted the little boy, he was grinning widely and a little red in the face.

"Happy Birthday, mate."

"Two!" Teddy crowed as he managed to hold up two fingers. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Pay me, pay me, Ha-wy!"

"How about you get it all set up and I'll be there in just a few minutes, all right?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Harry set him on his feet and the little boy scampered over to his toy basket. Harry and Ginny turned to Hermione.

"You all right?" Harry asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Harry." Hermione turned to Ginny. "I'm so sorry I missed your game yesterday." Ginny waved off her apology.

"That doesn't matter, but what happened, Hermione?" Hermione sighed and glanced at Remus. He gave her an encouraging smile. She quickly explained what had happened when she saw Mrs. Malfoy, keeping her voice low so Teddy wouldn't overhear.

"Hermione," Ginny said in sympathy, hugging her friend tightly. Harry turned to Remus.

"Thank you for being there for her," Harry said.

"I wouldn't have been anywhere else," Remus said. Hermione caught his eye over Ginny's shoulder and she smiled. Remus returned it and when Ginny let Hermione go, she looked quickly between the two of them. She gave them both a knowing look and then whispered something in Hermione's ear. Hermione shook her head in exasperation.

"We'll be right back," Hermione said as Ginny towed her from the room.

Harry, who had been distracted by Teddy seemed not to hear because when he turned around, he looked confused as to where the women had gone.

"Ginny wanted to talk to Hermione for a moment," Remus said, hoping his voice didn't betray him. He was having a hard time keeping his expression neutral.

"Oh, before I forget," Harry said, leaving Teddy to his toys for a moment. "Here." Harry began pulling gifts out of his pockets and enlarging them.

"I told you not to spoil him," Remus said. Harry grinned sheepishly

"In my defense, one of those is from Ron," Harry said. "He's not going to be able to make it. Ate something that didn't agree with him yesterday, I guess." Remus stared at Harry, but the younger man seemed to be telling the truth.

"You didn't speak with him last night?" Remus asked.

"No, he went to Susan's after the match," Harry said. "Why?"

"He showed up at Hermione's."

"He didn't," Harry said. Remus sighed and nodded. "You were there I take it?"

"Not at first," Remus said. "I had come home to speak with Andromeda for a moment. When I got back, he was there." Harry scrubbed a hand down his face.

"He knows then, I'm guessing."

"Yes, and he didn't take it well." Harry swore under his breath. Remus glanced at Teddy, but his son seemed oblivious.

"What did he say?"

"I believe the age difference is his biggest issue," Remus said. "He also accused Hermione of being involved with me while she was still dating him." Harry's eyes widened and then he grimaced.

"You didn't, er, kill him or anything did you?"

"No," Remus said, his eyes flashing. "Not that the thought didn't cross my mind."

"Ron can be…irrational at times," Harry said. "He doesn't always think before he speaks."

"I'm aware," Remus replied. "He did apologize immediately afterward. I don't think he meant to say it."

"Still," Harry said. "How did Hermione take it?"

"She was angry about what he insinuated, of course, but I think she's more upset about his rejection of the two of us than she's letting on." Harry nodded grimly.

"I'll talk to him."

"I don't think you should do that, Harry."

"Why not?"

"I doubt Hermione wants Ron to accept our relationship because you pushed him into it. I don't either for that matter. He's got to come to it on his own."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

"I wouldn't object to you beating some sense into him, however." Harry laughed. Teddy looked up at that.

"Ha-wy pay!"

"All right, I'm coming," Harry said and joined Teddy on the floor of the living room.

* * *

Ginny towed Hermione up the stairs and into the loo, casting a Muffliato around them even as she locked the door.

"You had sex," she said when she turned around, sounding almost giddy. Hermione shook her head.

"Do I even _want_ to know how you know that?" Ginny shrugged a shoulder.

"It's a gift."

"It's also none of your business," Hermione said. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, you know I'm going to get it out of you eventually, so you might as well spill." Hermione sighed.

"Fine, yes, we had sex." Ginny grinned.

"How was it?"

"I am _not_ giving you details, Ginevra Weasley!" Ginny pouted.

"You're no fun." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're incorrigible." Then, her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute, Ron told you, didn't he?"

"Ron?" Ginny questioned in confusion. "How does Ron know that you and Remus had sex?"

"Didn't he come home last night after he was at my house?"

"He was at your house? Why?"

"He was worried after Remus sent the Patronus to Harry at your match."

"Oh gods, did he walk in on you two?" Ginny asked in horror.

"Give me a bit of credit, Gin. I do know how to ward my house against interruptions."

"Well, I mean, after the way Harry found out, can you blame me for asking?"

"Point taken," Hermione replied, going a bit pink in the face. "No, he didn't walk in on us. Remus wasn't even there, at first."

"So, Ron knows." Hermione nodded. "How did he take it?"

"Not well," Hermione admitted.

"Gods, what did he say?" Ginny asked in resignation.

"He was upset about the age difference. But, then he-" Hermione trailed off and bit her lip.

"He what?" Ginny asked, eyes narrowed.

"Back when we were dating, he accused me of being involved with Remus."

"He _what_!" Ginny shrieked. Hermione ignored her outburst.

"He brought it up again last night."

"That stupid git! When is he going to learn to keep his mouth shut?" Then she paled. "Oh Merlin, what did Remus do?"

"He was _really_ angry, Gin. I don't, well, I haven't seen him like that since third year."

"Ron's lucky he's not dead," Ginny muttered. She sighed and looked at Hermione. "Are _you_ okay?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, although she was having a hard time keeping her disappointment hidden.

"You don't have to pretend, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. "I know you're upset."

"I just thought that, now that he was dating Susan, that he'd want me to be happy too," Hermione said with a shrug. She looked away and blinked rapidly.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said, pulling her friend into a hug. Hermione sniffled, but refused to let her tears fall. She was _not_ going to cry over Ron again.

"I'll talk to him," Ginny said.

"No," Hermione insisted, pulling back to look Ginny in the eye. Ginny looked confused. "I don't want him to say he's okay with me dating Remus because you bullied him into it. He has to decide for himself."

"And if he doesn't?" Hermione shrugged.

"Then he doesn't." Ginny looked at her skeptically. "Promise me you won't push him, Ginny." Ginny sighed.

"All right, I promise."

"Thanks."

"I'm still going to tell him he's a git," Ginny said, and Hermione laughed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Ginny smiled and dropped the spells on the bathroom, then linked arms with Hermione. The two made their way back down to the living room where both Harry and Remus were sitting on the floor next to Teddy, engaged in a ferocious battle between dragons, knights and Quidditch players.

* * *

Hermione braced her hands against the sink in the loo and blew out a breath. This was torture. Complete and utter torture. She never thought that acting as if she and Remus were just friends would be this difficult. She was having a hard time remembering why she thought they should keep up this charade in the first place.

But then she thought about Ron's reaction last night and what Molly's would likely be. Hermione had had enough emotional upheaval in the last week to last her a lifetime. She didn't think that she could add any more. Besides, today was about Teddy, not her.

She took another breath and straightened, looking at herself in the mirror. It was nearly time for Teddy's cake, the party wouldn't last much longer. She could do this.

* * *

Remus found himself continually looking for Hermione throughout the party. No matter who he was talking to, his eyes were always drawn to her. By unspoken agreement, they had kept their distance from one another, rarely talking to the same people at the same time. Remus had managed to avoid Molly Weasley for the most part. He had spoken to her briefly after she and Arthur arrived. Like her daughter, Molly was entirely too good at figuring things out and Remus thought it better if he not be talking to her when he was searching the crowd for Hermione.

Hermione had disappeared into the house a few moments ago and it took everything Remus had not to follow her inside. There were plenty of rooms in the house with doors that could be warded and locked. The upstairs loo had a counter that was just the right height for… _Stop it_ , Remus chastised himself. _It's your son's birthday party for fuck's sake._

"I'm sorry, what?" he said to Minerva.

"I asked if you were all right," Minerva replied. She frowned. "You're looking a bit peaky."

"I'm fine," Remus assured her. Minerva didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the issue.

"As I was saying, I would like to speak with you soon about guest lecturing next year. Perhaps next week?"

"The trials begin next week," Remus said, his jaw tightening.

"Ah, yes, that's right. I expect you will be attending?"

"Yes," Remus replied. Minerva nodded in understanding.

"We will be in touch afterward then." Remus nodded in agreement, just as Hermione came back outside. He glanced at her and their eyes met for a moment before she turned towards Harry and Ginny.

"Does Hermione seem all right to you?" Minerva asked and Remus' head swung back towards the older witch.

"What do you mean?"

"I was speaking with her earlier and she seemed…distracted, even a bit jumpy."

"Oh, I, er, hadn't really noticed," Remus replied. He felt Minerva's eyes on him and forced himself to meet her gaze. She was studying him like she had when he was a student and the Marauders had been called into her office on suspicion of playing some prank or another. He tried not to fidget like a third year.

"Hm," Minerva said noncommittally, but Remus could almost see the gears turning in her head. Thankfully, Andromeda gestured to him from across the garden.

"It looks as if it is time for cake," Remus said. "I'll speak with you later." He turned to walk towards the house and could feel Minerva's eyes on him the entire time. This was torture.

* * *

Teddy was nearly asleep in Hermione's arms. After they'd served the cake, he had opened all his gifts and then insisted on playing with everything. Hermione had been reading him one of his new books when he started nodding off. Picking him up, he had snuggled into her and closed his eyes, only to open them every minute or so to tell her something about one of his new toys. Hermione looked up to see Remus approaching.

"Is he asleep?" Remus asked.

"Nearly," Hermione said as Teddy mumbled something.

"I can take him."

"No, we're all right," Hermione said with a smile. "I'll just go and put him down." Remus nodded and Hermione walked into the house. She carefully climbed the stairs as Teddy's breathing evened out and she knew he was truly asleep. Once inside his room, she stood and swayed for a few moments, not wanting to put down the comforting weight of him just yet. Finally, she kissed his forehead and settled him into his cot. He turned on his side and reached out for something. Hermione put Padfoot into his arms and Teddy pulled the toy into his body before he sighed and settled back into sleep. Hermione smiled and ran a hand over his head before she covered him with a blanket. When she turned around, Remus was standing in the doorway.

He smiled at her and stepped into the room and she walked into his arms in relief. Finally, they had a moment to themselves. Hermione stood content in his embrace, until he stepped back and pulled her out into the corridor. He pulled Teddy's door mostly closed and then leaned down and kissed her.

Hermione knew she made some kind of whimpering, needy noise and Remus deepened the kiss. She lost herself in him for several minutes before she finally had to pull away to breathe. Remus looked down at her.

"I don't want to walk back outside by myself," he said.

"What?" she questioned, although she knew exactly what he meant.

"Teddy's party is over, well his part in it anyway. Nothing will be ruined." She stared up at him. "The most important people already know and with the exception of Ron, they support us." Hermione worried her lip between her teeth.

"These are our friends, Hermione. The Weasleys are like family."

"That's what will make it hurt more if they don't, if they can't," she trailed off and Remus pulled her into his arms once more.

"I'm not going to force you but this whole afternoon has been torture, not being able to touch you, being worried about the way I'm looking at you."

"I know," she said resting her forehead against his chest. She agreed with everything he said, these were their friends, their family.

"No matter what happens, we'll get through this, love. Together." She looked up at him again and smiled. He was right. No matter what anyone else thought, she loved him and she wasn't going to give that up just because some people couldn't get over the age difference or the werewolf thing or whatever other stupid excuse they came up with.

"Yes," she said.

"You're sure?" She nodded. He bent down to kiss her once more, then smiled and took her hand. Hermione took a deep breath and followed him down the stairs. Ginny was just coming inside when they reached the back door. She looked at them, then their clasped hands and grinned.

"Getting it over with all at once?" Hermione nodded. "Suppose I'd better hurry then." Remus chuckled as she dashed off to the downstairs loo.

"Should we wait?" he joked. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, she's probably expecting us to." Remus laughed again and leaned down to kiss her. Ginny came out of the loo seconds later.

"Oh good, you waited," she said with a grin. "See you outside." She winked at the two of them and walked through the door. Hermione and Remus waited a few seconds and then followed.

Andromeda saw them first. Her eyes widened for a moment and then a pleased smile graced her face. She squeezed Remus' arm as they walked by.

"Where to first?" he asked.

"I don't want to make a bit announcement. Can we just go talk to Harry and Ginny and wait for people to notice?" Remus nodded and they walked a few feet to where Harry and Ginny were standing. Ginny wore a large grin, but Harry looked a bit nervous, glancing at Molly from the corner of his eye every few seconds.

"You sure about this?" he asked Hermione.

"It's time, Harry." He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You know we're here for the two of you, right?" Hermione fought back the tears.

"We do," Remus answered for her, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Actually, we have a bit of news while we wait for the fireworks to start," Ginny said.

"Ginny," Harry hissed.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently. Hermione laughed.

"It's fine, Harry," she said, stepping a bit closer to Remus. "We're ready for it. What's your news?"

"Harry and I set a date."

"Oh, when?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"October twenty-eighth," Harry said. He put an arm around Ginny and kissed her temple. Hermione glanced at Remus who looked a bit pained.

"That's near to," Hermione began, then trailing off and looking at Harry uncertainly.

"Halloween, we know," he said. "We planned it that way on purpose."

"Putting some happiness into an otherwise sad time," Ginny said. Hermione squeezed Remus' hand in comfort.

"I think it's brilliant," Hermione said. Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"James and Lily would approve," he said. Harry looked relieved.

"We want Teddy to be the ring bearer," Ginny said. Hermione grinned, picturing the little boy in tiny dress robes.

"Remus," a voice behind them said. "I've got to get back to Hog-" Minerva trailed off as she noticed Hermione and Remus' entwined hands. She looked between the two of them in shock.

"Oh, Hermione, there you are. I wanted to ask you," Molly gasped. Remus dropped Hermione's hand and put an arm around her waist instead.

"What, what is this?" Molly demanded.

"What does it look like, Mum?" Ginny said with a roll of her eyes.

"I'll have no cheek from you, young lady," Molly retorted. Ginny muttered something under her breath.

"Remus?" Minerva questioned.

"We're together," Hermione said, a bit irritated that everyone was staring at Remus as if he'd done something wrong.

"Together," Molly repeated, sounding eerily like Ron.

"Yes," Hermione said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Well," Minerva said. She looked from one to the other again, seeming to be at a loss for anything else to say. Hermione saw that they had attracted the attention of everyone else at the party and they all began wandering over to see what the fuss was about. George took one look at the two of them and grinned widely. Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling back at him.

"Good on you, Remus."

"George!" Molly exclaimed.

"What?" he said innocently. She glared at him and George just shrugged, giving Hermione and Remus a thumb's up behind his mother's back. Remus swallowed back a snort.

"I zink eet ees lovely," Fleur said. She turned to Bill, who had a knowing smirk on his face. "Bill, I am tired. Per'aps we could go 'ome."

"Of course, love," Bill said. The couple said their good-byes and made their way back into the house to use the Floo, Fleur being too far along to Apparate safely. Percy looked a bit uncomfortable, likely more about his mother's reaction than his personal feelings about the two of them. He gave both Remus and Hermione a tight smile before leaving as well. George, on the other hand, seemed in no hurry to miss the confrontation between his mother and the new couple.

"I don't understand how this happened," Molly said, looking between the two of them. She stared at Remus as if she was accusing him of something.

"It happened in the way these things usually happen, Molly," Hermione said patiently.

"Hermione," Molly said, speaking as if she were talking to a small child. "Remus is, well, he's much older than you are."

"I hadn't noticed," Hermione said dryly.

"Molly, if you remember correctly, Remus was thirteen years older than Nymphadora and you were their biggest supporter," Andromeda said as she stepped up next to Remus. Hermione smiled at her gratefully.

"You were aware of this?" Molly asked.

"Of course, I was," Andromeda replied. "And I couldn't be happier for them." Molly's mouth opened and closed again, staring at the scene before her in complete consternation.

"I must take my leave," Minerva said. She looked between Remus and Hermione again and then gave them both a small smile. It was as good as approval, as far as Hermione was concerned.

"Thank you for coming, Minerva," Remus said.

"I will be in touch," she said, and Remus nodded.

"Hermione, dear, can I speak with you privately?" Molly said.

"Molly," Arthur said in warning.

"It's all right, Arthur," Hermione said.

"Are you sure?" Remus said as Hermione looked up at him.

"It will be fine," she said. His lips brushed her temple and she squeezed his hand, then followed Molly to the far corner of the garden.

"Molly, I understand this is a shock, but we're both very happy." Molly took Hermione's hands in hers.

"Hermione, I care for Remus very much, but he's old enough to be your father. Not to mention that he's a father himself. You're so young, dear."

"So, thirteen years is all right, but twenty is too many?" Hermione asked.

"It was clear to me that Tonks was the one pursuing Remus," Molly said, brushing off Hermione's question. "I just want to be sure that you, well, you weren't…coerced." Hermione stared at her in shock for a few moments, then pulled her hands away.

"Do you honestly think that Remus is capable of something like that?"

"Of course, I don't think he would force you," Molly said. "But he's an older man. He has experience that you don't." Hermione snorted.

"Trust me, Molly, I wasn't some blushing virgin when Remus and I got together." Molly reddened.

"Well, I, that, that is neither here nor there."

"I appreciate your concern, but our relationship is really none of your business," Hermione said, trying to rein in her temper.

"Hermione, I'm simply trying to look out for you," Molly said. "You know I've always thought of you like a daughter and given your own mother isn't here, I-"

"My parents have met Remus," Hermione said interrupting. Molly looked a bit surprised.

"They had a bit of an issue with the age difference at first, but they've gotten to know Remus and they like him very much," Hermione continued. "And before you ask, yes, they know he is a werewolf. That was a bit harder to explain, I'll admit, but they see how happy we are. That's all they want for me. They also know about Teddy. They've actually invited us to come to Australia for a visit. My mum was sure to ask Remus to bring Teddy with us." Molly didn't reply.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to the party." Hermione spun around and made her way back to Remus. He was looking at her in concern and she had to pull in a few deep breaths so as not to succumb to the angry tears she knew were hovering behind her eyelids. She plastered a smile on her face and took Remus' hand as soon as she reached him.

"Hermione," Arthur said. "I'm sorry about Molly. She…worries."

"It's all right, Arthur," Hermione said. He gave her an awkward smile.

"I wish you both the best," he said.

"Thank you," Remus replied. Molly reached the group.

"Hermione, I-" she began, but Arthur interrupted her.

"I think it's time we went home, Molly."

"Arthur, I just wanted to say-"

"Now, Molly," he said, his tone brokering no argument. It was one of the few times Hermione had seen Arthur be anything but his usual jovial, carefree self. Molly huffed and scowled at her husband, but she said good-bye to everyone all the same and followed Arthur to the Floo.

"Well, now that the entertainment is over, I guess I'll be going too," George said. Hermione shook her head and Ginny rolled her eyes. George shook Remus' hand and then gave Hermione a hug.

"Don't worry about Mum. She'll get over herself," he said in her ear.

"Thanks, George," Hermione said with a smile when he released her.

"Bye, then." He strode to the back of the garden and Disapparated. Andromeda stepped in front of Remus and Hermione. She cupped Hermione's face in her hands.

"Do not worry about what anyone else thinks," she said. "If you are happy, that is all that matters." Hermione felt her eyes fill. Andromeda certainly had experience when it came to those close to her being disappointed in her choices. The woman had lost her entire family to be with the man she loved. At least Hermione and Remus had people in their corner.

"Thank you," Hermione managed to choke out. Andromeda drew her into her arms.

"Everything will work out the way it is meant to," Andromeda said quietly. Hermione nodded, then wiped at her face when Andromeda released her. The older woman rose up to kiss Remus on the cheek and hug him as well.

"I had better start cleaning up," she said.

"I'll help," Ginny offered, quickly hugging both Hermione and Remus before following Andromeda into the house. Harry took Hermione's hand.

"Ron will calm down and Arthur will talk to Molly," he assured her.

"It's okay, Harry," Hermione replied. "I, we didn't expect that everyone was going to be as accepting as you and Ginny and Andromeda." She shrugged. Harry wrapped his arms around her.

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know," she said with a smile. Harry glanced at Remus.

"I'm going to go see if Andromeda needs more help." When Harry had gone, Remus drew Hermione into his arms. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"All right?" he asked. She nodded against his chest.

"Just tired," she said.

"It has been quite the week," he agreed. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, simply taking comfort from one another. Finally, Hermione looked around the garden and then pulled away from him.

"We should probably clean up out here," she said.

"Probably." But he made no move to begin. Instead, he pulled her back towards him, then leaned down and kissed her. Hermione sighed into his mouth and allowed herself to relax into him. It wasn't until a throat cleared behind them that either of them thought to stop.

"Sorry," Ginny said with a grin as they pulled apart. "I thought the two of you could use some help out here, but I see you've got it well in hand." She waggled her eyebrows. Remus snorted as Hermione rolled her eyes. Ginny waved her wand and gathered all the cake plates, directing them back into the house as she followed. "Carry on."

Hermione looked up at Remus once Ginny had gone. He chuckled and then kissed her quickly before taking out his own wand and beginning to gather up the streamers and ribbons. Hermione did the same with the balloons, deflating all but one for Teddy to play with when he got up from his nap.

When the garden was finally set to rights, they went inside. Harry, Ginny and Andromeda had finished in the kitchen and Harry was carrying the rest of Teddy's gifts into the living room.

"I guess we'll be off," Ginny said.

"Thank you for coming," Remus said, then looked at Harry. "Even though you spoil Teddy horribly."

"Godfather's prerogative, isn't it?" Harry asked with a smirk. Remus just shook his head. Good-byes were said, and Ginny and Harry went through the Floo a few minutes later.

"I'm going to go upstairs and rest for a bit," Andromeda said.

"Thank you for all your work on the party," Remus said.

"Of course," Andromeda replied, kissing his cheek as she left the room. Remus looked at Hermione who took his hand and led him to the couch.

"Can we just sit here?" she asked.

"Whatever you want, love." He sat down on the couch and Hermione snuggled into his side. He kissed the top of her head and they sat in companionable silence, wrapped in each other's embrace.


	59. Bumps

**A/N - So glad to get this chapter out and hopefully stay on my weekly posting schedule! Things are looking good on that front so far, so keep your fingers crossed. Thanks so much for all your reviews and welcome to the new readers! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 59**

 **Bumps**

 **9 April 2000**

Remus didn't want her to leave. Hermione had stayed for the rest of the afternoon and then had dinner with them. She had popped home for a few minutes to feed Crookshanks, then returned to play with Teddy. She and Remus had spent a bit of quiet time by the fire when Andromeda had taken Teddy up for his bath. Hermione had read Teddy his bedtime story and Remus had tucked his son into bed. Now she was standing in front of the Floo.

He didn't want her to go, but he couldn't very well ask her to stay. Knowing Andromeda supported their relationship and asking Hermione to spend the night were two different things. Not to mention the fact that Remus still felt odd having Hermione in his bedroom, let alone sleeping in the bed he'd shared with his wife.

The talk with Molly had been difficult for Hermione, no matter what she said to the contrary. They hadn't discussed it, but Remus knew by the look she had gotten in her eye over the course of the afternoon. She was replaying the conversation in her head, he was sure of it. Not to mention what had happened with Ron. Remus suspected that Hermione had been hopeful Molly would have been accepting and then would have talked some sense into her youngest son.

If Remus didn't feel so guilty for leaving Teddy with Andromeda again, he would have gone home with Hermione. He suspected the only reason Hermione didn't ask was because she felt the same. He watched as she picked up the pot of Floo powder, fiddling with it in her hands. She looked up at him and he smiled softly at her.

"It's getting late," she finally said. He nodded.

"Would you like to have lunch before the trials start?" he asked. Leland Hughes, former head of the Beast Division, was first, his trial starting tomorrow in the early afternoon. Remus suspected he would get a lesser punishment than the other two, three if they decided to try Umbridge for her crimes as well. She was already serving a life sentence at Azkaban for her crimes against Muggle-borns and the Ministry was reluctant to waste resources on another trial which might have a similar outcome.

"I would love to," Hermione answered with a smile. Remus stepped forward and kissed her, lingering longer than he should have given she was leaving. When he finally stepped back from her, she looked even less like she wanted to leave. He knew exactly how she felt.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Hermione said and then resolutely threw the powder into the grate. She kissed Remus quickly one more time before she stepped into the flames and disappeared. Remus stood staring at the fireplace, his hands in his pockets.

"She actually left?" Andromeda said as she walked into the living room.

"Yes," Remus said.

"And you did not go with her?"

"Sorry?" Andromeda shook her head in exasperation.

"Honestly, Remus, I would think after everything that happened with Molly you would want to be with Hermione." Remus just stared at his mother-in-law, a bit gobsmacked.

"Well, yes, I, I had thought about it, but I, erm, Teddy," he finished lamely.

"What about Teddy?"

"I wasn't here last night, I can't ask you to watch over him again."

"And why not? He is my grandson."

"I know that, but, I'm his father. I need to be here for him." Andromeda rolled her eyes.

"Teddy is asleep and likely will be so until tomorrow morning. At which time I assume you will be returning home, as Hermione has to work tomorrow."

"What if he wakes?"

"If he wakes, then I will get him back to sleep as I always do when you are not here. I do care for him by myself one night a month, if you remember." Of course, Remus remembered, but it wasn't as if he had any choice in whether the full moon came around or not.

"Remus," Andromeda said, her voice softening. "It has been a difficult few days for Hermione. I do not even know the extent of everything, although I have my suspicions." Remus stared at her as she referenced Hermione's breakdown after seeing Narcissa. "It has not been easy for you, either. She needs you and you need her. We will be fine."

"I don't, are you sure?" Andromeda smiled.

"Of course, I am. I raised one Metamorphmagus, I can take care of another for one more night." Remus chuckled.

"All right," he finally agreed. Then, he hugged her. "Thank you."

"We are family, Remus. You do not have to thank me." He kissed her cheek and then stepped back to the fireplace, throwing in a handful of Floo powder before he stepped through.

* * *

Hermione was in the kitchen giving Crookshanks more water when she heard the Floo. Frowning, she walked back into the living room to see Remus stepping out of the flames.

"Remus, what are you doing here?"

"I, well, I wanted, I thought that I might…stay. That is, if you, if you want me to." She held herself back from leaping into his arms, but it was a near thing.

"But, what about Teddy?" she asked. "I don't, I took you away from him last night."

"Teddy is asleep and as you have to work in the morning, I will be home in time for breakfast." Hermione continued to stare at him and he began to look unsure.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to assume. If you don't want me here-"

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "Of course, I want you here! I just, I feel a bit guilty I guess."

"Why?" Remus asked.

"Because of Teddy and Andromeda." Remus chuckled and Hermione looked at him quizzically.

"You don't need to worry about Teddy and especially not Andromeda."

"Why not?"

"She all but ordered me to come over here."

"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione said, sure she had heard him wrong. Remus smiled and stepped towards her, putting his arms around her waist.

"I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it too, believe me. But she seems to think that you and I need one another a bit more than Teddy needs me right now." Hermione let her hands rest on his chest. She couldn't believe that not only was he here, but that Andromeda had been the catalyst for sending him. Hermione had wanted him to come home with her, but guilt over taking him away from Teddy two nights in a row had kept her from asking.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to thank her the next time I see her," Hermione said, her hands moving to twine around his neck. Remus smiled and dipped his head to kiss her. When they parted, she sighed in contentment and rested her head on his chest.

"I'm glad you're here." He squeezed her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"So am I." She looked up at him, mischief glinting in her eye.

"Did you bring your pajamas?" He stared down at her as a smirk formed on his face.

"Who needs pajamas?" She laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him upstairs.

* * *

 **10 April 2000**

Remus stood in the Atrium, waiting to meet Hermione. They had agreed to meet here since they were going to lunch. It didn't make a lot of sense for him to go all the way to her office, just to leave again.

Remus heard the lift and turned to watch for Hermione. His jaw immediately tightened when, instead, he saw a familiar head of red hair.

Ron was nearly past Remus before the younger man noticed him. Ron faltered for a moment, then resolutely continued on, slight scowl on his face. Remus watched him go, his eyes boring holes into Ron's back. He was a bit surprised that the other man didn't turn around under the force of Remus' glare.

He heard the lift again and turned back just as Hermione stepped from it and headed towards him. Her smile faded slightly when she reached him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Remus said immediately. Brow furrowed, Hermione stared at him, looking completely unconvinced. Remus sighed. "I just saw Ron."

"He didn't say anything, did he?"

"No," Remus said. Hermione nodded, but didn't look as happy as she had when she first saw him. Remus had a hard time stopping himself from pulling her to him. Besides the many Ministry employees that were leaving on their lunchbreak, Remus knew that there were already reporters arriving for the trials. While Rita Skeeter wouldn't be able to get into the Ministry in her Animagus form that didn't mean she couldn't disguise herself another way. Until she went through the security checkpoint at the other side of the Atrium, she could be hiding in plain sight. Something Remus wouldn't put past her.

"Shall we go?" he asked. Hermione nodded again and they made their way to the Ministry's exit, being careful not to touch one another. In fact, they barely spoke.

When they finally got outside, Hermione directed him to a Muggle café a few blocks away. It wasn't until they were inside and had both looked around for anyone they knew before they relaxed. Remus took her hand as Hermione wound through the tables to one in the back where they could see the door. He kissed her once before he pulled out her chair for her and then sat down himself.

"Have you spoken to Ron?" Remus asked when Hermione hadn't said anything for several moments.

"No," she said. "And I have no plans to seek him out. When he's ready to apologize, he can come to me." She looked almost defiant. Remus admired her bravado, even if it was just to hide the hurt she felt. He reached across the table and took her hand and felt her relax slightly at his touch. His thumb rubbing small circles on the back of her hand relaxed her further. She opened her menu with her free hand and perused it.

"Are you ready for this afternoon?" she asked a few minutes later once their waitress had taken their order. Remus sighed, grateful for the squeeze of her hand.

"I suppose it will be easier than Warrington's trial is likely to be," he said.

"I'm not sure any of them are going to be easy."

"No," Remus agreed. "Ignoring what was happening is almost as bad as participating."

"Worse, I think," Hermione said. "He could have stopped it before it even got started."

"I'm not sure about that, with Umbridge in charge."

"Well, he could have stopped it once she was in prison then." Remus couldn't argue with that. How many innocent people had met their deaths because Leland Hughes didn't care? Perhaps today _wouldn't_ be any easier. He suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, realizing where his mind had gone. "I shouldn't have brought it up." Remus squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"I'm just glad you're going to be there." She smiled.

"Where else would I be?" Remus smiled back and squeezed her hand again, forcing himself to eat at least a bit of his lunch. He would likely need the strength.

* * *

Hermione felt Remus flinch beside her as one of the members of the Wizengamot questioned Hughes about the number of werewolves that could have been saved had he reported what was happening. She took a hand out of her lap and slid it between them to where Remus' hand was braced on the stone bench. He flinched again when he felt her cover his hand with her own and looked at her in surprise. She grasped his hand in hers, knowing that no one was looking at them. Even if they had been, she wasn't going to deny Remus this bit of comfort. He gripped her hand tighter as Hughes was questioned.

"I had no control over what Cyrus Warrington did in his free time," Hughes insisted.

"But did you _know_ what he was doing, is the question, sir." Hughes blustered and hedged, but still didn't answer.

"Mr. Hughes," Kingsley said, his voice booming. Hermione could tell that he was having a difficult time holding his temper. "You will answer the question presented to you or we will have no choice but to rely on the testimony of others." Hughes blanched at that. Satterfield would be the first to throw him under the proverbial bus.

"I had my suspicions," Hughes said grudgingly.

"And why did you not report these suspicions?"

"Because I believed my boss was involved in it too."

"Then why not go to the Minister?" another Wizengamot member asked.

"I-" Hughes began, then paused. Hermione could almost see the gears turning in his head. Remus squeezed her hand harder, having noticed the same thing. Hughes took a breath and let it out, then looked up at the Wizengamot. "I was afraid for my life and my family."

An immediate murmuring broke out over the crowd, as well as some of the court members. Kingsley had to call for order three times before everyone quieted.

"Explain," he said tersely, clearly not believing a word of what Hughes was saying.

"I was threatened," Hughes began, becoming more confident as his story picked up steam. "I was told that if I didn't look the other way, I would regret it."

"And you took this to mean?"

"I took this to mean that my life and my family's lives were in danger. I knew what Warrington was capable of."

"And who made these threats against you?"

"Barnaby Satterfield," Hughes said. The crowd collectively gasped and broke out in whispers. Hermione glanced at Remus. His jaw was clenched, his face hard. She swept her thumb across the back of his hand and he looked at her.

"He's lying," Remus hissed through gritted teeth.

"I know," Hermione said. "Kingsley does too, from the looks of it." Kingsley was glaring at Hughes, a muscle ticking in his jaw. The rest of the Wizengamot, however, was a different story. Some, like Kingsley, clearly didn't believe a word Hughes said. Others looked unsure. But there were some with sympathetic looks on their faces. Hermione couldn't tell if it would be enough to let Hughes go free or with minimal punishment.

"This is going to be a farce," Remus said. "No one cares about werewolves."

"That's not true," Hermione said. "Look at the Wizengamot. There are plenty of people that clearly don't believe Hughes."

When Kingsley had restored order once again, he looked down at Hughes.

"And if we question Mr. Satterfield, is he going to corroborate this story?"

"I don't know why he would," Hughes said. "I can't see Barn-, er, Satterfield helping to add to the charges against him."

"Don't you mean Barnaby?" Kingsley asked. Hughes looked confused. "You started to call him by his first name. That would assume that the two of you had a close relationship."

"Well, I worked with the man for over twenty years. Of course, we were on a first name basis." Kingsley stared at Hughes until the man fidgeted in his seat. Hermione didn't bother to hide a smile.

"But you said that he threatened your family," Kingsley continued.

"That's right." Kingsley looked back at the Wizengamot.

"Well, I'm not sure about anyone else, but I certainly wouldn't be calling anyone that threatened my family by their first name, regardless of what kind of previous relationship I had with them." Kingsley looked down at his notes and Hermione saw some of the Wizengamot members looking at Hughes speculatively. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kingsley interrupted.

"So, it is your testimony that you did not report Cyrus Warrington's actions to anyone because you were threatened by Barnaby Satterfield."

"That's, that's right," Hughes said, but his confidence of a few minutes ago had disappeared.

"Very well. Auror Potter, Auror Longbottom, please escort the prisoner back to his cell." Harry gave Kingsley a nod and walked towards Hughes.

"But, wait," Hughes said. "Aren't you going to deliberate?" Kingsley looked down his nose at Hughes.

"You have given us new information," the Minister said. "We must investigate your claims before we pronounce sentence."

"S-sentence?" Hughes squeaked.

"Sentence," Kingsley repeated, then looked back down at the parchment in front of him, ignoring Hughes as Harry and Neville led him away. Hermione was biting her lip and trying not to laugh.

"As we have had new information presented to us, we will adjourn until tomorrow morning," Kingsley said, dismissing the Wizengamot. The reporters all leapt to their feet, hurrying out of the courtroom to try and catch one of the Wizengamot members for an interview.

Hermione turned to Remus. He was still sitting rigidly, staring at the front of the courtroom. She wondered if he had even heard what had happened in the last few minutes.

"Remus," she said, pulling her hand away from his as more people began to leave the courtroom. He turned towards her. "Come to my office, we can talk there." She rose and waited until he stood as well. He followed her down the steps and out the door. They got into the lift with a crowd of other Ministry employees that had been watching the trials and didn't speak until they were in Hermione's office.

She cast a privacy charm and locked her office door. Remus was leaning against the wall, staring off at nothing.

"I think Kingsley managed to expose Hughes' lies there at the end." Remus shrugged. She stepped towards him and put a hand on his arm. It was tight as a bow string. "Remus?" He sighed and slumped.

"What does it matter if he did?" Remus finally said. "There were still plenty that believed Hughes' load of shite."

"Even if there were, it doesn't mean there were enough to let him go free." Remus snorted.

"I was stupid to ever think that they might actually be punished for what they'd done." Hermione stared at him. She hadn't seen him like this, not even after he'd first found out about Warrington's crimes.

"I don't think that you're giving the Wizengamot enough credit," Hermione said.

"And I think you're giving them too much," Remus returned. "Do you honestly think that they care about what happens to a bunch of werewolves?"

"You know, I used to think the same thing about the Wizengamot and Muggle-borns," Hermione said. "Yet, Umbridge is in Azkaban last I checked."

"Muggle-borns are people, not half-breeds." Hermione ignored the slur against him, although it was difficult.

"Tell that to the Death Eaters," she said. "Not to mention some members of the Wizengamot that I am quite sure still feel the same way about people like me."

"I haven't seen them eager to repeal the werewolf laws," Remus said.

"That's what my proposal is for," Hermione replied. Remus muttered something under his breath.

"Excuse me?" she said. Remus looked at her and sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"Nothing," he said. She didn't believe him. She had thought she'd heard something like 'waste of time'.

"Hermione, you're an idealist, you always have been," he said, a bit patronizingly in her opinion. "But werewolves have been discriminated against since, well, forever. I don't see that changing."

"So, you have no faith in my proposal?"

"No, I have no faith in the government."

"Kingsley is part of the government."

"Kingsley is one man," Remus said. "He can push for punishment all he likes, but if the Wizengamot doesn't agree, there's nothing he can do. Look at Fudge at Harry's farce of a trial in his fifth year." Hermione studied him for a moment before she spoke again.

"No one thought my House-elf proposal had a chance either."

"House-elves and werewolves can't even be compared," Remus said.

"I realize they aren't the same thing," Hermione replied. "My point is, that we _can_ change people's minds." Remus stared at her. He finally shook his head slowly.

"Sometimes, I forget what an optimist you can be." Hermione took a step back, stung. He hadn't made it sound like a compliment.

"Obviously, one of us has to be," she snapped.

"With all due respect," he said, his voice tight. "You haven't had to live with the prejudice your entire life." Hermione took a breath. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she didn't want to argue with him. She knew he was upset and that's why he was acting this way.

"Not my entire life, you're right," she said, her voice quieter. "And not for being a werewolf. But, to say that I haven't lived with prejudice is not true."

"It's not the same," Remus mumbled, a bit petulantly.

"Not exactly the same," Hermione agreed. "Although, other Muggle-borns who were sent to Azkaban a couple of years ago would not agree." He looked away from her. She took a step closer to him. "But, that doesn't mean you should give up on trying to change the way people think." He didn't respond. She reached out and touched his arm, but he stayed leaning against the wall, not looking at her. Hermione bit her lip, wishing that he would talk to her, really talk to her instead of just reacting to what had happened in the courtroom.

"I should go," he said instead. Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall. She didn't get off work for another hour, but she didn't think that Margaret would mind if she left early. Not with all the extra time Hermione had been putting in.

"I'll come with you," she said.

"No, you should stay," Remus replied. "And I should spend some time with Teddy." Hermione tried not to let her disappointment show.

"All right." Remus turned and walked to the door. "You can stop by later, if you like. Once Teddy is in bed."

"We'll see," he said. "Good-bye, Hermione." Before she could stop him, he had pulled open the door and walked out. Hermione sat down in her desk chair, watching his retreating back through her open door.

* * *

Remus Apparated into his back garden. He probably shouldn't have, given how he felt right now there was a good chance he might have splinched, but he needed a bit of time to himself before he went inside. He leaned against the oak tree and shoved his hands into his pockets.

It had been stupid to get his hopes up that this time might be different. There had been plenty of complaints against various employees in the Beast Division over the years and none of them ever went anywhere. Werewolves had few rights, and no one ever cared if the rights they did have were violated. He knew Kingsley wanted to change things, but as Remus had reminded Hermione, Kingsley was only one man.

Hermione. He did admire her idealism, but sometimes she was a bit too optimistic. She could research and present facts and figures all she liked, but it wasn't going to change the majority's opinion. Werewolves were dangerous monsters and always would be. Greyback had seen to that.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand down his face and slowly pushed himself away from the tree. Teddy would be up from his nap and Remus should spend some time with him. Andromeda had been shouldering too much of the responsibility lately. And right now, Remus just wanted to forget about today.

* * *

"Hey," Hermione said, as she reached Harry's cubicle.

"Hermione," Harry said with a smile. His smile slowly turned to a frown as he looked at her. "You okay?"

"Not really," Hermione replied. Harry stood and cleared a stack of parchment off the chair by his desk.

"Sit," he said. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure I even know," Hermione said with a sigh. "And I don't really want to talk about it here." Harry's brow furrowed.

"Remus?" he asked quietly. Hermione nodded.

"Come home with me," Harry said. "Have dinner with me and Gin."

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked. "I just don't have it in me to deal with him tonight."

"Ron and Susan are going somewhere with her friends," Harry said. "He won't be there."

"All right," Hermione said. "I have to stop at home and feed Crookshanks, but I'll be over after that." Harry smiled.

"We'll see you in a bit."

* * *

Remus stepped into the house. He could hear laughter coming from the living room and smiled. Time with Teddy was just what he needed.

Remus walked into the living room and Andromeda looked up at him. The smile she wore slowly left her face.

"Are you all right?"

"Fine," Remus said, shaking his head to let her know that he didn't want to discuss it in front of Teddy. At his response Teddy looked up at him, grin on his face. The little boy pushed himself to his feet and ran to Remus. Remus picked him up and hugged him tightly. Teddy began to squirm, and Remus loosened his grip.

"Were you a good boy for Nanna?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded.

"Me have take."

"You had cake?" Remus repeated, amused that out of anything Teddy could have told him about, he chose the cake.

"Yes!" Teddy said excitedly. "More take, Daddy." Remus chuckled.

"I think we had better have dinner first." Teddy's scrunched up his nose in a pout.

"I wonder who he gets his sweet tooth from," Andromeda said dryly, looking pointedly at Remus. Remus laughed again. Teddy put his hands on Remus' cheeks and leaned in close to his father.

"Daddy, you pay me?"

"Of course, I'll play with you," Remus said, biting his lip to keep from laughing. Teddy's nose was almost touching his.

"We have take?" Teddy whispered. Remus heard Andromeda snort.

"Yes, we can have cake," Remus whispered back. Teddy's eyes lit up. " _After_ dinner." Teddy pouted again. Remus began to tickle his sides until his son was howling with laughter.

"Top, Daddy, top," Teddy laughed breathlessly. Remus stopped his torture and Teddy rested his head on Remus' shoulder, catching his breath, still smiling. Remus kissed the top of his son's head and snuggled him closer. This was just what he needed.

* * *

Hermione stepped through the Floo into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Ginny was pulling something from the oven and Harry was setting the table. They both looked up at Hermione's entrance.

"Hey, Hermione," Ginny said with a smile as she carried the shepherd's pie to the table.

"Hi, Gin," Hermione replied. "Harry." Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek and the three of them sat down to eat.

"Harry told me about the trial today," Ginny said. Hermione sighed.

"I knew that Hughes would likely do whatever he could to save his own skin, but he was clearly lying about being threatened," she said.

"Clearly," Harry agreed. "Kingsley is planning on calling witnesses from the DRCMC to testify how close Hughes and Satterfield were."

"Hughes was part of Satterfield's little lunch club," Hermione said. "So, you know they shared the same views. Satterfield didn't respect anyone that didn't."

"It's too bad that they can't use Veritaserum," Ginny said. The potion wasn't allowed during trials.

"Not always reliable," Harry said. "Don't worry, Kingsley will show Hughes for what he really is."

"I wish Remus thought so," Hermione muttered.

"What happened, Hermione?" Harry asked. Hermione sighed and recounted the conversation she'd had with Remus that afternoon.

"He accused me of being too optimistic."

"What do you mean accused?" Ginny asked. "Being optimistic is a good thing."

"Not the way he said it." Hermione could see the flash of anger in Ginny's eyes. "He was upset."

"That's not an excuse to insult you," Ginny insisted.

"I know it isn't," Hermione said. "But, he was, just, apathetic is the best word I can think of to describe it. I've never seen him like that before."

"He dealt with a lot," Harry said. "All those years between the wars when he was on his own and then when he was with the packs."

"I know," Hermione replied.

"That's still not an excuse for what he said," Ginny said again. Hermione smiled at her friend's protectiveness.

"I'm sure he'll apologize when he gets out of this funk. He was going home to spend some time with Teddy. That would cheer anyone up." Harry chuckled, but Ginny didn't look convinced. Hermione changed the subject and the three of them chatted over treacle tart. Finally, Hermione stood.

"I should get home," she said. "I told Remus to come over after Teddy was in bed, if he wanted. Thanks for dinner, Ginny."

"Anytime," she said, hugging Hermione. "You sure you're all right?" Hermione nodded.

"I'll be fine." She turned to Harry. "I'll see you tomorrow, Harry."

"Tell Remus not to worry," Harry said. "I know Kingsley has this under control."

"I will." Harry hugged her as well and she waved as she went back through the Floo.

* * *

"Care to tell me what happened?" Andromeda asked after Teddy had been put to bed. Remus sighed.

"What I expected to happen," he said. "Hughes made up some ridiculous story about being threatened by Satterfield and now he'll probably get off. I wouldn't be surprised if the others did as well."

"Well, that is not cynical at all," Andromeda said as she settled on the couch. Remus shrugged.

"Years of experience," he said. "No one cares about werewolves."

"You know that is not true," Andromeda admonished.

"Fine, no one in a position of power cares about werewolves."

"I think that you are being a bit absurd, Remus. There are plenty of those in the government that care about what happened. The Minister for one."

"You sound like Hermione," Remus said with another sigh.

"I will take that as a compliment, although somehow, I do not think you meant it as one."

"She's just very idealistic," Remus said. "I don't think she understands how deep the prejudice and fear runs."

"Given that she is Muggle-born, I believe she might have a better idea that you think."

"It's not the same," Remus said.

"Maybe not exactly the same, but, if you remember, the woman that oversaw this whole scheme also wanted to eradicate people like Hermione." Remus said nothing. Andromeda put a hand on his arm.

"Hermione wants to change the world. It may be idealistic, but you know, I think she just might succeed." Andromeda patted his arm and rose from the couch. She left him staring at the cold fireplace.

* * *

Hermione sat on the couch, trying to read. When she had read the same paragraph four times, and still had no idea what it said, she gave it up as a bad job and tossed her book on the end table in disgust. She glanced at the clock on the mantel for what seemed like the hundredth time. It was well after nine, Teddy had been in bed for more than hour and Remus still hadn't Flooed. She sighed.

Crookshanks leapt up from the floor and into her lap. Hermione petted him absentmindedly as she replayed her and Remus' discussion, fight, argument? None of them seemed like a very good descriptor.

She wasn't angry with him, not really. She was hurt more than anything, especially after how well everything had been going between the two of them. Hermione knew that the trials were going to be difficult for him. Listening to whatever excuses all of those accused tried to make was just going to make it even harder. None of them, not even Hughes, thought what they did was wrong. Hughes was only trying to save his own arse with his story about being threatened. Kingsley had to show the man for what he was. If Hughes was convicted, Hermione knew it would help Remus' attitude.

Hermione yawned and repositioned herself and Crookshanks, so she was lying on her side on the couch, the cat curled into her. Hermione pushed one of the throw pillows under her head and stared at the fireplace, continuing to pet Crookshanks until her eyes grew heavy.

* * *

Remus tossed and turned in bed for more than an hour before he finally sighed and sat up. He switched on the bedside lamp and leaned back against the headboard. Raking a hand through his hair, he knew exactly why he wasn't sleeping. Hermione.

He'd been an arse to her in her office. He didn't need Andromeda's admonishments to tell him that. He knew Hermione had just been trying to comfort him, but he'd lashed out at her and made her feel like everything she was trying to do was a waste of time. He was an idiot to say that she didn't know what prejudice was like. Of course, she did.

Even after all of that, she had still invited him to stop by after Teddy went to bed and Remus hadn't gone. He had seen Andromeda's disapproving look when he announced that he was going up to bed. He sighed again. He'd probably cocked everything up.

Remus glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was after midnight and Hermione was surely in bed by now. It was far too late to go to her place and Andromeda was already asleep. Remus didn't want to leave the house without letting Andromeda know. Sighing, he slid back down in bed and yanked up the blankets. He would just have to wait until the morning to talk to Hermione.

After another twenty minutes of trying to get to sleep, Remus threw off his blankets. He stood and pulled on a pair of track bottoms and a t-shirt. He would go downstairs and try to Floo Hermione. If she was in bed, she would have closed the Floo for the night and he wouldn't be able to get through. Then, he would wait until the morning, even if he didn't sleep.

Remus padded quietly downstairs and lit a fire in the grate. He cancelled the locking charm before he grabbed the pot of Floo powder and knelt in front of the fireplace. He stuck his head in and called out for Hermione's. Surprisingly, her living room came into view.

"Hermione?" Remus glanced around the room and finally saw her lying asleep on the couch. She had one arm around Crookshanks and the other tucked under her cheek. Remus smiled softly. He should just leave her be, but she was still in her clothes and the more he looked at her, the less comfortable her neck looked. Plus, the Floo wasn't locked. He would have to wake her.

"Hermione," he said a bit louder. Hermione immediately sat up, throwing Crookshanks to the floor and drawing her wand at the same time. Her eyes swept around the room and Remus swore under his breath. He should have known better than to wake her from a sound sleep that way.

"Hermione, it's Remus. I'm in the Floo."

"Remus?" she said in confusion, still trying to wake fully.

"I'm sorry that I woke you," he said. She finally focused in on him and crossed the room to the fireplace, kneeling down on the floor.

"It's all right," she said. "What time is it?" Remus colored.

"Nearly one."

"Oh, I must have fallen asleep on the couch." _Waiting for me,_ Remus thought guiltily.

"I…couldn't sleep, I," he paused. This wasn't how he wanted to apologize. "Is it all right if I come through for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Hermione said, standing up and moving out of the way. A few seconds later, Remus stepped into her living room. She smiled tentatively at him and he wanted to pull her into his arms, but he didn't know if he should.

"I wanted to…apologize, for the things I said in your office," he said. She stared up at him, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"Do you really think my work on the werewolf proposal is a waste of time?" she finally asked in a quiet voice.

"You heard that?" he said, feeling even worse than he already had. She nodded, looking hurt.

"No, I don't think it's a waste of time," he said, feeling ashamed of himself. "Hermione, I am so sorry that I said that. It's know it's not an excuse, but I was so angry about what happened at Hughes' trial, I, I spoke without thinking. I lashed out at you and it wasn't your fault." He stepped closer to her but stopped himself from taking her hands in his.

"I'm sorry if I made being optimistic sound like an insult. It's not. You're brilliant and the work you've done on this proposal is amazing. If anyone can change the Wizengamot's mind, it's you." She looked up at him but didn't speak. "And I was stupid to say that you don't know what prejudice is like. Of course, you do. I-," he sighed and broke eye contact with her. "I understand if you can't forgive me."

"I'm not going to deny that I was hurt," she said. Remus felt worse.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I wish I could go back and change it." She gave him a small smile.

"I know that you were upset."

"That's not an excuse," Remus said again.

"No," Hermione agreed. "But everyone says things they don't mean or wish they hadn't sometimes. I know I have."

"Not to me," he said. Hermione gave him a half-smile.

"Give me time." His heart lurched. He didn't want to read into that statement, but it sounded as if she was planning on forgiving him.

"Hermione, I, the things I said," he trailed off, unable to articulate just what he wanted to say.

"I know you didn't mean them."

"Still, I-"

"Remus," Hermione said a bit of exasperation in her voice. "We had an argument. Couples do that you know."

"I know, but," he shook his head. "I don't deserve you."

"Don't say things like that," Hermione said, sounding a bit irritated.

"I'm sorry, I-" but Hermione cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"You deserve just as much happiness as anyone else, Remus Lupin. Don't forget that." She said it so forcefully, he couldn't do anything but nod in agreement. "You've apologized. I know you were upset and spoke without thinking. Let's just leave it at that."

"I promise I won't do it again."

"How about you promise that you're going to try extremely hard not to do it again?" Hermione said, stepping closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled.

"All right," he agreed. "I promise I'm going to try extremely hard not to do it again."

"Good. I forgive you," she said, then yawned.

"You should go upstairs and get some sleep," he said. "I'll go so you can close the Floo." She nodded but Remus didn't let go of her. He still couldn't quite believe that she had forgiven him.

"You could stay," she mumbled against his chest. He squeezed her tighter.

"I want to," he replied. "But I don't want Andromeda to worry." Hermione nodded in understanding.

"I love you," she said. Remus couldn't speak for a moment.

"I love you, too," he finally replied. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him. He smiled at her when they parted.

"Meet me in my office in the morning?" Hermione asked. "We can go to the courtroom together."

"All right," he agreed. He kissed her one more time and then stepped back towards the Floo.

"Good night, Remus."

"Sleep well, love."

* * *

 **11 April 2000**

Hermione hurried through the Atrium to the lifts. She was running late, having overslept after her late-night conversation with Remus. She wanted to get to her office before he arrived; she had a few things to take care of before the trial started again. Plus, she didn't need him feeling guilty that he'd made her late.

Likely, Ginny would tell her that she had forgiven him too quickly, but Ginny hadn't seen the look on his face early this morning. He had been petrified that what he had done had ruined everything. And Hermione knew how he felt, she tended to snap and be short when she was upset as well. She didn't mean to, but it happened. No one was perfect.

When Hermione reached her office, someone was indeed knocking on her door, but it wasn't Remus.

"Gwendolyn?"

"Oh, Hermione, there you are," Gwendolyn said.

"Sorry, I'm running a bit late this morning," Hermione said, stepping in front of Gwendolyn to unlock her office door. She ushered her friend inside. "What's up?"

"Well, I suppose you've heard that Fiona Campbell has been officially promoted to Head of the DRCMC." Fiona had been named acting Head just after Satterfield was arrested, but it hadn't been until yesterday that Kingsley had officially given her the job.

"I did," Hermione replied, suspecting that she knew where this conversation was going, if Gwendolyn's grin was anything to go by.

"This morning, Fiona asked to meet with me. She's appointed me head of the Being Division." Hermione's grin echoed Gwendolyn's.

"That's amazing, I'm so happy for you!" Hermione hugged the other woman.

"Thank you," Gwendolyn said. "It's all because of you, you know." Hermione looked at her quizzically. "If you hadn't convinced me to stay, I'd be working in my sister's shop by now."

"Well, I'm glad for that, but you deserve this job. That's nothing to do with me." Hermione didn't think that Gwendolyn's smile could get any wider, but it did.

"Oh, I don't know, you had a _bit_ more to do with it, as we both know." Gwendolyn winked. Hermione laughed.

"So, has Ms. Campbell replaced you yet?" Hermione asked as she shuffled through a stack of parchment on her desk.

"No, but I'm going to be stretched thin for a while because Jensen Barbary resigned yesterday." Hermione looked up in surprise. Gwendolyn nodded. "I'm guessing he saw the writing on the wall and decided he didn't want to get caught up in everything with Satterfield." Hermione said nothing, knowing that Barbary had never been involved at least not in the way Gwendolyn thought. She hoped that Kingsley was going to do something to restore the man's reputation.

"So, Fiona wants me covering the House-elf office as well for the time being," Gwendolyn continued.

"If you need any help," Hermione said. "Just let me know."

"I may take you up on that, once we've hired a replacement. No one knows the new laws better than you do." Hermione smiled and glanced towards the door. She didn't want to be rude, but Remus would be here any minute and she really wanted a few moments with him before they had to head down to the courtroom.

"Are you going to the trial this morning?" Hermione asked.

"I'd like to," Gwendolyn said, her eyes narrowing and a scowl crossing her face. "But I've got too much to do now with this promotion. I will definitely be at Satterfield's, though. I may have to testify." Hermione nodded as Gwendolyn stood from her chair. "I should go." Hermione came around her desk.

"Congratulations again," she said, hugging the other woman.

"We have to have lunch soon," Gwendolyn replied. Hermione nodded and reached to open her door when there was a knock on it. Hermione bit back a curse and opened the door.

Remus smiled widely at her and took a step forward, just as Hermione opened the door wider and Gwendolyn came into view. Remus stopped.

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt," he said.

"We were finished," Hermione replied. "Gwendolyn Newberry, Remus Lupin."

"Pleased to meet you," Remus said as he shook Gwendolyn's hand.

"Me as well," she replied, smile on her face that Hermione wasn't sure she liked. "As a matter of fact, I was going to ask Hermione to introduce us. I was hoping to get some input from you on the Werewolf Support Services office." Remus glanced at Hermione, looking slightly confused.

"Gwendolyn has just been named Head of the Being Division," Hermione explained.

"Congratulations," Remus said.

"Thank you," Gwendolyn replied, smiling again and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Hermione's eyes narrowed at the look on Gwendolyn's face. "Since the Minister reopened Werewolf Support Services, it really hasn't been utilized much. I was hoping you could give me some insight as to what those who were coming into register needed assistance with the most."

"Oh, well, I'd be happy to help in whatever way I can," Remus replied.

"Lovely," Gwendolyn said with another one of _those_ smiles. "Perhaps we can have lunch and discuss it. I'll owl you?"

"All right," Remus agreed. Hermione clenched her jaw and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wonderful! Well, I had best be off. Thank you again, Hermione." Hermione gave her a tight smile, but Gwendolyn didn't seem to notice. She was too busy smiling at Remus. He, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. Gwendolyn gave them both a little wave, then walked away, glancing over her shoulder once as she did so. Hermione pulled Remus into her office and shut the door.

"Good morning," he said with a smile. Hermione tried to return it, but when his smile faltered, she knew she hadn't been successful. She was being ridiculous. Yes, Gwendolyn had been flirting with Remus, but he hadn't seemed to notice. He certainly hadn't flirted back. Not to mention that while Gwendolyn knew that Hermione was seeing someone, she had no idea it was Remus. Hermione knew that the other woman would have never acted that way, had she known.

"Hermione, what's the matter?" Remus asked. She was not going to do this. She was _not_ going to turn into some jealous harpy. Especially after she had been upset with Remus for this very thing a few weeks ago.

"It's nothing," she said. He frowned.

"Why don't I believe you?" Hermione forced herself to smile.

"Honestly, I'm just being silly," she said.

"Is this about yesterday?" he asked, looking concerned.

"No," Hermione said immediately. He didn't look convinced. "I promise you, it isn't. We settled that last night."

"Then what is it, love? I can tell something is bothering you." Hermione sighed. She didn't even want to admit her stupid insecurities. Gwendolyn was much closer to Remus in age, being at least ten years older than Hermione. She was smart and funny and beautiful, she had a well-established career and no baggage from the war. The fact that Remus had his own baggage didn't cross her mind.

"Gwendolyn was flirting with you," Hermione finally mumbled. Of course, he had no problems hearing her.

"She was?" Remus' brow furrowed as he appeared to be going over the previous conversation.

"It's not as if she wasn't obvious about it," Hermione huffed, still annoyed.

"Huh," he said.

"Huh?" Hermione repeated. "That's all you have to say?" Remus looked at her and tried to smother a smile. Hermione huffed again. "It's not funny."

"It's a little bit funny," he replied, stepping closer to her. "I do believe you might be jealous, Miss Granger."

"I'm not jealous," she insisted. He chuckled, then wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and returned the embrace. "You really didn't notice?" He shrugged.

"According to Sirius, Dora flirted with me for weeks before I finally got an inkling that she might be interested." Hermione couldn't help the tiny smile that escaped, especially as he talked about his best friend and his wife with no sorrow in his voice. "And I didn't think there could be _any_ way you would be interested in me even _after_ I kissed you under the mistletoe. So, apparently, I am not at all observant about these things." She couldn't help but laugh.

"But, I believe that I didn't notice today because you were standing right next to me." She looked at him quizzically and he smiled. "It's a bit hard to notice anyone else when you're around." She shook her head at the sappy sentiment but couldn't help her smile. He leaned down and kissed her. When he pulled back, he was grinning mischievously at her.

"Although, I must say it's a bit refreshing to see that you have a possessive streak as well." She slapped his chest and he winked at her, then kissed her again.

"I do not," she said, when they parted.

"All right, love," he said, clearly not believing a word she said. She scowled.

"You're impossible."

"But, you love me." She stared up at him for moment, pretending to contemplate. He frowned and she laughed, then kissed him again.

"I do."


	60. Divulge

**A/N - Next chapter for you. Thank you for reading and continuing to review! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 60**

 **Divulge**

 **11 April 2000**

"And how often did Mr. Hughes meet with Mr. Satterfield in his office?"

"A few times a week," Victoria said, still looking nervous. Mr. Satterfield's secretary was testifying about the relationship between Hughes and Satterfield. Hermione knew that initially there had been suspicions that Victoria was aware of what had been happening with Warrington. She was certainly aware of Satterfield's drinking problem. She had already lost her job due to not reporting it. She had been encouraged to be truthful in her testimony to avoid Azkaban.

"Was that typical of Division Heads?" someone else asked.

"It was more frequent, I suppose," Victoria replied. Hermione knew it was _much_ more frequent. Mr. Nithercott and Mrs. Campbell had already testified. Mr. Nithercott rarely spoke to Mr. Satterfield outside their monthly staff meetings. Mrs. Campbell met with him more often, but it no more than three or four times a month.

"And Mr. Hughes often joined Mr. Satterfield for lunch?"

"Yes, Mr. Satterfield had a standing table at the Golden Phoenix. He ate there a few times a week."

"Mr. Hughes attended events at Mr. Satterfield's home, did he not?" Kingsley asked.

"I believe so, yes."

"So, would it be fair to say that the two had a close relationship? That they were likely friends?"

"I suppose so," Victoria replied.

"And these meetings and lunches continued after the war was over?"

"Yes."

"Thank you," Kingsley said, then turned and looked at the Wizengamot for more questions. There weren't many, although one wizard wanted to know if Hughes had seemed nervous or scared around Satterfield. He was rather leading in his questions, but Victoria wouldn't give the answer he clearly wanted. Hermione smirked when the wizard became frustrated. No doubt he was one of Hughes and Satterfield's cronies.

She glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye as Victoria was dismissed. He wasn't as tense as he had been yesterday, although he was far from relaxed. She had taken his hand again and he had squeezed hers gratefully, listening closely to the proceedings.

Kingsley had presented his case quite thoroughly all morning. He had questioned a variety of people from the DRCMC about the relationship between Hughes and Satterfield. Victoria was the last to testify. It had become quite clear, at least to Hermione, that there had been no coercion on Satterfield's part to keep Hughes quiet. The man went along with it willingly. Not that she hadn't known that already.

"We will break for lunch and the Wizengamot will then deliberate. We will hand down sentence at three o'clock." Kingsley dismissed the Wizengamot.

"You didn't miss the fact that he said 'sentence' not 'verdict'?" Hermione said.

"No," Remus replied with a smirk.

"At least he's confident," she said.

"He is that," Remus agreed. The two of them filed out of the courtroom and made their way back to Hermione's office.

"Lunch?" he asked once she had closed her door. She looked at him regretfully.

"I'd love to, but I'm a bit behind on a few things. I'll have to work through."

"But you will eat?" Remus asked in concern. She smiled.

"I will. I'll grab a sandwich in the cafeteria." He nodded.

"I should spend some time with Teddy before his nap anyway," Remus said.

"Will you come back for the verdict?" she asked, stepping towards him and letting him pull her into his arms.

"I will. Perhaps I should meet you outside the courtroom when I return. I think Ms. Fawcett's secretary is getting suspicious." Hermione laughed.

"I find myself not caring all that much if she is." He raised an eyebrow.

"No?" She shook her head. "What brought this on?" She shrugged as Remus studied her. "This wouldn't have anything to do with this morning would it?" He looked amused and Hermione scowled at him.

"No," she said petulantly. He looked at her skeptically. "All right, maybe it's a _little_ bit about this morning." He chuckled.

"I'll do whatever you want, love, you know that."

"I know." She sighed.

"We could take out a page in the Daily Prophet," he suggested. Hermione looked up at him in shock and then slapped his arm when he laughed. "Or, you could just tell Gwendolyn. Preferably _before_ she sends me that owl." Hermione sighed.

"She's going to be so embarrassed. She probably won't want to send you the owl after I tell her." Hermione found herself not overly upset about that, which of course, made her feel like a selfish cow. Of course, Remus should help if he could. Remus was watching her and she could see the smile he was trying to hide. She rolled her eyes and he leaned down and kissed her, quite thoroughly.

"I'm not interested in Gwendolyn in the slightest." Hermione hid her face in his chest, so he wouldn't see how red it had gotten. She was being _such_ an idiot.

"I know that," she said as she pulled back from him, hoping that her blush was gone. He kissed her again.

"I really have to get some work done," she said, a bit breathlessly once they had finally parted once more.

"All right," Remus said, and Hermione was glad to see he was just as breathless. "I'll meet you outside the courtroom?" She nodded. He kissed her once more, then left her office. Hermione watched him go before she sat down and pulled a pile of parchment in front of her.

* * *

Hermione had just decided that she should run down to the cafeteria and get something to eat when there was a knock on her open door. She looked up and her mouth dropped open when she saw who was standing there.

"Molly?"

"Hello, dear, may I come in?" Hermione was so surprised to see the Weasley matriarch, she just nodded dumbly, indicating one of the chairs in front of her desk. Molly closed the door behind her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your work. Ginny and I were doing some wedding planning this morning and we just had a spot of lunch with Harry. I know I should have owled first, but since I was here, I thought I would stop to see if you had a moment to talk."

Hermione bit back a sigh. She was well aware of what Molly wanted to talk about and she honestly didn't have the time or the desire to get into all of that right now.

"It was a shock, seeing you and Remus together and I, well, I didn't handle it well," Molly said before Hermione could respond. Molly looked at her. "I'm sorry." Hermione sat back in her chair, so surprised she couldn't speak.

"I suppose I always thought, hoped rather, that you and Ron, well," Molly shook her head.

"Ron and I are just friends," Hermione said. Molly nodded.

"Susan is a lovely girl. And, if I'm honest, the two of them are far more suited than the two of you would have been." Hermione smiled and Molly returned it. Her face turned somber a few moments later and she sighed.

"But, there will be talk, dear," Molly said. "Especially since Remus was once your professor."

"I hope you're not suggesting something inappropriate," Hermione said with an edge to her voice.

"Of course not!" Molly exclaimed, looking horrified. "Remus would never do something like that. But, not everyone knows him as we do."

"We don't care what people think," Hermione said.

"I just," Molly said, shaking her head. "Gossip can be horrible and cruel. You're just starting out in your career with the Ministry and Minerva has just hired Remus to teach again. I don't want either of you to suffer for this." Hermione's expression softened at Molly's concern.

"I appreciate that," she said. "But, Remus and I will deal with that when it happens." Molly smiled at her again.

"The two of you seem quite taken with one another."

"I love him," Hermione said simply. Molly nodded as if she'd already known.

"He's a good man."

"He is," Hermione agreed. Molly cocked her head and studied Hermione.

"You will be good for him."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly. Molly reached across the desk and squeezed Hermione's hand.

"Well, I should let you get back to work," Molly said as she stood. Hermione rose as well and walked around her desk.

"Thank you, Molly." She hugged the older woman.

"You're welcome." When they pulled apart, Molly patted Hermione's cheek and then turned to the door. "I hope you and Remus will join us for dinner on Sunday. Andromeda and Teddy too, of course."

"I'll speak to Remus," Hermione said, although she was sure that Ron wouldn't appreciate it. She opened the door and Molly smiled at her one more time.

"Have a good day, dear."

"Good-bye, Molly."

* * *

Remus checked his watch again as he waited outside the courtroom. Hermione had likely gotten caught up in her work. But, if she didn't arrive soon, he would have to go in without her.

"Mr. Lupin," a voice said, and Remus turned to see Rita Skeeter standing next to him.

"Ms. Skeeter," he replied. The woman had asked him for an interview after the war, more than once, but he had rebuffed her each time.

"I'm not surprised to see you here, given the subject matter." He didn't respond. She smiled, trying for seductive he was guessing. She missed, badly. "Care to answer a few questions?"

"No, thank you."

"Oh, come now, Mr. Lupin, surely a wizard of your…background, must have something to say about these accusations." She smiled at him again and he ignored the jab about his status as a werewolf.

"No comment," he said.

"I assume you're hoping for a guilty verdict. Life in Azkaban, perhaps?" She sighed dramatically. "If only the Dementors were still around."

"Assume nothing," Remus replied.

"Oh, so you don't think that these men deserve to be in prison for their crimes against your fellows?" Remus swore in his head at having not just ignored her. He knew she was an expert at twisting words around.

Before he could say anything else and likely put his foot in it even further, he saw Hermione hurrying up the corridor. She caught sight of Skeeter and slowed, glancing between the two of them. Remus turned to the reporter, blocking her view of Hermione.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to get inside." He pushed his way past her and walked into the courtroom, knowing that Hermione would follow him. Skeeter, thankfully, entered as well and was seated in the section for the press before Hermione entered the courtroom. Reporters were not allowed to ask questions once they were inside, although Remus saw Rita follow Hermione's movements up the stone steps until she sat down next to Remus. Remus made sure there was an acceptable amount of space between them, but he saw the speculative look on Rita's face all the same. Hermione must have noticed it too, for she didn't try to sit closer to him. She greeted him quickly and then faced the front of the chamber, ignoring the reporter entirely. The older witch finally seemed to lose interest and looked away, pulling her quill and parchment from her bag. Remus was sure that he hadn't seen the last of her.

* * *

"The Wizengamot has found that you knowingly and willfully ignored the capture and execution of innocent wizards and witches. As a result, you have been sentenced to three years in Azkaban prison, effective immediately. Aurors." Hermione watched as Proudfoot and Dawlish stepped towards the chair that Hughes was chained in. He wore a look of absolute shock as the chains on the chair were removed and he was hauled to his feet.

Hermione glanced at the Wizengamot. Some looked satisfied, although there were many that wore scowls or displeased looks on their faces. She suspected that there were those that thought Hughes should have gotten more time and others that were irritated that he had been convicted at all. Kingsley did not look happy.

Hermione turned to Remus. He had sat up straighter when Kingsley stood to read the verdict and now was still staring straight ahead, his expression unreadable. Hermione wondered if he was upset that Hughes had only gotten three years. She certainly was. Active participant or not, the man would be free before his oldest grandchild was out of Hogwarts.

"Remus?" she said softly, not wanting to startle him. Remus turned to look at her. Hermione's eyes flicked to the section for the press, but all the reporters had hurried out as soon as the verdict was read.

"He's going to Azkaban," Remus said, making it sound more like a question than a statement. Hermione nodded. "For three years."

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Three years," he repeated.

"I know, it should have been longer, but at least he was convicted," she said, biting her lip.

"No, that's not, I," he shook his head and met her gaze. "Three years, Hermione. I never thought," he trailed off again and Hermione realized.

"You didn't think he would be convicted at all." Remus shook his head again. Hermione didn't care who might see, she took his hand and squeezed it.

"He deserved far worse," she said.

"Undoubtedly, but now, there's a chance that Warrington, that he'll be punished for what he did." Hermione knew that Remus had his doubts, but that he thought that Warrington, the one who actually carried out Umbridge's plans and then continued on his own, wouldn't be punished, broke her heart. She squeezed his hand tighter.

"There's more than a chance, Remus. He killed people. He's going to Azkaban."

"He killed werewolves," Remus said.

"People," Hermione repeated. Remus looked at her and nodded.

"People," he agreed. She smiled and he returned it, looking like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Hermione stood and pulled him to his feet and the two of them left the courtroom. The reporters appeared to be gone by the time they reached the corridor. They walked towards the lifts.

"Let's have dinner," Hermione said impulsively. "We can go pick up Andromeda and Teddy and the four of us can go out somewhere."

"You want to take a toddler to a restaurant?" Remus asked, brow rising. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"One little boy between three adults? I think we'll be fine." Remus didn't look all that convinced. "There's a family owned place near my house that my parents used to take me to. The food is simple, but it's very good. You could all Floo to my house and we could walk there. It's only a few blocks."

"All right," he agreed. Hermione smiled at him.

"How sweet," a voice said, and they turned to see Rita Skeeter standing behind them, smug look on her face. "Making dinner plans, are we?"

"What do you want, Rita?" Hermione asked. She didn't like the way the reporter was eyeing them.

"Planning a romantic rendezvous?" Rita asked. Hermione rolled her eyes, even as her heart began to pound.

"Of course, that's why we were planning to bring my son and mother-in-law along," Remus said dryly. Skeeter glanced between the two of them, the smug look never leaving her face.

"What a scandal this would be," she said.

"What scandal would you be referring to?" Hermione asked, trying to sound bored.

"The former professor and his student, his much _younger_ student, having an illicit tryst." Remus snorted, and Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"An illicit tryst? That's a stretch, even for you."

"I _could_ be persuaded to ignore what I heard," the reporter said.

"Which was nothing," Hermione replied.

"I think we both know that something can _always_ be made out of nothing," Rita said sweetly.

"And I think that _I_ could be persuaded to have a little talk with the Minister," Hermione said looking at Rita pointedly. Hermione smiled in triumph when Rita's smug grin faltered slightly. But it was back moments later, looking even more predatory.

"I think we both know why you won't do that." Hermione forced herself not to change expression. If she reported Rita's Animagus status, then Skeeter would tell Kingsley how she had gotten the information on Satterfield and that Hermione had known about it. While Hermione wasn't sure what the laws were regarding that situation, and his drinking on the job was the least of Satterfield's crimes, she didn't want to jeopardize anything. Rita knew it too.

"What are you even doing here?" Hermione asked. "I thought you'd moved on to books." Rita's latest, _Snape: Scoundrel or Saint_ , had been published a few months previous. And Hermione knew that the other woman was still working on the book about Harry. It was what she had wanted the quote from Hermione for after writing the Satterfield article.

"Given my huge success with the article on Satterfield, Barney has found that he was missing my particular brand of journalism." Remus snorted and Rita glared at him. Then she smiled at Hermione again.

"I'll give you a bit of time to think it over," the reporter continued. "I'm sure you will both be here for the start of Cyrus Warrington's trial tomorrow." Rita walked past them and stepped into an empty lift, waggling her fingers at them as the doors closed.

Remus turned to Hermione as soon as Rita disappeared. She shook her head and they waited for another lift to arrive. It was empty, thankfully.

"She's bluffing," Remus said as soon as the doors slid shut.

"She isn't, actually," Hermione replied, explaining. "If I report her, she's going to try to take me down with her." Hermione sighed. "I should have waited for Kingsley to finish his investigation."

"I'm glad you didn't," Remus said. She looked up at him. "Who knows how many people you saved by speeding things up."

The lift stopped and Remus took a step to the side as another witch stepped in. She nodded to both of them and they rode the lift in silence until they reached the second floor. All three stepped off and Remus followed Hermione to her office, the other witch going into the Auror office as they passed it.

"I can't risk letting Satterfield get off or getting a lesser sentence," Hermione said as soon as her door was closed and warded.

"No," Remus agreed. "Perhaps we should have that dinner in Diagon Alley instead." She looked up at him, a bit surprised. He shrugged. "Our friends and family already know. Maybe it's time to let the public in on the secret."

Truthfully, Hermione felt the same way. She was tired of hiding it from everyone and now that the people closest to them knew, the only reason to continue to keep it a secret was her proposal. Hermione knew that there would be those that would assume the only reason she was pushing for werewolf reform was because she was dating Remus. But, Skeeter's reporting could make things even worse. At least this way, they could have things come out on their own terms.

"I think it is," she said. "But, I think we need a bit more than just a stroll through Diagon Alley and a family dinner." He looked at her quizzically. "We have to beat Rita at her own game."

"The press," Remus said in understanding. Hermione nodded.

"There's no guarantee that being seen in Diagon Alley together will get back to the media before tomorrow morning."

"What are you thinking? We do an interview or something?"

"Not exactly," Hermione said. "But I do have an idea." She quickly filled Remus in and by the end of her explanation, he was smiling.

"I think it could work."

"All right, you go and explain to Andromeda," Hermione said. "I'm going to have a quick word with Gwendolyn and then I've got to talk to Ginny." Remus nodded and stepped towards her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her breathless.

"Have I told you lately how brilliant you are?" he asked. She grinned and kissed him again.

* * *

"Hermione," Gwendolyn said as Hermione was led into Gwendolyn's new office by her secretary. "I wasn't expecting to see you today. I heard about the sentencing."

"Not long enough, in my opinion."

"There are plenty of people that share that view," Gwendolyn said, a bit disgusted.

"I just hope it isn't an indication of what is to come."

"That makes two of us. What can I do for you?" Hermione hesitated. She knew that Gwendolyn was going to be embarrassed and Hermione wasn't looking forward to the uncomfortable conversation.

"Do you remember when we were at the pub and I told you I was seeing someone?"

"Of course," Gwendolyn replied. "You wouldn't tell me who though." A pained smile crossed Hermione's face. Gwendolyn's brow furrowed.

"Yes, well, we've decided not to keep it quiet any longer." Hermione looked up at the other woman. "It's Remus."

"It's Remus what?" Gwendolyn asked in confusion.

"I'm seeing Remus," Hermione replied. Gwendolyn stared at her for a moment before she colored.

"Oh gods," she said, putting her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Hermione said quickly.

"This morning, I, Hermione, I'm so sorry!"

"No," Hermione said quickly. "It's my fault for not telling you."

"But, but, I stood there and flirted with your, with, with, oh Merlin. I feel like such an idiot."

"Please don't," Hermione said. "You didn't know. This wasn't your fault." Gwendolyn took her hands away from her face and shook her head. Her face was still red with embarrassment.

"And Remus, he must have been so uncomfortable."

"He didn't realize, actually," Hermione said with a laugh. Gwendolyn looked up at her.

"Am I that bad at it?" she asked wryly. Hermione smiled.

"No, I knew what you were doing straight away, but Remus, he's a bit oblivious to these things." Gwendolyn stared at her in shock before she began to laugh. Hermione joined in.

"I'm sorry," Gwendolyn said again when they had composed themselves.

"Stop apologizing," Hermione said. "You didn't know. And if you had, I know you would have never done anything."

"Never," Gwendolyn insisted. "I won't send him that owl either." But Hermione shook her head.

"No, if you think that Remus can help, I definitely want you to talk to him," she forced herself to say. She wasn't going to be ridiculous about this. She trusted Remus and now that Gwendolyn knew the truth, Hermione trusted her too. She shoved away her jealousy.

"Do you think he'd even want to after I made a fool of myself?"

"You didn't make a fool of yourself," Hermione insisted. "And yes, I think he would, as long as _you_ wouldn't be too uncomfortable. If you'd rather talk to someone else, I'm sure that Remus could give you a few names."

"I'll think about it," Gwendolyn said. "So, how long have you been together?"

"A month," Hermione said. "Officially anyway. There were a few months of indecision and second-guessing before that."

"Well, I'm happy for you," Gwendolyn said.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry again that I didn't tell you sooner." Gwendolyn waved off her apology.

"I understand and please tell Remus that I'm sorry as well." Hermione nodded.

"There's no apology necessary, but I will." She stood from her chair. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but there's something else I need to take care of." Gwendolyn rose as well and came around her desk, giving Hermione a quick hug.

"We need to have lunch soon, so I can get all the details." Hermione laughed.

"All right," she said. She made her good-byes and left the office, hurrying to the lift. She needed to speak to Ginny.

* * *

Remus stepped into Kingsley's office and smiled at Miss Stebbins, the Minister's secretary. He remembered her from Hogwarts. She'd been a fifth year when Remus was teaching.

"Professor Lupin," she said, looking a bit surprised. Remus didn't bother to correct her. It seemed that most of his former students still referred to him with the moniker.

"Is the Minister available? It will only take a minute," Remus assured her.

"Let me check for you," she said as she rose from her desk and knocked on the Minister's door. He bade her enter, although he sounded rather irritated. She stepped inside and all sound disappeared. Kingsley obviously had a silencing charm on his office.

"Go right in, Professor."

"Thank you, Miss Stebbins." He nodded to her and walked into Kingsley's office, closing the door behind him.

"Remus," Kingsley said, standing to shake his friend's hand. "I'm sorry about Hughes' sentence. I pushed for twenty years, myself."

"I'm just glad he got any time at all," Remus said. "But that's not why I'm here."

"Oh?" Kingsley said, indicating that Remus should take a seat. "What can I do for you?"

"There's actually something I need to tell you," Remus said. "Before it comes out in the paper tomorrow." Kingsley's eyes narrowed.

"What would that be?" Remus took a breath and looked up at his friend. He had no idea how Kingsley was going to react to the news, but Remus knew he needed to be told before he read about it in the _Prophet_.

"I'm dating Hermione Granger." Kingsley stared at him for a full minute before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I think you heard me, Kings."

"When did this happen?"

"About a month ago," Remus said. Kingsley blew out a breath and sat back in his chair, still staring at Remus.

"And you're telling me this now, why?"

"Rita Skeeter overhead a conversation between Hermione and myself after the sentencing today," Remus said. "It was completely innocent, just discussing dinner plans that included Teddy and Andromeda. But you know Skeeter."

"I do, unfortunately," Kingsley said. He had taken quite a lot of heat after her article about Satterfield's drinking had come out.

"She's threatened to expose our relationship, which she doesn't know we are actually in, mind. Given the likely salacious nature of what Skeeter will write, Hermione and I have decided to preempt her."

"You're giving an interview?" Kingsley asked in surprise.

"No," Remus said. "But there will be photographs and likely an article as well. I wanted you to know."

"This may affect her proposal next week," Kingsley said.

"I know," Remus replied regretfully. "And while we didn't intend for this to come out until after her proposal had been heard and voted on, we have to get ahead of Skeeter. I won't let Hermione be dragged down by that woman again." Kingsley nodded, then scrubbed a hand down his face with a sigh.

"Well, it's shite timing, but I certainly can't disagree with your reasoning," he said.

"I'm sorry, Kings." The Minister waved off his apology.

"So, Hermione Granger," he said with a smirk. Remus colored slightly.

"Yes," he said.

"Can't say that it doesn't make sense when I think about it," Kingsley said. "Bit surprising though."

"It has been to most everyone," Remus replied. "Myself included." Kingsley chuckled.

"I'm happy for you. Hermione is a wonderful woman." Remus smiled.

"She is." Remus stood from his chair. "I should get going." Kingsley rose as well and shook Remus' hand again.

"Good luck."

"Thank you."

* * *

"Sorry I'm late," Remus said as he came through the Floo alone. After discussing it further, they had decided to leave Andromeda and Teddy at home. They needed this to be a more romantic evening and Remus wasn't keen on having Teddy's picture in the paper. "I spoke to Kingsley before I left."

"Oh, I didn't even think of that," Hermione said. She bit her lip. "How did he take it?"

"Surprised, of course, but he wished us well."

"Was he upset about the proposal?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands in front of her.

"He agreed that the timing wasn't the best, but he doesn't blame us for going ahead with it." Remus stepped forward and took her hands in his. "He wasn't angry, Hermione." She sighed and stepped into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I just wanted to do this on our own terms, not because of bloody Rita Skeeter."

"We are doing it on our own terms," Remus said. "Just a bit earlier than we planned." She sighed again and Remus pulled back to look at her. "Are you sure about this, love?"

"Yes," Hermione said. Remus looked at her skeptically.

"You don't exactly look it."

"I want people to know," Hermione insisted. "It's just-"

"What will come after," Remus finished. Hermione nodded again. He kissed her forehead.

"We'll deal with whatever comes. And we have people in our corner."

"I know," Hermione said. "Oh, we have one more now, actually."

"Gwendolyn?" Remus asked.

"Oh, well, yes, but that wasn't who I was thinking of." She proceeded to tell Remus about Molly's visit. He was just as shocked as she was.

"You're serious?" Hermione nodded. "Well. That's something." Hermione laughed and Remus smiled, then kissed her.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded, looking much more confident. He reached up and handed Hermione the Floo powder. She threw a bit into the grate, stepped into the flames and called out for the Leaky Cauldron. Remus followed seconds later.

* * *

Hermione stepped into the Leaky and siphoned the ash from her robes, looking around the pub as she did so. There weren't many people present, it was a Tuesday evening after all. There were only two people sitting at the bar. And older wizard Hannah was serving a pint to and someone else who looked familiar. Before she could figure out who it was, Remus stepped out of the fireplace. Hannah looked up at the sound of the Floo and smiled.

"Hermione," she greeted. The second person at the bar turned on his stool and grinned at her.

"Hey, Hannah, Neville," Hermione said, just as Remus stepped up next to her.

"In for a knut, in for a galleon," he murmured to her and Hermione took his hand. He gave hers a squeeze and they walked towards the bar. It was a bit comical the way that Neville's eyes widened when he noticed their clasped hands. Hannah gave a little gasp, but a smile crossed her face moments later.

"Her-hermione," Neville said, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Pro-professor."

"It's Remus, Neville," Remus said with a smile. "I haven't been your professor for some time."

"Right," Neville said, still staring at their clasped hands until Hannah smacked him lightly on the shoulder. He started and then looked up at them sheepishly.

"It's good to see you both," Hannah said. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Maybe after dinner," Hermione said. "We've got reservations at that new Italian place."

"Oh, I've heard it's good," Hannah replied. "And romantic." She winked at them and Hermione blushed slightly. Neville looked a bit unsettled.

"We'll stop in on our way back," Hermione said.

"It was good to see you both," Remus continued.

"You too," Hannah said, then nudged Neville with her shoulder.

"Yes, right, good to see you," Neville said. Hermione smothered a laugh and Remus wore an amused look on his face.

"I think we broke Neville," Hermione whispered as they reached the courtyard and Remus tapped the bricks. He chuckled as the wall opened.

"I admit, it would be amusing to see a few more reactions like that." Hermione laughed as they stepped into the Alley. Remus dropped her hand in favor of holding his arm out to her. Hermione looped her arm through his and he grasped her hand where it rested on his forearm. Hermione leaned into him and as they strolled down the street, she rested her head on his shoulder for a few moments. They were mostly ignored as they walked down the street, but Hermione did see a few looks of recognition.

"Do you know where he'll be?" Remus asked.

"No, but Ginny told him to be discreet, so he could be anywhere. My guess would be closer to the restaurant, so he's sure not to miss us." Remus nodded as they turned a corner. The restaurant was on a small side street. He could see it only a couple of storefronts ahead.

"Well, then, I suppose we had better make sure there is no confusion," he said, stopping and turning to her. He looked up at down the street, which was almost completely deserted, save one lone couple in the distance. "Not that I'm complaining." She smiled as his arms slid around her waist and she wound hers around his neck. The kiss, while chaste, left no doubt that the two were more than just friends. Hermione smiled again when Remus pulled back. He took her arm once more and continued on to the restaurant.

* * *

Two hours later, they stepped out of the restaurant, hand in hand. Hermione was laughing and Remus smiled at her. The food had been very good, and they had enjoyed the time together. The restaurant hadn't been very crowded, but there had still been a few looks and whispers as people recognized them. Hermione wondered if the photographer had waited as Remus brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. She grinned and him and pulled him toward her, kissing him soundly as they made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Shall we stay and have a drink?" Remus asked as they came back through the brick wall.

"Like you said before, in for a knut, in for a galleon," Hermione replied, enjoying herself despite the reason for their trip to Diagon Alley. Remus smiled and kissed her quickly. When the walked into the pub, there were more people than before, although it wasn't crowded by any means. The older wizard at the bar was gone, but Neville was still sitting there. Hermione wasn't surprised as he and Hannah had been dating for a couple of months now.

Hannah was serving drinks to a few of the tables and Hermione slid onto the stool next to Neville, Remus sitting down on her other side. Neville looked up as they sat, turning a bit pink.

"Listen, about before," he began, but Hermione interrupted him.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a gentle smile. "Your reaction seems to be the standard."

"It's just, I was a bit," Neville trailed off.

"Surprised," Remus supplied and Neville nodded. Remus chuckled.

"As Hermione said, that is the usual reaction we get." Neville looked a bit sheepish.

"How's work?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, well, bit mental right now, as I'm sure you can imagine." His gaze flicked to Remus and then back to Hermione.

"I'm sure," Hermione said. Neville fiddled with his bottle of butterbeer. He looked relieved when Hannah came back behind the bar.

"Sorry," she said as she smiled at Hermione and Remus. "What can I get you?"

"I'll just have a butterbeer," Hermione said. "Work tomorrow and all."

"The same," Remus agreed. Hannah moved to get the drinks.

"So, how was your dinner?" she asked when she returned with two bottles of butterbeer.

"Very good," Hermione said. "You should really try it sometime."

"I've been wanting to since they opened," Hannah said. "Tom's almost completely turned this place over to me now, so it's hard to get away sometimes."

"I can imagine," Hermione said, taking a sip of her drink. Remus put his hand on her knee. Turning slightly towards him, from the corner of her eye Hermione saw the table of witches that Hannah had been serving when they walked in put their heads together and begin whispering furiously. She bit back a sigh as she studied them. They were older than her and it was possible that they could have been at Hogwarts when Remus was teaching, but Hermione didn't recognize them.

"So, you two," Hannah said, and Hermione turned her attention back to the bar. The Hufflepuff was grinning.

"Us two," Hermione replied with a little laugh.

"When did this happen?"

"About a month ago," Remus said.

"Ernie will be devastated," Hannah said with a smirk. Remus looked at her quizzically and Hermione shook her head.

"George brought his mistletoe to Harry's New Year's Eve party. Ernie kissed me when I got trapped under it." She felt Remus' hand tighten on her knee and she looked over at him. He smiled, but she could tell that it was forced. She gave him a smug look and he smiled sheepishly. Jealous, indeed. Someone in the pub waved for Hannah's attention and she excused herself to attend to her customers.

"I'm sorry," Remus muttered. Hermione just smiled and kissed his cheek. She heard the table of witches start whispering again and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"I need the loo," she said and Remus nodded, squeezing her knee once more before he let go.

When she came out of the stall in the bathroom, two of the women from the whispering table were standing in front of the mirror.

"Isn't that Professor Lupin that you're with?" one of the women asked as Hermione stepped up to the sink to wash her hands. So, they were former students then.

"Yes," Hermione replied. The two women smirked at each other.

"If I had known that's what he liked, I'd have given it a go seventh year," one said. Hermione's eyes narrowed. She recognized them now, they had been in Ravenclaw Hermione thought. The other shook her head.

"Obviously, you would have been too old. She was only what, a second year?"

"No, third, I think."

"I always heard she was a teacher's pet," the first said and they both started to laugh. Hermione's jaw clenched as she finished washing her hands. While she wanted nothing more than to hex the two for what they were insinuating, she forced herself to stay calm.

"And here I thought Ravenclaw was supposed to be the intelligent house," Hermione said with a snort as she dried her hands and then busied herself checking her hair. The two women glanced at each other, then looked back at her. "If he was interested in children, why would he be with me now?" Hermione worked at a stubborn curl that she finally just tucked behind her ear.

"Honestly, I would have thought that your House could have come up with more clever insults." She watched their expressions in the mirror turn from mocking smiles to sulky embarrassment. Obviously, they hadn't thought their insults through, expecting that Hermione would become some weeping mess at the insinuation alone. Turning, she smiled smugly at the two women.

"Have a nice evening." Hermione pushed past them and left the bathroom.

Remus and Neville were chatting amiably when Hermione returned, Neville obviously having gotten over his discomfort at the situation. Remus looked up at her with a smile that slowly slid from his face as he caught her expression.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing," Hermione said. Remus' eyes narrowed.

"Then why do you look like you're on the verge of murdering someone?" Hermione shrugged and slipped back onto her stool. She grabbed her Butterbeer and took a long drink, just as the two women came out of the bathroom. They glanced at her before returning to their table and began muttering furiously to the other two occupants of the table. All four stole what they thought were surreptitious glances at Hermione and Remus, but they were so obvious, it was laughable.

"What happened?" he asked again, his voice low. Hermione shook her head.

"Nothing worth mentioning," she said.

"Hermione," Remus said, a bit of warning in his voice.

"Later," Hermione said. "Right now, I just want to finish my drink and talk to my friends." Remus didn't look the least bit convinced, but Hermione knew that if he kept asking her questions, she was going to either explode in anger or burst into tears, neither of which she had any intention of giving those cows the satisfaction of seeing.

"Please?" she said to Remus. He glanced at the table of women again and nodded. Hermione smiled at Hannah as she came back behind the bar. The two women began chatting, leaving Remus to exchange a worried glance with Neville.

* * *

After another half hour of trying to pretend she didn't notice the four women staring at her, Hermione finally turned to Remus.

"I'm ready to leave," she said. He nodded and pulled a couple of galleons from his pocket, laying them on the bar. They made their good-byes to Neville and Hannah and then walked towards the Floo. Remus kept his hand at the small of Hermione's back. Hermione went through the Floo first and when he followed, she was pacing in the living room.

"What happened?" he asked for the third time.

"Those, those stupid bints happened," Hermione said, looking furious.

"They said something to you," Remus said. Hermione nodded.

"In the bathroom," she said.

"What did they say?" Hermione stood rigidly, her arms crossed in front of her, as she explained what had happened. Remus, while angry, wasn't surprised. He had known things like this were going to be said.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, pulling her into his arms. He felt her relax against him and all the anger seemed to drain from her, replaced by hurt. He led her to the couch and she snuggled into him.

"I knew that people were going to talk and that some of them would think terrible things like that, but I didn't think they would say it to my face." Remus kissed the top of her head.

"I think we have to prepare ourselves for more reactions like that," he replied. She sighed and rested her head on his chest. He was silent for a few minutes. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" She sat up and looked at him. There was sorrow in his eyes, but a bit of worry there as well.

"I'm not leaving you, if that's what you're asking."

"Maybe it would be better if you did."

"For who?" Hermione demanded.

"Hermione," he said with a sigh.

"Do you _want_ me to leave you?" she demanded.

"No," he said immediately. "Of course, I don't. But I don't want you to be hurt like this."

"I'll be fine. Like I said, it was a shock, that's all. Now that I know how vile some people are going to be, I'll be ready for it."

"You shouldn't have to be," he said regretfully.

"You shouldn't have to be either," she countered.

"Par for the course with my affliction." She sighed and brought a hand to his cheek. He covered it with his own and then kissed her palm. She stared at him, then moved so she was straddling his lap.

His hands automatically went to her hips as she leaned down and kissed him. As soon as he responded, she deepened the kiss and rolled her hips against him. Remus pulled her more tightly to him as he kissed her. Hermione's hands were busy with his shirt and their movements became more frantic, their kisses more heated, as he pulled her shirt over her head.

She managed to free him from his trousers and somehow her knickers disappeared. He wasn't sure how that had happened, but when she hiked up her skirt and sank down on him, all thoughts of her knickers left his head. In fact, he was quite sure _all_ thoughts left his head as she began to move. One hand gripped her hip as she rocked forward, the other moving to her neck to pull her into another kiss.

When Hermione collapsed against him, Remus' head fell back against the couch, panting for breath. She kissed the base of his throat and hummed in satisfaction. His hand moved lazily up and down her back and she shivered.

"Cold, love?" he asked softly.

"No," she said, and she shivered again as his fingertips ran down her spine. He smirked. She slapped his shoulder.

"Don't look so smug." He chuckled and kissed her forehead. Eventually, they disentangled themselves and righted their clothes. Lying back on the couch, Remus pulled Hermione into his side, then waved his wand to light a fire in the grate. They lay in silence, staring into the flames, as he idly played with her curls.

"Do you think he got the pictures?" she asked quietly a few minutes later.

"I don't see how he couldn't have," Remus said. "It's not as if Diagon Alley was particularly crowded tonight." She nodded against his chest and sighed. Remus shifted slightly so he could see her face and frowned when he saw that she was biting her lip.

"Are you sure about this, Hermione?" he asked again. "Ginny could Floo him if you've changed your mind."

Ginny knew Bradley, the sports photographer for the _Prophet_ , and trusted him completely. She had met him when he was hired by the Harpies to take promotional shots of the stadium and grounds for their new marketing campaign. While shooting around the facility, he had accidentally caught one of the team members in a rather compromising position with her girlfriend in one of the locker rooms. Instead of taking photographs, which he easily could have done given their level of distraction, Bradley had simply apologized and left them alone.

Ginny knew the man had been trying to get a promotion from photographer to reporter at the _Prophet,_ but when Rita had brought in her article about Satterfield, Barnabas Cuffe, the editor, had welcomed her back with open arms. Given that Skeeter had given Remus and Hermione until the following morning to agree to her terms, they knew that she wouldn't likely publish anything about them until at least Thursday. Instead, Remus and Hermione had offered Bradley the chance to 'scoop' Rita by taking the photographs and writing a short article, with information he received from Ginny, for tomorrow's morning edition.

"No, I'm sure," Hermione said. "It's just the waiting, I suppose." Remus made a noise of agreement as she settled back into him.

"It's getting late," she said softly, a while later. He could hear in her voice that she didn't want him to leave. He wasn't inclined to either. He had already told Andromeda he didn't know if he'd be home that evening. And Teddy was already in bed.

"Shall I stay?" he asked.

"If you like," she said, propping her chin on his chest. He leaned up and kissed her.

"Then I will." She smiled and laid her cheek back on his chest. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, fingers resuming their path up and down her back.


	61. Reactions

**A/N - Wasn't sure I was going to be able to post today as this has been a crap week and this chapter fought me tooth and nail. I was so glad I ended up being able to finish it. Thank you for all your reviews last chapter and thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 61**

 **Reactions**

 **12 April 2000**

 _ **War Heroes Spotted in Intimate Embrace**_

 _ **Phillip Bradley**_

 _Remus Lupin and Hermione Granger, heroes of the Second Wizarding War and recipients of the Order of Merlin, First Class, were spotted walking arm-in-arm down Diagon Alley last night. After sharing a brief kiss, the couple had a romantic dinner in the Alley's newest restaurant, Bellucci's._

 _Sources close to the pair say they have been friends for years, but only began seeing one another romantically about a month ago. "They're perfect for one another," a source says. "And they are extremely happy."_

 _This appears to be the case, as they were laughing and smiling when they left Bellucci's before joining friends for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron._

"I wonder if we could get a copy of that photograph," Hermione said, pointing to the one of them coming out of the restaurant hand-in-hand, both with smiles on their faces.

"You don't want this one?" Remus asked smirking, as he indicated the picture of them kissing.

"You can't see our faces in that one," she said with a shrug. He laughed and leaned over to kiss her.

"I'm sure Bradley will do anything you like," Remus said. "After all, we got him on page two." The outcome of Hughes' trial, had, of course, dominated the front page which suited Hermione just fine.

"I had better go, love. Teddy will be up and I'm sure Andromeda will want to talk about this." He tapped the paper.

"All right," she said. "Give them both my love."

"I will," Remus said and kissed her one more time before he stepped into the Floo.

Hermione looked back at the newspaper in her hand. Post would be coming, she knew. Harry would likely want to divert it all to Grimmauld Place as he had when the article about the two of them came out after their lunch where they spied on Satterfield. Maybe Hermione would just have Remus go through it all. He likely knew similar, if not the same spells as Harry. And then Ginny wouldn't have to deal with it all, as she was home for another week. Hermione set the paper aside and gathered up her things to Floo to the Ministry.

* * *

"Daddy!" Teddy called as Remus walked into the kitchen.

"Hello, little man," Remus said, picking up his son and kissing his cheek. "Were you a good boy for Nanna last night?" Teddy nodded his head emphatically.

"Where go, Daddy?"

"I had dinner with Hermione."

"My-nee! Me see My-nee," Teddy insisted. Remus chuckled.

"How about tonight?" Andromeda asked. "Shall we have her to dinner?"

"Yes!" Teddy said. "Me see My-nee."

"All right," Remus said. "I'll ask her. Now, it looks like Nanna has your breakfast." Remus put Teddy in his high chair and Andromeda set eggs and fruit on the tray, along with a cup of milk. Teddy immediately tucked in.

"From the newspaper, it seems as if things went well last night," Andromeda said.

"For the most part," Remus replied, dishing up his own breakfast. She raised an eyebrow and he glanced at Teddy. The little boy was completely engrossed in his food. Remus quickly explained what had happened at the Leaky. Andromeda was incensed, of course, but Teddy's presence kept her from voicing just what she thought of the women that had said it.

"How did Hermione handle it?" she asked in concern.

"In typical Hermione fashion," Remus said, hint of a smile on his face. "Insulted them and pretended that it didn't bother her." Andromeda smiled and put a hand on Remus' arm.

"Are you all right?" she asked. He sighed.

"It's not as if I wasn't expecting it," he replied. "I just wish that Hermione wasn't going to get caught up in all of this. She doesn't deserve it."

"Neither do you." He patted the hand that was on his arm.

"We're most concerned about her proposal," Remus said. "I'm sure there will be fall-out from this." Andromeda's lips pursed in thought.

"Who is aware of what she is working on?" she asked.

"Her department of course, Kingsley, a few people from the DRCMC, Harry and Ginny, Minerva, the rest of the Weasleys, I'm sure. I'm don't know who else. Why?"

"If the details of her proposal get out to the public, they can be dissected in the press before she even presents anything."

"I wonder if Kingsley has put it on the Wizengamot's schedule yet," Remus mused. "He told Hermione he wanted her to present it to them as soon as the trials were over."

"I am sure that the Minister has already thought of this, but he may want to be sure that the details are not given to the Wizengamot until Hermione actually presents it. There are enough that are not going to be open-minded about it. You do not need those that might be in the middle being swayed beforehand." Remus nodded.

"I'll speak to Hermione about it," he said, glancing at his watch. "I had better get going. Warrington's trial begins in less than an hour." He moved to kiss the top of Teddy's head, guilt creeping in when he saw Teddy's pout that he was leaving again.

"I promise I'll be home for lunch," Remus said. "And we'll play, all right?" Teddy nodded.

"Bye, Daddy."

"He'll be fine," Andromeda said in reassurance when Remus hesitated. He motioned Andromeda to follow him into the living room.

"I'm sure there will be post today," Remus said. "Likely even Howlers. I don't want Teddy hearing, or you for that matter."

"Do not worry, a silencing spell and a quick 'Incendio' and Teddy will not hear a thing," Andromeda said. Remus nodded.

"Just set the rest of it aside and don't open anything. I don't trust that there won't be curses or jinxes in some of them. I'll scan everything when I get home."

"Or, we could just burn the entire lot," she suggested. Remus shook his head.

"There's always a possibility something could be in one of them that would react with the fire. I'll have to go through them all before we burn them."

"All right," Andromeda replied.

"Thank you," Remus said, kissing her cheek before he walked back into the living room to Floo to the Ministry.

* * *

Hermione walked to her office amidst stares and whispers. She had expected this, of course, given the article in the _Prophet_ this morning. What she hadn't expected was to be met by Margaret's secretary, Cecily, as soon as Hermione walked into the department and immediately led into her boss's office.

"Good morning, Hermione," Margaret said. Hermione could see a copy of the Daily Prophet lying on her desk.

"Good morning," Hermione replied nervously.

"I suspect you know what I would like to talk to you about."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Sit, please." Hermione sat in one of the chairs in front of Margaret's desk and clasped her hands tightly in her lap, if only to keep them from shaking.

"I do not make it a habit to interfere in my employees' private lives," Margaret said. "Who you date is your business. However, this, Hermione, cannot be ignored." She tapped the picture of Hermione and Remus kissing.

"May I ask why?" Hermione said. She wasn't sure what, exactly, Margaret was upset about.

"Need I remind you that Mr. Lupin is a werewolf?"

"No, I'm very much aware of that fact," Hermione said, bristling a bit. She had never thought that her boss had a prejudiced bone in her body.

"And it didn't occur to you that the Wizengamot might feel there is conflict of interest when you present your proposal?" Margaret asked. Hermione blew out a breath, relieved that this was what this meeting was about.

"It did," Hermione replied.

"Then why, in Merlin's name, would you allow _this_ to happen?" Margaret demanded, tossing the paper across her desk towards Hermione. "The proposal comes up before the Wizengamot in less than two weeks. You couldn't have waited until after?"

"I apologize, Margaret, I should have come to you yesterday, but with everything that happened, it slipped my mind."

"Explain," Margaret said crisply. Hermione proceeded to recount what had happened with Rita Skeeter, leaving out the part about Rita being an Animagus, of course. The story was just as plausible without it.

"I've had run-ins with Skeeter before," Hermione explained. "She wrote many unflattering, not to mention untrue, things about me during the Triwizard tournament, as well as all the lies she told about Harry Potter after Voldemort's return. Remus and I both knew that the only way to keep her from writing some sordid tale about us, was to allow someone else to report it first. A friend of mine knows Mr. Bradley and felt that he would report what we wanted, fairly and without sensationalism." Margaret sighed again.

"Well, I am certainly familiar with Ms. Skeeter's idea of 'truth'," the older woman said. "But you have put me in a difficult position, Hermione."

"I understand," Hermione said. "And I apologize, but we didn't feel we had any other option."

"I suppose not," Margaret said.

"If you feel it's necessary, I'm willing to offer my resignation," Hermione said, coil of dread forming in her stomach. She loved her job.

"I don't think we need to go quite that far," Margaret replied, a bit of a smile on her face. "I will have to speak to the Minister and decide how to proceed from here."

"If it's any consolation, the Minister already knows," Hermione said. "Remus spoke with him yesterday."

"Well, I am glad to hear that," Margaret said. She pulled the newspaper back towards her. "Cecily has informed me that Mr. Lupin has spent quite a bit of time in your office lately. She assumed it had something to do with your proposal until she saw the paper this morning." Hermione reddened.

"We've been attending the trial together," Hermione managed. When she looked up, she thought she saw a smirk on Margaret's face, but it was gone a second later and Hermione decided she must have imagined it.

"Under the circumstances, I think it would be best if that did not continue."

"I'm sorry, Margaret, but I can't do that," Hermione said. The older witch's eyes narrowed. "I won't bring him to my office, but I can't let him sit alone at the trials."

"Can't or won't?"

"I won't," Hermione replied, sitting up straighter in her chair. "The trials are difficult for him. He knows who many of Warrington's victims were. I won't allow him to go through that alone." She met Margaret's gaze and refused to break eye contact.

"Well, I can't say that I don't respect your compassion," Margaret said after a few moments. "But do remember that you're sitting in front of the body you want to present to in less than two weeks."

"I understand that," Hermione said. "And if you feel that it would be better for someone else to make the proposal, I understand. I will even remove my name from it, if necessary."

"You've spent months on that proposal," Margaret said.

"The most important thing is that is passes," Hermione said. "Not that I get public credit for it." Margaret studied her for a moment, then nodded.

"I will think on it and let you know."

"I apologize again, for the timing of all of this."

"I think we have Rita Skeeter to thank for that," the older woman said in disgust. "If you would give me a copy of the proposal by the end of the day, please. I'd like to review it before I make my decision."

"Of course," Hermione said.

"That's all, thank you, Hermione." Hermione bade her boss good-bye and left the office. Cecily had a copy of the _Prophet_ on her desk and she quickly covered it with a stack of parchment as Hermione walked by. She sighed, glad she was going to be in court all morning.

* * *

Remus stood in the Atrium, near the lifts, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. There had been whispering, staring, pointing and out-right glares as he made his way from the Floos and through the security line. One elderly witch had even shaken her finger at him accusingly. No one had said anything to him directly, at least not yet.

Remus was aware of the two witches behind him whispering to one another. In fact, he could hear their entire conversation, his hearing enhanced given he was less than a week from the full moon, although they obviously didn't know that. He was quite certain they wouldn't be discussing his…attributes quite so openly if they did. He felt his face heat and was glad that they were behind him. As Remus waited for the lift, a wizard a bit older than Remus stepped up beside him. He glanced at Remus, then did a double-take and grinned when he recognized him. The man carried a copy of the _Prophet_ under his arm.

"Quite the coup there, mate," he said, winking at Remus. The witches behind them fell silent.

"Sorry?" Remus said.

"Pretty young thing like that," the man said with a shrug of his shoulder. "I think we've all had those fantasies, haven't we?" He grinned in a lascivious way. Remus' first instinct was to grab the man by the throat and slam him into the wall. But, as they were in the Ministry and there were witnesses, he refrained. It was a near thing though. Instead, he glared at the other wizard and took a step towards him. The man had the sense to look nervous.

"Woah, I didn't mean anything by it," he said. "Just having a conversation."

"Keep your 'conversation' to yourself, if you don't mind," Remus snapped.

"Sure thing, mate, sure thing."

"And I'm not your mate," Remus nearly snarled. The lift arrived and Remus stepped in. While there were already a few people inside, it wasn't full, but the wizard had the good sense not to get on. Remus glared at him until the lift doors shut. He was glad he only had to go one floor to reach the courtrooms.

* * *

Hermione made her way to the lifts to head to the courtroom. As she passed the Auror office, the door opened and Ron stepped into the corridor. He stopped when he saw her. Hermione slowed, not really wanting to have this confrontation right now. The trial was starting in twenty minutes and Remus was probably already there waiting for her. They had agreed to meet in the courtroom, figuring they could possibly avoid Skeeter, at least for the morning, if they were already inside before she arrived.

Ron stared at her for a few moments and it was then that Hermione saw the copy of today's _Prophet_ tucked under his arm. She glanced at it and looked back up at him.

"Ron," she began, but Ron just shook his head and turned and walked back into the Auror office. Hermione watched him go, then sighed and continued to the lift, cursing Rita Skeeter once again.

The doors opened and Hermione stepped inside, an older witch the only other occupant. Hermione nodded politely to her, then pressed the floor for the courtrooms. They rode in silence for a few seconds before the witch turned towards her. Hermione braced herself for some scathing comment, but the other woman merely smiled.

"My husband was eighteen years older than me," she said conversationally. "I was nineteen when we married." The lift stopped. "Don't let them get to you, dear. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters." Hermione smiled as the doors opened and suddenly felt like crying.

"Thank you," she said. The woman winked and stepped off the lift, replaced by a group of wizards that studiously ignored Hermione until they reached the courtroom level.

* * *

Hermione hurried down the corridor towards the courtroom, keeping an eye out for Rita Skeeter as she did so. Remus would likely be inside by now, but that was probably better than them walking in together, especially after what Margaret had said.

Hermione wasn't stupid enough to think that Rita still wouldn't try to print whatever ridiculous nonsense she liked, even now that Hermione's relationship with Remus was out in the open. Still, the fact that the article that had come out about them was straightforward and truthful had to help with at least some people. Anything Skeeter published now would just be guessing and innuendo. Once Hermione's proposal had been presented, she and Remus would have no further reason not to appear in public together. The gossip would eventually go away.

Hermione had nearly reached the doors when she saw Remus step from a shadowy corner. She couldn't help but smile that he had waited for her despite their conversation about it this morning. She had opened her mouth to greet him when someone stepped in front of her.

Hermione stumbled as she stopped quickly so as not to run into the person in front of her. When she got her balance and looked up, the apology died on her lips. Rita stood in front of Hermione and she wasn't happy.

* * *

Remus finally saw Hermione hurrying towards him. Regardless of what they had decided, he had no intention of going into the courtroom and leaving her to deal with Skeeter or some other idiot, like the one that he'd run into this morning, on her own. When Hermione was near enough, he stepped from the shadows and was about to greet her when someone else stepped into her path.

Hermione stumbled. Remus made a motion to move forward before she righted herself and looked up at the person that had nearly tripped her. Hermione's eyes narrowed and Remus recognized Rita from the back.

"Just the person I was looking for," Rita hissed. Remus made to move towards them again, but a subtle shake of Hermione's head stopped him.

"Well that's unfortunate, as I definitely wasn't looking for you," Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest. Rita grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her to the side, away from the open doors to the courtroom. Most everyone was inside, there were only a few stragglers still hurrying in.

"I'm sure you weren't," Rita snapped, pulling the _Daily Prophet_ from her bag. "Thought you'd get the jump on me, did you? And with a Quidditch hack, no less."

"I thought the photographs were lovely," Hermione replied sweetly.

"No matter," Rita sniffed. "Just because you've gone public doesn't mean there isn't _much_ more I can report about." She gave Hermione a smile, which Hermione returned. Remus could only see the side of Skeeter's face from his angle, but he could have sworn her smile faltered slightly.

"You could," Hermione agreed. "But, I wouldn't."

"That threat doesn't work anymore, remember? Your precious Satterfield still hasn't been tried yet, has he?" Rita looked smug, but then, so did Hermione.

"That's not what I was talking about," Hermione said. Rita stared at her. "Now if you'll excuse me, they're about to close the doors." Hermione pushed past the reporter and Remus stepped from the shadows. Hermione glanced at him and he looked at her quizzically.

"Later," she muttered, low enough that only he could hear. Remus followed her into the courtroom. As it was nearly time for the trial to start, most everyone was already seated. He could feel the stares and hear the whispers as they walked up the stone steps.

"Honestly, don't they have anything better to talk about?" Hermione hissed quietly as they sat down. Remus made to move closer to her, but she shook her head again and he remained where he was. Before he could ask her anything else, the Wizengamot filed in and two Aurors led Warrington to the accused's chair. Kingsley called for everyone's attention and the trial began.

* * *

The entire morning was horrible. Listening to what Warrington had done made her stomach turn and bile rise in Hermione's throat. She kept her hands clasped tightly in her lap, when all she really wanted to do was take Remus' hand and hold on for dear life. Every time she looked at him, he was sitting rigidly, staring straight ahead, his face a mask. She wondered if he wanted to scream and throw things as much as she did.

Cyrus Warrington was arrogant and uncooperative in equal measure. He did nothing to help his own case. He refused to admit to anything, but didn't deny it either. Kingsley was so frustrated with him at one point, she thought the Minister might draw his wand and curse him. Even the majority of the Wizengamot was looking at him in disgust. While that boded well for his conviction, Hermione really wanted to know _why_ he'd done it. When asked that very question by one of the Wizengamot members, he simply blamed Umbridge. When further questioned as to why he continued even after her arrest and incarceration in Azkaban, he gave a long, rambling reply that made no sense and didn't have much to do with the question at all. Finally, Kingsley had had enough.

"Do you have anything else to say for yourself?" Kingsley asked when it was nearly lunchtime. Warrington seemed to think for a moment, then smirked.

"Tell that woman that brings my lunch to make sure it's hot this time." Kingsley, with a look of disgust, dismissed the Wizengamot for lunch. He gave them the afternoon to deliberate. The would reconvene in the morning for the verdict. Hermione didn't expect it would take all that long.

"Remus," she said quietly. He turned to her and rose from the bench. She didn't like the look in his eye, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She couldn't bring him to her office and with Skeeter still hanging about, it was out of the question that they would sneak off to some shadowy corner or alcove. Remus followed her down the stairs and out of the courtroom. They waited for the lifts together in silence, trying to ignore the looks from the rest of the crowd.

"Hermione," a voice said and she turned around to see Harry standing behind them.

"Harry," Hermione said in relief.

"Remus," Harry said, brow furrowing when all he got was a curt nod in reply. Harry glanced at Hermione, who bit her lip and looked at Remus worriedly. The group of people in front of them got on the lift and filled it completely. When the doors closed, Harry grasped both their arms and pulled them to the side, ignoring the looks they were getting from the rest of the people waiting for the next lift.

"Come on," he said, loudly enough for everyone to hear. "We'll take the stairs to the Atrium. I'm starving." None of them spoke as they reached the stairwell. Harry locked the door behind him and turned to Hermione. "I'll keep watch a flight up." She hugged him gratefully and Harry hurried up the stairs to the eighth-floor landing.

"Remus," Hermione said, turning to him again. He said nothing, just pulled her into his arms and let go a shuddering sigh. She held him tightly, stroking his back and whispering quietly to him. He kissed her temple and pulled back, looking down at her.

"I'm sorry about today," she said. "About having to pretend again."

"It's all right," he said.

"No, it isn't." She sighed. "Margaret called me into her office this morning." Hermione explained what had happened. "And then after the run-in with Skeeter, I just, I didn't want to give her anything else."

"I know," he said. He kissed her forehead. "Speaking of Skeeter, what were you talking about at the end there?"

"Truthfully? Nothing," Hermione said. "I was bluffing completely." Remus laughed and Hermione smiled to hear it. When he looked back down at her, she stared at him in concern. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I will be," he said. He blew out a breath. "I knew what he'd done, but hearing it described in detail was…a lot." Hermione nodded. She'd felt the same. "And then when Kingsley read the names." Remus shook his head.

"Did you know very many of them?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Enough," Remus said. Hermione hugged him again.

"Guys," Harry called. They separated and Hermione unlocked the door before they hurried up the stairs to where Harry stood, just as a wizard opened the door from the Atrium and walked in.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Harry asked as the wizard glanced at the three of them, then walked up the stairs to the next floor. When they heard the door shut, Harry looked up to make sure he was gone.

"I've got to go home," Remus said. "I promised Teddy I'd have lunch with him today. You're both welcome to come with me."

"I've got some work I've got to get done," Hermione said. While it was true, she also knew that Teddy needed to spend some time with Remus. Hermione had been occupying too much of his time lately. "I'll just have a sandwich at my desk."

"And I'll make sure that she does," Harry said, to Remus' unasked question. "I've actually got some paperwork to do myself."

"Then why'd you ask where we wanted to go?" Hermione said with a laugh.

"For show, Hermione," Harry said with a roll of his eyes. "Wouldn't want people thinking you were in here snogging or something." Hermione punched him in the shoulder as Remus chuckled.

"Ow!" Harry scowled. "You and Ginny sure do have hard fists for such tiny things."

"Just guard the door for a few minutes, Potter," Hermione said. Harry turned his back to them and Hermione was pretty sure he cast a silencing charm around himself. She looked up at Remus, who had a laughing smile on his face. He bent down and kissed her and she sighed into his mouth before letting herself relax against him.

"All right, break it up," Harry said a few minutes later. Hermione reluctantly pulled away from Remus and he kissed her chastely one last time before letting her go.

"Andromeda invited you to dinner tonight," he said. "Teddy insisted you come." Hermione laughed.

"I'll be there," she said. He kissed the back of her hand before he dropped it. They stepped out into the Atrium and Remus said good-bye to both of them before heading for the Floo. Harry and Hermione walked to the cafeteria to get sandwiches before heading to the lifts.

* * *

Remus stepped into his living room. Teddy sat on Andromeda's lap as she read him a book. Both looked up at his arrival.

"Daddy," Teddy said scrambling off his grandmother's lap and running towards his father. Remus picked him up. "Ows, Daddy, all the ows!" Remus glanced at Andromeda.

"It has been a parade of owls all morning," she said. Just as she finished speaking there was another tap on the window in the kitchen. Andromeda sighed.

"I'll get it," Remus said.

"I see ow!" Teddy insisted. Remus glanced at Andromeda again.

"There have been three so far," she said, referring to the Howlers. Remus nodded and carried Teddy with him to the kitchen.

"See, Daddy, see," Teddy said pointing excitedly to the owl outside the window.

"I do," Remus replied with a smile, opening the owl to let it in. Thankfully, it only had a letter.

"I do it?" Teddy asked, reaching for the letter on the owl's leg.

"No!" Remus said sharply, pulling Teddy back. The little boy jumped and looked up at Remus in surprise. Teddy's lip began to quiver and Remus swore at himself in his head.

"I'm sorry," Remus soothed, hugging his son closer to him, not sure how to explain to him that there could be something dangerous in the letter. He settled for a simpler explanation. "Daddy doesn't want you to get hurt. Sometimes, owls bite." Teddy looked up at him with watery eyes.

"I get owts?" he asked.

"Yes, you could get a very bad ouch." Teddy seemed to accept this and nodded solemnly at Remus. Remus hugged him and kissed the top of his head. He reached for the letter on the owl's leg, untying it and adding to the stack of letters Andromeda had put in a box on the kitchen table. There must have been close to twenty of them. Didn't people have anything better to do with their time? Remus felt guilty for leaving Andromeda to deal with it all morning.

"Shall we hear the rest of the story Nanna was reading?" Remus asked and Teddy brightened immediately. Andromeda looked up at him expectantly when they walked back into the living room.

"Just a letter," he said. She nodded and opened the book again as Remus sat down with Teddy on his lap. Teddy seemed to have forgotten all about the incident with the owl and happily snuggled into Remus' lap as Andromeda finished the story.

* * *

Hermione came through her Floo to feed Crookshanks before she went to Remus' for dinner. As she stepped out of the fireplace, she was greeted with the sight of no less than ten owls sitting in various spots in her back garden. She groaned and moved to the back door. When she opened it, the owls all took flight and Hermione quickly stepped outside and closed the door. She didn't need a mess in her house on top of everything else.

Conjuring a box, she quickly relieved the owls of their burdens. There was only one Howler, thankfully. She hurried inside, cast a Muffliato around it and then waited until it had exploded. She had no desire to hear what it said. Looking down at the letters in the box, Hermione sighed. She should just burn the lot, but Harry's warning while they waited for lunch echoed in her head. There were some substances that could react with fire and he wanted to scan everything before Hermione so much as touched it. Since she'd already touched the envelopes, Hermione decided not to push her luck and let Harry deal with the letters.

She stared down at the box again and then looked at Crookshanks. While Hermione doubted anyone would go so far as to have anything explode before the letter was opened, the senders had no way of knowing how long the owls would have to wait after all, she didn't want to take the chance leaving the letters here with her cat in the house. Sighing again, she went back to the Floo and stuck her head in, calling out for Grimmauld Place.

"Harry?" Hermione called. There was a brief silence and then Ron walked into the room. Hermione bit back a groan. This was the absolute last thing she wanted to deal with. "Is Harry here?"

"Not home from work yet," Ron said, his voice clipped.

"Oh," Hermione said. "He wanted to, erm, never mind. Just have him Floo me when he gets home, please." She was just about to pull her head from the Floo when Ron spoke.

"Saw the _Prophet_." She simply looked at him. Most people had seen the _Prophet_ today. "Everyone was talking about it in the office."

"I think everyone's talking about it everywhere," Hermione replied. Ron shook his head.

"That doesn't bother you?"

"It's not as if I can really do anything about it," Hermione said.

"You could have not flaunted it," Ron muttered. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"We should have just stayed in our houses for the rest of our lives?" Ron looked at her sharply.

"The rest of your lives?" he repeated. "What are you married now or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"You're the one being ridiculous," Ron countered. "Do you know what people are saying about you? About Remus?"

"I have a fairly good idea." Ron just stared at her. She sighed. "I don't know what, exactly, your problem is Ron. No one else in your family seems to have an issue with my relationship."

"Mum," Ron began, but Hermione interrupted.

"I spoke with your mother yesterday. She apologized _and_ she made sure to invite us to Sunday dinner." Ron's mouth opened and then closed again. "Maybe you should talk to her. Please tell Harry to Floo me." Hermione pulled her head from the fire and sat back on her heels, looking over at the box of letters. She really just wanted to go to Remus'. She could take the letters with her and have Remus look at them, but she didn't want to have them around Teddy. She supposed she'd have to Floo and have Remus come to her place first.

"Hermione." Hermione looked up to see Ginny's head in the Floo.

"Hey, Gin."

"Ron told me you were looking for Harry. He got stuck at work for a bit, which Ron _knew_ since he's the one that told me when he got home. Git could have told me you were in the Floo."

"Oh," Hermione said, looking at the box of letters again.

"Can I help?"

"Harry wanted to run scans on all the stupid letters I got today," Hermione explained. "I'm supposed to go to Remus' for dinner, but I didn't want to leave until Harry had done it, in case there was something wrong."

"It sounded like he might be late," Ginny said. Hermione sighed again. "You know what? Give me the letters, I'll make Ron do it."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Hermione said.

"I won't let him read any of them and no matter how much of a prat he's being right now, he doesn't want you hurt."

"I don't know, Ginny," Hermione said.

"It will be fine, honest. I'll even come through and get them." Hermione bit her lip. "Come on, Hermione. You know I'm just going to do it anyway. I know how to get into your house."

"Fine," Hermione said shaking her head. Ginny's head disappeared and moments later, she was stepping from the fireplace.

"Are you sure about this, Ginny?"

"Of course. Ron doesn't want to be bat bogeyed." Hermione snorted. "Besides, Susan should be there any minute. She already thinks he's being an idiot not speaking to you."

"Really?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"We all do, Hermione." Ginny took the box Hermione handed her. "I won't be long."

"All right, I'm just going to go and change, in case you get back while I'm upstairs." Ginny nodded and turned back towards the Floo. "Thanks, Gin." Ginny flashed her a smile and stepped into the fireplace.

* * *

Remus stood as Hermione stepped out of the Floo. She took one look at him and hurried into his arms. He pulled her close and she sighed into his chest.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"Just…today." He tightened his arms around her, knowing exactly what she meant. More owls had arrived after lunch, including two more Howlers. While Teddy napped, Remus had run scans on the rest of the letters and found two that had hexes embedded in them and one that had been soaked in a love potion. He wasn't sure what the sender of that one had been trying to accomplish, it's not as if he would have eaten the parchment.

Andromeda had opened one and lit it on fire in disgust after only reading a few lines. The one Remus had opened held a photograph of a nearly naked witch along with a rather graphic letter of what she was willing to do if Remus was interested. They had burned the rest after that.

"Did you get a lot of post?" Remus asked.

"Enough," Hermione said. "Harry was supposed to scan it all for me, but he had to work late, so Ginny made Ron do it."

"Ron?" Remus said in surprise.

"That was my reaction, but he did it."

"Did he find anything?"

"One with some kind of curse in it. Ron wasn't sure what it was, but he kept the letter to have it analyzed at the Ministry. Another had an embedded jinx. It wouldn't have done any real damage, but he kept that one too. What about yours?"

"Two hexes and a love potion," Remus said. Hermione looked up in confusion.

"A love potion?" Remus shrugged.

"Soaked into the parchment," he replied. "I've no idea what they thought would happen." Hermione shook her head.

"Howlers?" he asked.

"Only one. I didn't listen to it. You?" Remus hesitated. She looked up at him expectantly.

"Five."

"Five?!"

"I'm a bit surprised it wasn't more, to be honest."

"Why?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"There are plenty of reasons, Hermione," he said. "You know what they are." She sighed.

"You didn't listen to them, did you?" she asked.

"No," Remus said. "Andromeda dispatched them all straight away."

"I didn't read any of the letters either," she said. "Ginny burned the rest as soon as Ron finished."

"Andromeda and I each read one. That was enough." She looked up at him and put a hand to his cheek. He leaned down and kissed her.

"My-nee!" Teddy shouted and she and Remus pulled apart abruptly. Remus felt his face heat as Andromeda followed her grandson into the living room, slight smirk on her face. The little boy barreled towards Hermione and she laughed as she bent down to pick him up.

"Hello," she said kissing the tip of his nose. "I've missed you."

"Ows, My-nee, all the ows!"

"You've had lots of owls today?" Teddy nodded his head vigorously. "Me too."

"You pay?" Teddy asked. Hermione looked up at Andromeda.

"Can I help with anything?"

"No, thank you, most everything is done. We will eat in about half an hour," the older woman said. Hermione looked back at Teddy.

"Then we can play for just a little bit," she said to Teddy. He grinned and Hermione set him on his feet. He raced to his toy basket and began pulling things out. Remus stepped up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist before kissing the top of her head. She squeezed his hand and knelt next to Teddy on the floor after being handed a dragon.

* * *

Two more owls had arrived during dinner. Remus had quickly scanned the letters and then thrown them into the fireplace. Hermione wondered how many more would be waiting for her when she got home.

She and Remus were sitting together on the couch. Teddy was in bed and Andromeda had gone up to her room. Hermione felt slightly guilty about that, but was grateful to the older woman for giving them some privacy.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, fingers combing idly through her hair.

"How nice it would be to take a holiday right about now." He chuckled.

"I can't disagree with that." She tilted her head up to look at him.

"I was thinking about what my mother said about visiting them in Australia." Remus' brow furrowed. "I know we can't go now, not with everything going on, but once the trials are over and my proposal has been presented, maybe we could just, escape for a bit."

"It sounds wonderful," Remus began.

"But," Hermione prompted.

"The anniversary is coming up," Remus said quietly. Hermione put a hand on his arm. "And I'm still working with Will. He's been improving quite a bit lately and I don't want him to lose that momentum." Hermione smiled up at him. She couldn't possibly argue with that.

"Maybe this summer then," she suggested.

"This summer," Remus agreed. She leaned up and kissed him.

"In the meantime," she said, as his hand began to move up her side. Her breath hitched for a moment.

"In the meantime," Remus repeated, moving to kiss her neck.

"Maybe a little overnight getaway," she suggested, a bit breathlessly. "Away from London."

"Mm, I do like how you think," Remus mumbled from her collarbone. "After the moon."

"After the moon," she agreed, closing her eyes and pulling Remus to her for a kiss.

* * *

 **13 April 2000**

Hermione woke to an insistent tapping on the window. She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head, trying to ignore yet another owl. There had been three waiting for her when she arrived home last night, and she and Remus had been interrupted four times. Truthfully, that had probably been for the best, as she wasn't sure it would have been a good idea to shag him on the sofa in the living room with Teddy and Andromeda just upstairs, silencing charms or not. She'd come home frustrated in more ways than one.

The tapping continued and Hermione threw off the blankets and got out of bed. She pulled on a jumper over her t-shirt and pajama pants. She stomped downstairs and wrenched open the back door, glaring at the imperious looking owl. It looked down its beak at her and held out it's leg. Hermione scowled as she untied the letter and the owl took off immediately afterword.

She carried the letter inside, intent on adding it to the small pile she was going to give to Harry this morning, when the envelope began smoking. Hermione cried out in pain before dropping it to the floor. Her fingers were red and starting to blister. She glanced at the letter on the floor and saw it was beginning to eat a hole in the carpet. Cradling her injured hand, Hermione summoned her wand and tried to vanish the letter, but it remained stubbornly where it was. She cast a shield around it and hurried to the Floo.

"Harry!" she yelled as Grimmauld Place came into view. "Harry, I need your help!" There was movement upstairs and then the sound of pounding footsteps as Harry skidded into the room, shirtless and barefoot, but holding his wand in his hand.

"Hermione, what is it?"

"You need to," she gasped in pain as she bumped her hand on the hearth. Ginny ran into the room, looking terrified. "Come to mine." Hermione saw Ron and Susan run in just as Hermione pulled her head from the fireplace. Harry followed almost immediately, Hermione barely having time to get out of the way before he was stepping through. Everyone else followed.

Harry crouched beside her, but Hermione shook her head and pointed to the smoking letter on the floor. Harry hurried toward it, casting all manner of spells on it as Hermione gritted her teeth against the pain in her hand. When Ginny and then Susan came through, they immediately rushed to her side, Ron going to help Harry.

"What happened?" Ginny demanded as Susan began looking over Hermione's hand.

"There was, a letter," Hermione panted.

"Do you have pain potions?" Susan asked. Hermione nodded.

"Kitchen, cupboard above the sink." Susan ran off.

"What happened with the letter?"

"I took it off the owl," Hermione said grimacing at a fresh wave of pain. "Came inside and it started to smoke." She glanced at Harry and Ron as Susan came back into the room.

"Here, drink this," she said and tipped the vial to Hermione's lips. The pain receded almost immediately.

"Thank you," Hermione said, pulling in a breath.

"You need to get to St. Mungo's," Susan said.

"We'll take you," Ginny said. "Harry, we're taking Hermione to Mungo's."

"Stay there until I get there," Harry said, still casting spells at the letter. He and Ron had put it in some kind of containment field, so the carpet was no longer burning, but the letter was still smoking.

"Crookshanks," Hermione said, not wanting her cat to get into whatever it was after Harry and Ron left.

"I'll drop him at Harry and Ron's then meet you at St. Mungo's," Susan said. "I'll get you some clothes, Ginny." Hermione glanced at her friend and realized she was only wearing a tank top and sleep shorts.

"You can wear something of mine," Hermione offered.

"No, we're getting you to a Healer," Ginny said. "Thanks, Susan. Come on, Hermione." She pulled Hermione to her feet and put her in the Floo. "I'll be right behind you." She threw in the Floo powder and called out for St. Mungo's.

Hermione stepped out in the waiting room and Ginny followed immediately behind. Ginny took her arm and they stepped forward to the Welcome Witch's desk.

"She's been burned by an unknown potion," Ginny said.

"Third floor," the welcome witch said in a bored voice. Ginny hurried toward the lift, leading Hermione with her. When they stepped inside, Hermione leaned against the wall, cradling her arm to her.

"How is it?" Ginny asked.

"The pain potion is starting wear off," Hermione said.

"Already?" Ginny questioned in surprise. Hermione nodded. This was far worse than the bubotuber pus incident in fourth year. Ginny looked at her in concern and the tears that had been threatening began to run down Hermione's cheeks.

"I'm scared, Gin."

"It's going to be all right," Ginny assured her. "The Healers will fix you right up."

"I couldn't even vanish it," Hermione said.

"What do you mean?"

"When I dropped the letter and saw it start burning a hole in the carpet, I tried to vanish it. Nothing happened." Ginny frowned. "What if they can't fix this?"

"They will, Hermione," Ginny said. "Harry and Ron will get other Aurors over there and find out what this is. You're going to be fine." Hermione nodded, wishing she believed her friend. The pain was getting worse as they stepped onto the third floor. Ginny hurried to the mediwitch station to explain what had happened. The woman took one look and Hermione's hand and called for a Healer while she whisked Hermione into a treatment room.


	62. Burn

**A/N - Hello all! Sorry for the bit of a cliff-hanger last chapter. You'll get some answers in this chapter, but not all. Thanks so much for reading and for all your reviews!**

 **Chapter 62**

 **Burn**

 **13 April 2000**

Remus nearly ran from the lift and down the corridor toward the mediwitch's station. The woman behind it looked up at him with a smile, but he ignored her when he heard his name.

"Remus." He looked over to see Ginny outside one of the rooms. He rushed towards her.

"Is she in there?" he asked and Ginny nodded. Remus went to walk around her, but Ginny stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"You can't go in."

"Why not?" he demanded.

"They're working on her now, trying to figure out what this is. No one is allowed in except Healers and staff."

"What the bloody hell happened?" Ginny explained what she knew so far.

"What was it?" Remus asked.

"They don't know for sure," Ginny said. "It's some kind of flesh-eating potion, but it's nothing they've seen before."

"Why did she open it?" Remus asked, knowing that both he and Harry had told her not to open anything.

"She didn't," Ginny replied. "Harry thinks it might have been spelled to release as soon as someone touched it. They've got it at the Ministry right now, trying to analyze what it is."

"How is she?"

"It's not burning her anymore, they've managed to stop that, but she says it still feels like it is. They're trying to get a handle on the pain, but none of the traditional pain potions seem to be working for long." Remus swore.

"I'm going in," he said, moving towards the door.

"Remus, you can't," Ginny insisted.

"The hell I can't," he snapped and pushed past her into Hermione's room, ignoring Ginny calling after him.

Hermione was surrounded by Healers, who seemed to be arguing over what they should try next. Her face was a mask of pain and she cried out as one of the Healers touched her injured arm. When she noticed him standing in the doorway, the tears began to roll down her cheeks. Remus hurried to her side, pushing his way between two Healers to get to her.

"You can't be in here," one of the Healers insisted. Remus turned towards him with a glare.

"Try and get rid of me," he growled. The Healer visibly swallowed and took a step back and Remus sat down on the edge of Hermione's bed. He took her good hand in his and kissed her fingertips.

"Remus," she whispered and he squeezed her hand.

"You're going to be all right, love."

"It hurts, so much," Hermione said.

"I know, Harry and everyone else is working on it."

"I'm glad you're here," she said and then leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Remus held her hand and rubbed small circles on the back with his thumb. He watched her face, saw every grimace and heard every whimper.

"Can't you give her something?" he demanded.

"We've given her too many pain potions as it is," one of the Healers said. "The only thing to do now is identify the potion and find an antidote."

"Then quit poking and prodding at her and figure it out," he snapped. The woman turned her full glare on him.

"Our researchers are working with the Ministry analysts to discover just what we are dealing with, Mr. Lupin. Unless you would like me to call Magical Law Enforcement and have you escorted from this room, I suggest you remember that we are all doing our jobs to the best of our ability." Remus stood and glared at her. A couple of the other people in the room, stepped back warily, but the woman crossed her arms in front of her and returned his glare.

"That's not good enough! She's in pain, you need to help her!" he snapped. Hermione opened her eyes.

"Remus," she chided. He bit back the snarl that was trying to escape his throat and looked down at Hermione. She put her hand on his arm and he sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he finally muttered.

"I understand your frustration," the Healer said. "Believe me, I do _not_ like to see my patients in pain." Remus nodded. The Healer, clearly in charge, dismissed everyone else in the room and continued her examination of Hermione's hand and arm. The flesh was red and peeling, her skin sloughing off in places. They had cast some kind of shield around it, Remus could see the shimmer of the magic. He surmised it was to prevent infection.

"What about a cooling charm?" he asked.

"We've tried them and they help a bit, but only for a short time. They have to be renewed every thirty minutes or so. I should have done it a few minutes ago, I'm sorry."

"I'll do it," Remus said. The Healer studied him for a moment, then nodded. Remus cast the charm and Hermione sighed in relief.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked.

"Yes, but not as much," she said.

"You just tell me when you need it again, love." Hermione nodded, closing her eyes again. Remus watched the Healer finish her examination of Hermione's arm. She cast a levitation spell, so the arm floated a few inches above the bed. He could see the relief on Hermione's face when the spell was cast. Remus was sure that it was painful resting on the blankets, regardless of the shield charm. The Healer turned and began writing notes on a piece of parchment.

Remus couldn't believe this had happened. He knew that people would have issue with their relationship, but he never expected that anyone would try to hurt her this badly. He thought back to what Hermione had said the night before, that a letter she had gotten yesterday had a curse in it that Ron couldn't identify. Remus wondered if they had found out what it was and how dangerous it would have been.

The more he thought about it, the less sense it made. If anyone should have been cursed or poisoned it should have been him. He was the werewolf, he was the one that was older, the one that had been her professor. Why would someone want to hurt Hermione and not him? Even as he thought it, all the blood drained from his face. Andromeda.

"Hermione?" he said and she opened her eyes. "I need to talk to Ginny for a minute, all right? I'll be right back." Hermione nodded. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then quickly left the room.

"Ginny," he said as he stepped into the corridor.

"How is she?"

"They can't give her any more pain potions, but cooling charms help slightly. They still don't know what it is."

"Can I see her?"

"In a minute, I need you to do something for me first."

"Of course."

"Floo Andromeda and tell her not to touch _any_ of the mail that comes in, not even with dragonhide gloves. Let the bloody owls sit in the damn garden until an Auror can get over there to look at them." Ginny gasped and put a hand to her mouth.

"You think that you might get one too?"

"I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. Please, hurry." Ginny nodded.

"Why don't I just have her go to the Burrow? Then they're out of the house completely."

"That's a good idea, thank you," Remus said. Ginny smiled and gave him a quick hug.

"She's going to be all right." He nodded. Ginny hurried toward the public Floo at the end of the corridor and Remus walked back into Hermione's room.

"I'm just going to get these notes to the Auror Department," the Healer said. "I'll check on their progress while I'm there."

"Thank you, Healer," Remus trailed off realizing the woman had never introduced herself.

"Spencer," the woman said with a smile. "There will be a mediwitch at the station at all times if she needs anything. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Thank you," Remus said again. She nodded in acknowledgement and left the room. Remus resumed his seat on the edge of Hermione's bed and took her hand again. Hermione's eyes fluttered open.

"Do you need another charm?" Remus asked. She shook her head.

"Not yet."

"I'm so sorry, love," he said, kissing her fingers again.

"For what?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"For what's happened to you."

" _You_ didn't send me the letter." He smiled slightly. "You didn't get one, did you?"

"No. Not yet anyway." Hermione's eyes widened.

"Remus, you have to tell Andromeda," she began, trying to sit up straighter in the bed, looking panicked.

"Shh," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder and pushing her back gently. "Ginny is taking care of it. She's going to send them to the Burrow."

"But, are they all right? You should check on them, Remus."

"Hermione," he said. "You need to calm down. They were fine when I left, and I haven't been here all that long. Just relax, love." She finally settled back against the pillows.

"What time is it?" she asked a few minutes later.

"A little past eight, why?"

"Court convenes at nine," she said. "You should go."

"I'm not leaving you," he said, incredulous that she would even suggest it.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said. "And you should be there to find out what happens to Warrington."

"I can find out later."

"But-"

"Hermione," he said a bit more sharply than he intended. "I am _not_ leaving you, all right?" She finally nodded.

"All right." There was a quiet knock on the door and Ginny stuck her head inside.

"Hey," she said as she came into the room, smiling at Hermione. "How are you?"

"It still hurts, but Remus is helping." He squeezed her hand and looked expectantly at Ginny.

"They're at the Burrow," she said. "Andromeda said another owl had arrived. She was just about to let it in when I Flooed. It was quite perturbed when she left it outside, but she didn't touch it."

"Thank Merlin," Remus said.

"I told her to stay at the Burrow until either you or Harry gives her the okay to go back."

"Thank you, Ginny."

"How are you doing, Hermione?" Ginny asked. Hermione tried to smile, but Remus could tell it was forced.

"I'm okay, thanks, Gin."

"Can I do anything? Get you anything from home?" Hermione started to shake her head, then stopped.

"Actually, there is one thing you could do for me."

"Anything," Ginny said.

"Would you go to the trial today?" Ginny looked a bit surprised. "I just, I need to know what happens."

"Sure, Hermione. It's at nine, right?" Hermione nodded. "I'd better get home and get ready then."

"Crookshanks?" Hermione asked.

"He's at Grimmauld. Susan gave him some breakfast before she went into work." Remus could see Hermione's brow furrow in pain. He cast the charm again and she squeezed his hand gratefully.

"Thanks, Ginny." Ginny stepped forward. Remus stood up to give her space to say good-bye to Hermione.

"Harry will figure this out," Ginny said quietly as she hugged Hermione. "I know he will." Hermione nodded with watery eyes when Ginny pulled away. Her eyes were bright as well. Remus put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze just before she left.

When Remus sat back down, the tears that Hermione was trying to hide began to spill down her cheeks. He sat down next to her and gathered her to him as best he could without moving her injured arm.

"It's going to be all right, love," he said, kissing the top of her head. He suspected he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

* * *

Healer Spencer returned an hour later. There hadn't been any change in Hermione's condition and Remus was still reapplying the cooling charms every half hour. He found out that what he had thought was a shield charm on Hermione's arm was actually a stasis spell. It was the only way they had been able to stop the burning from spreading. If it was removed, the potion would continue its work. The Healer didn't have much more information about the potion. The experts had taken her notes and were still searching for what the potion could possibly be. She assured both of them they wouldn't stop looking until they found it.

Ginny came back just after ten with the news from the trial. The look on her face let Remus know that Warrington had indeed been convicted, but she didn't look completely happy about it.

"He got fifty years," Ginny said.

"That's it?" Hermione demanded, her voice rising an octave. "He won't even be ninety when he gets out. He could live another hundred years!"

"I know," Ginny said. "Kingsley did _not_ look happy. Neither did some of the Wizengamot members."

"I can't believe this!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hermione," Remus said in concern. "Don't get yourself worked up over this."

"Don't get myself worked up? Aren't _you_ angry?"

"Yes," Remus admitted. "But, fifty years is still a long time. He could have gotten off all together." Hermione shook her head. "Remember that there is still a great deal of mistrust of werewolves. The fact that the people that Warrington attacked after the war were loners with no family like Greyback probably makes many of those on the Wizengamot feel a lot safer." A tear ran down Hermione's cheek and Remus leaned forward to wipe it off with his thumb.

"There's something else," Ginny said after a few minutes of silence.

"What?" Hermione asked. Ginny glanced from Hermione to Remus, looking unsure if she should say anything. "Gin, what happened?"

"Skeeter was scanning the crowd from the time I walked into the courtroom until Kingsley called things to order. She tried to corner me afterward, but I pretended I hadn't heard her calling me."

"She was looking for us," Remus said with a sigh. Ginny nodded.

"I think so."

"Who knows about what happened to me?" Hermione asked.

"Besides the family and Susan, no one outside of St. Mungo's and the Auror department. Oh, except your boss, Hermione. Harry told her but made her swear to keep it to herself."

"Margaret won't tell anyone," Hermione said confidently.

"There's going to be plenty of gossip though," Ginny said. "I'm sure everyone was wondering why the two of you weren't there." Hermione made a noise of frustration, then grimaced and Remus cast another charm.

"Don't worry about any of that now," Remus said. He looked up at Ginny. "Thank you for doing this for us."

"Don't mention it," Ginny said, taking Remus' hint. "I've got to get to the Burrow, I promised Teddy I'd take him for a fly."

"Give him a hug for me?" Hermione asked.

"Absolutely," Ginny replied. She leaned down and kissed Hermione's cheek. "I'll stop back this afternoon and see you."

"Thanks, Gin." Ginny waved to both of them and left the room.

"Satterfield's trial starts Monday," Hermione said once Ginny was gone.

"You'll be fine by then," Remus said, smiling and hoping it looked convincing. Hermione nodded, but she didn't meet his eye. He kissed the back of her hand. "Rest, love." She sighed and settled back into her pillows again, closing her eyes.

* * *

Hermione had finally fallen into a fitful sleep when Harry arrived. He looked exhausted and angry and a bit scared all at the same time. Remus cast another cooling charm on her and then followed Harry out of the room.

"Have you found out anything?" Remus asked

"We haven't identified the potion yet," Harry said. He glanced around the corridor and at the mediwitch station. He cast a Muffliato around the two of them. "It's obviously something obscure because no one from St. Mungo's or our own experts recognized it."

"Dark magic that no one recognizes sent to a Muggle-born?" Remus scoffed. "Not too difficult to figure that out, is it?"

"That's where my thoughts went as well," Harry said. "Until we found the other letter."

"Other letter?" Remus repeated, doubly glad now that he had gotten Andromeda and Teddy out of the house. "Well, a half-blood werewolf is no better than a Muggle-born after all."

"It wasn't sent to you," Harry said.

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"The rest of Hermione's mail, the letters she got the first day that Ron went through? One of them had a curse embedded in it that Ron didn't recognize."

"Right, she told me about that."

"Well, most of the letter that had the potion in it was eaten away by the potion itself, but we compared the bit we had left, and the handwriting is the same as the letter with the curse." Remus stared at Harry, dumbfounded. Someone had tried to curse Hermione and when that hadn't worked, they'd sent another letter with the potion?

"What was the curse?" Remus asked.

"It would have definitely disfigured her, we're just not sure how badly. We're guessing that when she showed up at work and went to the trial with no obvious injury, this person decided to send her something else." Remus wanted to punch something. He wanted to find whoever had done this and kill them with his bare hands. The wolf roared in the back of his mind and Remus' hands clenched and his jaw set. He heard a growl escape him.

"Remus," Harry said quietly, and Remus pulled in a breath, forcing himself to calm. It was difficult with the moon being less than a week away.

"I'm sorry," Remus said, scrubbing a hand down his face and trying to banish the thoughts of revenge from his mind.

"Trust me, I've been having the same thoughts," Harry said darkly.

"What's the next step?" Remus asked, still trying to ignore the wolf's insistence on maiming something or someone.

"We're still analyzing the letter with the curse, trying to find any clues as to who this person might be. I've redirected all of Hermione's post, as well as yours, to the Ministry. The Auror Department has a containment area for this kind of thing. We're hoping that this person will send something else and we can put a tracking spell on the owl. Also, we're stationing an Auror outside her room."

"You don't think they would come here?"

"I don't know what they'd do. I'd rather be safe than sorry." Remus nodded.

"What about the potion?"

"Professor Slughorn is coming in to see if he recognizes it, although I didn't tell him it was Hermione that was affected by it. Healer Spencer is contacting a colleague of hers in France that might know something. The researchers have identified some of the ingredients in it and they're working on coming up with an antidote." Harry paused. "How is she?"

"Still in pain. Cooling charms help." Remus walked back into Hermione's room, Harry following behind. Hermione was beginning to stir. She sighed as her eyes fluttered open.

"Harry," she said softly.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said as he approached her bed, sitting down on the edge. "How are you feeling?"

"All right," she said. "Remus has been helping." She smiled up at him. "Have you found anything?"

"Not about the potion," Harry said.

"But," Hermione prompted. Remus could tell that Harry didn't want to say anything.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione, we're working on it."

"I want to know, Harry." Harry sighed and glanced at Remus before he looked back at Hermione.

"That other letter? The one with the curse?" Hermione nodded. "It was from the same person." Hermione stared at Harry in shock. Remus moved to the head of the bed and took her good hand in his again.

"Well," she said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I guess someone really doesn't like me."

"We're going to catch the person that did this, Hermione," Harry swore. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Are you up for some questions?"

"Go ahead."

"The owl that brought the letter this morning, do you remember what it looked like?" Hermione's brow furrowed.

"I think it might have been a tawny," she said. "But I'm not positive. As soon as I took the letter off it, it flew away. Didn't wait around for a treat or anything. And it was rather snooty."

"Did it look like any of the owls from yesterday?" There was a noise at the door and a mediwitch walked in.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, taking in Harry's Auror robes. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's all right," Harry said. "Can you give us a few minutes?"

"Of course, Auror Potter," she said. "Just let me know when you've finished." He nodded and waited until the door had closed completely before turning back to Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I just don't know. There were so many owls waiting for me yesterday, I didn't really pay attention to what they looked like." Harry nodded, but Remus could see the disappointment in his eyes. Hermione must have as well, for she let go of Remus' hand and took Harry's.

"I really am sorry."

"It's not your fault, Hermione." He smiled genuinely at her. "I'd better get back to the Ministry. I'll come by later and give you an update."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said. Harry bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I'll walk you out," Remus said. The two men left the room. Remus glanced at the mediwitch who was back at her station and nodded to her. She smiled and began to walk toward Hermione's room.

"You'll keep me informed?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "If she remembers anything else, no matter how insignificant, you'll let me know?"

"Of course."

"We'll figure this out, Remus."

"I know you will," Remus replied. Harry clapped him on the shoulder and walked away. Remus watched him for a few seconds before turning to go back into Hermione's room. Just as he entered, Hermione made a noise of pain.

"Let me cast the charm again," Remus said, drawing his wand.

"It's…not that," Hermione said teeth gritted against the pain.

"I'm so sorry," the mediwitch said immediately.

"What happened?" Remus demanded, rounding on her.

"I was running the diagnostics and I completely forgot about the levitation charm. I accidentally cancelled it." Remus glanced over and saw Hermione's injured arm lying on the bed.

"Well, recast it!" he snapped.

"Yes, sir," she said immediately, pointing her wand at Hermione's arm and whispering the spell. It rose a few inches off the mattress. Remus immediately cast a cooling charm and Hermione relaxed slightly.

"I apologize, Miss Granger."

"It's all right," Hermione managed. "It was an accident."

"One that you'll be sure _won't_ happen again," Remus said, his voice hard. After his reaction to everything that Harry had told him, he was having a harder and harder time not overreacting.

"Of course not, Mr. Lupin." With another glance at him, she scurried from the room.

"You shouldn't be so hard on her," Hermione said softly once the woman had left.

"She should know how to do her job," Remus said gruffly.

"It was an accident."

"That caused you pain," Remus pointed out. Hermione gave him a chastising look. Remus sighed and sat down next to her. "I'm sorry, love. How are you feeling?"

"The same," Hermione said. She looked down at her lap and Remus could see her lip begin to tremble. He moved on the bed until she was partially reclined on his chest, still holding her good hand, his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, but being careful not to jostle her bad arm. She rested her head against his shoulder and sniffled a few times, but she didn't cry.

"It's going to be all right," he murmured into her hair.

"How do you know?" she whispered.

"Because Harry isn't going to give up until he figures this out. And neither am I." She sniffled again and then closed her eyes. "Sleep, love. I've got you."

* * *

The Auror arrived just after lunch, taking up a position outside Hermione's door. Remus ate a sandwich without really tasting it, while he helped Hermione with her lunch. It was her right arm that had been burnt and she had trouble doing things with her left hand. He had also noticed that he was having to cast the cooling charms sooner than before. It was more like every twenty minutes now, than thirty. Hermione didn't seem to notice and he didn't say anything. He didn't want to upset her. Healer Spencer returned just after they had finished eating.

"We're no further than we were earlier, I'm afraid. A colleague I contacted was at a loss as well. I've contacted other Healers in other hospitals on the Continent. I hope that one of them will have an idea."

"What about Horace Slughorn?" Remus asked. "Harry told us that he was going to take a look at it."

"He had no idea either. Our researchers are still working on an antidote and he offered to assist." Remus nodded in disappointment. "I wish I had better news. But, we aren't going to stop trying to solve this. Please believe that."

"Thank you, Healer Spencer," Hermione said.

"Yes, thank you," Remus echoed dully. The Healer did a quick exam and then left them alone. The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Don't give up," Remus finally said. Hermione gave him a wan smile.

"I'm not," she said, but he wasn't convinced. Before he could say anything else, there was a knock on the door and Harry and Ginny poked their heads into the room.

"Up for some visitors?" Ginny asked. Hermione smiled genuinely as the two of them walked into the room.

"How's Teddy?" Remus asked.

"Napping," Ginny said with a grin. "Tired him out good and proper flying." Remus chuckled. "Andromeda sends her love."

"With the mail ward up now, do they even need to stay at the Burrow anymore?" Hermione asked.

"I think they should for now," Harry said. "I'm actually on my way over to Remus' place from here. I've got to pick up a few things for them. Andromeda didn't pack intending to stay overnight."

"What's going on, Harry?" Remus asked, suspecting there was something Harry wasn't telling them. Harry sighed.

"Just because owls can't get in doesn't mean someone might not try and hand deliver something," he explained. "We've got Magical Law Enforcement watching both houses." Remus shook his head. How had it come to this? Were they so undeserving of a bit of happiness that their families were being threatened now? Hermione reached over and took his hand. He looked up at her and she smiled, obviously knowing where his thoughts had gone. Harry had noticed the exchange as well.

"We're going to get them, I swear it."

"Of course, you are," Ginny said, kissing his cheek. Harry smiled at her gratefully.

"Slughorn didn't recognize the potion," Harry said. Hermione nodded.

"Healer Spencer just told us."

"I was hoping that he would have," Harry said with a sigh.

"Horace was always a competent teacher and brewer," Remus said. "But he was never that imaginative. I doubt he would have ever researched Dark potions in depth, beyond what he was expected to know for his Mastery or for teaching. He's Sacred Twenty-eight, but like the Weasleys or Longbottoms are Sacred Twenty-eight. He was never Dark."

"That's another reason we think it might be one of Voldemort's sympathizers," Harry said. "Someone with easy access to Dark magic spells or books."

"They must be skilled with charms as well, to be able to spell it to release only when someone touched it," Hermione said. "So, someone good with Potions and Charms?"

"Not necessarily," Remus said. "There are potions that are relatively easy to brew, despite their purpose. We won't know about this one until we figure out what it is." Hermione huffed in annoyance, then grimaced and Remus cast another Cooling Charm.

"Hermione, we've kept everyone from coming to see you because we're trying to keep it quiet that you're here. But, if you want anyone else to visit, I can let them know." Remus knew that a week ago, Hermione would have likely said Ron, but she just shook her head.

"No, that's all right, Harry. The fewer people I know that someone sees coming in and out of here, the better." Harry nodded.

"I had better go," Harry said. "I've got to get back to the Ministry and I still have to pick up those things for Andromeda." Hermione looked at Remus.

"Why don't you do that?" she suggested. Remus began to shake his head, but Hermione put a hand on his arm. "You'll know better than Harry what they need, and Ginny can stay with me."

"No, Hermione," Remus said.

"You need to see Teddy," she said. "I'm sure that he's confused as to what's happening."

"He's two," Remus said. "I'm certainly not going to try and explain any of this to him. Besides, Ginny said he was napping." Hermione continued to look at him and he wondered if she was trying to get rid of him for some reason. Ginny glanced at Harry and motioned to the door with her head.

"I'll be right back, just going to say good-bye to Harry," she said and the two left the room. Remus turned back to Hermione.

"Do you _want_ me to leave?" he asked, trying not to sound hurt. He obviously wasn't successful, as Hermione immediately grasped his hand and shook her head.

"No, it's not that. I just, you've been with me so much this past week and then with the trials and everything, I thought, well, Teddy might need you." Remus gripped her hand tighter.

"Love, Teddy has Andromeda and now Molly. Somehow, having two grandmothers around to spoil him and Ginny to take him flying, I don't think he'll miss me all that much." She laughed. " _You_ need me right now."

"I do," she agreed. "And I'm so glad that you're here." She teared up a little. "But you also need to take a break sometimes. I won't be responsible for you ending up in here too because of sheer exhaustion."

"Hermione, it's only been a few hours."

"It's been nearly seven hours, Remus," she argued. "And you haven't eaten anything besides that sandwich earlier. Please?" When she looked at him pleadingly, he couldn't bring himself to deny her.

"All right," he finally agreed. "But I'm not going to be gone long." She nodded. He leaned over and kissed her, pulling back only when he heard the door to her room open.

"Sorry," Ginny said.

"You'll stay?" Remus asked.

"Of course," Ginny said.

"Cooling charms, whenever she needs them," he reminded her. She nodded.

"We'll be fine." Remus turned back to Hermione and kissed her again, more quickly this time.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"I love you, too."

"I'll be back soon." He stood and left the room, not looking back at her lest he be unable to go. Harry was still in the corridor.

"I'm coming with you to the house," the younger man said.

"Why? I thought you said there was an Auror posted outside?" Remus asked in confusion as they made their way to the lifts.

"There is, but we're not advertising that fact." Remus nodded in understanding. They were hoping to flush out whoever was doing this.

"How much more post has there been today?" Remus asked as the two of them got on the elevator.

"Since we set up the mail wards, only a couple of letters from Hermione's. Another Howler from yours, plus four more letters." Harry looked over at him. "Did you know you were getting propositioned in some of these?"

"Yes," Remus said. "Andromeda and I each opened a letter yesterday. The one I read also had a…photograph."

"Naked?" Harry asked, his cheeks a bit pink.

"No, but there wasn't much left to the imagination," Remus replied, face just as pink. His brow furrowed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, really. I only glanced at the picture for a moment, but she looked familiar somehow." He shrugged. It didn't really make a difference.

"Do you still have it?" Harry asked.

"No, we burned all of them after I'd checked them. Why?"

"Just wanted to keep all the evidence together." Remus frowned. From the look on Harry's face, it seemed as if he might have thought of something. But what he'd said made sense. The lift reached the first floor and they stepped out, then walked to the Floo. Remus glanced at Harry one more time before he stepped in. He didn't miss the thoughtful look on the younger man's face as Remus disappeared in the flames.

* * *

Remus landed outside the Burrow's wards and walked towards the back door. Harry had gone back to the Ministry from Remus' house. The back door opened just as Remus reached it.

"Oh, hello, Remus. I was expecting Harry."

"He had to go back to the Ministry." Molly opened the door wider to let him inside.

"Remus, how is Hermione?" Andromeda asked as she rose from the kitchen table.

"Still the same," Remus said. "Ginny is sitting with her."

"Let me guess, she insisted you take a break for a bit?" Andromeda asked.

"Of course, she did," Remus said. "Stubborn woman." Andromeda and Molly both laughed. "Is Teddy still asleep?"

"Yes," Andromeda replied. "He had quite the morning with Ginny in the orchard. Nearly fell asleep on his lunch." Remus chuckled and found himself needing to see his son.

"Maybe I'll just look in on him," he said.

"In Ginny's room, dear," Molly said. Remus nodded his thanks and walked up the stairs. The door to Ginny's room was slightly ajar and the cot that Teddy had slept in once before, set up near her bed.

Teddy had Padfoot hugged close to his chest, other hand on the stuffed wolf that he also slept with. His hair had reverted to its usual medium brown as it always did when he slept. Remus reached out a hand and laid in gently on his son's head. Teddy fidgeted for a moment, then relaxed back into sleep. Remus watched him for a few more minutes before quietly leaving the room.

"Has there been anything new?" Andromeda asked Remus when he reentered the kitchen.

"No," he said with a sigh. "None of the people that the Ministry has called in so far had any idea. They're still working on an antidote and Healer Spencer has extended the request for help. But so far, nothing."

"Someone will know something," Molly said, patting Remus hand. Remus nodded, wishing he could be as optimistic. The longer they went with no one having any clue as to what the potion had been, the more worried he got. While the cooling charms still seemed to be working, the time between them had gotten shorter. He had mentioned it to Healer Spencer earlier and she was concerned, both afraid that they eventually wouldn't work at all. And he knew that Hermione was making less of her pain. He had seen her brow furrow, felt her hand tense, even after he had applied the charm.

The Healers had continued trying different pain potions on her throughout the day, but none of them seemed to work for long, if at all. Even temporary relief, however, was enough to make Remus want Hermione to keep trying them, even after she complained that it was a waste of time.

"I should get back," Remus said, starting to rise from the table.

"Nonsense," Molly said. "Sit down, I'm going to fix you something to eat. I'd wager you haven't had anything all day."

"Molly, that isn't necessary, I-"

"Sit," Andromeda insisted. "You will be no good to Hermione if you make yourself ill." Molly turned her 'mother' look on him as well. He sighed and sat down, knowing he wouldn't be able to fight both of them. He wouldn't put it past Andromeda to tie him to his chair if he tried to leave.

Molly busied herself in the kitchen, reheating something she pulled from the ice box. The smell made Remus' mouth water as she brought it to the table. He supposed he was hungrier than he'd been letting on. He dug into the stew, ignoring the knowing looks from the two witches.

"Thank you," he said when he finished. "Now, I do need to get back. I told Hermione I wouldn't be gone long."

"All right, dear. Give her my love, will you?"

"Of course, Molly." Andromeda stood when Remus did.

"I will walk you out." Remus said good-bye to Molly and followed Andromeda out the back door.

"Why can we not go home now that Harry has set the mail wards?" she asked. Remus sighed.

"Harry is concerned that whoever is doing this will try to deliver something by hand when they realize owls aren't getting through."

"He still thinks you will be a target as well?"

"He isn't sure," Remus admitted. "Although, just before we left the hospital, he looked like he had another idea. He didn't share it with me." Andromeda looked at Remus in concern.

"You be careful," she said. "If the person doing this finds out that Hermione is in hospital, they may come and try to finish the job."

"Now that they know the cursed letter was from the same person, Harry has had an Auror stationed outside Hermione's room. And someone will always be inside with her."

"Good," Andromeda said. Her expression softened. "How are you doing? Truly?" Remus sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"I'm fine."

"Somehow, I doubt that is true."

"I just want _someone_ to figure out what is going on and _help_ her," he said in exasperation. "And I'd like to find who did this and kill them, slowly and painfully." Andromeda nodded, not looking shocked at all by his admission. Of course, he knew she had felt the same way when Ted died. If Bellatrix hadn't already been dispatched by Molly, Remus wondered just what his mother-in-law would have done to her sister.

"I know it is difficult, but you must trust the Auror department and the staff at St. Mungo's. Someone will find something." Remus nodded, hoping she was right. She pulled him into her arms.

"I'm sorry about all this," he said. Andromeda waved off his apology.

"Teddy is having quite the time and I enjoy talking with Molly. We will be fine." She released him and looked up at him. "Please give Hermione my love. And make sure you keep us informed."

"I will," Remus promised. He kissed her cheek and then stepped outside the Burrow's wards to Disapparate.

* * *

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, wondering why the pain in her hand and arm had returned. Turning her head to the side, she saw the answer. Remus had dozed off in the chair he was sitting in, one hand still holding hers. A glance at the window told her it must be quite late, probably even after midnight.

Hermione looked at her injured hand again. She had tried to avoid it as much as possible as it wasn't a pleasant sight by any means. Her fingers were all blistered, her thumb missing a chunk of skin. The potion's effects had spread past her hand to a few inches above her wrist before the Healers had been able to contain it. The skin there was red and raw-looking, but at least it did not appear to be peeling off as it was on her palm. She took a shuddering breath and closed her eyes.

Something was going to have to change, she knew. Remus could not stay up all night casting cooling charms on her. Hermione was aware that he had been casting the charm closer and closer together. By the time she had a bit of dinner, it was every fifteen minutes and she was almost certain it was even shorter than that now.

Hermione hadn't told him yet, but while he had been gone this afternoon, Healer Spencer had come in to discuss that very thing. The Healer wanted to put Hermione into a medically-induced sleep until they could find an antidote for whatever it was that was eating away at her arm. It would be easier to keep the stasis spell in place if she was unconscious and not moving her arm at all.

If they ever found an antidote. She was trying to be positive, but the thought that they might not be able to help her lingered in the back of her mind. She knew Harry and Healer Spencer were doing everything they could think of, but also knew that it might not be enough. She might very well lose her hand and perhaps even part of her arm. Shivering, Hermione tried not to think about it.

While she was loathe to wake him, the pain was getting too great to ignore anymore. She looked over at Remus again.

"Remus," she said quietly. His eyes opened almost immediately and he sat up, looking around the room as if trying to orient himself. "I need the charm again." He quickly cast it.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I woke up about fifteen minutes ago, I think."

"Why didn't you wake me right away?" he chastised gently.

"You needed your sleep."

"I'm fine," he insisted, covering his mouth to try and hide a yawn.

"You're exhausted," she said.

"Just need some coffee," he said. "I'll be fine."

"Remus," she admonished.

"Don't argue with me, Hermione. You need someone here to cast the charm. The mediwitches and the Healers are too busy to come in every ten minutes. I'm not leaving. Ginny can take over for a bit in the morning while I have a kip." Hermione shook her head.

"It's down to ten minutes now, is it?" Remus opened his mouth, then closed it again. She could tell he was upset he had said that. "I've known since lunch that the time was getting shorter between." He sighed.

"We need to talk about something," Hermione continued.

"What?"

"Healer Spencer wants to put me in a medically-induced sleep and I think, I think maybe she's right." Remus stared at her for a moment.

"We'll set up a schedule," Remus said. "Ginny, Molly and Andromeda would take a few hours, probably even Susan. I'm sure the rest of your friends would be willing to help too. We'll-" but Hermione put her fingers to his lips.

"She also said that it would be easier to maintain the stasis spell if I wasn't moving it."

"You've barely been moving it," Remus said.

"Remus," she said softly. He looked up at her and she could see the anguish in his eyes. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, then held it to his cheek.

"If you have to cast the charm every ten minutes now, there's a good chance it will stop working all together." He shook his head stubbornly. "And since the pain potions only work for a short time, but they can't continually give them to me, this is probably the best option."

"It will only be for a little while," she continued. "Just until they can find an antidote." Remus nodded, but Hermione knew what he was thinking. What if they put her into a sleep, but couldn't bring her back out because they never found an antidote?

"Teddy needs you. You can't end up a patient here too because you're not sleeping." He nodded again. There was a lump in her throat that she couldn't swallow around.

"Not tonight," he finally said, but his voice sounded strained. "Just, can we wait until morning? To see if Harry or Healer Spencer has found anything? The researchers, they might have an antidote by then, even."

"All right," she whispered. He climbed into the bed with her and pulled her as close to him as he could without moving her injured arm.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too," she croaked as the tears began to run down her cheeks. She felt dampness on the top of her head and knew that he was shedding a few tears of his own. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could and he kissed the top of her head. They sat that way for the rest of the night, the only words spoken between them the whispered words of the cooling charm.


	63. Questions

**A/N - Hello all! It's May again which is always crazy busy for my family. I do intend to try and keep up with the weekly schedule, but there may be delays in posting. Thanks again to everyone who has been reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 63**

 **Questions**

 **14 April 2000**

By the time the sun rose, Remus was applying the charm every five minutes. Hermione looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot, her face streaked with tears. He was sure that he looked no better. A mediwitch had been in periodically throughout the night, running diagnostics on Hermione to be sure nothing else was being affected by the potion. Besides her arm, she was in perfect health. The day shift was just arriving, and they expected Healer Spencer any minute.

"Are you sure?" Remus asked for the fifth or maybe sixth time, he didn't even know anymore. Hermione nodded.

"The charm is going to stop working soon," she said. "The last few times you've cast it, it hasn't worked as well." Remus pulled in a breath and held her tighter.

"It won't be for long," Hermione said again.

"Of course, it won't," Remus replied, although he was far from convinced. The image of her lying there for weeks or even months wouldn't leave his mind. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. They were supposed to finally be able to be together in public, take Teddy to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, not worry about who saw them holding hands or stealing a kiss. She was not supposed to be stuck in hospital with an unknown potion slowly poisoning her because of him.

"Don't," she said, obviously knowing where his mind had gone. "This is _not_ your fault."

"I know," he said. He was not going to upset her, not now. Not when he likely wouldn't be able to speak with her for days or longer. "I know, love." She studied his face for a moment, then seemed satisfied, for she rested her head back against his shoulder again. There was a knock on the door and Remus steeled himself for the inevitable.

"Come in," Hermione said.

"Hey." Harry walked into the room and Remus sat up straighter. Perhaps Harry had news and they wouldn't have to do this at all.

"Have you found something?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"The potion?" Hermione questioned.

"No," Harry said, apologetic look on his face. "We're still working on that." He glanced at Remus. "Can I talk to you?" Remus immediately made to rise from the bed, but Hermione gripped his arm to stop him.

"Is this about what's happened to me?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Well, yes, but I really wanted to talk to Remus-" Remus looked down at Hermione who looked furious.

"You're not going to keep things about _my_ case from me, Harry Potter!"

"Hermione," Harry said with a sigh.

"No, Harry. I _won't_ be kept in the dark."

"All right," Harry said with another sigh. He looked at Remus. "You have a stalker." Remus' mouth dropped open in shock and Hermione looked much the same.

"I'm sorry, what?" Remus finally said.

"Well, sort of a stalker," Harry amended. "It's the same person that did this to Hermione."

"How do you know?" Hermione said.

"Remus got a letter last night," Harry said. "The handwriting on the letter was the same and it was quite…suggestive. We tracked the owl, but it returned to the post office in Diagon Alley. The man who was working yesterday didn't remember anything about the person that rented the owl. We think he was Confunded."

"We went through all the records from yesterday. The two people that used owls around the time this one was likely sent were both investigated and neither was the person we're looking for. So, we're assuming that the Confundus charm also kept the post worker from writing down the person's name. We went through all the records from the last three days, but there was only one person whose name appeared more than once and it's not him."

"How can you be sure?" Hermione said.

"He runs some kind of mail order Chocolate Frog card service. Sells cards to people to help them complete their collections. Plus, he's a bloke."

"Just because he's a man doesn't mean anything," Hermione said. "It doesn't have to be a woman."

"Trust me, it's a witch," Harry said.

"How do you know?" Hermione said.

"There were photographs, Hermione," Harry said in exasperation.

"Photographs?" Hermione repeated. "Well then you should be able to figure out who she is."

"Not that kind of photograph," Harry said with a grimace, his face reddening slightly.

"Not that kind of," Hermione began, then trailed off. "Oh." Harry looked back at Remus.

"I wish we still had that first one, so I could check the handwriting. Her face was in that one, right?" Hermione's head swung towards Remus.

"You've gotten _other_ naked pictures of women?" she demanded, her voice low and hard. Then she grimaced in pain. Remus recast the charm and glared at Harry.

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

"After I scanned the first batch of letters, Andromeda and I each opened one," Remus explained to Hermione. "The letter I had was rather, well, explicit, and there was a photograph with it. But, she wasn't naked. Not completely anyway."

"Well, that's all right then, isn't it?" Hermione snapped.

"I barely even looked at it, love," Remus said, trying to soothe her. That last thing she needed was to get upset. "We burned the lot and I haven't opened any others." He chanced leaning down and kissing the top of her head. She relaxed almost immediately.

"I'm sorry," she said with a sigh. "I'm being ridiculous."

"You're not," he said, taking her hand again. She gave him a small smile and then looked back at Harry.

"Go on, Harry."

"Right, well, like I said, we haven't been able to track her, but we've put someone undercover at the post office. Hopefully, she'll come back." He looked at Remus again, his eyes flicking to Hermione briefly.

"Are you sure you don't remember what she looked like?" Harry asked Remus. "I've got this feeling that it's the same woman." Remus cast another charm on Hermione before he closed his eyes to try and remember what the woman in the photograph had looked like. Truthfully, he didn't want to think about it, the entire thing had been disturbing, but if it helped catch the person who had done this to Hermione, he would do it.

"I think she was blonde," he said after a few minutes, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry, I really only glanced at it for a second."

"Do you think you could pull the memory forward enough to put it in a Pensieve?" Harry asked.

"Maybe," Remus said, not really convinced it would work. Pensieves were a wonderful investigative tool, he knew, but were usually used with strong memories, simply to pick out small details that a person might have forgotten or not focused on at the time. Harry nodded.

"Ginny is coming soon to check in on Hermione," Harry said. "Could you drop by the Ministry once she gets here?"

"Honestly," Hermione said. "There's an Auror outside my door. I don't need someone sitting with me every minute."

"Yes, you do," Harry said seriously. "If someone managed to get past the Auror somehow, I don't want you in here unprotected." Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "Besides, you need someone here to cast the charm." Hermione and Remus glanced at each other. Hermione bit her lip.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"The charm really isn't working anymore, Harry," Hermione said.

"What do you mean, I've seen Remus cast it on you more than once since I've been here." His eyes widened as Remus cast it again. "Wait, that's like the third time you've done it."

"We're down to every five minutes and even that doesn't help as much as it did originally."

"Bloody hell," Harry swore.

"Healer Spencer wants to put me in a medically induced sleep," Hermione said.

"A coma?" Harry exclaimed. "She wants to put you in a coma?"

"Essentially," Hermione said. "Although, wizards don't call it that."

"For how long?" Harry demanded.

"Until we can find an antidote," Remus said. Harry swore again and raked a hand through his hair. He looked at Remus.

"You've got to give me that memory. Even a hazy one is better than nothing." Remus nodded. Healer Spencer walked into the room.

"Good morning," she said looking concerned. "I heard you had a bit of a rough night."

"I need the cooling charm every five minutes now and it isn't as effective as it was," Hermione said. The Healer nodded.

"And have you thought about what we discussed yesterday?" Hermione looked at Remus and then back at the Healer.

"Yes, I've decided that it's probably the best thing." Remus gripped her hand more tightly and Harry swore again.

"I agree," the Healer said as Remus cast the charm again. "All right, I need to get everything prepared, so I will return in a bit."

"Thank you," Hermione said quietly.

"Healer Spencer, have you heard anything from anyone you owled yesterday?" Harry asked.

"A couple, yes. Neither of them had any more information, I'm afraid." Remus, while expecting this, given that the woman hadn't said anything as soon as she came in, was still disappointed. Harry looked just as dejected. The Healer gave them both sympathetic looks before she left the room.

"Hermione are you sure about this?" Harry asked. "I mean, we could find something any time now."

"You could," Hermione agreed. "And then Healer Spencer can just wake me up." Harry looked pained. "It's the best way, Harry."

"Right, I know," he said. He pulled in a breath and let it out. He looked at Hermione again, then walked to her side and leaned down and hugged her fiercely.

"I love you, Hermione. I'm going to figure out who did this."

"I love you too, Harry. Just don't forget to eat and sleep a bit, yeah?" Harry pulled back from her and Remus could see that his eyes were bright. He kissed Hermione's cheek and smiled at her before he stepped back. Hermione pulled in a shaky breath and Remus resumed his place next to her.

"I should go," Harry said, but before he could leave Ginny walked into the room.

"Morning," she said. There was a pensive look on her face. Remus was about to ask her if something was wrong, but she spoke before he could. "What's going on?" Harry took her hand as Remus explained what was going to happen. As he finished, Healer Spencer walked back into the room.

"Are we ready?" she asked.

"Can you, can we have just a minute?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," the woman said, setting down potion vials on the table next to Hermione's bed. "I'll be back in five minutes."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

"Gods, Hermione, I'm so sorry," Ginny said, leaning over to hug her friend.

"You'll take care of Crooks for me?"

"Of course. You know you don't have to ask." She wiped away a few tears as she pulled back from Hermione.

"This won't be for long at all, Hermione," Harry said. Hermione nodded. Ginny glanced at Remus.

"We'll give you two some privacy," she said and pulled Harry out the door. Remus sat down next to Hermione and cast the charm one last time, then took her hand.

"Hug Teddy every day for me," she said in a choked voice. Remus could only nod. "My parents usually call on Tuesday. If I'm not, if I don't," she trailed off and began to cry.

"I'll make sure to contact them," Remus said. "Don't worry, love."

"I love you," she said. "So much." Remus leaned down and kissed her, resting his forehead on hers after.

"I love you, too." They sat that way until Healer Spencer returned.

"Are we ready?" she asked quietly. Hermione nodded, and Remus pulled in a breath, determined to be strong for the both of them. He smiled and squeezed her hand as the Healer sorted through the vials on the table.

"All right, Miss Granger," she said. "You'll just drink these and then you'll drift off to sleep." She smiled reassuringly.

"You'll stay with me?" Hermione asked Remus in a small voice.

"Of course, I will," he said, kissing her fingers again. Hermione took a deep breath and then looked up at Healer Spencer.

"I'm ready," she said resolutely. The Healer gave her the first vial. Hermione made a face after she'd drunk it but moved on to the next. She yawned as she took the third and Remus helped her lean back further into her pillows. She put a hand to his cheek and smiled, before her eyes fluttered shut and her hand dropped from his face. He took it in his and her eyes opened again seconds later but closed almost immediately. Her breathing evened out and her hand went limp in Remus'. He kept hold of it as Healer Spencer ran her diagnostics over Hermione.

"Everything looks good," the Healer said. "We'll check her every thirty minutes or so these first few hours, just to make sure, but I don't foresee any problems. She's a strong, healthy young woman." She patted Remus' shoulder. "I'll be back soon."

"Thank you," Remus said.

"If you like, I can transfigure that chair to a cot. I know you've been up all night."

"No, thank you," Remus said. "I promise I'll rest in a little while. I just want to be sure she's all right first." The Healer smiled in understanding and then left the room. Remus sighed and looked down at Hermione. She looked so peaceful lying there, no hint of the pain she had been suffering through for the last twenty-four hours.

"Remus?" Ginny asked quietly as she stuck her head in the door. "Is it all right if we come back in?" Remus nodded and Harry followed Ginny into the room.

"We saw Healer Spencer leave," Harry said. "It went all right then?"

"Perfectly," Remus said. Ginny looked at Hermione for a moment before she glanced at Harry. They carried on a silent conversation between the two of them and Ginny finally sighed, turning to Remus.

"There's something you should see." She pulled a copy of the Daily Prophet from her bag and handed it to Remus.

 _ **Where are our Newest Lovebirds?**_

 _ **Rita Skeeter**_

 _News of a relationship between The Golden Trio's Hermione Granger and her former professor, Remus Lupin, broke two days ago, after they were spotted having a romantic dinner in Diagon Alley. However, the couple seems to have since disappeared from the public eye._

 _Both had faithfully attended the trial and sentencing of Leland Hughes, co-conspirator in the werewolf scandal that has rocked the Ministry in recent weeks. However, both have been conspicuously absent since. Neither were present for the reading of the verdict and sentencing of Cyrus Warrington yesterday, although they attended his trial together the day before._

 _Mr. Lupin obviously has a vested interest in these cases, as he is a werewolf himself. Miss Granger once worked for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and sponsored recent legislation to protect House-elves. She is a well-known champion of those she feels are treated unfairly. Why then, would neither of them appear at Warrington's sentencing?_

 _Have they taken off on a romantic holiday or are they in hiding, trying to avoid the public's reaction to the news of their relationship? This reporter could not reach either Miss Granger or Mr. Lupin for comment, so your guess is as good as mine. Rest assured, dear readers, that I will get to the bottom of this mystery and as soon as I know, you will know._

Remus crumpled the paper in his fist, jaw clenched in anger. Fucking Rita Skeeter. Obviously, Hermione's bluff hadn't worked the other day.

"What is this going to do for the investigation?" Remus asked.

"Well, whoever did this is likely going to think that they were successful," Harry said. "But that could work to our advantage." Remus looked at him quizzically. "She may step up her attempts to get in contact with you, if she thinks that Hermione is out of the picture."

"But," Remus prompted, knowing there was more that Harry wasn't saying.

"It's always possible that _you_ might have gotten hold of that letter before Hermione did. For this woman to be sure that her plan worked, she'd either have to know Hermione was a patient here, which isn't likely given the security we've put in place. The Welcome Witch doesn't even know Hermione is a patient. Or she would need to see you in public without Hermione." Remus sighed.

"Well, I'm not going to go parading myself around Diagon Alley or something."

"I don't think you have to go that far," Harry said with a slight smile. "Coming into the Ministry later to give me that memory would likely do it. There are always plenty of reporters around."

"All right," Remus agreed. The three of them looked back to Hermione, Remus sitting back down at her side.

"I wish Slughorn would have known what the potion was," Ginny said with a sad sigh.

"So do I," Harry agreed.

"But, there have got to be other Potions Masters out there that might recognize this" Ginny said. Harry nodded.

"Slughorn has given us some names, but it will take a bit to contact them all."

Remus hadn't been surprised when Slughorn hadn't know what the potion was. If only Severus were still here; there was a much greater chance he would recognize it. Remus looked down at Hermione again, brow furrowed, his lips pursed in thought.

"Remus?" Harry said. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I, I've just thought of something," he said.

"What?" Harry asked. Remus ignored his question and turned to Ginny.

"Will you stay with her?"

"Of course, but where are you going?"

"I have to get to Hogwarts." He kissed Hermione tenderly on the forehead, then stood from her bed.

"Hogwarts? What do you have to do at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"I need to talk to Minerva,' Remus said. "I want to know what happened to Severus' private library." A look of understanding crossed Harry's face.

"You think he might have a book that has this potion in it?"

"I know that Severus had quite a few very old and obscure texts," Remus said. "It's worth a look if they're still at the school."

"I should have someone go through the library at Grimmauld," Harry said.

"Sirius and I sorted through the library once Grimmauld became Headquarters," Remus said. "Dumbledore took anything that was dangerous or too Dark. I'm not sure there would be anything there."

"It's worth a try," Harry said. Remus nodded.

"Minerva may know what happened to the books we got rid of. Otherwise, I can talk to Albus' portrait."

"Stop by the Ministry after?" Harry requested. "You can give me an update and the memory."

"All right," Remus agreed. He turned to Ginny. "Don't leave the room. And if anything happens, send me a Patronus."

"Don't worry," Ginny said. "She'll be fine." She brushed a bit of hair off Hermione's face and sat down in the chair next to the bed. Harry kissed Ginny's cheek and left the room with Remus.

* * *

Remus arrived at the gates of the school, just as Hagrid did. Remus had sent a Patronus to the school as soon as he walked out of the Three Broomsticks and was glad Hagrid was there already. With school in session and as early as it was, the groundskeeper had likely been at breakfast.

"Mornin' Remus," Hagrid said as he arrived at the gates. "Here to see the Headmistress are yeh?"

"Good morning, Hagrid," Remus said. "Thank you for coming down so quickly. I hope I didn't interrupt your breakfast.

"Nah, I was finished. Got an early class this mornin'." He unlocked the gates and Remus hurried through. "Everythin' all right, I hope?" Remus wondered if he had seen the _Prophet_ this morning. If he had Hagrid didn't mention it.

"Yes, there's just something I need to speak with Minerva about." As much Remus knew that Hagrid loved Hermione, he couldn't risk the wrong person discovering what had happened to her before they had found the antidote. Hagrid had never been known for his discretion.

"She was just finishin' breakfast when I lef'," Hagrid said. "Said she'd be waitin' in her office. Password's ginger newts."

"Thank you, Hagrid."

Remus quickly made his way across the grounds to the castle. When he stepped into the Entrance Hall, he could tell that breakfast had just finished, as the corridors were full of students headed to their classes. Many of the students stared as he walked past, and he saw more than on copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in their hands. Remus ignored the stares and the whispering and hurried towards Minerva's office.

Remus reached the gargoyle and gave it the password, then ran up the spiral stairs instead of waiting for them to take him to the top. He rapped on the door.

"Enter," Minerva's voice called, and Remus pushed open the door and hurried inside.

"Remus," Minerva said, setting down the newspaper as he walked in. "I'm glad to see you're alive and well and haven't flown the coop." She smirked. Remus tried to smile, but he didn't know how successful he was.

"Has something happened?" Minerva asked seconds later, obviously seeing his expression.

"Unfortunately, yes," Remus said with a sigh, sitting down in one of the chairs in front of her desk. "Hermione is in St. Mungo's."

"Good lord is she, all right?"

"No," Remus said. He proceeded to explain what had happened. "It's why we weren't at the trial yesterday."

"Is this the potion Horace was asked to look at?" Minerva asked, looking horrified.

"Yes," Remus said. "I'm going to have to ask you to keep this information to yourself, Minerva. We're trying to keep it quiet."

"Of course," Minerva immediately agreed. "You know that I'll do whatever I can to help, but if Horace had no idea what it was, I'm not sure what I can do."

"I was hoping that you knew what happened to Severus' library."

"He left a letter instructing what should be done with his possessions here at the school. He left all his books to Hogwarts, with a few exceptions for personal bequests." Remus bit back a sigh. While he could still search through the Hogwarts library, it would take much longer than going through just Severus' books.

"After the individual bequests, I had the House-elves box up the books and put them into storage," Minerva continued. "I had meant to go through them, but first it was…too soon and then, well I suppose with as busy as I have gotten, I had forgotten." She looked regretful, but Remus was relieved. If the books were still here, it meant Remus had a better chance of finding what he was looking for.

"Minerva, I would like to look through the books and see if perhaps Severus had something in his library which might explain how to cure what has happened to Hermione."

"Of course," Minerva said immediately. "Mipsy." A House-elf popped into the office.

"Yes, Headmistress?"

"Would you please fetch Professor Snape's books from storage?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, Headmistress," Mipsy said and disappeared. Moments later, she had returned. She set six small boxes on the floor, then waved her hand and enlarged them. "Will Headmistress be needing anything else?"

"No, Mipsy, thank you." The elf nodded and snapped her fingers, disappearing. Remus opened one of the boxes and picked up the top book. He flipped through it and realized there were nearly a hundred different potions inside. He looked around at all the boxes and realized this was going to take some time, especially if he had to do it himself. There was a table of contents or an index in most books, of course, but Remus didn't want to miss anything. For all he knew, the name of the potion could have nothing to do with it being flesh-eating.

And then there was also the spell. It worked similarly to a Muggle card catalogue, pulling books that had something to do with the key words spoken when casting the spell, but again, Remus didn't want to miss anything. There could be an obscure reference somewhere that might lead them to the answer. And it wasn't always a guarantee it would be found by the spell. Still, he couldn't sit and read through this many books.

Minerva had opened another box and held her wand aloft. She looked over at him.

"Flesh-eating is the key word?" she questioned, looking pained as she asked. Remus sighed.

"For now," he said. Doing a quick initial search would be the best thing, he supposed. They might get lucky.

They each took three boxes and began casting the spell, a few books from each box rising into the air and hovering there. Remus had a pile of ten when he was finished, Minerva seven. He began to quickly flip through the first.

After an hour, Remus had read more about flesh-eating slugs than he ever cared to know, found a surprising number of potions that used some part of different carnivorous plants, and had found a potion that would quickly remove the flesh from a corpse in the event that the bones were to be preserved. Remus didn't think it was what they were looking for, as the book he found it in appeared to be a text book for Healer training, but he marked the page anyway and set the book aside to take with him. Minerva had not had any more luck than Remus and both were a bit dejected when they finished.

"I am sorry, Remus," Minerva said. Remus gave her a small smile.

"It was worth a try," he said.

"If I may," a new voice said. Remus looked at Dumbledore's portrait. "It is much more likely that Severus would have kept an obscure text like that in his personal library, rather than his professional one."

"Do you know what became of that?" Remus asked hopefully.

"I would assume it is still in his home," Albus said.

"The letter didn't specify what was to become of his home and its contents?" Remus asked Minerva.

"No, only his office and personal quarters here," she replied.

"Do you know where he lived?"

"Of course, I do, I," then she trailed off, frowning.

"What is it?" Remus asked.

"I don't know where he lived," Minerva said. "But, I'm sure that I've been there before."

"You have," Albus said.

"Then why can't I," Minerva trailed off in realization.

"Fidelius," Remus said in disappointment.

"Severus cast the charm on his house just after he was made Headmaster at the request of someone else." Remus looked up at Albus in confusion.

"Who?"

"That, I cannot say, as he did not tell me," Albus said.

"You don't think, Voldemort?" Minerva asked.

"I did not get that impression, no. In fact, I am quite sure that Voldemort was not aware that Severus had done it."

"Why would this person ask that of him?"

"In order to protect someone, would be my guess," Albus said. "But I do not know for certain."

"Severus was his own secret-keeper?" Remus asked. Albus nodded. "So, we would have to find out who this person was, if they're even still alive, in order to get to Severus' library, as they are now the secret-keeper given his death," Remus said, frustrated.

"I am afraid so," Albus replied.

"You're sure you don't know who it was?" Remus asked. He didn't like to accuse Dumbledore of hiding something, but it had been his specialty after all.

"If I did, I would tell you," Albus said. "The war is long over and certainly whoever might have needed sanctuary does no longer."

"What about employee files?" Remus asked.

"You know how the Fidelius works, Remus," Albus said. "The address would have disappeared from any paperwork as soon as the charm was cast." Remus sighed. Of course, he knew that. But he felt as if he were no further ahead than he'd been when he got here. This entire idea had been a waste of time.

"Thank you for letting me look through these," Remus said to Minerva. "I'll be sure this one is returned once I've shown it to Healer Spencer."

"Do not worry about that," Minerva said. "I'll keep them here and go through them more thoroughly. Perhaps we missed something."

"Remus, I will have a conversation with a few of the older portraits and let Minerva know if they have any ideas about the potion," Albus said.

"Thank you, Albus," Remus replied. Minerva walked with him to the door. Unexpectedly, she pulled him into a hug. Remus clung to her for a moment, before she released him.

"Might I stop by to visit Hermione?" she asked.

"We're trying to keep visitors to a minimum," Remus said apologetically. "To keep word from getting out." Minerva looked disappointed but nodded all the same.

"I understand," she said. "You will let me know when it is safe?"

"Yes," Remus assured her. He turned to leave, when she said his name again. He looked over his shoulder.

"I was surprised, at Teddy's party," she said. "But the two of you, I wish you every happiness." Remus smiled.

"Thank you, Minerva." He turned and left the office. He would stop by the Ministry to give Harry the memory and drop off the book, then go to the Burrow and spend a bit of time with Teddy and maybe take a short rest before returning to the hospital. When he reached the grounds, he drew his wand and cast a Patronus, sending it to Ginny informing her of his plans.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Remus sat at Hermione's bedside, watching her even breathing. Harry was looking at the memory Remus had given him, although Remus didn't think it would be much help. After reviewing it, he remembered that the woman had been looking down at her lap and her face was in shadow. It was no wonder he hadn't remembered what she looked like.

Remus had given the book he found to one of the researchers, but they were already aware of the potion. It was one they were working from to try and find a cure. Remus had also told Harry about what Albus had said about Severus' home. Harry had gotten a thoughtful look on his face for a moment before he thanked Remus and told him he'd let him know if he got anything from the memory.

Ron was doing a search of the library at Grimmauld Place to see if he could find anything pertaining to the potion. Minerva was checking Dumbledore's private collection, as well as the books they had brought from Grimmauld that the adults had considered too Dark to keep around the children. Madame Pince was contacting a few private collectors, enquiring as to whether they had come across anything like the potion that had hurt Hermione. And of course, the DMLE was following up with other Potions Masters.

Remus had then gone to the Burrow to spend a bit of time with Teddy and update Andromeda and Molly on Hermione's condition and the investigation.

"And you are sure you did not recognize the woman in photograph?" Andromeda had asked him.

"No," Remus had said, although something about it was niggling in the back of his mind. He couldn't figure out what, however. The more he concentrated on it, the further away it slipped, and he finally just put it out of his mind all together. Hopefully, it would come back to him.

Sighing, Remus took Hermione's hand in his. He felt like they were no closer than they had been before he left for Hogwarts.

"I'm still looking, love," he said softly. "I'm not going to stop until we figure this out."

The was a sharp rap at the door and Remus drew his wand as it opened. The staff always just walked in and he wasn't expecting Ginny for another hour. He was surprised to see Neville standing in the doorway.

"Hello Prof-, er, Remus," Neville said. Remus lowered his wand, still confused as to why Neville was here. "Harry wants you to go to the Ministry right away."

"Has he found something?" Remus asked.

"He was questioning someone and asked me to come and get you. Ron was still at Grimmauld Place when I left. That's all I know," Neville said apologetically. Remus' heart began to pound in his chest. Had Harry caught the culprit? Might this all be over already?

"I'll stay with Hermione," Neville continued. "Harry told me that she wasn't to be left alone, even with the guard outside."

"Thank you, Neville." Remus said. He returned to the bed and kissed Hermione's forehead.

"I'll be back soon, love," he said quietly. He squeezed her hand and hurriedly left the room.

* * *

Remus walked into the Auror offices and stopped at the receptionist's desk.

"Remus Lupin here to see Harry Potter."

"Oh, yes, Mr. Lupin," she said, looking a bit flustered. Remus could see the edge of the Daily Prophet poking out from under a pile of parchment. He supposed coming to the Ministry twice in one day would likely accomplish what Harry had wanted as far as reporters were concerned.

"Follow me, please," the woman said. She led him not to Harry's cubicle as Remus had expected, but down a short corridor and into what was obviously an interrogation room.

"Auror Potter will be right with you. Can I get you anything? Tea, water, pumpkin juice?"

"No, thank you," Remus said. She nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Remus was a bit uncomfortable in the small room, wondering why Harry wanted to meet here instead of at his desk.

"Remus," the man in question said as he came into the room a few minutes later.

"Harry, what is going on?" Remus asked as soon as Harry had shut the door. "Have you caught her?"

"No," Harry said. "But there's someone I'd like you to speak to."

"Who?" Remus asked completely confused.

"Someone came to your house today and the Auror on duty brought her in for questioning," Harry said.

"I thought you said you didn't catch her," Remus said.

"We didn't," Harry replied. "She isn't the person we're looking for."

"Then what the hell was she doing at my house?" Remus asked.

"It was Narcissa Malfoy." Remus immediately bristled. He hadn't had a chance to confront Narcissa about the slur on Hermione's arm since Hermione told him about it. "She tried to Floo Andromeda a few times yesterday and then again this morning. She sent an owl, but it was, of course, rerouted here. When she didn't get an answer, she got worried and decided to Apparate over to check on all of you."

"I don't know what that has to do with me or Hermione," Remus said tightly.

"Look, Remus, I know that Hermione told you about the scar on her arm. And I also know you were likely livid with Mrs. Malfoy for not doing anything to stop it. Trust me, I know. But, she still saved my life in the forest."

"Only to get to her son," Remus snapped.

"I realize that, but she still did it. I wouldn't have made it out of that forest otherwise. She wants to talk to you. Insists on it, actually. Said she wouldn't take my word that Andromeda and Teddy were all right, wanted to hear it from either Andromeda or you. She refused to leave until she talked to you."

"Does she know what's happened?" Harry shook his head.

"Only that there has been a threat and that you've been removed from the house for you own safety. She doesn't know about Hermione."

"I can't believe you dragged me away from Hermione for this, Harry," Remus snapped. "Just threaten to arrest her. That should get her to leave."

"Remus," Harry said patiently. "She might have information."

"About what?"

"The potion. Or Snape." And suddenly, Remus had a flash of understanding. Draco. Of course, Narcissa would have done anything to protect her son, even convince Severus to set the Fidelius on his house in case she needed a place to hide Draco. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. He knew about the Unbreakable Vow Severus had taken.

Remus scrubbed a hand down his face. He wasn't ready for this conversation, he was not in the right frame of mind for it. But, he would do it if it might help Hermione.

"All right, I'll talk to her. But, you had better stay in the room with us."

"As if I was planning on leaving you two alone," Harry said with a snort. He led the way out of the small room Remus was in to another a bit further down the corridor. Narcissa was pacing when Harry opened the door. She looked up at Remus and relief flashed briefly across her face.

"Andy?" she asked. "Teddy?"

"They're both fine," Remus said.

"Where are they?"

"Somewhere safe," Remus replied.

"I want to know what is going on," Narcissa demanded.

"It's none of your business," Remus snapped.

"She is my sister!" Remus opened his mouth to retort, but Harry put a hand on his arm.

"Mrs. Malfoy, as I explained to you, I can't give you details about an ongoing investigation."

"Who has threatened them?" Remus looked at her and saw the formidable witch she was. He had no doubt that if Harry had a name to give her, Narcissa would seek retribution in seconds.

"They weren't threatened directly," Remus said. "It's more of a precaution."

"Then who was threatened?" she asked.

"We can't tell you that," Harry said, giving Remus a look for revealing as much as he had.

"Did Severus cast the Fidelius on his house at your request?" Remus asked, quickly changing the subject. Narcissa was unable to mask her look of shock.

"I do not know what you are talking about," she said coolly a moment later.

"I think you do," Remus said.

"I do not understand why you are asking me."

"I need to look through Severus' library."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you," Remus said. "But it's a matter of some urgency."

"I cannot help you," Narcissa said.

"Can't or won't?" Remus retorted.

"Let's just calm down, all right?" Harry said as there was a knock on the door. Harry muttered at the interruption and wrenched the door open. "We're in the middle of something here."

"I know, I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's something you should see," the man in the corridor said. Remus made to follow, but the other Auror held up his hand. "I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin, official business." Harry turned back to Remus and Narcissa, looking at them warily. Then he turned to Remus.

"Give me your wand," Harry said.

"Why?" Remus asked.

"Because I'm not leaving the two of you alone if there are wands involved," Harry said. "Mrs. Malfoy doesn't have hers either." Remus glared at him as Harry held out his hand. He finally pulled his wand from his pocket and smacked it into Harry's palm. "And just so you know, this room is warded against wandless magic. I'll be right back." Remus glowered at Harry's back as he left. There was silence in the room for a few minutes. Remus could feel Narcissa's eyes on him, but he studiously ignored her.

"This is about Miss Granger, isn't it? About your relationship with her?" Narcissa finally asked. Remus turned towards her, eyes narrowed, but he didn't respond. "I saw the article in the Prophet. Both of them."

"Like I said before, it's none of your business."

"You have received letters, I assume? Howlers as well?" She studied Remus and appeared deep in thought.

"You have moved Andromeda and Teddy from the house, so I assume that you must have received some kind of threat from someone. And, obviously Andromeda did not get my owl or she would have written back to assure me all was well." Remus was a bit surprised that she had figured it out so quickly, but he supposed it did make the most sense, given what she knew.

"The Aurors have redirected your mail?" she asked.

"I can't give you any information," Remus replied.

"But you have not denied it." She stared at him for another minute. "Why do you want to see Severus' library?"

"I need to look for a book."

"What book?"

"A potions book." She looked at him like he was simple. Of course, he would be looking for a potions book in Severus' library.

"I am afraid that I will need more information if I am to help you."

"So, you are the secret-keeper, then," Remus said. They both stared at one another, knowing that they had reached an impasse. They would each have to give up a bit of information.

"I'm looking for an antidote to a flesh-eating potion."

"You said they were fine," she accused.

"They are," he replied. Her eyes widened slightly, and Remus knew she had guessed. She didn't say anything about it, however.

"I became the secret-keeper after Severus' death. I asked him to ward the house in case I needed to get Draco somewhere safe. He was under constant threat from the Dark Lord as punishment for Lucius' failure at the Department of Mysteries and then mine after the trio's escape from the Manor." Remus' ire immediately rose.

"How could you?" he hissed. "How could you stand by and watch what Bellatrix did? Hermione was innocent!"

"I was protecting my son!"

"Draco wasn't the one who was tortured and had his arm carved into!"

"Wasn't he?" Narcissa returned, her eyes blazing with fury. And Remus realized that she had never wanted it, never wanted her son to follow in his father's service, never wanted Voldemort in her house, maybe never even wanted Lucius to become a Death Eater in the first place. As much as he was sure she had believed in the message, he suspected she had not agreed with the methods. She finally sighed and turned away from him, staring at the far wall.

"There was nothing I could have done when Bellatrix set her mind to what she was going to do. Not without getting Draco or, more likely, myself, killed. Then there would have been no one left to protect him. Lucius was certainly in no fit state to do it." She turned back to face him.

"So, yes, I stood by and watched while my sister did unspeakable things to an innocent girl, guilty of nothing except being the best friend of Harry Potter. I watched as Miss Granger withstood torture that had driven lesser witches and wizards mad. And I watched as Bella carved that word into her arm with a cursed blade and knew she would wear it for the rest of her life. I am not proud of what I did, but I cannot say I wouldn't do it again to save my child." Remus stood in silence.

"You have a son," she continued. "What would you do? How far would you go to protect him?" She let the question hand in the air and Remus couldn't answer. He would do anything, _anything_ for Teddy. Would he have gone as far as Narcissa? He would like to think that he wouldn't, but he couldn't say for sure, and he hoped to Merlin that he never had to find out.

"Will you take me to the house?" he finally asked, his voice as neutral as possible. He couldn't forgive Narcissa, not now, maybe not ever. But, Hermione needed him to do this and for her, he would be civil.

"Yes," she said. "And I will also give you access to the Malfoy library, should Severus' not have what you need." Remus nodded curtly.

"Thank you." The stood in awkward silence for a few moments until Harry returned. He looked from one to the other, sensing the tension in the room.

"All right?" he finally asked.

"Yes, Mr. Potter," Narcissa said. Harry glanced at Remus, then returned his wand.

"Narcissa is going to give us access to Severus' library," Remus said. Harry looked relieved.

"If you have parchment and a quill," Narcissa said. Harry produced the requested items. Narcissa wrote out an address on the parchment. "I would request that Severus' home be given the respect it deserves."

"You have my word," Harry said. She turned back to Remus.

"Please remember my offer if you cannot find what you are looking for." Remus nodded. "And please have Andromeda drop me a note when she can."

"I'll have someone walk you out, Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said. He stepped into the corridor.

"I am sorry about Miss Granger," Narcissa said and Remus wasn't sure if she was apologizing for what had happened at the Manor or for Hermione's current state. Perhaps both. "I wish you luck in your search."

"Thank you," Remus said. The same woman that had led Remus to the first room arrived to take Narcissa back to the reception area. Narcissa nodded once to Remus and Harry, then left.

"You told her about Hermione?" Harry demanded.

"She guessed," Remus said. "I didn't confirm or deny it."

"What did she mean about her offer?" Harry asked.

"She offered the Malfoy library if Severus didn't have the book we needed." Harry's mouth dropped open at that. Remus picked up the piece of parchment she had left on the table.

 _The home of Severus Snape can be found at Number Thirty-four Spinner's End, Cokeworth._

"How soon can we leave?" Remus asked.

"I need to talk to Robards," Harry said. "You should go back to St. Mungo's."

"Ginny should be there shortly to relieve Neville," Remus said. "I'm coming with you to Severus'."

"Remus," Harry began, but Remus interrupted him.

"Don't argue with me, Harry," he said. "I know where to go, I'll just show up regardless of what you say." Harry sighed.

"Fine, I'll speak to Robards about it."

"What did you get called away for earlier?" Remus asked. Harry looked at him and Remus could tell that he wasn't sure if he should tell him or not.

"You got another letter."

"From her?" Remus asked. Harry nodded. "Was there another photograph?"

"No," Harry said. "But she knows that Hermione is in St. Mungo's."

"How?" Remus demanded.

"It could just be that she assumes because of Skeeter's article," Harry said.

"You don't sound sure about that."

"There hasn't been another article yet about you being seen in public," Harry continued. "And this letter arrived late this morning. It is possible that someone that saw you at Hogwarts or here earlier today could have told her and she sent the letter then, but it's cutting it rather close, time-wise."

"Hogwarts is likely out," Remus said. "The amount of time it would have taken for someone to send an owl to this woman and then her to get an owl to me which was then rerouted here, wouldn't seem to be possible."

"I agree," Harry said.

"Did you track the owl?" Harry nodded.

"Hogsmeade post office this time. No one remembers anything." Remus sighed.

"So, either she's just assuming or someone that works in the Ministry told her," Remus said.

"Or, _she_ works at the Ministry and saw you herself," Harry said. "Did you talk to anyone this morning besides me? Even in passing?"

"Just the receptionist in the front," Remus said. He looked up at Harry. "She's blonde."

"Charlotte?" Harry said. "I don't think it's her."

"How do you know?" Remus asked.

"She doesn't seem the type," Harry said.

"She gave me a strange look this morning when I got here to give you the memory," Remus said. "At the time I couldn't really place it, but now, it might have been relief. And this afternoon when I got here, she was rather flustered for a few moments." Harry looked skeptical.

"Remus, just because she's blonde doesn't mean it's her."

"I know that, Harry, but shouldn't you look into every possibility?"

"With as brazen as she's been in her letters, do you really think she would be flustered around you?"

"Sometimes it's easier to put things in a letter than speak to someone directly," Remus said. Harry stared at him for a moment before he nodded.

"All right, we'll look at some of her memos and compare the handwriting. Come on, you can wait at my desk while I talk to Robards about going to Snape's." Remus followed Harry back to his desk and glanced up at the waiting area on the way. Charlotte was at her desk, but she looked up at his stare. She blushed, gave him a small smile and looked back down at the parchment in front of her. Remus stared at her for a few more seconds.

"Remus," Harry said, breaking Remus from his thoughts. He followed the younger man to his desk, thoughts still on Charlotte, wondering.


	64. Uncertainty

**A/N - Hi everyone! Just a heads up the next couple of weeks are going to be iffy for posting updates on time. I've got family coming into town and a bunch of year-end kid activities going on, so it's going to get busy here next week. I will post as soon as I can get chapters written. Thanks for all your reviews and for everyone who is reading!  
**

 **Chapter 64**

 **Uncertainty**

 **14 April 2000**

Remus' eyes burned from staring at the tiny script in the leather-bound journal he held in his hand. He rubbed at his eyes with a thumb and forefinger before peering back at the nearly illegible scrawl. Frowning, he set the journal aside in disgust. Flesh-eating slugs again.

They had been looking through Severus' books for hours and were no closer to finding anything than they had been when they first arrived. Of course, that might have been due to the sheer number of books in his library. Remus had been shocked when they'd walked in.

Every wall in the sitting room, from floor to ceiling, was covered in books, save the wall where the fireplace was located. There were stacks of books on the floors and end tables as well. He had known that Severus was an avid reader, but this was far beyond what Remus was expecting.

Two of the researchers from St. Mungo's, as well as Proudfoot from the Auror office, had come with them. After Harry and Proudfoot had checked for wards or hexes on the bookshelves, they all set to work. It had been slow, even with the charm, given that many of the books were on potions and quite a few of them had some reference to flesh-eating _something_ in them. They had stacks of books to go through after just emptying the first wall.

Harry had called Kreacher to bring them a bit of dinner which Remus had barely eaten, still trying to look through books at the same time. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Remus," Harry said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You should go home and sleep."

"I'm fine," Remus said as he picked up another book.

"You're not," Harry said. "You barely ate any dinner and you've been at this for hours."

"So have you," Remus pointed out.

"Yes, but I actually slept a bit last night, unlike you."

"I dozed off a few times," Remus said defensively.

"With having to cast the charm every five to ten minutes, that's hardly rest," Harry said. Remus shook his head.

"There are still books to go through. I'm fine."

"Remus," Harry said. "Robards allowed you to come along at my request, but I can always rescind that." Remus glared at him.

"You wouldn't do that."

"I will if you refuse to leave on your own."

"I have to help, Harry."

"And what help will you be if you're so tired you miss something?" Harry asked.

"I'll have Kreacher bring me some coffee," Remus said stubbornly. Harry looked at him in exasperation. "You don't understand, I have to do this. It's my fault she's hurt."

"Your fault?" Harry repeated. "How is it your fault?" Remus looked at him incredulously. Had Harry gone daft?

"This woman is trying to get Hermione out of the way to get to me," Remus said. "Stalker remember?"

"How many times did you tell me that things Voldemort did weren't my fault?" Harry asked.

"That was different," Remus muttered.

"How?" Harry asked. "Except that Voldemort wanted me dead and this woman wants to have your babies apparently." Remus snorted in spite of himself. "They both still hurt people we loved to get to us." Remus sighed.

"Go home, Remus," Harry said. "Get some rest. We'll take care of this."

"It will take you longer without me," Remus argued.

"I'm leaving in a few minutes to give Robards an update and bringing a few more people back with me," Harry said. "Ron and Neville are coming, along with a Healer from St. Mungo's." Remus sighed.

"Fine, I'll go, but I'm not going to the Burrow. I'm going to St. Mungo's."

"Remus," Harry said with a sigh.

"I have to relieve Molly anyway," Remus said. "She's been there since after supper."

"Ginny can," Harry began, but Remus shook his head.

"I need to see her, Harry," he said.

"All right," Harry finally said. "But sleep, yeah?"

"I will, I promise," Remus replied. "You'll let me know the minute you find anything, no matter what time it is."

"I will," Harry said. Remus stood and swayed on his feet. Harry grabbed his elbow.

"Okay, you're not going anywhere until you eat something," Harry said. Remus opened his mouth to protest, but Harry glared at him. "You know who Hermione is going to blame when she wakes up and finds out you've run yourself into the ground?" Remus scowled but didn't say anything.

"Me, that's who," Harry continued. "Sorry, mate, but I'm not dealing with that because you refused to eat or sleep and then splinched yourself. Now sit down, I'll get you one of the sandwiches that Kreacher brought." Remus huffed and sat back in the chair. Harry brought out a plate and a glass of water a few moments later. Remus begrudgingly ate the sandwich and crisps, realizing that he really was hungry. He was not about to tell Harry that however. He waited a few minutes after he'd finished and then stood again, feeling much less light-headed.

"All right?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine," Remus replied.

"Sleep remember?" Harry said. "You don't want Molly or Andromeda on your case." Remus' eyes widened.

"You wouldn't," he said.

"If I have to," Harry returned.

"Traitor," Remus muttered. Harry smirked.

"Go see Hermione," he said, clapping Remus on the shoulder. "I'll let you know if we find anything."

"Thank you, Harry," Remus said, thanking him for more than just looking at books. Harry smiled.

"I love her too," he said. "I'll stop by in the morning if you haven't heard from me." Remus nodded and turned to leave the house. He was exhausted, Harry wasn't wrong about that. But, he needed to see Hermione. Picturing St. Mungo's in his mind, Remus turned and Disapparated.

* * *

There was a mediwitch in Hermione's room when Remus arrived. It was the same one that had accidentally cancelled the levitation spell on Hermione's arm the first day. She glanced up at Remus when he walked in, then blushed and looked away.

"Remus," Molly said as she stood from the chair next to Hermione's bed. "You look exhausted. Have you eaten?" Remus smiled at Molly's mothering.

"Kreacher brought us supper," Remus said.

"Have you found anything?" she asked. The mediwitch looked up in interest.

"Not yet," Remus said. "We're not finished looking, however." Molly nodded. "Thank you for staying with her."

"Of course, dear," Molly said. "Why don't you go home and rest?"

"Thank you, but I'd rather stay." Molly opened her mouth to protest, but Remus continued. "I promised Harry that I would sleep."

"Well, all right then," Molly said, although she didn't look convinced. She turned back to the bed and leaned down, kissing Hermione's forehead. When Molly stood, she patted Remus' arm. "Sleep well, dear."

"Please tell Andromeda I'll speak with her in the morning."

"All right. Good night, Remus."

"Good night." Molly left the room and the mediwitch finished up with her diagnostics. She was familiar to Remus for some reason and not just because of what had happened yesterday. His brow furrowed as he tried to place her. The mediwitch glanced up at him, then away and turned to leave the room.

"Wait, please," Remus said. "Miss-" She stopped and looked up at him in surprise.

"Wilkes," she said. Remus' brow furrowed.

" _Cressida_ Wilkes?" Remus questioned. She nodded nervously. "You were in my seventh-year class."

"Yes, I was," she replied still looking nervous. No wonder Remus had thought she looked familiar. He had been a bit surprised to see the name on the class roster. The only other Wilkes he'd known had been a Death Eater and the same age as Remus. Wilkes would have had to have gotten someone pregnant while they were still at Hogwarts for Cressida to be his daughter. After questioning Minerva about it, he had discovered that Cressida was a cousin's daughter, a branch of the family that was never known to support Voldemort. He would have suspected anyway, the first time he saw Cressida. Dark-haired, tall and willowy, she looked nothing like Wilkes, who had been blond, short and stocky.

"I wanted to apologize," Remus said. "For the way that I snapped at you yesterday. I was upset, but that was no excuse for my behavior."

"It's all right," the mediwitch said shyly. "I understand you were worried about Miss Granger. And I shouldn't have been so careless." She looked embarrassed, but Remus gave her an encouraging smile.

"How is Hermione doing?" he asked.

"Still the same," Miss Wilkes said. "The stasis spell is still holding well, and the rest of her vitals are very good." Remus nodded in acknowledgement.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked. "Tea or something to eat?"

"No, thank you," Remus said with a smile.

"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know. I'm working all night." Remus nodded again. She smiled widely at him and then left the room. Remus looked down at Hermione for a few moments and then stood from the bed, toeing off his shoes and shedding his robes. He waved his wand to widen the bed and then laid down next to Hermione in his shirt and trousers. He kissed her temple and put an arm around her waist, careful not to move her injured arm.

"I love you," he said quietly, before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Remus woke to the sound of movement in the room. His eyes snapped open and he immediately reached for his wand. He cast a non-verbal Lumos and came face to face with Cressida Wilkes. Her mouth was open in surprise and she jumped when she saw the wand pointed at her face.

"I'm sorry," Remus said, lowering his wand, but not cancelling the Lumos spell. It was quite dark in the room.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Miss Wilkes said. "I was just checking Miss Granger." Remus sat up and scrubbed a hand tiredly down his face.

"What time is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Around two," the mediwitch said, still looking at him a bit warily.

"I'm sorry about that," he said again. "It was...instinct."

"It's all right," she said. She bit her lip and looked up at him. The mannerism reminded him so much of Hermione, Remus' heart ached. "Is it, because of the war?" He stared at her for a moment and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, that was, I shouldn't have asked you, I, I'm sorry." She began to move towards the door.

"Yes," he found himself saying, wondering why he was admitting it to her. Perhaps he still felt a bit guilty about the way he had treated her the day before. She stopped and turned back to face him.

"My younger sister was there, that night," she said. Remus cocked his head in thought. That was right, she did have a younger sister, Delia, she had been a second-year when Remus was teaching. She must have been of-age at the time of the battle and stayed to fight.

"She said that you, that you saved her," Cressida continued. Remus looked puzzled. He didn't even remember seeing Delia Wilkes that night. "She was hiding and a Death Eater was about to come upon her hiding place, but you stunned him. She shouldn't have stayed, she was never the strongest in Defense, but the rest of her classmates stayed so she thought she should too."

"Well, I'm glad I was there, then," Remus said.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Remus said with a smile.

"I'll let you get back to sleep," she said. "I won't need to come back in until six or so." Remus gave her a nod and she smiled once more before she left the room. Sighing, Remus sat back against the pillows. He had no idea he had unknowingly saved Delia Wilkes. Her sister was right, Delia had been a good student, but not overly gifted at Defense. Remus knew that she hadn't been in the D.A. either. He was just glad he had been in the right place at the right time. They had lost enough young lives as it was.

Settling back, Remus closed his eyes again, reaching down to hold Hermione's hand as he fell back to sleep.

* * *

 **15 April 2000**

Remus was awake the next time Cressida came into the room. He had moved from the bed and returned it to its original size, before settling in the chair next to it. She smiled at him as she ran her diagnostics. Remus smiled absently back, but he didn't pay her much attention. He was too busy worrying about Harry and why he hadn't stopped by yet. If they were going to find something in Severus' books, surely, they would have found it by now. Remus was trying to stay positive, but it was getting more and more difficult.

He knew that even if they didn't find anything at Snape's, Narcissa had offered the Malfoy library. Remus had no doubt that it was extensive. The Malfoys had lived in Wiltshire for hundreds of years and had likely continually added to the library. If they were going to find the antidote anywhere, it would probably be there.

Still, Remus hoped it wouldn't come to that. He had no desire to set foot in Malfoy Manor and he suspected Harry and Ron would have a difficult time going there as well. Not to mention the fact that Remus was quite sure that Lucius wouldn't want them there, especially if he knew that it was to help Hermione. Despite Narcissa's apparent change of heart, Remus had no illusions that Lucius felt any differently about Muggle-borns than he had from the start.

"Can I get you anything?" the mediwitch asked when she had finished. "Tea or a bit of breakfast?"

"No, thank you," Remus said. She smiled at him and put a hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze before she left the room. Remus reached for Hermione's hand. She had only been asleep for a day and it felt like a month.

"Remus," Harry's tired voice said a few minutes later. Remus turned quickly in his chair, looking at Harry expectantly. Unfortunately, Harry didn't look happy.

"You didn't find it," Remus said, feeling his gut begin to churn.

"We don't know yet."

"What does that mean?"

"We didn't find it in the books in the sitting room," Harry said. "At least, we don't think we did. There was one potion that one of the researchers wanted to show to Healer Spencer, but he doesn't think it's what we're looking for."

"If you didn't find it in Severus' books, then why do you say you don't know yet?"

"Because just before we were going to leave, we found another cache of books concealed in the cellar." Remus just stared at Harry. He sighed and scrubbed a hand tiredly down his face.

"After we'd finished going through the books, Ron and I decided to check the rest of the house, just to be sure. Snape had a potions lab in the cellar. There were few books there, but nothing of consequence. We were just about to go back upstairs when Ron decided to run a scan on the entire cellar. We found a hidden room with more bookcases." Harry looked grim.

"What aren't you saying?" Remus asked.

"We're sure there were wards on the room that failed when Snape died. The room was still very well concealed, though. We wouldn't have noticed it without the scan. It's only because of the amount of magic that the scan picked up that we found it." Harry paused. "A lot of the books are Dark and many of them have their own inherent spells or enchantments. It's going to take us a while to even be able to touch anything." Remus was reminded of the book Hagrid had used for Care of Magical Creatures that bit unless its spine was stroked.

Remus swore. The answer had to be there, he knew it did, but who knew how long it would take to be able to search the books.

"The DMLE's curse breakers are heading over there this morning, but I'm also going to stop by Shell Cottage and talk to Bill before he goes into work." Remus looked at Harry, eyes narrowed.

"You need sleep," Remus said. "You've been up all night."

"I'll sleep later," Harry said.

"Might I remind you what you said to me last night?" Remus asked. Harry sighed. "Go talk to Bill, then go home and sleep, Harry."

"How is she?" Harry asked.

"The same," Remus replied. "Any news on Charlotte?" Harry grimaced.

"We compared the handwriting and while it's not a perfect match, it's similar enough that Robards wants her questioned. He thinks she could have altered her handwriting a bit when she sent you both the letters."

"You don't agree," Remus said, studying Harry critically.

"If there had just been one letter, then maybe," Harry said. "But for three letters to match exactly? That would be quite a feat if it wasn't her normal writing. Plus, there's the memory of the photograph."

"What about it?" Remus asked.

"I've looked at it multiple times," Harry said. "And while the woman's face isn't distinct, given the angle of her head and the fact that the memory isn't all that clear, it just doesn't look like Charlotte to me. Robards looked at it too, but he thinks it _could_ be her, so she'll be questioned today."

Remus pursed his lips in thought. What Harry said about the handwriting made perfect sense. It would be extremely difficult to replicate the same altered writing three times. Not impossible, of course, especially with magic, but difficult. And one would think that a secretary working for the Auror office would have picked up a few things while working there. Namely, not sending a photograph showing her face, no matter how shadowed. Of course, the woman that sent that letter might not be the same one that sent the potion to Hermione. It was entirely possible that they were dealing with two different women and no way to check for certain since Remus had burned the first letter. It was only Harry's suspicions that had them investigating the photograph. Although, Harry's instincts were usually right.

"You're right, it probably isn't her," Remus said with a sigh. "I let myself get too fixated on the fact that she was blonde."

"It's not your fault, Remus," Harry said. "She was acting a bit oddly around you. It's better to question her and find out it's not her, then miss something. And it's entirely possible that I'm wrong about it being the same woman that sent the potion. I could be following up with the photograph for nothing."

"Don't start doubting yourself, Harry," Remus said. "Like you said, I'd rather you investigate too much than not." Harry nodded, then yawned.

"Go home, get some sleep," Remus said.

"Do you want me to send Ginny over?" Harry asked.

"Maybe later this morning," Remus said. "I slept for a few hours last night, so I'm all right for now. But, I'd like to spend some time with Teddy later."

"Ten all right?" Harry asked.

"Perfect, thank you, Harry." Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione's cheek, then clapped Remus' shoulder and left the room. Remus turned back to Hermione, picking up her hand again. While he didn't like the fact that it was going to take even longer to determine if Severus had the right book in his library, Remus was more encouraged by what Harry and Ron had found. Remus just hoped there would be an answer soon.

* * *

"Daddy!" Teddy cried as Remus stepped from the Floo and into the Burrow's living room. Teddy jumped up from where he was playing on the floor, Andromeda watching over him, and ran at Remus full speed. Remus reached down and picked the boy up, hugging him tightly. Teddy returned the embrace.

"Where go, Daddy?" Teddy asked, his voice muffled in Remus' neck. Remus drank in the scent of him and hugged him tighter.

"I've been busy helping Harry," Remus said, knowing there was no way to explain to Teddy what was happening.

"We go my house?" Teddy asked, pulling back to look at his father.

"No, you're going to stay here for a little while longer."

"My house, Daddy," Teddy whined. Andromeda stood from her chair and walked towards the two of them.

"Teddy, I think Molly might have the biscuits ready. Did you want to help with the icing?"

"Yes!" Teddy said excitedly, quickly distracted. Remus set him on his feet and Andromeda guided the little boy into the kitchen, then returned a few moments later.

"He has been asking to go home all morning," she said with a sigh.

"Is there something he wants?" Remus asked. "I'm sure Harry could stop by and pick it up for him."

"Not specifically, no," Andromeda said. "I think he is just missing his normal routine."

"You are too, I'd guess," Remus said.

"I am fine," Andromeda replied. "Molly does not allow me to help as much as I would like, but she has been very kind to us."

"I'm sorry about all of this." Andromeda waved away his apology.

"How is Hermione?" It was Remus' turn to sigh.

"The same."

"Did they find anything at Severus' house?" Andromeda asked.

"Not in the main library," Remus replied. "But Harry and Ron found another room in the cellar with all kinds of Dark books." Andromeda looked hopeful.

"They suspect that the answer might be there?"

"Yes, but it presents a new set of challenges. Many of the books carry enchantments and they will have to proceed cautiously." Andromeda nodded.

"Have you seen the Prophet this morning?" she asked a few moments later.

"No," Remus said warily.

"That Skeeter woman has printed another article."

"I thought she might after I was at the Ministry yesterday. What ridiculousness is she reporting now?"

"She wonders if you have broken Hermione's heart and she has run off in despair since she has not been seen at the Ministry since Wednesday," Andromeda said dryly. Remus rolled his eyes.

"Wonderful, that shouldn't increase the amount of mail I've been getting at all."

"Molly was quite incensed by the whole thing. She sent a Howler to the editor this morning." Remus couldn't help but laugh. Andromeda smiled.

"Daddy!" Teddy called from the kitchen. "See bikket, Daddy!"

"I suppose we should have a look at Teddy's decorating skills," Remus said. Andromeda followed him into the kitchen.

* * *

"Any news?" Remus asked Ginny as he walked into Hermione's room. He had stayed at the Burrow through lunch and put Teddy down for his nap before coming back to St. Mungo's.

"Harry just went back to the house about an hour ago," Ginny said. "Robards forced him to take the morning to sleep. I haven't heard anything yet." Remus nodded. He was hoping to find out what had happened when Charlotte was questioned, but if they had found anything, Remus suspected that he would know already. After a few minutes silence, Ginny looked up at Remus.

"Ron stopped by." Remus brow rose. "He wanted to check in on Hermione and he told me that he wants to talk to you."

"Does he?" Remus said, surprised, as he was sure that the younger man would blame Remus for what happened.

"He wanted to know when you'd be back, but I didn't tell him. I thought I should ask you about it first."

"I appreciate that," Remus said. "But, Ron doesn't owe me anything. It's Hermione he needs to apologize to."

"While I don't disagree about Hermione, he should apologize to you too," Ginny said. "He was just as much of an arse to you."

"I'm not his best friend."

"No, but he was still out of line."

"If he wants to speak with me, I suppose it would be all right."

"I'll let him know," Ginny said. She gathered up her things. "Would you like me to come back before dinner, so you can eat with Teddy?"

"Actually, yes, I'd like that," Remus said. He needed to spend more time with his son, especially after Teddy's request to return home this morning. Ginny nodded and squeezed Hermione's hand, then kissed Remus' cheek.

"I'll see you later."

"Thank you, Ginny." She waved and left the room. Remus sat down on the bed and picked up Hermione's hand. He kissed her palm and held her hand between his.

"I'm back, love." He brushed a curl from her forehead and watched the even rise and fall of her chest. He hoped that Harry would find something today. Who knew if they did find a cure how long it would take to brew? Some potions took days.

Hermione's hand flinched in his. Remus frowned. She hadn't moved at all since they had given her the potions to make her sleep. He ran his thumb over the back of her hand and watched her closely. She lay still once more and Remus decided it must have just been an involuntary movement.

He looked out the window next to her bed and let his thoughts drift. He wondered if he had gotten another letter from whoever had done this. He wished he would have gotten a chance to speak to Harry. Perhaps if Ron really did stop by he would have news.

Remus wondered what the redhead would have to say. Remus wasn't even sure exactly why he didn't approve of the two of them. Obviously, the age difference was a factor, but it had to be more than that.

There was a whimper from the bed. Remus looked down at Hermione, brow furrowed. She shouldn't be having a nightmare, there was Dreamless Sleep in the potions they had given her. In fact, he doubted she should be making any noise at all. Her hand flinched again in his and he watched as her brow furrowed. Something was wrong.

Remus called for the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol officer that was guarding Hermione's room. The man opened the door, peeking his head in.

"Get a Healer," Remus ordered tersely. "Something's wrong."

"I'm not supposed to leave my post," the man said.

"I don't care, she needs help!" Hermione had begun to shift slightly on the bed, her face looking pained. "Now!" The man left and Remus put a hand on Hermione's forehead, trying to soothe her.

A few moments later, a mediwitch hurried into the room. It was the nurse on the day shift that had taken over for Cressida.

"What's happened?" she asked as she hurried toward the bed, drawing her wand and beginning to run a diagnostic.

"I don't know," Remus replied. "Her hand flinched and then she whimpered and started moving around." The movements were getting more frequent now and the whimpering had returned.

"She's coming out of the sleep," the mediwitch said.

"What? How?" Remus demanded. They had been spelling potions into her regularly to keep her unconscious. He tried to remember when the last dose had been. The mediwitch pulled a mirror out of her pocket.

"Healer Spencer, I need you in Miss Granger's room immediately." She shoved the mirror back in her pocket and picked up Hermione's chart. "I checked this morning, she shouldn't need another dose until three o'clock. That's not for over an hour." She looked at the first page in the chart.

"When was her last dose?" Remus asked. One hand had moved to Hermione's shoulder, trying to reassure her and keep her still.

"It would have been twelve hours ago," the mediwitch replied. "So, three o'clock this morning." She began to turn to the next page.

"I don't think that's right," Remus replied. Before the woman could ask why, Healer Spencer hurried into the room. Hermione was almost thrashing on the bed. Remus put both hands on her shoulders, trying to hold her down. Her legs thrashed more violently.

"Get the potions, now!" the Healer ordered and the mediwitch dropped the chart and ran out of the room. "Miss Granger, Miss Granger, can you hear me? You have to stop moving." Hermione's eyes snapped open and she looked straight at Remus.

"Burns!" she cried, tears leaking out of her eyes. Remus stared at her in horror.

"I'll have to put her in a body bind," the Healer said. "She's going to disrupt the stasis charm." She drew her wand and cast the spell. Hermione immediately froze, looking at Remus, terrified.

"It's all right, love," he said. He let go of her shoulders and put one hand on her cheek, the other gripping her good hand tightly. "Healer Spencer doesn't want you to break the stasis charm on your arm. They're bringing your potions. Just try to relax." The tears continued to run out of Hermione's eyes and she looked panicked. Remus couldn't imagine how disconcerting it must have been to wake up and be in so much pain and then immediately bound. He continued to try and soothe her as he watched Healer Spencer examine the stasis charm. She looked grim.

The mediwitch finally returned with the potions. The Healer didn't even attempt to try and get Hermione to drink them, just spelled them into her.

"I love you," Remus said as her eyes began to flutter. He kissed her forehead and let his lips linger there until she went limp. Healer Spencer cancelled the body bind and Remus gently wiped the tears from Hermione's face.

"What in the bloody hell happened in here?" Healer Spencer demanded, rounding on the mediwitch.

"I just double-checked her chart, it said that she wasn't supposed to get another dose of her potions for more than an hour." The Healer's brow furrowed.

"That can't be right," she said. "I gave her the initial dose around eight o'clock yesterday morning. She is supposed to receive another every twelve hours." She turned to the mediwitch.

"I checked her chart as soon as I got in," the woman defended. "It says three o'clock." She picked up the discarded chart and handed it to the Healer. Healer Spencer flicked through a few pages. She frowned and then her mouth narrowed into a thin line.

"Someone changed my orders," she said.

"But, that's your handwriting, Healer Spencer." The mediwitch pointed to an entry in Hermione's chart.

"That may be my handwriting, but I did _not_ write this," the Healer insisted. "Look." She flipped back a couple of pages and pointed out the first time she had administered the potions to Hermione herself.

"When was the last time she had the potion?" Remus asked.

"Last night at eight," Healer Spencer said grimly.

"I'm sorry, Healer Spencer," the mediwitch said. She looked ashamed that she hadn't caught the error.

"Please wait for me outside," the Healer said crisply. "We will discuss this shortly." The young woman nodded and left the room. Healer Spencer sighed and rubbed and her forehead with her fingertips.

"How did this happen?" Remus demanded. He was trying not to lose his temper, but it was difficult, especially only three days from the full moon. Either the Healer had written down the wrong instructions or someone had deliberately changed them.

"I don't know," Healer Spencer said. "She was given the potion last night and she should have received it again this morning at eight. You were here then, correct?"

"Yes, but no one gave her anything. Mediwitch Wilkes came in around six and did a diagnostic scan, but that was all." Healer Spencer nodded.

"She left at seven and Mediwitch Bradenburg came on shift. She should have read the entire chart, since Miss Granger was a new patient for her. If she had, she likely would have seen the discrepancy. I will get to the bottom of this, I promise you."

"What about Hermione?" Remus asked.

"Right now, everything is all right," Healer Spencer said. "But we will need to monitor the stasis charm closely for the next few hours."

"Can't you just recast it?"

"It's not as simple as all that," Healer Spencer said. "I would have to cancel the current charm and cast another. With as aggressive as this potion is, there is a great possibility that it would continue its work before I could cast another. We had a very difficult time keeping it from spreading initially. As it has been simply lying in wait, for lack of a better term, I don't want to risk it unless it is absolutely necessary." Remus sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"I've had the guard outside notify the Auror department," she continued.

"You think this was deliberate and not just a mistake?" Remus asked.

"I know that _I_ did not write those instructions in Miss Granger's chart," Healer Spencer said.

"Can Hermione be moved?" he asked abruptly.

"I wouldn't recommend it," the Healer said in confusion. "Why would you want to move her?"

"She obviously isn't safe here," Remus said.

"Mr. Lupin, I understand your reaction, but I have to advise against it. Any of the smaller hospitals around Britain would just refer you back here. The closest wizarding hospital with the same capabilities as St. Mungo's is in Ireland. And given Miss Granger's condition, it would not be a good idea to try and move her that far."

"What about private care?" he asked. He could take her to Grimmauld. It was so well-warded no one could get in without their knowledge. He knew it was expensive, but Harry would likely insist on paying for it anyway.

"That is surely an option, but I would assume that you would want to fully investigate any Healer you would hire and that takes time. If you would like to pursue that avenue I can give you some names, but I encourage you to leave her here in the meantime."

"I'll speak to Harry and let you know," Remus finally said.

"All right," she replied. "Now, I have a few staff members to speak to. I will return as soon as I have spoken to everyone." Remus nodded and the Healer left the room. Remus blew out a breath and slumped down in the chair next to Hermione's bed. He _had_ to keep her safe, no matter what it took.

* * *

"Hermione," Harry said, his face frantic as he skidded into the room.

"She's fine for now," Remus said. Harry hurried to the bed, taking her hand and looking her over. After a few minutes, he closed his eyes and pulled in a breath, then blew it out.

"What the fuck happened?" he demanded.

"A mix-up with her potions," Remus said. "She hadn't gotten them since eight last night, so she woke up."

"How?" Harry nearly growled. Remus shook his head.

"No one seems to know. Healer Spencer insists she didn't write the instructions. Bradenburg didn't read the entire chart, so that's how she didn't catch the discrepancy and Wilkes went off shift before Hermione was supposed to be given the potion this morning."

"Wilkes?" Harry repeated. "As in the Death Eater Wilkes?"

"Cousin," Remus said. "Well, her father was, anyway. She was a seventh year when I taught at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw. She doesn't seem to hold to the Death Eater agenda." Remus looked up at Harry. "I asked about moving Hermione out of St. Mungo's."

"What was the response to that?"

"Ireland has the closest hospital that could handle her case and it's too far for her to travel in her current state. I asked about taking her home and giving her private care."

"We could take her to Gimmauld," Harry said. Remus nodded.

"Healer Spencer offered to give us names, but she pointed out we'd have to vet them all first and she's right, it would take time."

"Did you get the impression that she was _too_ insistent about not having Hermione moved?"

"No," Remus said. "I think she was honest and simply worried about Hermione's well-being. Plus, she's the one that notified the Aurors about what happened." Harry nodded.

"What about the other two?"

"I haven't spoken more than five words to Bradenburg. She seems efficient, comes in and does her job, then leaves. Although, she obviously didn't read Hermione's full chart which, according to Healer Spencer, she should have. Wilkes, Cressida, and I talked a bit last night. She was the one that accidentally cancelled the levitation charm on Hermione's arm the first day." Harry looked at him sharply.

"I apologized for snapping at her when it happened, she apologized again for her mistake. She also has a younger sister, Delia, she was in Ginny's year. Apparently, I inadvertently saved her life during the Final Battle. Cressida was grateful."

"A little too grateful?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"It didn't seem like it," Remus said with a shrug. "Besides, she's not blonde." Harry sighed again.

"I don't know if we should be ruling anyone out just because they aren't blonde," Harry said.

"While I agree, what changed your mind?"

"It's possible the first letter isn't related to the rest." Harry looked pensive.

"But, you still feel that it is," Remus said.

"I don't have any evidence that says it is," Harry replied.

"That's not what I asked." Harry sighed again.

"Yes, I still feel like it is." They were quiet for a few moments, both staring at Hermione.

"None of the three women we've been talking about are blonde," Remus said.

"No," Harry agreed. "But it could be someone else entirely. Polyjuice, Imperius, glamour, even a simple hair-color changing charm." The hopelessness of the situation threatened to overwhelm Remus. There had been no more letters. Obviously, whoever had sent them knew they were being watched and had stopped. He had no idea how they were going to find whoever had done this. And if they didn't find an antidote soon, well, Remus didn't want to think about that.

"I think we should get some names, but I don't know if they should come from Healer Spencer until we're sure she didn't have anything to do with it," Harry said breaking the silence.

"I could speak to Poppy," Remus said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"I know we'll have to interview them and investigate their backgrounds, but I would feel better having Hermione at Grimmauld where I know we can protect her."

"I feel the same way," Remus said. He looked up at Harry. "You haven't found anything then?"

"It's been slow-going," Harry admitted. "The curse-breakers are doing a good job, but they have to examine each book individually before we can look at them."

"I was thinking about Narcissa's offer," Remus said. "Maybe it would be better if we started searching the Malfoy's library while we're finishing up at Severus'." Harry stared at the ground. "I know you'd have a hard time going back there, Ron too, but maybe the two of you can stay at Severus' and someone else could go to the Malfoys. If we get a start there, it won't take as long if we don't find anything at Snape's." Harry nodded.

"I was thinking the same thing, actually. I'll talk to Robards." Remus stood and moved back to the bed, taking Hermione's hand in his again.

"I can't lose her, Harry," Remus said quietly. "I can't, I can't do it again." Harry put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"You're not going to lose her," he said determinedly. "None of us are."

* * *

Remus still sat on Hermione's bed, holding her hand. Harry had left an hour ago to return to the Ministry. Healer Spencer had been in twice to check the stasis charm, which was still holding. A different mediwitch had been assigned to Hermione, one that assured Remus she had read Hermione's entire chart. This woman was older, and actually reminded him a bit of Poppy.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Remus stood and drew his wand. Crossing the room, wand held in front of him, Remus stopped at the closed door.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Er, it's Ron." Remus closed his eyes and pulled in a breath. He had forgotten all about Ron stopping by. Remus opened the door, wand still raised.

"What did you give Teddy for his birthday?" Ron looked surprised for a moment, then answered the question. Remus nodded and lowered his wand and allowed Ron into the room.

The younger man looked uncomfortable and Remus didn't find himself particularly upset about it.

"Harry told me what happened earlier," Ron said.

"Hence the reason for the security question," Remus replied. Ron nodded.

"Is she all right?"

"You're concerned about her now?" Remus asked before he could stop himself.

"Of course, I am," Ron retorted. "She's my best friend." Remus' brow rose. Ron sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, I've been a complete wanker about this whole thing." He gestured vaguely between Remus and Hermione.

"This 'whole thing'?" Remus questioned.

"You and Hermione," Ron muttered. "Your relationship." Remus waited. With upset as Hermione had been about the entire thing, he wasn't about to make this easier for Ron.

"I said some things," Ron continued. "Things I shouldn't have said."

"You did," Remus agreed, still feeling a flare of anger about what Ron had insinuated. "Although, Hermione is the one that should be hearing your apology."

"I plan to talk to her as soon as I can," Ron said. Remus nodded and fell silent. Ron fidgeted for a few moments and then sighed.

"Look, I know that you and Hermione weren't involved back then," Ron said. "It was stupid of me to think it then and it was even stupider of me to accuse you now."

"I won't argue with you," Remus said. Ron snorted, and Remus felt a smile ghost across his face.

"I was a right idiot, that night when I found out," Ron said. "I was more upset that Harry knew than anything, even though I did have reservations."

"About the age difference?"

"A bit, yeah. But it was more, well," he trailed off, glancing at Remus from the corner of his eye.

"Go ahead and say it," Remus said. "I'm sure it isn't something I haven't thought myself."

"You know I'm not prejudiced where werewolves are concerned," Ron began. "But, that doesn't mean that others aren't. And I know that Kingsley and Hermione are working to change the laws, but," Ron shrugged.

"But just because laws change, doesn't mean that minds do," Remus finished.

"Right," Ron said. "And I didn't want Hermione to have to deal with that prejudice."

"Believe me, Ron, I've thought the same thing dozens of times. I've said the same thing to Hermione. She didn't care. But, obviously, those thoughts aren't without merit given where we are now." Ron looked at him curiously.

"This isn't your fault," Ron said gesturing to Hermione.

"Isn't it?" Remus asked.

"Some crazy bint is trying to get Hermione out of the way because she thinks then she'll have a chance with you. Which, if she knew you at _all,_ she would know wouldn't work. She's demented. And it has nothing to do with you being a werewolf."

"You can't deny that if Hermione wasn't with me, this would never have happened," Remus said.

"That still doesn't make it your fault," Ron said. His eyes narrowed. "Are you _trying_ to get me to blame you?" Remus sighed.

"No," he said. "I just, I feel responsible."

"I know how you feel," Ron said. "I felt the same way after Malfoy Manor."

"You couldn't have done anything," Remus insisted.

"Still feel guilty though," Ron said.

"I know the feeling." Remus decided that this was one of the oddest conversations he had ever had. He'd gone from being angry to guilty to commiserating with Ron in less than five minutes. He was feeling a bit disconcerted.

"Comes with loving someone, I suppose," Ron said. Remus looked at Ron for a long moment before he answered.

"I do love her," Remus said.

"I know," Ron replied. "I love her too." Remus bristled and the wolf snarled in his head. Remus managed to hold back his growl, but it was a near thing. Ron turned to look at him.

"I'm not _in_ love with her. Not anymore." He looked a bit sheepish. "Took me a while to figure that out." Remus forced himself to calm.

"I'm sorry for what I said that night and the way I acted," Ron continued. "It's just, she's Hermione, you know?" Remus smiled.

"I know."

"Anyway, I should get back to helping Harry."

"Is there any news?"

"Still going through the books," Ron said. "Nothing yet."

"What about Charlotte?" Ron shook his head.

"It's not her," Ron said. Remus sighed. He wasn't overly surprised after the discussion he'd had with Harry about it, just disappointed that the lead had led to nothing.

"Ron," Remus said before the younger man could leave.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," he said. "For everything you said." Ron nodded.

"We're going to figure this out, Remus," Ron said. "Harry and I won't stop until we do."

"I know," Remus replied.

"Keep her safe," Ron said. Remus nodded. Ron smiled once more and then left the room. Remus moved back to the bed and sat down, taking up Hermione's hand again. He would talk to Poppy about recommendations once Ginny arrived to sit with Hermione. Until they figured out who had changed Hermione's dosing instructions, Remus couldn't even trust Hermione's Healer. The woman hadn't given him any indication that she had anything but Hermione's best interests at heart, but Remus wasn't taking any chances. He leaned down and kissed Hermione's forehead, squeezing her hand. He _would_ keep her safe.


	65. Tension

**A/N - Surprise! I wrote like crazy yesterday and was able to get this finished in time. I know there is still a lot to explain, but you will get the main answers in this chapter, specifics in the next. My family arrives today, so next week's chapter is still iffy. Hopefully this will tide you over until I can get the next one posted. Thanks so much for reading and continuing to review!**

 **Chapter 65**

 **Tension**

 **16 April 2000**

Remus sipped at the coffee he had gotten from the visitor's lounge near the mediwitch's station. There was tea there too, of course, but Remus needed more caffeine than tea would give him today. He hadn't slept well the night before, insisting once again on staying with Hermione. However, he had woken at every little noise, wand drawn, to be sure that no one was trying to sneak in to do anything to her.

He had spoken to Poppy yesterday and explained the situation. She had asked why he hadn't requested recommendations from Healer Spencer and when Remus relayed what had happened with the dosing instructions, Poppy had shaken her head, refusing to believe it.

" _She wouldn't make a mistake like that, Remus. I have known Elizabeth for years. She mentored under me when she was a student here. I have never known anyone that cares as much for their patients as Elizabeth. I understand your concern for Hermione, but if Elizabeth has suggestions for home care, take them."_

Despite everything that had happened, Remus hadn't really suspected Healer Spencer of being the woman that had sent Hermione the potion. She was older than he was for one thing, although that didn't necessarily mean anything. But, she had never been anything less than professional and from what Remus had seen of her personality, it seemed highly unlikely it was her. Not to mention that he had never met her before Hermione was admitted.

The sun was barely over the horizon when Harry arrived. He looked just as tired as Remus was and Remus wondered if he'd slept at all since yesterday morning.

"Have you been home?" Remus asked.

"Just to shower and change," Harry sighed, sinking down into a second chair that Remus conjured. "How is she?"

"No change," Remus said.

"What did Madame Pomfrey say?" Remus repeated the conversation to Harry.

"Honestly, I didn't really suspect Healer Spencer." Remus nodded in agreement.

"Ron told me about Charlotte when he stopped by yesterday," Remus said.

"He told me," Harry replied. He glanced at Remus. "So, you two are all right then?"

"It was never me he needed to apologize to," Remus said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well, he sort of did," Harry said. "I mean, he was a complete arse about the whole thing."

"I won't argue that," Remus replied with a slight smirk. "Progress on the books?"

"Still slow," Harry said. "We've been through about half of them. I left Ron there this morning. Neville was coming shortly."

"Where are you supposed to be?"

"Sleeping," Harry said with a sigh.

"Maybe that's what you should be doing then," Remus said.

"Can't," Harry replied. "I know I'm missing something and it's driving me barmy." Remus frowned.

"What kind of something?"

"I don't know, that's the thing," Harry said. "There's just something poking at the back of my brain, but every time I try to pull it forward, I lose it again." Remus nodded. He knew the feeling. "I don't even know if it's related to the books or the letters or something else entirely." Harry sighed again. The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, Harry resting his head against the back of his chair and staring up at the ceiling.

"There haven't been any more letters?" Remus asked.

"No," Harry said. "Well, not from her anyway. You've gotten plenty of letters asking what you've done with Hermione." Remus rolled his eyes and Harry chuckled. He frowned a moment later.

"What is it?" Remus asked.

"I just think it's strange that she hasn't sent you anything else," Harry said.

"In the last letter, you said she knew Hermione was in St. Mungo's," Remus said. "Given what happened yesterday, don't you think it's likely she works here?"

"It's the most logical assumption, but it could still be Imperius or Polyjuice."

"Even if it is, that means that whoever changed the note in Hermione's chart is working here."

"If it's Imperius, yes," Harry agreed. "But someone could have used Polyjuice, come in, changed the chart and then left again."

"The Polyjuice angle doesn't seem likely," Remus said with a frown.

"Because," Harry prompted.

"It's difficult to brew and it takes a month to do it. Hermione and I just went public with our relationship a few days ago. Can you even get it from an apothecary?"

"Not a legitimate one, no," Harry said. "It's regulated by the Ministry. But even as much as Kingsley has tried to clean up Knockturn Alley, there are still plenty of black market deals going on down there."

"Still, it's got to be hard to get and expensive at that," Remus said. "Not everyone can brew it."

"True," Harry replied. "But we can't rule it out completely, although it is unlikely. Even if someone did use it to come in and change the Healer's orders, they would have had to know where to find the chart and had some knowledge of the sleeping potion to know how long it would take Hermione to wake up without another dose." Remus nodded.

"Plus, if it's Polyjuice, it's got to be someone who is close to someone who works here. Close enough to get a bit of their hair or something."

"It still doesn't narrow it down all that much," Harry said. Remus sighed. Harry was right. There were too many possibilities.

"We've started an initial investigation into everyone that Hermione has come into contact with since she's been here."

"Did you find anything?" Harry shook his head.

"No one has ever been arrested or even suspected of a crime. The only one that has any kind of reprimand or disciplinary action against them is Bradenburg."

"What for?"

"Same thing, not reading through a chart on a new patient," Harry said. "She missed an allergy on another patient two years ago."

"So, it's not likely that she deliberately sabotaged Healer Spencer's orders." Harry shrugged.

"We're not ruling anything out and Robards has ordered a more in-depth investigation on everyone." Remus leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees, looking up at Hermione.

"I want to move her, Harry," he said.

"We don't have a Healer yet," Harry said.

"Right now, she just needs someone to monitor the stasis charm and run diagnostics every few hours," Remus said. "Surely Poppy could do that."

"School is still in session, Remus," Harry reminded him. "And even if Madame Pomfrey could stop by regularly, what if something happened and Hermione needed a Healer?"

"Maybe we could put Healer Spencer on call until we find someone else." Harry shook his head.

"You know St. Mungo's won't allow that." Remus growled in frustration and threw himself back into his chair.

"We'll get the list from Healer Spencer and then take it Madame Pomfrey and see if there's anyone she recommends," Harry said. "That way, we only have one person to investigate." Remus nodded.

"I trust Poppy's judgement," he said.

"We should be able to have Hermione out of here by this afternoon then, if all goes well. In the meantime, I'm going to tell Robards that the guards outside need to scan everyone going into the room for Imperius or a glamour. There's no scan for Polyjuice, but the other two are more likely anyway," Harry said. "And we don't leave her alone, not even for a second."

"Agreed," Remus said, feeling better about the new security measures. They fell silent, both looking at Hermione. Harry rubbed at the scar on his forehead absent-mindedly. Remus looked at him in concern, but Harry shook his head.

"Sorry, habit," Harry said. "I tend to do it when I'm thinking. Freaks Gin out every time."

"I'm not surprised," Remus said dryly. "Thinking about anything specific?"

"Just that feeling again," Harry said. "Something that I'm missing."

"Maybe you should-" Remus began, but never got the chance to finish as Ron burst into the room.

"We found it!" he exclaimed. Harry jumped up from his chair as Remus' mouth dropped open.

"The antidote?" Harry asked. Ron nodded, wide grin on his face.

"You're sure?" Remus asked, his voice cracking.

"Bates is showing it to Healer Spencer now, but he's confident it's what we're looking for." Bates was one of the St. Mungo's researchers that had been helping in the search.

"She's going to be all right," Harry said.

"Well, they still have to brew it," Ron said, sobering. "And it's going to take a bit of time because it's got some rare ingredients that Mungo's doesn't keep in stock usually."

"Like what?"

"Venemous Tentacula seeds for one," Ron said.

"That's a Class C Non-Tradeable," Harry replied.

"Right," Ron said. "St. Mungo's can get it because they're a hospital, but they've got to go through the Ministry. And there's a couple of other things that they'll have to pick up. Bates was a bit worried because they're expensive, given they're so rare."

"I'll give them whatever they need," Harry said immediately. "Doesn't matter how much it costs." Ron nodded. Remus stood from his chair and moved to the bed. He sat down on the edge and brushed a curl off Hermione's head.

"How long does the potion take to brew?" he asked.

"Not long," Ron replied. "Only an hour or so, but it has to simmer for eight hours after it's finished." Remus nodded. If they could get the ingredients together quickly, Hermione could be cured as early as this evening.

"I can't believe we found it," Harry said.

"It was in one of the last books we checked too," Ron said. "Remember that big red one with that dodgy looking skull on the spine?" Harry looked up sharply.

"Thing had a bunch of enchantments on it, one of the curse-breakers got a nasty burn off it. He should be fine, though, dropped him off on the fourth floor before I came down here and-" Ron trailed off. "Harry?" Harry was staring somewhere over Ron's head, looking as if he had just remembered something.

"I have to get to the Ministry," Harry said quickly. Remus and Ron looked at Harry in confusion.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

"I have to check something out," Harry said. He rushed out the door, Ron and Remus staring after him. Remus wondered if this was the "thing" that had Harry had been trying to remember.

"Any idea what that's about?" Ron asked.

"Hopefully, a clue to figuring out this whole mess."

* * *

After Harry left, Remus and Ron discussed the antidote and who should brew it. Remus knew that Healer Spencer would likely have the St. Mungo's potions department do it, but until they found out who was behind what had happened to Hermione the day before, Remus wanted someone he could trust to do the brewing. Since it was Sunday and there were no classes, Ron agreed to ask Professor Slughorn.

Healer Spencer had agreed that the potion Ron had found was the likely antidote but had not been happy with their decision to brew the antidote outside the hospital.

"Are you insinuating that one of my staff would tamper with healing potions?" Healer Spencer had demanded, clearly taking offense.

"We have no idea who's behind the change in the dosing instructions, do we?" Ron had asked. "As far as the DMLE is concerned, everyone working in this hospital is a suspect. We trust Professor Slughorn and we can also post an Auror to be sure nothing in the brewing process is tampered with."

"I am afraid that I cannot allow a patient to receive potions from another source," she had said then, trying a different track.

"Then I suppose we will just take Hermione home and then she will no longer be a patient here," Ron had said.

"A qualified Healer needs to monitor her once you give her the antidote," Healer Spencer had argued.

"And you have given us a list," Remus replied. The two had stared at one another until Healer Spencer had grudgingly agreed. Remus had to admit that he had been rather impressed with Ron's handling of the situation.

They hadn't heard back from Harry before Ron had left to return to the Ministry. He promised to contact Remus as soon as he had spoken to Harry about whatever it was that Harry had thought of before he ran out.

Now, Remus was waiting for Ginny to arrive, so he could go and speak with Poppy about the names on Healer Spencer's list. Despite what he had led Healer Spencer to believe, Remus still wanted to move Hermione to Grimmauld Place. Knowing that they were close to being able to heal her did not change his concerns about her safety.

There was a knock at the door and Remus rose to answer it. It was likely the Auror stationed outside, wanting Remus to ask Ginny a security question. He and Ron had decided that they needed to go back to the questions of their friends and family that were coming to sit with Hermione, given they couldn't scan for Polyjuice.

"Good morning, Remus," Ginny said with a smile when Remus opened the door.

"What did you do to try and push Hermione and I together a few months ago?" Ginny smirked.

"Had Hermione come to watch Teddy when I had to go back to Harpies camp early and told her no one else could do it." Remus ushered her into the room.

"Too bad it didn't work," Ginny said as she set down her bag on the chair.

"It had an effect," Remus assured her. Ginny grinned.

"So why the extra security?"

"We decided that we didn't want to take any chances," Remus said. "Especially now that we've found the antidote." Ginny's head whipped towards his and her eyes widened.

"They found it?" she whispered. Remus nodded. "Really?"

"Yes," he said. Ginny stared at him for a few moments before the tears began. Remus pulled her into his arms and she cried into his shoulder. Truthfully, he felt like doing the same thing.

"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled away from him a few minutes later, drawing her wand and casting a drying charm at his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," he said.

"How long?" she asked.

"Once they've gotten all the ingredients, it takes about an hour to brew, then has to simmer for eight." She nodded, still wiping a few lingering tears on her cheeks. "Ron left to go to Hogwarts and ask Horace to do it."

"Still have no idea who changed the orders then?" Ginny asked.

"No and until we do, Hermione isn't safe here, hence the extra security." Remus looked towards Hermione. "I'm still planning on moving her." Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Anything new I should know?" she asked.

"As I'm sure you experienced, the Auror outside is scanning for the Imperius curse and glamour charms. When I come back, you need to ask me a security question to combat against Polyjuice. Same for anyone else that might stop by. Otherwise, don't leave the room, not even to use the loo." Ginny nodded in understanding.

"I'm going to Hogwarts to speak with Poppy about the recommendations Healer Spencer gave us and then I'm going to stop at the Burrow to let Andromeda and your parents know that we found the antidote."

"They'll be so relieved," Ginny said. "Mum's been acting pretty optimistic, but I know that she's been worried."

"Andromeda too," Remus agreed.

"I should probably warn you, Teddy's been in a bit of a mood," Ginny said.

"What happened?" Remus asked in concern.

"He had an issue with his breakfast, most of it ended up on the floor," Ginny said. "On purpose." Remus grimaced. "He threw a _really_ good tantrum when Andromeda told him no flying this morning." Remus shook his head.

"I should be spending more time with him."

"Remus, he's two. Two year-olds throw tantrums. When I left, Dad was taking Teddy out to show him the Muggle stuff in his shed. Teddy will be fine." Remus still felt guilty. Not only had he taken Andromeda and Teddy out of their home, he had barely seen his son in the last few days.

"He told me he wanted to go home yesterday," Remus said.

"Well, there's a good reason why he can't," Ginny said. "And it's _not_ your fault."

"Everyone keeps telling me that," Remus said.

"And we will until you believe it."

"I'll probably be gone longer than I planned then," Remus said. "I should spend some time with him this morning. Do you need anything before I go?"

"No, I'm fine. Take all the time you need," Ginny replied. She smiled at Remus and he hugged her again.

"Thank you, Ginny."

* * *

Remus appeared at the edge of the Burrow's wards. Poppy had recommended the first name on the list, which had been the Healer that used to run the Potions ward and had trained Healer Spencer. Remus had sent him an owl from Hogwarts, asking him to contact Remus through Arthur or Molly at the Burrow. Hopefully, he would hear something this afternoon.

Arthur was just coming out of his shed, holding Teddy's hand who was walking beside him, as Remus walked towards the house.

"Daddy!" Teddy shouted and ran towards Remus as fast as his chubby little legs would carry him. Remus scooped the boy up and Teddy immediately shifted his hair color to Remus' and wrapped his arms around Remus' neck. Remus hugged his son tightly.

"I missed you," he said to the little boy and Teddy sniffed.

"Nanna mean," he mumbled into Remus' neck.

"Why is Nanna mean?" Remus asked, hiding a smile and rubbing Teddy's back.

"No fwy," Teddy said.

"Why won't Nanna let you fly?" Teddy snuggled closer to Remus and didn't respond. Remus didn't push the subject and turned to Arthur.

"Hello, Arthur."

"Good morning, Remus," Arthur said with an understanding smile. "Teddy has been helping me sort my battery collection." Teddy picked his head up off Remus' shoulder and smiled at the older man.

"Me help, Daddy."

"Did you now?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically, and Arthur chuckled.

"And a very good helper he is." He ruffled Teddy's hair and Teddy grinned.

"We go my house, Daddy?" Teddy looked up at Remus expectantly and Remus' chest tightened.

"Not today," he said. Teddy's face fell, and he wrapped his arms around Remus' neck once again.

"You stay me, Daddy." He buried his face back into Remus' neck. Remus closed his eyes and kissed Teddy's forehead, trying to keep his composure. When he opened them, Arthur was looking at him sympathetically. Remus followed the older man into the house, Teddy clinging to him like a limpet.

Molly and Andromeda sat at the kitchen table drinking tea when the men walked in. Andromeda looked up at Remus and Teddy, then gave him a sad smile. Clearly, more was going on than he knew about. Arthur pulled out a chair for Remus next to Andromeda and Molly poured him a cup of tea.

"How is she?" Molly asked. Remus smiled.

"They've found the antidote." Molly gasped and brought a hand to her mouth, tears immediately filling her eyes. Andromeda reached out for his free hand and squeezed it, her own eyes bright. Arthur wore a wide grin.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Molly said, taking the handkerchief her husband offered her and wiping at her eyes. Arthur put a hand on her shoulder.

"How soon will it be ready?" Andromeda asked.

"By sometime tonight, we hope. It depends how long it takes to get the ingredients together. The potion itself doesn't take long, but it's got to simmer for eight hours after it's made. Horace is going to brew it."

"Not someone from the hospital?" Molly asked.

"No, we all felt more comfortable with Horace doing it," Remus said. The other adults nodded in understanding. Teddy mumbled something and Remus looked down to see that his son was nearly asleep. He looked at Andromeda quizzically.

"It was a long night," she said. She reached over and smoothed down her grandson's hair.

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"Teddy did not sleep well," Andromeda said. "He woke a few times, once with a nightmare. After that, I brought him into bed with me, but he was still restless."

"He isn't coming down with something is he?" Remus asked.

"No," Andromeda replied. "I think he is just having a hard time with the change in circumstances." Remus immediately felt guilty.

"Don't," Andromeda said. "This is not your fault."

"I should have been here," Remus said.

"You were where you needed to be," Andromeda said. Remus sighed. He was more determined than ever to move Hermione to Grimmauld Place. Teddy and Andromeda could stay with him there if the Aurors still hadn't discovered who was behind all of this. It wouldn't be home, but at least he would be there for his son.

"What he did this morning at breakfast was just a reaction to his being tired," Molly said. "My children were all the same way." Teddy shifted and burrowed further into Remus' body. Remus tightened his grip on his son. Teddy sighed in his sleep and Remus bent down and kissed the top of his head. Both Molly and Andromeda smiled softly.

"Is there any word on the culprit, Remus?" Arthur asked, now that Teddy was truly asleep and wouldn't hear what they said.

"No, but Harry had some kind of epiphany a little while ago and left for the Ministry. I haven't heard from him."

"I just don't understand who would do something like this," Molly said.

"They're obviously disturbed," Arthur said.

"Or simply evil," Andromeda added, taking a sip of her tea.

"Well, let's hope that Arthur is right in this case," Remus said, not wanting to think that someone might have done this to Hermione simply for the fun of doing it.

"I'm just so glad she's going to be all right," Molly said, sniffling again.

"As am I," Remus said. He held on tightly to his emotions, knowing that it wouldn't take much for him to break down. He turned to Andromeda. "We should talk about Teddy." Andromeda nodded, but before Remus could get up to move somewhere more private, Molly and Arthur stood.

"We'll give you two a bit of privacy," Arthur said.

"We can go somewhere else," Remus said, not wanting to kick them out of their own kitchen.

"Nonsense," Molly replied. "That baby is sleeping, you don't want to move him now." Remus nodded.

"Thank you."

"How is he, really?" Remus asked, as soon as they were gone. Andromeda sighed.

"He was fine yesterday until you left after supper. He whined and was out of sorts the entire evening. When it was time to put him to bed, he insisted that you read him a story. When I explained that you could not do that, he got very upset." Remus sighed sadly. "He did not want me to do it and refused Molly's offer as well. Arthur was the one that finally got him calmed down and he allowed Arthur to read to him and put him to bed."

"I'm sorry," Remus said.

"As I have said, this is not your fault," Andromeda replied.

"If I'd been here-"

"If you had been here, he still might have had a tantrum. He is a toddler, that is what they do. And he does not understand what is going on which makes it more difficult."

"And there is no way to explain it to him," Remus said with another sigh.

"Not really, no," Andromeda agreed. "I have told him that you are helping Hermione, but then he just insists on seeing her. The same when I told him you were helping Harry."

"He missed his day with Harry this week because of all this," Remus said. Andromeda nodded.

"Teddy has no concept of time, of course, but he realizes that it has been longer than usual since he has seen Harry."

"Well, I'm hoping that things will improve at least a little bit later today," Remus said. Andromeda looked at him quizzically. He explained that he and Harry had agreed to move Hermione to Grimmauld Place. "I've sent an owl to the Healer that Poppy and Healer Spencer recommended. I hope to meet with him this afternoon. Once we move Hermione, you and Teddy can come to Grimmauld. It's still not home, I know, but at least I'll be there."

"Remus, I do not think that is the best idea," Andromeda said carefully.

"Why? Teddy is familiar with the house from visiting Harry there. He even has his own bedroom."

"But Hermione will need to be recovering and having a boisterous two year-old running around is not very conducive to that. And given everything you have told me about the stasis charm, how do you intend to move her without disrupting that?"

"Medical Portkey," he said. "Healers use them when moving patients between hospitals. Harry can get one through the DMLE."

"But now that the antidote has been found, would it not be better to give it to her at St. Mungo's, then move her once the stasis charm is no longer needed? She could convalesce at Grimmauld Place."

"I," Remus began, then paused. What Andromeda said did make more sense, but he couldn't help the fear he felt about keeping her in hospital. Despite the extra security measures, there were still ways around everything. Gods, he hated this.

"And don't forget that the full moon is in two days."

"Believe me, I could never forget that," Remus said, bitter edge to his voice.

"I only mean, if we go to Grimmauld Place and then you have to leave Teddy again, it may be even more difficult for him. He will have had the disruption of moving again, but not back to his home, plus, trying to keep him out from underfoot of the Healer and everyone else that is likely to come to visit Hermione. And how are you going to keep him out of Hermione's room? Once he knows she is there, he will want to be in her room all of the time." Remus sighed. He hadn't thought about logistics, just that he wanted his family together.

"You're probably right," he finally said. Andromeda put a hand on his arm.

"I know that you feel torn in two directions," she said. "And I do not envy your position. But Teddy will be fine. Once everything is back to normal and Hermione is healed, he likely will not even remember all of this. You are a good father, Remus. Please do not doubt that." Remus nodded, and she squeezed his arm, giving him a smile.

"He will likely sleep for a while," she said. "Would you like to put him down?"

"No, we're fine here," Remus said, shifting in the hard, wooden chair. Andromeda pulled her wand from her pocket and waved it at the chair, putting a cushioning charm on it. Remus smiled at her gratefully, then settled back against the chair with Teddy in his arms. Ginny wasn't expecting him back for a while, Remus would stay and give Teddy the cuddling he so clearly was missing from his father.

* * *

Teddy woke up an hour later and Remus played with him until lunch. After they had eaten, and Remus was leaving, Teddy clung to his legs until Arthur was able to distract him with a promise to search for frogs at the pond. Despite everything Andromeda had said, Remus couldn't help feeling horribly guilty as he walked towards the edge of the wards of the Burrow to Disapparate. It was only because Remus knew that it wouldn't be much longer until Hermione was healed that he was able to leave at all. He wanted to get back to St. Mungo's to see if there had been word from Ron or Harry.

Just as Remus was about to turn, there was a pop and both men appeared.

"Oh, good, you're still here." Harry motioned Remus back inside the boundary of the wards. Remus looked up to make sure they were still out of sight of Teddy. Saying good-bye to him once had been bad enough, he didn't want the little boy to catch sight of him and have to do it again.

"Professor Slughorn is on the way to St. Mungo's. We've got all the ingredients."

"He's brewing at St. Mungo's?" Remus asked with a frown. He had hoped that Horace would brew the potion at Hogwarts. Remus wasn't worried about security there. But things could be tampered with at the hospital.

"Yes, he thought it would be better to do it there instead of trying to transport the finished potion from Hogwarts. It's got to be ingested within fifteen minutes after it's finished. But he's bringing all his own utensils and his own cauldron," Ron said. "Proudfoot is meeting him there and he will do a scan on the room, as well as Slughhorn. He's got a security question to ask him too from Professor McGonagall. The potion will stay under Auror guard while it's being brewed and until it's ready to give to Hermione." Remus nodded. It was as secure as they could make it.

"Does Horace know what's going on?"

"I had to tell him once we asked him to brew the antidote," Ron said. "I made him take a wizard's oath until we find out who did this." Harry put a hand on Remus' shoulder.

"It's almost over." Remus nodded again. He wanted to be relieved, but he wouldn't be until Hermione had been given the antidote and was awake and talking to him again.

"Where did you disappear to this morning?" Remus asked Harry.

"I went back and looked at your memory again," Harry said. "It was the book that they found with the antidote that jogged my memory." Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "When I first saw that book at Snape's, I thought it looked familiar. It was in the memory."

"What?"

"The woman is sitting in front of some bookshelves," Harry said. Remus nodded. He remembered that much. "She had the same book. I remembered that skull on the spine that Ron mentioned."

"I thought this was a rare potion," Remus said.

"It is," Harry replied. "The book is very old, and Bates had never heard of any of the potions in it."

"So, what is the likelihood of there being two of them?" Remus mused.

"Exactly," Harry said. "You don't have any idea where Snape got his books do you?"

"No," Remus said. "I would assume used bookstores in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. I'm sure there are some in Knockturn as well. And there are always private dealers."

"I'm going back to Hogwarts to talk to Dumbledore's portrait and see if he has any idea. If we can find out who sold Snape the book,"

"You might find out who else they sold it to," Remus finished. Harry nodded. "Well, one thing seems sure then." Harry looked at him quizzically. "She's blonde."

"I'm still not ruling anyone out," Harry said. "There are too many ways she could have disguised herself in the photograph or in person."

"I'm headed back to the hospital," Remus said. You'll keep me informed?"

"Of course," Harry said.

"Thank you," Remus said. "Both of you." Remus stepped back outside the boundaries and Disapparated.

* * *

Remus sat on the edge of Hermione's bed, cup of coffee in hand that he had once again gotten from the visitor's lounge. He had gone back to the Burrow for dinner and to put Teddy to bed. His son had happily greeted Remus and the whining, clingy toddler seemed to have disappeared. Andromeda reported they had had a much better afternoon.

Remus, however, was exhausted. He hadn't slept much the night before and the emotional ups and downs of the day had taken their toll, hence the coffee. He frowned again as he remembered the sight of the four people asleep on the various couches and chairs in the lounge. He hadn't seen anyone sleeping there before. Others must have had just as hard a day as he had.

After thinking about what Andromeda had said about moving Hermione before she was given the antidote, Remus had discussed it with Healer Spencer. The Healer, of course, had agreed that it would be better for Hermione to remain at St. Mungo's, but Remus couldn't fault her reasoning. The stasis charm was still unstable, although it had continued to hold. But, even medical Portkeys did not keep the patient completely immobile and there was a chance that the charm could fail in moving Hermione.

Harry had stopped by briefly and his news had made the decision easier. The DMLE kept two mediwitches on call for injuries suffered by suspects or prisoners. Harry had spoken to the woman that had come in to mend Will's ankle the day they brought him into the Ministry for questioning. Harry wanted to bring her to St. Mungo's to be Hermione's personal mediwitch until she was given the antidote. Healer Spencer had given her permission once she realized it would mean not moving Hermione from the hospital.

The Healer Poppy had recommend had indeed contacted Remus and he had written the man back, explaining about leaving Hermione in St. Mungo's for a bit longer. Remus asked him if he would be willing to tend to Hermione after she was given the antidote and was waiting for a reply.

The Auror on guard was given a security question to ask Mediwitch Fernsby whenever she came and went, although she had spent most of her afternoon and evening in Hermione's room. She and Remus had chatted a bit when he had returned from the Burrow, but since she had been reading quietly in a corner of the room and leaving Remus to his thoughts.

He took a sip of the coffee, glad that the potion would be ready soon. Healer Spencer had gone off shift at five, but planned to return at ten, a few minutes before the completion of the potion. Horace had stayed in the room where he had brewed to keep an eye on the potion and he would be escorted to Hermione's room by the two Auror guards that stood outside the brewing room.

Remus felt himself relax slightly. He wouldn't let his guard down completely, not until he knew that antidote had worked, but he was feeling much better about things.

The mediwitch closed her book, then rose and began running her diagnostics.

"How is she?" Remus asked.

"Doing well," she said. "Everything should be fine once the antidote is administered." She turned towards Remus. "If you don't mind, I am going to go and get a bite to eat. I will return at ten along with Healer Spencer."

"Go right ahead," Remus said. "Thank you for being here today."

"It was no trouble," the woman said. With a nod to him, she left the room.

Taking another sip of the coffee, Remus yawned widely, then shook his head. The coffee was supposed to be keeping him awake, but he felt more tired than before. He supposed that caffeine could only do so much. Deciding that he needed to move around a bit, even if only around Hermione's small room, he reached to set his coffee on the small table next to him. Another yawn had him misjudging the distance and he let go of the cup as it teetered on the edge. The cup hit the floor, spilling the coffee and shattering.

Swearing under his breath, Remus waved his wand to vanish the mess, then went to stand once more. He swayed on his feet and sat back down with a thump. Yawning again, he scrubbed his hands down his face to try and wake himself up a bit. He knew he was tired, but this was ridiculous. He closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped them open again, blinking rapidly. What the hell was going on? Then he remembered all the people sleeping in the visitor's lounge and he stood abruptly from his chair. Someone had put something in the coffee. Remus took a step towards the door before the room swam in front of him. He reached for the chair and managed to fall back into it as the room went black.

* * *

Remus heard unfamiliar movement and someone muttering. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to remember where he was. St. Mungo's, Hermione's room, right. He wanted to open his eyes and spring from his chair, but instinct kept him seated. He had no idea how long he had been asleep or who was now in Hermione's room. Surely if it was someone that belonged there, they would have tried to revive him. He strained to listen to the quiet muttering.

"Ridiculous," he heard. "Should just be able to cancel it with a Finite." The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Remus couldn't place it. He knew it wasn't Healer Spencer or Mediwitch Fernsby, which meant it likely wasn't ten o'clock yet as they had both planned to be back by then. Unless whoever this was had taken care of them too.

Remus mentally shook his head. That was unlikely. Whoever was in here had probably seen the mediwitch leave and decided to take a chance. How they had gotten past the Auror outside was another matter, but Remus didn't dwell on it.

"Nearly ten" the person, who he had now decided was female, said. "Damn it." Remus chanced opening one eye a slit and looked across the room. Cressida Wilkes stood next to Hermione's bed, waving her wand over Hermione's injured arm. She was obviously trying to cancel the stasis spell. Remus was not about to let that happen.

"Why couldn't you have just kept dating Weasley?" Cressida hissed. "Then none of this would have happened." Remus slowly inched his hand towards his pocket where his wand was, keeping his eyes slits and his breathing even. When his hand reached his pocket, he realized that his wand was missing. Of course, she had disarmed him when she came into the room. Fuck.

"Why isn't this working?" she snapped, clearly frustrated. The wolf had begun to pace in the back of Remus' mind and he was having a hard time controlling his want to attack Wilkes to get her away from Hermione. But, he knew that even if she couldn't remove the stasis spell, it was still unstable and Remus would have to get over Hermione's bed to get to Wilkes. There was a strong chance that he would disrupt it himself. He needed to get her away from Hermione first.

The wolf stopped pacing and whined. Remus knew exactly how he felt. He willed time to move faster, for someone to get here. Then Cressida spoke again.

"Ah, here we are. Sneaky, that." And Remus knew he was out of time. He did have the element of surprise on his side, however. In one fluid motion, Remus stood from the chair.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. Wilkes' head snapped up towards him as she jumped.

"You're supposed to be asleep," she said.

"Get away from Hermione."

"No," she said, bringing her wand up to point at Remus. "I just need to take care of her and then everything will be fine."

"You need to step away from the bed," Remus said. "Don't make this worse for yourself." He took a step towards her. She smirked at him.

"I'm the one with the wand," she replied. "And now that I've figured out how that stupid Healer cast this stasis, I can remove it. Then, everything will be fine." Remus took another step.

"Don't come any closer," she warned. Remus stopped and held his hands out to the side to show he wasn't a threat.

"You don't want to do this," he said. "She hasn't done anything."

"She stole you from me!" Cressida shrieked. Remus kept his mouth from dropping open by the slimmest of margins. She was completely insane. Remus hadn't laid eyes on her since he left Hogwarts. He stared at her for a few seconds before deciding on a different tactic.

"How could she steal me when I didn't know you were interested?" Remus asked. Wilkes opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked at Remus suspiciously. He chanced another step towards her. "You don't have to hurt Hermione to get what you want."

"You're lying!" she insisted. "You said you loved her. I heard you!" Remus fleetingly wondered when she had heard him say that, as there had never been a mediwitch in the room when he did. He turned his attention back to Cressida.

"That was before I knew about you," he said, the lie making his stomach churn. Still, he would do whatever it took to get her away from Hermione. "Things are different now."

"You tried to keep me away," Wilkes accused. "The Auror wouldn't let me in."

"How did you get past him?" Remus asked. He hoped the man was still alive. She shrugged.

"I know a lot of spells," she said. "I stunned him, but made it look like he was still standing guard."

"Clever," Remus replied. She smiled shyly at him.

"My cousin left a lot of books." Wilkes, Remus thought. She had gotten the Potions book from the Death Eater's possessions. "They were hidden in the cottage." Remus had no idea what she was talking about, but that didn't really matter right now.

"Leave Hermione be," Remus said. "Come with me and we'll leave here, right now."

"Will we get Teddy?" she asked. Remus' gut clenched. She knew about Teddy? "He's so sweet."

"When did you see Teddy?" Remus asked, trying to keep his voice light.

"A few weeks ago, when you took him to the park," Cressida said. "He loved the swings." Remus swallowed. She'd been following him. How could he not have known?

"Teddy is with his grandmother right now," Remus said. "And he's asleep. Perhaps in the morning after you and I have had a chance to get to know one another." She smiled and Remus almost shuddered at the madness in her eyes.

"I'm sure he needs a mother." Remus simply smiled, unable to respond. The wolf had sat up in his head and roared when Wilkes asked about Teddy. Remus was having a hard time keeping him under control.

Remus had continued to take a step here and there as they were talking, and he was now only feet from Cressida.

"Come with me," he said holding out a hand. Cressida stared at his outstretched hand and then looked back at Hermione. "Forget her, she doesn't mean anything." Cressida shook her head stubbornly.

"She'll try to get you back," she said.

"She won't," Remus said, as Wilkes refocused her attention back on Hermione. Where the fuck was Healer Spencer and the mediwitch?

"She will," Wilkes insisted. "I remember how stubborn she was at school." Remus' brow furrowed. Cressida was four years older than Hermione. How would she have even come into contact with her enough to know that? Wilkes turned back to Hermione.

"Wait," Remus said. "If you do this and you're caught, we can't be together. They'll take you to Azkaban."

"I won't get caught," she said with an evil grin. She raised her wand and opened her mouth to cast the spell. Remus rushed at her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her away from Hermione. He bumped the bed in the process and it skidded to the side.

Cressida shrieked and Remus hit her arm, sending her wand flying. He wrestled her as far away from the bed as he could. She was kicking and screaming and for fuck's _sake_ , they should have attracted _some_ kind of attention by now! Just as he thought it, the door burst open and Harry ran in, wand held high.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, and Wilkes slumped in Remus' arms. He immediately dropped her to the floor, wanting to get as far away from her as possible. Harry ran towards Wilkes and Remus hurried to Hermione. She was still asleep, but he could see something happening with her arm. Hermione's hand had gotten a darker red and it twitched as a bit of skin fell off her index finger. The stasis charm was failing.

"Harry!" Remus called. "Get the Healer. Now!" Harry finished binding Wilkes, tossed Remus' wand to him, and ran out the door. Remus vaguely heard some commotion in the corridor, but he was too focused on Hermione to concentrate much on it.

Seconds later, Healer Spencer and Mediwitch Fernsby hurried into the room. The Healer gave Wilkes a cursory glance and then came to Hermione's side, moving Remus out of the way. She cast a series of diagnostics, then confirmed what Remus already knew.

"The stasis charm has weakened. The potion is active again, albeit much slower than it was. How long until the antidote is ready?" Healer Spencer asked as Harry came back into the room.

"Slughorn says five minutes," Harry said. The Healer's face was grim, and Remus knew that once the charm failed completely, things would change quickly.

"Will the stasis last five minutes?" Remus asked as he moved around to the other side of the bed.

"Let's hope so, Mr. Lupin, let's hope so."

"What about a block?" the mediwitch asked.

"That's what I was thinking," Healer Spencer said with a nod.

"A block?" Harry questioned.

"If we can cast a blocking charm, even if the potion becomes active again, we should be able to save her arm above the elbow." Remus felt his breath leave him and sat down heavily in the chair next to Hermione's bed. He hung his head. After everything they had been through, she could still lose her arm.

"The thing is," Mediwitch Fernsby was saying, "casting the block can disrupt the stasis charm. It might fail sooner." The two Healers looked at Remus and Harry. Harry glanced at Remus and he looked up at the younger man helplessly.

"What if you wait until the stasis charm fails?" Harry said.

"We may not have time to cast the block before the potion moves too far up her arm," Healer Spencer said. Harry looked back down at Remus who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Do it," Harry said. The Healers went to work. Remus turned to look at Wilkes lying on the floor and an immense wave of rage washed over him.

"Get her out of here, Harry," he said through gritted teeth.

"I can't move her yet."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because that's not Cressida Wilkes." Remus looked up sharply at Harry. "Polyjuice." Remus stared at Harry for a few moments.

"Who is it?" Remus demanded, his voice low.

"I don't know for sure, but I have a pretty good guess." Before Remus could ask Harry who he thought it was, the woman's features began to shift. Harry trained his wand on her and Remus rose to do the same. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Healer Spencer and the mediwitch working quickly over Hermione.

Three minutes.

"Delia Wilkes," Harry said, as he tightened the bindings around her slightly smaller frame. Her blonde hair spilled over her face. It was her, the woman from the photograph.

"Cressida's sister," Remus said grimly. Harry nodded. And suddenly, things made a lot more sense. Harry levitated Delia's stunned form into the corridor and Remus returned his attention to Hermione. Both women were still working over her.

Remus wanted to sit next to her and hold her hand. He wanted to smooth the hair back from her forehead and tell her that everything was going to be all right. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go. But he did none of those things because any of them would move her and could cause the stasis charm to fail completely. And so, he sat in the chair and watched the two healers work and hoped to Merlin and whoever else might be listening that the charm would hold until Horace brought the potion.

Two minutes.

Harry came back into the room. He looked nearly as terrified as Remus felt. Still, he stepped up next to Remus and put a hand on his shoulder. The two men stared at Hermione's still form on the bed, watching as Healer Spencer and Mediwitch Fernsby attempted to cast the blocking charm without disrupting the stasis charm.

One minute.

"Damn," Healer Spencer said under her breath.

"What is it?" Remus asked immediately. Harry's hand tightened on his shoulder.

"The stasis charm failed."

"Can you recast it?" Harry asked fearfully.

"I can attempt it, but with as much trouble as we had the first time, I am not optimistic. Fernsby, take the blocking charm." The older woman nodded and concentrated on Hermione's upper arm while Healer Spencer began to move her wand in a complicated movement trying to reset the stasis spell.

Thirty seconds.

"Where is Horace?" Remus asked, his voice hoarse.

"Almost time," Harry said. "He'll be here." Remus watched in horror as a larger piece of skin slid off Hermione's palm. Healer Spencer continued her work, but Remus knew it wouldn't be enough as he watched the skin above her wrist redden and blister.

"Damn it, Harry," Remus said, his voice shaking. Harry's grip was almost painful on Remus' shoulder, but he found he didn't really care. He could feel the tears sliding down his cheeks as the redness crept higher and higher up her arm.

"Done," Mediwitch Fernsby said as she blew out a breath and stepped back. The block had worked, at least.

The door to Hermione's room opened and both Harry and Remus whipped around wands drawn, Remus standing from his chair. Remus almost collapsed in relief when he saw it was Horace.

"Password," Harry said immediately.

"Society for the promotion of elfish welfare," one of the Aurors flanking Horace said. Remus snorted despite everything that was going on. Few people knew about S.P.E.W. and those that did simply called it 'spew' anyway. Harry winked at him.

"Now, Professor," Healer Spencer ordered. Horace hurried forward and passed her the vial of the antidote. Healer Spencer uncorked it and carefully began to pour it over Hermione's skin. Horace stepped back even with Harry, watching avidly as the antidote the Healer poured onto Hermione's skin immediately stopped the original potion from spreading. Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

"She has to ingest the rest to repair the damage," Healer Spencer explained. The mediwitch propped Hermione up slightly and Healer Spencer poured the potion into Hermione's mouth, massaging her throat to get her to swallow it.

"It will take a few hours," she said. "But she should be all right." She finally smiled, and Remus stifled a sob.

"Thank you," he managed somehow. He looked around the room. "All of you." Harry pulled him into a back-slapping embrace. Remus shook Horace's hand, thanking him profusely for his work on the antidote.

"No trouble at all, Remus. Miss Granger was always one of my favorites," Horace said with a smile. Remus thanked Healer Spencer and Mediwitch Fernsby, both brushing off his thanks as just doing their jobs. Harry raised his wand and sent off a Patronus.

"The Burrow?" Remus asked. Harry nodded.

"I'm sure Ginny will be here in a few minutes." Remus looked back at Hermione and then at Healer Spencer.

"May I?"

"Of course, Mr. Lupin," the Healer said with a smile. She had cast a shield charm and levitated Hermione's injured arm once again until the antidote could finish its work. "I'll be back to check on her in a few minutes." She and the mediwitch both left the room. Harry, sensing that Remus wanted some privacy, turned to Horace.

"I'll walk you out, Professor." Horace and the two Aurors followed Harry from the room.

Remus sat down on Hermione's bed and took her good hand in his. He kissed her palm and pressed it to his cheek. The tears that he shed earlier returned, although they were now tears of relief. She was going to be all right.

"Harry arrested her," Remus said. "She won't hurt you again." He leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "It's over."


	66. Awake

**A/N - I'm so sorry for the delay! (I won't bore you with all the ridiculous details as to _why_ it took me so long). But, you're getting a nice long chapter to make up for it! Thank you so much for reading and for all your reviews! **

**Chapter 66**

 **Awake**

 **17 April 2000**

Hermione's eyes slowly opened, blinking against the soft light coming in the window. She turned her head to see Remus asleep beside her. He had a hand resting on her stomach, her hand clasped in his. Hermione smiled, then frowned at the dark circles under his eyes. He obviously hadn't been sleeping.

Wait, she was awake. Then that meant…she turned to look at her injured arm. The skin was pink and shiny, reminding her of the time she had accidentally touched her forearm to her grandmother's hot iron. It hadn't been a bad burn, but when the new skin regrew, it had looked the same.

They must have found the antidote. Her arm was still levitated and shielded, so it must have been a recent development. And the evidence of the burns went much higher up her arm than she remembered. She wondered what had happened.

Remus shifted and Hermione turned back to look at him. A lock of hair had fallen into his eyes and she wanted to brush it away, but she had no way of doing that without pulling her hand away from his. That would surely wake him, and she sensed that he hadn't gotten a good night's rest for quite some time.

But she _really_ wanted to know what had happened. Had they caught the person that had done this to her or just found the antidote? How had they found it and how long had she been asleep? It might have been days or weeks, or even months for all she knew. Her arms and legs felt stiff like she had spent too long in bed, but it really didn't help her narrow down the time-frame.

Remus moved again, then yawned widely before opening his eyes. He smiled sleepily at her, then sat bolt upright in the bed.

"You're awake," he said. She nodded. He stared at her for a few moments before he leaned down and kissed her, a passionate, toe-curling kiss that had her wishing she had both arms available to wrap around him and pull him to her. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers and took a hitching breath.

Hermione's brow furrowed in concern, and she hugged him as well as she could with one arm. When he finally raised his head, there were tears in his eyes. She brought a hand to his cheek and he kissed her palm, before covering her hand with his.

"I was so worried," he said.

"Remus, what happened?" He kissed her palm again, the moved away from her so he was lying on his side, head propped up on one hand. He kept hold of her good hand with the other.

"Ron and Neville found the antidote," he said. "Horace brewed it yesterday and they gave it to you last night. Healer Spencer decided not to give you your dose of potions in the middle of the night and let you wake up on your own." There were so many things she wanted to ask about that simple explanation, but she settled on the most pressing.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"Three days," Remus said. Hermione let out a relieved breath. Three days wasn't bad at all. Truthfully, when they had put her under, she expected it to be longer.

"I have a lot of questions." Remus chuckled.

"I didn't expect anything less, love."

"Did they catch whoever did this?" Remus' smile slipped from his face.

"Yes," he said grimly.

"Well?" Hermione prompted when he didn't say anything else.

"Do you remember Delia Wilkes? She was a year behind you." Hermione's brow furrowed.

"I think so," she said. " _She_ did this?" Remus nodded. "But why?"

"That's a question for Harry," Remus said with a sigh. He sat up on the bed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I would assume he will be here soon to fill us in."

"There's got to be _something_ you can tell me," Hermione pressed.

"Her older sister was a mediwitch here. Delia used Polyjuice to get into your room. She was," Remus trailed off and swallowed thickly.

"Remus?" Hermione put her good hand on his arm. He shook his head.

"She tried to kill you, Hermione." Hermione stared at him in shock.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she tried to remove the stasis charm to let the potion do it, but it would have had the same result." Remus looked away and Hermione could see him visibly trying to calm himself. She moved her hand to his back.

"I'm all right," she said quietly. He pulled in a shuddering breath.

"I know," he said. He faced her again and grabbed her hand, kissing her fingertips.

"Tell me the rest," she requested. He sighed.

"To be completely honest, I have no idea why she did it, beyond the fact that she was obsessed with me and convinced that we were supposed to be together. She said that you stole me from her."

"That makes no sense," Hermione said.

"I agree," Remus replied. "Harry arrested her and took her in for questioning last night. Apparently, I did save her life during the battle, but I wasn't aware that I did it. That's really all I know."

"But you know about the antidote," Hermione said. "Why did Professor Slughorn brew it? Why not the potions department at St. Mungo's? And where did Ron and Neville find it? And what about-" Hermione was cut off by the door opening. Harry stepped into the room. Remus immediately drew his wand.

"Remus!" Hermione admonished, but he ignored her.

"What did Teddy tell he wanted for his birthday?" Harry laughed.

"A dragon. A live one, so he could ride it." Remus smiled and lowered his wand. Hermione was staring between the two of them in disbelief. Had they both gone mental?

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" she demanded.

"I knew she'd be demanding answers the moment she woke up," Harry teased. Hermione scowled at him as he approached the bed. "I'm so glad you're awake." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then squeezed her hand.

"Harry," she said in exasperation. "Are you going to explain why Remus was holding you at wandpoint?" Harry sighed.

"I am, Hermione, but I think we should tell Healer Spencer you're awake first."

"No, I want to know!" Hermione insisted.

"Please, love," Remus said. She looked up at him and at the expression on his face, she knew she couldn't refuse.

"All right," she agreed. Remus squeezed her hand and stood from the bed.

"I'll be right back," Remus said as he left the room. Instead of sitting down like Hermione expected him to, Harry began to search the room.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, as Harry opened the drawer in the bedside table.

"A mirror," he said.

"There's one in the loo," Hermione said in confusion.

"Not that kind of mirror," Harry said. Hermione stared at him for few minutes, but he didn't look at her. Then she huffed, loudly, but he still ignored her. He had stuck a hand under the mattress and was squatting down to look under the bed, when Hermione smacked her good arm down on the bed and made a noise of frustration.

"Harry!"

"Got it," Harry said, standing up and pulling the mirror out from under the bed. "She had it wedged up in the springs."

"Who?" Hermione demanded. "And what is that?"

"It's a communication mirror that the Healers and mediwitches and wizards use if there is an emergency with one of the patients," Harry explained.

"What was it doing under my bed?"

"Delia Wilkes put it there," Harry said. He gave her no further explanation and Hermione was about to demand that he explain when the door opened. Healer Spencer walked in followed by Remus.

"Miss Granger, it's good to see you awake," the Healer said. She waved her wand and the head of Hermione's bed rose up until she was in a reclined sitting position. Remus adjusted the pillows behind her. The Healer began to run her diagnostics, nodding at the readings she was getting.

"I'm going to remove the shield charm now and examine your arm." Hermione nodded in understanding. Healer Spencer was gentle, but Hermione still flinched when the older woman touched her palm. "It will be tender for a couple of days, especially here on your hand where the damage was the worst."

"How bad was it?" Hermione asked quietly.

"By the end? Quite bad." Hermione glanced at Remus, who looked pained. "But, the good news is, you haven't lost any function in that hand and you should be just fine as soon as the skin has completely repaired itself." The Healer turned to Harry.

"Mr. Lupin mentioned you might have some information, Auror Potter."

"I believe you might be missing this," Harry said, handing the mirror to Healer Spencer.

"Where did you find this?"

"Wedged under Hermione's bed."

"That's how she heard everything?" Remus asked. Harry nodded.

"She had another one on her when we arrested her."

"I wasn't aware we were missing any of these," the Healer said, her mouth in a tight line.

"We think she changed the inventory count the same way she changed the orders in Hermione's chart." Hermione was listening to the conversation and was completely lost. What orders in her chart? And what did Delia need to hear with the mirror?

"Auror Robards has a meeting later today with Director Meadows about changes in security here at the hospital," Harry said.

"As well he should," Healer Spencer said grimly. Hermione glanced between the three of them again, feeling like she was about to scream.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what is going on?" she said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. Harry and Remus both looked to the Healer. The woman looked contemplative for a few moments, but finally nodded her head.

"As long as you don't get too upset, Miss Granger, it should be fine."

"I'll be more upset if someone doesn't start talking," Hermione muttered. Healer Spencer chuckled.

"I have to do my rounds," she said. "If you need me, just tell the guard outside the door." Harry inclined his head and Hermione wondered why on earth there was still a guard outside her door.

"Talk," Hermione said. "Now."

"All right," Harry replied, holding his hands up in surrender. Remus sat down beside her, taking her hand in his.

"I suppose the easiest thing is to start at the Battle," Harry said with a sigh. "Delia was of age and stayed to fight with her Housemates, despite not being the strongest in Defense. She quickly realized she was out of her element and hid on the grounds, near the courtyard. Her best friend was killed in front of her." Hermione's heart squeezed painfully.

"She witnessed the worst of the fighting that took place there, even saw," Harry paused and looked at Remus. "She saw Bellatrix kill Tonks." Hermione saw the pain in Remus' eyes and she squeezed his hand as tight as she could. Remus pulled in a breath and squeezed back. Hermione leaned into his side.

"She was still hidden when you came into the courtyard, Remus. There was a Death Eater that was nearing her hiding place and she thought he was going to find her when you stunned him. You ran off to duel someone else and she stayed in place until Voldemort called for the cease fire. After you found Cho and carried her inside, Delia followed. She wasn't physically hurt, but Madame Pomfrey kept her with the wounded. I talked to Madame Pomfrey this morning and she told me that Delia was basically catatonic and wouldn't speak to anyone. Her parents and sister showed up later that morning and took her home. Madame Pomfrey didn't see her again."

"She didn't come back to school?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"I'm not sure if she even took her N.E.W.T.S. She says her mum taught her at home, but whether she actually took the exams, I don't know. I haven't spoken to her parents, Proudfoot was interviewing them when I left. And I haven't talked to Professor McGonagall yet."

"So that's why she fixated on Remus?" Hermione questioned. "Because he unknowingly saved her life?"

"We're assuming so," Harry said. "It was hard to get coherent thoughts out of her once we started asking her about Remus. She just kept going on about how they were meant to be together and rambling about all these plans they had to run away together somewhere. She got so delusional, the mediwitch on duty gave her a Calming draught and a Sleeping potion. Robards is going to talk to Kingsley about special dispensation for either Veritaserum or Legilimency, just to try to make sense of everything."

"So, she came after Hermione because of this delusion about the two of us?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "She was really angry about that article in the Prophet. She sent the cursed letter first and when that didn't work, she sent the potion."

"So, once she suspected Hermione was admitted, she polyjuiced herself as Cressida?" Remus said.

"Actually, no," Harry said.

"No?" Remus repeated. "You mean Cressida was in on it the entire time?"

"Not willingly," Harry replied.

"Imperius," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"Delia was the Welcome Witch the morning Ginny brought Hermione in. She had working knowledge of the hospital and its procedures, which allowed her to steal the mirror and change the inventory. Delia had Cressida plant the communication mirror and leave the connection open, so Delia could monitor what was being said in the room."

"She heard everything," Remus said with a grimace.

"Yes," Harry said with a sigh. "It's why she used Polyjuice in the end. She knew that we were monitoring for the Imperius."

"Where did she get it?"

"Probably Knockturn, but she hasn't said yet."

"And the coffee?"

"Dosed it and the water for the tea with a sleeping draught. That's why so many people fell asleep in the lounge. Then she cast a compulsion charm on you when you came to visit Hermione that night to make sure you would drink some."

"How did she manage to get a compulsion charm on me?" Remus asked. He looked disgusted that he hadn't noticed.

"I'm guessing she was Disillusioned somewhere on the ward and cast it on you when you arrived." Remus shook his head and Hermione squeezed his hand again. "She was really upset that you woke up early."

"I spilled half the cup when I went to set in on the side table," Remus explained. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have." He shuddered, and Hermione squeezed his hand again.

"Is her sister all right?" Hermione asked.

"We found her stunned and bound in her flat," Harry said. "She's been checked out and she's fine." Harry rubbed at his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.

"Have you been up all night?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Go home and sleep, Harry," she said.

"I will later," Harry replied. "We still have to search Delia's house."

"Wilkes' cottage?" Remus asked.

"How did you know?"

"Delia mentioned a cottage when I was trying to get her away from Hermione," Remus replied.

"Wait, Wilkes as in the Death Eater?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded.

"Delia and Cressida's father is Wilkes' cousin. There wasn't any other family and so the cottage went to him when his cousin died in the First War. We don't know if the Ministry searched it, then released it to the family, or they missed it all together. Neville is checking the records, but it was chaos back then and Kingsley has said that things were missed. Delia moved into it about a year ago."

"Be careful when you search it," Remus said. "Delia said that her cousin had a lot of books and that they were hidden in the cottage. I assume that's where she found the potions book."

They all fell silent for a few moments. Despite everything that had happened, Hermione couldn't help but feel sorry for Delia Wilkes. She had obviously suffered after the war, likely with post-traumatic stress. The Wizarding world didn't know as much about it or how to treat it as the Muggle world did. Add to that that none of her family had participated in the Battle and likely couldn't understand what she was going through, she probably had felt very much alone.

"I'd better head back," Harry said. Remus stood from the bed as Harry stepped forward. Harry hugged Hermione tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I'm so glad you're all right." Hermione tightened her good arm around him.

"Get some sleep," she admonished when he finally released her.

"Yes, Mum," he smirked. She smacked his shoulder lightly and he grinned. "I'll be back when I know more." Harry waved to the two of them and left the room.

"What orders were changed in my chart?" Hermione asked once Harry had gone. Remus sighed and sat down next to her. She leaned into him and he put an arm around her.

"You were supposed to get the sleeping potion every twelve hours," Remus explained. "After the first two doses, the orders in the chart were changed so that you wouldn't get the next dose for more than eighteen hours."

"I woke up," Hermione said, suddenly remembering.

"Yes, for a few minutes before Healer Spencer was able to give you the potions again. Cressida had been on duty that first night, so I'm guessing Delia must have forced her to change the time in your chart. The mediwitch that took over at seven that morning didn't read the entire chart, otherwise, she likely would have caught the error."

"So, it was her in that photograph then," Hermione said. "Delia?"

"Yes," Remus said. "Once I saw her after the Polyjuice wore off, I recognized her." Hermione fell silent and Remus kissed her temple.

"How are Teddy and Andromeda?" Hermione asked, deciding she didn't really want to hear more about Delia Wilkes right now.

"They're fine, still at the Burrow. Teddy has been anxious to go home though." Hermione tilted her head up to look at him.

"Surely they can go home now," she said. "Delia has been caught."

"I want to wait until Harry has finished his search and she's been questioned again."

"You don't think someone was helping her, do you?" Hermione asked.

"It's not likely," he replied. "But after everything that's happened, we can't be too careful."

"I assume that's why the guard is still outside, and you asked Harry the security question," Hermione said.

"Yes, and I expect you to do the same every time whenever someone comes to visit, even me."

"Do you really think that's necessary?" Hermione said. He stared down at her.

"Yes," he said forcefully.

"All right," she agreed.

"In fact, you should probably ask me something now." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Remus, you've been sitting here with me for quite some time now. Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

"Humor me," he said. Hermione thought about it for a few moments and then hid a grin. She tilted her head up and whispered in his ear. She pulled back to look at him and saw him swallow visibly, his breathing speeding up slightly as his eyes smoldered.

"Well?" she said, eyebrow raised, trying to keep the smirk off her face.

"You are a wicked, wicked woman," he said. She laughed, and he leaned down and kissed her. While he hadn't answered her question, he effectively proved that he was who he said he was anyway.

* * *

"Wait, you said I'd been asleep three days?" Hermione said later that morning. She had eaten breakfast and had been allowed to get out of bed to use the loo and clean her teeth. Healer Spencer had removed the levitation charm and had put Hermione's arm in a sling, still protected with a shield charm. Hermione had lamented not being able to take a shower, given her still healing arm. Cleansing charms just weren't the same, he knew. He was sitting on her bed again and she was leaning into his side. Ever since she had woken, he had felt a need to be touching her, maybe to make sure she was really here and all right.

"Yes," Remus replied.

"Then, it's Monday. Satterfield's trial started this morning."

"That's right, it did," Remus said, having completely forgotten about it with all that had happened. Hermione sighed.

"I want to go home," she said.

"I know, love."

"No, I mean it, Remus. My arm is healing fine, I'm perfectly healthy otherwise. There's no reason for me to stay here."

"Healer Spencer wants to monitor you for infection," Remus reminded her.

"I can monitor myself and if there's a problem, I'll come back."

"Hermione," he said, shaking his head. "You were very badly injured. You need to listen to the Healer."

"No," she continued stubbornly. "I want my own things, my own bed. I'm fine."

"You weren't," Remus said, more harshly than he intended. He sighed and kissed the back of her hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right, I can't imagine how worried you must have been." He traced his finger over the back of her hand.

"Terrified," he said softly. "When the stasis charm failed and they still hadn't been able to get the block on your upper arm, I thought," he shook his head, not wanting to actually say it.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, entwining her fingers with his and moving closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head against his shoulder. Remus buried his nose in her hair and inhaled. He knew that the fact that the full moon was tomorrow wasn't helping his state of mind. The wolf's protective instincts were on high alert anyway and adding in what had almost happened to Hermione, well, it was a wonder he hadn't grabbed her and locked her up somewhere to keep her safe. Not to mention that he also wanted to shag her rotten. He shoved those thoughts away and chastised himself for even thinking it. She was in hospital for Merlin's sake. He needed to keep his randy thoughts to himself.

"I know you're fine," he finally said. "But, I want you to stay fine." She sighed again.

"Let's just see what Healer Spencer thinks the next time she comes in, all right?" He managed to nod in agreement, but it didn't take away the feeling of wanting to lock her up wrapped in cotton wool. They sat in companionable silence, reclined back into the pillows on the bed.

"Why don't you close your eyes for a little while," Hermione suggested. He hugged her tighter to him. "I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her forehead and did as she bid, relaxing further until he had drifted off, Hermione's fingers still entwined in his.

* * *

Remus awoke to a slight buzzing noise. He looked around in confusion, realizing he was alone in Hermione's bed. He began to panic before he saw Hermione and Ginny sitting in two chairs next to the bed, obviously having put a Muffliato around them so they could talk without disturbing him. Hermione was laughing at something Ginny said and Remus couldn't help but smile. Ginny looked up and noticing that he was awake, dropped the charm.

"Hey, Remus," she said.

"Ginny," he greeted. Hermione smiled at him.

"Sleep well?" she asked. He made a noise of agreement and sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Half one," Ginny said. Remus stared at her. He had slept for more than two hours.

"You needed it," Hermione said, obviously reading his mind. He shook his head and stood up.

"Mum sent some lunch if you're hungry," Ginny said, indicating the small picnic basket sitting by her feet. "Just sandwiches and crisps, but they're from last night's roast beef."

"I'd love one, thank you," Remus said, and Ginny busied herself with the picnic basket. He turned to Hermione. "Are you supposed to be out of bed?" She rolled her eyes.

"What's the difference whether I'm sitting in bed or sitting here?" Hermione asked. "I wanted to talk to Ginny and we didn't want to wake you." Truthfully, Remus was annoyed with himself that he hadn't woken when Ginny came into the room. Moody's admonishment of 'constant vigilance' echoed in his head.

"Did you ask Ginny a security question?"

"Yes," Hermione said, barely holding in her irritation.

"Here," Ginny said, handing Remus a plate, effectively reminding them of her presence and stopping their argument before it got going.

"Thank you," Remus said, taking the plate. He considered conjuring another chair, but there really wasn't room for a third. Hermione stood and sat on the edge of her bed, waving him into her chair. He leaned over and kissed her temple before he sat down. She gave him a small smile.

"How is Teddy today?" Remus asked Ginny. He hadn't left the hospital since the night before.

"He's doing fine, still wants to go home though," Ginny said.

"Hopefully, that can happen later today," Hermione said. "Harry should be here soon with news."

"He stopped by the Burrow about an hour ago," Ginny reported. "He had lunch and was going to go home to shower and change before he came here. Hopefully, he didn't fall asleep in the shower."

"I'm sorry he's gotten so little rest," Hermione said guiltily.

"It's hardly your fault," Ginny said.

"I know, but I still feel badly about it."

"Well don't," Ginny said bluntly. "Harry is doing his job and you would do the same if the tables were turned."

"I suppose," Hermione said. "Do you remember Delia Wilkes?"

"A bit," Ginny said. "She was always really quiet, seemed a bit shy. I never really talked to her much. I'm actually rather surprised that she sent that photograph to you, Remus." Remus nearly choked on his sandwich. "She never seemed the type."

"You know about the photograph?" Remus said, his face heating.

"Harry mutters a lot when he's tired," Ginny said with a grin. He glanced up at Hermione, who looked annoyed.

"I still can't believe women sent you naked photographs," she said with a huff, trying to cross her arms in front of her before she remembered the sling. Ginny snickered and Hermione glared at her. Remus decided to change the subject, but Harry walked in before he could.

After answering the security question, Harry kissed Ginny and then smiled and Hermione.

"You're up and about I see," he said, pointing to the sling.

"Yes, and I hope you have good news, so I can convince Healer Spencer to let me go home." Remus bit back a sigh. He understood her want to be at her own house, but he didn't want her leaving if it would be a risk to her recovery.

"There weren't any accomplices, if that's what you mean," Harry said. Remus breathed a sigh of relief. Andromeda and Teddy could go home. "We've got Auror teams sweeping both your houses now, just to make sure nothing was planted anywhere and then you'll be fine to return." He turned to Hermione. "As long as the Healer says it's all right." She nodded happily.

"Did you find anything at the cottage?" Remus asked.

"Lots of things," Harry said with a grimace. "An entire library of Dark books. We found both the potions book and the one that she got the initial curse out of. But that wasn't the worst bit." Hermione looked at him quizzically and Ginny moved to join Hermione on the bed, so Harry could have her chair. Harry sat down and looked at Remus.

"She had an entire bedroom devoted to you."

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked.

"Newspaper articles, photographs, letters that she had written, but obviously not sent, even essays she'd written for your class with the comments circled," Harry said. "The walls were covered with them." Remus looked horrified, Ginny and Hermione shocked.

"There was also a note that you'd written her," Harry said. Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "Thanking her for the condolence note she sent for Tonks' funeral."

"I sent dozens of those," Remus said. "They were all the same actually, I just wrote one and then geminoed it."

"Well, she obviously thought that it was written especially for her because it was right in the center of everything." Remus sighed.

"I don't understand," he said. "I never even had any contact with her except that note and that wasn't personal by any means."

"Was she harboring this crush since she was a second year?" Hermione asked, a bit appalled. Sure, Hermione had had a crush on Lockhart second year, something she would never admit to anyone but herself, but it had been short-lived.

"It doesn't seem so," Harry said. "From what we can figure, it started after he saved her life during the Battle and was compounded by her mental state. She's a bit, well, off is putting it nicely."

"Why didn't she approach Remus before now?" Hermione asked.

"Tonks," Harry said.

"Dora?" Remus said. "What about her?"

"She felt that she needed to give you a proper amount of time to grieve before she approached you," Harry said. "She talked almost as highly about Tonks as she did about you. She was hoping to talk to you at the Anniversary memorial this year. But then the article came out about you and Hermione and she sort of lost it."

"That's putting it mildly," Ginny said dryly. Harry nodded.

"She followed you in the press after the war, had every article that even mentioned your name. She must have come to the Order of Merlin ceremony because she had original photographs, not newspaper clippings, although she had those too." Harry paused, looking unsure if he should continue.

"What else?" Remus demanded.

"She had a couple of pictures of you and Teddy," Harry said. Hermione gasped and Ginny looked furious. "It looked like you were at a park."

"She mentioned that last night," Remus said. "She followed me apparently."

"How did she find out where you lived?" Hermione demanded.

"Hospital records, I'm guessing," Harry said.

"We've had Teddy in for check-ups," Remus confirmed. He shuddered. If Delia had decided Teddy was an obstacle to Remus, what might she have done? Remus looked up as Hermione stood from the bed and walked towards him. She perched herself on the arm of his chair and took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Her family didn't notice any of this?" Hermione asked. Harry sighed.

"According to her mother, one morning Delia woke up and told them she was tired of their hovering and treating her like an infant. She said she was moving out. Her mother didn't want her to, but she was an adult, they couldn't really stop her. To try and have some control over the situation, her father gave her the cottage. But shortly after she moved in, she changed the wards and wouldn't allow them Floo access. She still turned up for dinner once a week and then Cressida got her the job here. Her father convinced her mother to let Delia have her space and by all accounts, she seemed to be doing all right. There weren't any complaints about her at work and she and Cressida would have lunch together and the days they worked the same shift."

"She was just off her nut," Ginny muttered. Harry nodded.

"Cressida said that Delia talked about Remus quite often, but Cressida just chalked it up to hero worship because Remus had saved her life."

"So, what happens now?" Remus asked.

"She's been arrested for attacking Hermione," Harry replied. "Not to mention impersonating a mediwitch, the Imperius curse and attacking an Auror."

"So, she's going to Azkaban," Remus said.

"I can't see why she wouldn't." Remus relaxed slightly. He looked up at Hermione, but she looked troubled. He squeezed her hand and gave her a questioning glance.

"It's just, she obviously had some kind of break-down after the war," Hermione said. "She didn't get the help she needed for that."

"You're defending her?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Hermione said. "But it sounds like she went through a lot. Seeing her best friend die in front of her and everyone else in that courtyard. You know it was the center of a lot of the fighting."

"We all went through things, Hermione," Ginny said. "Saw people die."

"I know that," Hermione replied. "But we all had support systems. Friends and family that had been through the same things and could help us, be there for us. It sounds like her family had no idea what to do. And none of them were at the Battle, they couldn't have had any idea of what it was really like. Maybe she was just more emotionally unstable to begin with. Not everyone deals with trauma in the same way." She sighed.

"Muggles have these support groups, for people with all kinds of different problems, grieving parents or for people addicted to alcohol or drugs. Being able to talk to other people that are dealing with the same things as you can really help. It's too bad that the Wizarding world doesn't have something like that." Remus saw the look in Hermione's eye and thought that the Wizarding world just might have those support groups before too long.

Harry yawned and both Ginny and Hermione looked at him in concern.

"Please tell me you're going home to sleep now," Hermione said.

"Yes, Hermione, I am going home to sleep now," Harry said with an eye roll. Hermione scowled at him. Ginny stood and gathered up the picnic basket, holding a hand out to Harry.

"Yes, you are," Ginny said, giving Harry a look eerily reminiscent of her mother. Harry sighed and stood, taking Ginny's hand.

"Let me know what the Healer says," Ginny said to Hermione.

"The Healer?" Harry questioned. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Hermione replied. "I'm just hoping that Healer Spencer will let me go home this afternoon." Harry met Remus' eye questioningly. Remus sighed and shook his head slightly. Hermione caught the look between the two of them.

"Don't you start too, Harry," Hermione warned.

"Hermione, you haven't even been awake for a day," Harry protested.

"I want to go home, Harry."

"You're still hurt."

"I'm fine," Hermione said firmly. "My arm is healing and otherwise there is nothing wrong with me."

"Hermione," Harry said again, but Ginny interrupted before he could continue.

"Come on, Harry, time for a nap." She pulled Harry toward the door. "We'll see you later."

"Gin," Harry protested, but she had pulled him out of Hermione's room and into the corridor before Remus could hear anything else he said.

Hermione turned to him, challenging look on her face. Instead of saying anything, he pulled her off the arm of the chair and into his lap, wrapping his arms around her and burying his nose in her hair. She relaxed against him a few moments later, fingers of her good hand, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. They sat that way for several minutes before Remus sighed and leaned his head back against the back of the chair.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione asked quietly.

"She had pictures of Teddy," he replied. Hermione's hand stilled on his neck. Remus pulled in a breath and let it out. He was having a hard time keeping his anger under control. Only the fact that Hermione was on his lap and he would hurt her if he lashed out, kept him in check.

"Teddy is fine," Hermione said soothingly. "She didn't hurt him." Remus blew out another breath and nodded. Teddy was fine, Ginny had just told him so. He was safe at the Burrow with his grandmother and Molly.

"You should go and see him," Hermione said. Remus looked at her and shook his head.

"I'm sure he's napping now, and I _know_ he's all right." Hermione looked at him skeptically. "I _do_ , it's just," Remus sighed.

"The wolf?" Hermione questioned. Remus looked up at her in surprise. "You mentioned he was a bit overprotective and tomorrow is the moon so," she shrugged.

"That doesn't…bother you?" he asked.

"Why would it?" Hermione asked in confusion. "Teddy is your son, of course you want to protect him."

"Because it's the same with you," he said quietly. Hermione stared at him. She didn't look surprised or upset, but she _had_ been irritated when he hadn't wanted her to go home.

"I know," she said. She moved her hand and took his in her own. "It doesn't bother me that you want to protect me, I want to protect you too." She paused and looked down at their joined hands. "It's just, you've been a bit over the top about it. I _really_ want to go home."

"I'm just concerned that you're doing too much, too soon." She looked at him for a few minutes, then gently pulled away and stood.

"You don't understand," she said, turning her back to him.

"Hermione, of course you want to go home. No one would rather be in hospital than at their own house." He stood as well. "But, it won't do you any good to leave and then have to come back because your hand got infected."

"I'm perfectly capable of following instructions," she said crisply. He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. _Why_ was she being so stubborn about this?

"I know you, Hermione," he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "You can't tell me that you're not going to want to go to the trial or go back to work if Healer Spencer lets you go home."

"Of course, I'm going to _want_ to," she retorted, spinning around. "That doesn't mean I _will_." He looked at her skeptically. She tried to fold her arms across her chest and when she remembered the sling, she made a noise of frustration. "I _hate_ this thing." He opened his mouth to say something, but she continued, her voice rising with each sentence.

"I want to go home! I want to go to Satterfield's trial and then give my werewolf proposal. I want to go to Ginny's next Quidditch match and hold your hand and not care who sees. I want to walk down Diagon Alley with you and take Teddy to the toy store and have lunch at that new café. I want to do normal things!"

"I expected the letters and the Howlers after we announced our relationship. I expected the looks at the whispers at work. But I didn't expect this!" She motioned to her arm. "I'm so _angry_ at Delia Wilkes for what she did, for how she disrupted our lives. But, I feel guilty about it because there's obviously something wrong with her, the war broke her and that could have easily been any of us and-" she trailed off, shaking her head. The tears filled her eyes then. Remus stepped forward and tentatively put a hand on her arm. When she didn't protest, he gently pulled her into his arms, careful not to hold her too tight and crush her healing arm.

"This isn't how it was supposed to be," she said, so quietly, he knew he wouldn't have heard her if it hadn't been so close to the moon.

"I know, love." He kissed the top of her head and held her as she silently cried. He carefully walked them back to the chair and sat down, taking Hermione with him. She snuggled into him and he rubbed her back until she had quieted.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Nothing to apologize for. You've been through a horrible experience," Remus said. She sat up and looked at him.

"Do you understand why I need to go home?" she asked. He tucked a curl behind her head.

"I do," he said.

"So, you're all right with it?"

"Hermione, it was never my choice to begin with," he said.

"But you didn't want me to," she pointed out.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I wouldn't rather keep you here until I know you're completely healed." She opened her mouth to protest, but he put a finger to her lips. "But, that's because I was so terrified that I was going to lose you. Logically, I know that you're all right and that you can very likely finish healing at home. What my heart says is a completely different story." She gave him a small smile and then leaned forward and kissed him.

Remus deepened the kiss and Hermione tightened her arm around his neck. One of his hands moved from her back to her hip, pulling her slightly so she shifted closer to him. They snogged for quite some time and it was only the feel of the sling against his chest that kept Remus from getting carried away. He pulled away from her reluctantly, resting his forehead against hers and breathing heavily.

"I _hate_ this thing," Hermione said again, and Remus chuckled.

"The sling notwithstanding, I don't think that we would have wanted Healer Spencer to walk in on us." Hermione snorted and soon they were both laughing. She looked up at him and kissed him softly once more. He smiled at her when she pulled back.

"Let's talk to the Healer and get you home." She stared at him in surprise for a moment before she grinned and then threw her good arm around his neck.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, trying not to get choked up at the thought that he could say the words again and she would hear him. Hugging her tightly to him, he breathed in the scent of her and felt himself settle. She was all right.

* * *

Hermione followed Remus out of the Floo into the Burrow's living room. Healer Spencer had released her an hour prior and after stopping at her house to change her clothes and freshen up, she had asked to come with Remus to the Burrow to tell Teddy and Andromeda they could go home.

"Oh, sweetheart," Molly said as she came into the room. She hurried to Hermione and hugged her. "We were so worried." Hermione smiled at the older witch as she pulled back to look Hermione over. The sling was gone, thank Merlin. Hermione's arm was simply wrapped in a bandage which Healer Spencer had told her she could remove the following morning.

"Daddy!" a little voice said, and Molly stepped back as Teddy raced into the room, followed by Andromeda. He made a beeline for Remus who scooped his son up into his arms and hugged him tightly. Teddy turned his head and noticed Hermione. "My-nee!"

"Hi, Teddy," she replied with a smile. Teddy reached for her, but Remus kept a firm hold on him as Hermione kissed the little boy's cheek and gave him a swift hug.

"My-nee, you gots an owts?" Teddy asked pointing to her bandaged arm.

"I do," she replied. "But I'm almost better now."

"I tiss it?" he asked and Hermione grinned.

"I would like that." She held up her arm and Teddy leaned forward.

"Be gentle," Remus said. Teddy place a kiss on the middle of Hermione's forearm.

"It better?"

"A lot better, than you, Teddy."

"Hello, Hermione," Andromeda said. She stepped forward and hugged Hermione as well. "I am so glad you are all right."

"Thank you," Hermione said, returning the older woman's embrace.

"Arthur should be home any minute and Harry and Ginny will be here soon for supper," Molly said as Hermione and Andromeda separated. "You'll join us." She looked at Remus and Hermione questioningly. Hermione nodded.

"Of course, Molly, thank you," Remus said. Molly nodded and made her way back to the kitchen, waving off the offers of help.

"Daddy, My-nee, you pay wit me?"

"I have something to tell you first," Remus said, glancing at Andromeda as well. Teddy looked at him expectantly. "How would you like to go home after supper?"

"My house?" Teddy asked, and Remus nodded. "Nanna, we go my house!" Andromeda smiled.

"That sounds wonderful," she said. The Floo flared and Arthur stepped into the living room. His eyes widened at the sight of Hermione.

"Hermione, you're all right."

"I am," Hermione agreed. Arthur hugged her, and Hermione felt her eyes fill. It had only been a few days, but the chance that she might never have seen any of them again hit her in that moment. Arthur looked at her in concern when he released her, but Remus slipped an arm around her waist and she leaned into him, smiling at Arthur in reassurance. Remus kissed the top of her head as Arthur went into the kitchen to greet his wife.

"My-nee, you gots more owts?" Teddy asked. Andromeda bit her lip to keep from laughing as Remus reddened.

"No, Teddy, I haven't hurt my head," Hermione said trying very hard not to laugh. Teddy looked confused but before he could ask any more questions Harry and Ginny walked in. Teddy, easily distracted by his godfather, clambered to get out of Remus' arms. Hermione took one look at Remus and started laughing, trying to muffle it behind her hand.

"It's not funny," he said. "How am I supposed to explain this to him? He's two!" He glared at Hermione as another giggle escaped.

"I do not think you need to sit him down and give him a lecture on the subject," Andromeda said dryly. "Just answer his questions when he asks." Remus didn't look very enthusiastic about that.

"It will be fine," Hermione said, finally having gotten her laughter under control. "Harry kisses Ginny in front of Teddy all the time and I don't think Teddy questions Harry about it. I'm sure Teddy just asked about it because of my arm."

"Maybe you're right," Remus said. She took hold of his hand and leaned against him. He looked down and smiled at her.

"Supper!" Molly called and they all made their way to the kitchen.

* * *

Hermione had gone home with Remus, Andromeda and Teddy after supper at the Burrow. Teddy had raced from room to room, greeting toys and books that hadn't come with them during their absence. The adults had looked on indulgently before Remus had finally corralled Teddy and informed him it was time for his bath. Hermione had chatted with Andromeda while Remus gave Teddy his bath and got him ready for bed.

Teddy insisted on Hermione reading him a story before bed. Remus had expanded the rocking chair, so Teddy could sit next to Hermione to prevent any injury to her arm. Remus had hovered near the door the entire time, making sure his son didn't get overly rambunctious, but Teddy had simply snuggled into Hermione's good side and listened intently while she read. He had been nearly asleep when she finished. Remus had picked him up and settled him in his cot, Teddy drifting off almost immediately. When they had come downstairs, Andromeda had said good night to both of them and then gone to her room.

Remus had drawn Hermione into his arms and the two of them had stood in front of the fireplace for a few minutes, simply holding one another.

"I should probably get home," Hermione finally said. Remus tightened his arms around her. She looked up at him and he leaned down to kiss her.

"I don't want you there alone," he said when he pulled back.

"I'll be fine," she replied. "You know the Aurors swept the house and the mail ward is still up. Delia is in a Ministry holding cell." He shook his head.

"It's more than that," he said. "It's, the moon is tomorrow and I, I need to _know_ that you're safe."

"Another wolf thing?" she questioned, and he nodded, nuzzling his nose into her hair. She hummed in contentment.

"You could come with me," she suggested. "You could get up early and be back before Teddy wakes up."

"I need to know they're safe too," Remus said with a sigh, meaning Teddy and Andromeda.

"Oh," Hermione replied, realizing the problem. She wasn't going to suggest she stay the night there. As much as Andromeda accepted everything, Hermione would feel too strange about sleeping in the bedroom that Remus had shared with Tonks. Remus was still running his nose along her hairline.

"Maybe," she began, losing her train of thought as Remus' lips moved to her neck. She forced her mind back to what she was going to say. "Maybe if you come over and check the house yourself, then you'll," she gasped as he nipped at her neck, "you'll feel better about, about leaving me there." Remus captured her lips in a searing kiss and Hermione pulled herself closer to him. Her hand was still bothering her a bit, but she ignored the slight pain in favor of the much more pleasant sensations Remus was wringing from her.

He pulled away abruptly a few minutes later, taking a step back from her. Hermione started to follow, but he put his hands on her upper arms to keep her in place.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"What on earth for?" she asked, trying to regain her breath.

"I shouldn't, we shouldn't," he shook his head as if trying to clear it. "You're still hurt."

"I'm fine," she said, reaching for him. He stepped back from her.

"No. Hermione, I can't, I," he was cut off when she managed to get close enough to kiss him again. He pulled away from her once more.

"Remus, I'm fine," she said, a bit exasperated.

"Do you remember what I told you before?" he said. "About how I get just before the moon?" She nodded. Of course, she remembered. "I don't think I, it's, it wouldn't be…gentle." Her breath caught at his words. He looked a bit embarrassed, but Hermione could also see the amber swirling in his eyes. She took a step forward.

"Maybe I don't want gentle," she said. He groaned.

"Don't say things like that."

"Why not?"

"Your arm," he said weakly.

"Is fine," she said. "Healer Spencer didn't give me any restrictions." She stepped closer to him again and he stared at her, eyes almost completely amber now. "You won't hurt me." He stared at her for another moment and then his arms were around her before she even realized that he'd moved. He kissed her fiercely and she melted against him. She was the one to tear herself away from his mouth this time and she grabbed for the pot of Floo powder on the mantel.

"Not here," she said, and he looked at her for a moment before he nodded. Remus waved his wand and a piece of parchment and a quill flew into the room. He scribbled a quick note to Andromeda, set in on the mantel and stepped into the Floo behind Hermione.

* * *

Remus grabbed her as soon as he stepped from the Floo. He pushed her up against the wall next to the fireplace and kissed her again, his hands moving quickly over her. He shouldn't be doing this, he knew he shouldn't, not while she was still injured. But what she had said was true. He would never hurt her. And gods, he wanted her. Not just because of the moon. He needed to know, _know_ that she was still here and whole and with him.

She must have felt the same because she returned his fierce kisses, her hand tearing at his shirt, frustrated when she couldn't get it off him fast enough. Remus picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he braced her against the wall. They weren't going to make it to the bedroom or even the couch. He finally drew his wand and banished their clothes before casting the contraception charm. Throwing his wand to the floor, he kissed her again and then buried himself inside her.

"Fucking hell," he said, stilling for a moment, giving her time to adjust. He needn't have worried. She started moving almost immediately, her good arm wrapped tightly around his neck, fingers pulling on his hair, the other resting lightly on his shoulder. Remus moved quickly and neither of them lasted long. When Hermione gave a shuddering cry and tightened around him, he groaned and pushed into her one last time.

His legs nearly giving out, Remus lowered them both to the floor and they collapsed against one another, catching their breath. He peppered her with soft kisses, completely spent and not sure he could move any more than that. Hermione's head rested on his shoulder and she made small noises of contentment every time his lips touched her.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked when he finally regained his voice.

"No," she said with a dreamy smile.

"How's your arm?"

"It's fine." She lifted her head and put a hand to his cheek, then kissing him softly. He pulled her tighter to him.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." She moved back from him and he summoned his wand, casting a cleansing charm on them both. Getting to their feet, her pulled her back into his arms and kissed her deeply.

"I don't want you here alone," he said again.

"You should be with Teddy and Andromeda," Hermione argued. "I'm perfectly safe here."

"Come back with me." Hermione looked up at him in surprise.

"What?"

"Come back to my house with me."

"I don't, I don't think that I, that I could," she said. He looked at her quizzically. "That was, that's your and Tonks' bedroom."

"We don't have to sleep in the bedroom." Now she looked confused. "I'll transfigure the couch. I just, I need to know that you're safe." Remus watched her face as she thought about. He knew that she didn't like it when he got overprotective, but she was just out of hospital. The imminence of the full moon wasn't helping matters. He honestly didn't know if he could leave her here alone, but he was equally sure he wouldn't be able to leave Teddy and Andromeda on their own. His skin itched with the need to have them all under the same roof, to protect his pack.

"I'll sneak you out before dawn if you like," he said with a smirk, knowing that part of her hesitation was wondering what Andromeda would think. She slapped his chest and he chuckled, pulling her in closer, very aware that they were both still naked. He pushed away thoughts of another go.

"All right," she finally said. "But we're _just_ sleeping." She glared at him as if she had just read his mind.

"Of course," he said. No matter how accepting Andromeda was, Remus was not about to shag Hermione in the middle of the living room. He shuddered a bit at the thought of his mother-in-law walking in on them.

"Let me just go and get dressed," she said. "And put the salve on my arm." She kissed him one more time, then stepped back. Remus realized that vanishing their clothes might not have been the best plan. He couldn't walk back into his house starkers.

"Hermione?" he said. She looked over her shoulder on her way to the stairs. "I, erm, do you think you can grab me a towel or something?" She laughed and nodded.

"I'm sure my dad left a pair of track pants around here somewhere." Remus grimaced at the thought of wearing her father's clothes, but he supposed it was better than the towel idea. He watched her backside appreciatively as she hurried up the stairs.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione stepped out of the fireplace after Remus. He transfigured the couch into a bed, then went up to get blankets and change into his own clothes. Hermione still wasn't completely sure about staying the night, but she understood Remus' need to have her close. Truth be told, she didn't really want to spend the night alone in her house either. Crookshanks wasn't even there, Hermione planned to pick him up at Grimmauld Place the next day. Hopefully, once the moon had passed and Delia had been formally charged, Remus would relax, and things could get back to normal.

He came downstairs a few minutes later, changed into a t-shirt and boxers, carrying blankets and pillows. They made the bed and climbed in. Hermione snuggled into Remus' side, her bandaged arm lying across his stomach. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head, idly running his fingertips over the back of her hand. They laid in silence for a few minutes.

"Are you planning on going to the trial tomorrow?" he asked. Hermione was a bit surprised that he'd brought it up. She would have thought this protectiveness would have meant he didn't want her to go.

"As long as Healer Spencer gives me the go ahead," Hermione said. She had an appointment with the Healer in the morning for one last examination of her arm. Hermione didn't expect there would be any problems, her arm had looked nearly healed when she had rubbed the salve into it a little while ago. She felt Remus nod his head.

"Do you want to come with me?" she asked. "It's all right if you don't. I know the day of the moon can be hard for you."

"I should spend some time with Teddy," he said regretfully.

"Of course, you should," Hermione replied. "Ginny said she'd come, so I won't be alone." She propped her chin on his chest, so she could see his face.

"If the moon wasn't tomorrow," he began, but she shushed him.

"Remus, you've been with me nearly all the time for the last few days. Don't feel guilty about wanting to be with Teddy." He leaned up and kissed her. She let herself get lost in it for a few minutes, before remembering where they were.

"Sleep only, remember?" she said, somewhat breathlessly.

"Right," he agreed, equally out of breath. They settled back down in the bed and Hermione sighed in contentment. Remus' lips brushed across her forehead.

"Good night, love."

"Good night," she replied, eyes fluttering shut.


	67. Protect

**A/N - Hello all! Glad everyone liked the last chapter. Summer is upon us, so I am just going to say now that while I will try to stick to the weekly posting schedule, that may not always happen. Having kids at home always messes with my writing time for one reason or another.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. I've had a lot of alerts added this week, so welcome to all the new readers, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 67**

 **Protect**

 **18 April 2000**

The sky was just beginning to lighten when Remus woke. Hermione was still snuggled into his side, her arm slung across his stomach. The bandages were still on, of course, but the tips of her fingers looked nearly normal. He felt the ball of tension inside him relax just a little bit more.

He was glad he had been able to convince her to stay last night. Once they were back at the house with Teddy and Andromeda, the wolf had finally stopped his pacing. Remus wondered if that would resolve itself after the full moon. He figured that it would. By the time the next moon rolled around, Hermione would be completely healed and Delia's fate would likely have been decided.

Tonight would still be a problem. Remus couldn't very well ask Hermione to stay here again, given that he would be in the cellar, but the thought of her being alone in her house made that ball of tension tighten once more. Perhaps he could get her to stay at Grimmauld Place.

He grimaced remembering that she hadn't spoken to Ron yet. Although the younger man had apologized to Remus, as far as Hermione was concerned, Ron still wasn't speaking to her. She likely would not want to stay with Harry and Ginny without that being resolved first.

Remus sighed and Hermione stirred. She yawned, but then settled back into his side. He smiled, running a hand down her hair.

"Wake up, love," he said quietly. She shifted again and muttered something under her breath but didn't open her eyes. Remus smiled mischievously. He ran his fingers lightly up her back and then down her upper arm. Hermione shuddered a bit but remained stubbornly asleep. He kissed the top of her head and then her temple, maneuvering himself to run his lips down her jawline. She sighed and he was quite sure she was awake, although she pretended not to be. He moved closer to her mouth, covering her lips with his and smiling as she finally responded to him.

"I know you're awake," he said when he pulled back and her eyes were still closed.

"M'not," she mumbled. "Need to kiss me again." He chuckled and did as she bid, kissing her quite thoroughly. She sighed again with a smile and opened her eyes.

"Good morning."

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Early," he said. She snuggled back into him and he kissed the top of her head. "I thought you wanted to sneak out before anyone was up."

"Mm, you're too warm. Don't want to move." He hugged her tighter to him and ghosted his lips over the side of her neck. She shivered and pressed herself even closer. Remus bit back a groan. Bloody hell, he needed to stop this before something happened in the middle of his living room.

"Hermione," he said, even as her hand snaked under the t-shirt he wore, moving up to his chest. He growled under his breath and kissed her deeply as her fingers traced over one of his scars. He put a hand on her bum and pulled her as close to him as possible, continuing to kiss her, all earlier reservations about their location completely fleeing from his brain.

He rolled Hermione to her back and broke away from her mouth to kiss and nip at her neck, grinding himself into her. She had wrapped a leg around his hip, hand moving down to his boxers before she suddenly stilled. It took him a few seconds to realize that she was no longer participating and when he pulled away from her neck and looked at her, she looked horrified.

"Hermione?"

"Remus, we're in your living room," she hissed. She dropped her arms from around his neck and covered her face, which he could see was turning bright red. Despite his current state of arousal, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Did you forget where you spent the night?"

"No, but I was half-asleep and," she trailed off shaking her head. "What if Teddy or Andromeda? Gods!" Her hands flew away from her face. "And you were going to just keep on!"

"I would have stopped," he said, a bit defensively, moving against her without conscious thought. She raised her eyebrows. He looked a bit sheepish and rolled to the side. "Sorry." He took a few breaths and tried to calm down.

She finally sighed and rolled to her side look at him, reaching out her hand to grasp his. He moved to face her, kissing her knuckles before entwining their fingers. A part of him still wanted to ravish her, regardless of where they were and who might interrupt, but he kept himself under control. If the look in her eye was anything to go by, she felt the same way.

"I should probably sneak out now," she said, laughing a little.

"If I know Andromeda, she'll know you were here anyway," Remus replied. Hermione looked a bit horrified and Remus chuckled.

"Don't look so scandalized, love. I've spent the night with you before and she was well aware of where I was."

"I know, it's just," Hermione shook her head. "Knowing she knows and actually being confronted with her are two different things."

"I suppose you're right," Remus said, still a bit amused. Although, he wouldn't want Andromeda to walk in on them either. He gathered Hermione to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She sighed into his neck and they lay there for a few minutes before she pulled back from him. She kissed him quickly and then crawled out of the bed. Remus rose as well and walked with her to the fireplace. He took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to your appointment?" he asked dropping his hands to her waist. She shook her head.

"No, you should stay here with Teddy today. Ginny will come with me and then we'll go to the trial after." He nodded, but he didn't let her go. "I can Floo call after my appointment and let you know what the Healer said before we go to the Ministry."

"You don't have to," Remus said, feeling a bit guilty at the overprotectiveness.

"I don't mind," she said, smiling up at him and hugging him a little tighter. He kissed her again and forced himself to pull away from her, although it was difficult. He almost suggested following her through the Floo and resuming their earlier activities, but he refrained.

For her part, Hermione looked just as reluctant to leave, turning back to kiss him one more time before she threw the Floo powder into the fireplace.

"I'll stop by after the trial," she said before she stepped into the flames. Remus nodded and watched her disappear, then groaned and flopped down on their transfigured bed. He was obviously going to have a date with a cold shower this morning.

* * *

Hermione and Ginny walked across the Atrium to the lifts. Hermione didn't fail to notice the whispering and a few double-takes as people noticed her presence. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For Merlin's sake, you'd think you'd been gone for weeks instead of a few days." Hermione shrugged.

"You know how gossip is at the Ministry." She pulled the sleeve of her robes down to cover more of her hand. The bandages were gone. Healer Spencer had given Hermione leave to attend the trial and even go back to work the following day. But, you could still tell that she had suffered some kind of burn, the skin of her hand and arm wouldn't be back to normal for a few more days.

She and Ginny stepped into the lift to head to Level Two. Hermione was going to stop in and speak with Margaret before they went down to the courtroom. There were two witches already in the lift, one of whom looked at Hermione, then immediately poked her friend. Hermione could feel them glancing at her out of the corner of their eyes. Just before the lift doors closed, a wizard quickly stepped inside.

"Hello, Mr. Nithercott," Hermione said. The Head of the Spirit Division was an odd little man, but he had always been pleasant enough to Hermione when she worked for him. He looked a bit surprised at being addressed but smiled when he realized who she was.

"Miss Granger," he said. "Good morning."

"I must thank you for referring Headmistress McGonagall to our department," he continued. "I've been enjoying speaking with Cuthbert immensely."

"Oh, well, you're welcome," Hermione said, unable to hide her smile at the wizard's enthusiasm.

"It's a fascinating case," he said. "Simply fascinating." Hermione heard Ginny snort and Hermione squeezed her wrist in warning. The lift stopped, and the two witches got out with a last glance at Hermione. She was sure the entire Ministry would know she was here in a matter of minutes.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Hermione said as the doors shut. "You're having some success, I hope?"

"Oh, most certainly," Mr. Nithercott replied.

"That's good to hear," Hermione said. The lift stopped again. Mr. Nithercott inclined his head at the two of them before he stepped out. When the doors slid shut, Ginny snorted out a laugh.

"Stop," Hermione admonished. "He's a very nice man and he's really good at his job."

"I'm sorry, but who on earth would call _Binns_ fascinating?" Hermione couldn't help the small laugh that escaped.

"At least we know Binns will likely be gone after this year and Remus will have a job, even if it only is part-time."

"True," Ginny agreed as the lift stopped on Level Two. They stepped out and walked towards Hermione's office. "I'm just going to pop in on Harry while you talk to your boss. Meet me there when you're done?"

"All right," Hermione agreed. Ginny gave her a little wave and walked into the Auror offices as Hermione continued to her department.

"Miss Granger," Cecily, Margaret's assistant, said in surprise. "It's good to see you."

"Thank you, Cecily," Hermione replied. "Is Ms. Fawcett in?"

"She is, go right in."

"Thank you." Hermione walked past Cecily's desk and knocked lightly on Margaret's door. At her call to enter, Hermione opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hermione," Margaret said, eyes a bit wide. "How are you?" She stood from her desk and walked around the front.

"I'm fine," Hermione said. Margaret surprised her by pulling her into a hug.

"Mr. Potter has been keeping me informed. I was very worried." She released Hermione and looked her up and down. "You are truly all right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. She pulled up the sleeve of her robes to show her boss her healing arm. "It should be back to normal in a few days. My Healer said I can return to work tomorrow."

"Are you sure you're ready to come back so soon?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "I want to get back to work and put this all behind me." Margaret nodded.

"I understand. Please, sit. Would you like tea?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you." Margaret settled herself into the chair behind her desk. "I was wondering if you had finished reviewing my proposal."

"I have," Margaret said. "It's very well researched and covers everything we discussed. Excellent work." Hermione could help but beam under the praise.

"You feel it's ready for presentation then?" Hermione asked.

"I do," Margaret agreed. "However, we still have the same issue we had before you were attacked." Hermione nodded, disappointed, but understanding her boss' position.

"I realize that Magical Law Enforcement has managed to keep your attack from the press," Margaret continued. "However, now that they have arrested the person responsible, that will no longer be the case." Hermione nodded again. Trials were public record. They wouldn't be able to convict Delia without the press knowing about it. "Your relationship with Mr. Lupin will be thrust back into the spotlight."

"I understand," Hermione said, feeling a bit sorry for herself. She admonished herself in her head. That the laws were changed was the most important thing. "Have you chosen someone else to make the presentation? I should probably work with them over the next few days to bring them up to speed."

"No need," Margaret said. Hermione looked at her quizzically. "I will be making the presentation."

"You will?" Hermione questioned, surprised.

"I did not always run this department, Hermione," Margaret said in amusement. "Your office used to be mine."

"Of course, I didn't mean," she trailed off, coloring slightly. Margaret chuckled.

"The Minister intends to put the proposal on the schedule for next Wednesday. Satterfield's trial will be over by then." Hermione nodded. "I assume that's why you're here today? To go to the trial?"

"Yes," Hermione confirmed.

"Is Mr. Lupin with you?" Margaret asked. Hermione tried not to bristle at the question. She knew why her boss was asking. Given Skeeter's ridiculous speculation in the _Prophet_ while Hermione was in St. Mungo's, Hermione's arrival at the trial was likely to cause a stir.

"No," Hermione said. "With all the time he spent with me while I was in hospital, he wanted to spend time with his son today. It's also the full moon tonight."

"Of course," Margaret said.

"He won't be here tomorrow either, given his recovery from the moon. But I can't promise that he won't be with me later in the week, if it drags on that long." Margaret looked at her for a few moments before she inclined her head. Hermione let out a silent breath of relief.

"I will see you tomorrow morning then. I may have a few questions for you about the proposal."

"All right," Hermione said, rising from her chair. Her boss looked up at her.

"I am very happy you're all right." Hermione smiled and bid Margaret good-bye.

* * *

Hermione walked into the Auror offices and made her way to Harry's desk. Before she reached it, Ron stepped out from his cubicle, stopping short when he saw her.

"Hermione," he said. He made a move towards her, looking as if he wanted to hug her, but thought better of it and stepped back. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Can we talk?"

"I'm supposed to meet Ginny, so we can go to the trial together," Hermione said tightly.

"That's not for another half hour," Ron said. Hermione stared at him. "Just, a few minutes?"

"Fine," she said, not convinced this was a good idea. But, she hadn't thanked him for his part in finding the antidote.

"Let's go in one of the interrogation rooms," he said, leading her down a corridor to her right. She followed him to one of the rooms. After he'd closed the door, Ron looked up at her.

"I'm really glad you're all right."

"Thank you," she said. "Harry told me you and Neville found the antidote. Thanks for that."

"You're welcome." They stood in awkward silence for a few moments before Ron blew out a breath.

"Look, I was an arse." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can say that again," she said. Ron snorted. "Was it about Harry knowing?"

"Partly," Ron said. "I know I shouldn't have said those things that I did about you and Remus. I was just…worried."

"About what exactly?" Hermione demanded.

"About what everyone would say," Ron said.

"I don't care what people say."

"I know you don't," Ron said. "And I'm glad for that, but I see stuff everyday around here, Hermione. How horrible people can be, and I didn't want you hurt." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, that it wasn't Ron's job to prevent her from being hurt, but Ron held up a hand. "You know that I like Remus, but the fact remains that he _is_ a werewolf and some people aren't going to like the fact that you're dating him. Then there's the whole age difference and everything and I just, I didn't explain myself very well."

"You did more than that Ron," Hermione said. "You brought up things from ages ago that you knew weren't true."

"I know," Ron said. "I know I did and it was stupid, and I never should have said it."

"Then why?" Hermione asked. When Ron didn't answer right away, she sighed. "Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course, I do!" he insisted. She looked skeptical. "Hermione, I _do_." He rubbed the back of his neck again. "I guess I was just, I don't know, jealous."

"Jealous? But you have Susan."

"I know and Susan is, she's," he trailed off, a soft smile playing about his lips. "She's amazing." Hermione couldn't help her own smile. "But, Hermione, it's, it's hard to explain."

"Try," she suggested, none too gently.

"I loved you for such a long time," Ron said. "You were my friend and then I fancied you forever. And then you were finally my girlfriend and I always thought that, that we would end up married with a bunch of kids someday. And even though I know now that we never would have worked, would have probably been a disaster, actually," he smirked at Hermione's snort, "that doesn't stop me from loving you, Hermione." Hermione bit her lip, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm not _in_ love with you," he said with a wry smile. "But it took me a little while to figure that out." Hermione let out a relieved breath. The last thing she wanted was Ron pining for her. "So, I'm sorry. I was an idiot." Hermione stared at him for a few moments, before she threw her arms around him.

"I forgive you," she said. Ron hugged her tightly.

"I was so scared, Hermione," he said.

"Me too," she said.

"I apologized to Remus."

"You did?" she said in surprise, stepping back from him. "When?"

"The night before he caught Delia in your room." Remus hadn't mentioned it, although there had been a lot going on the last two days.

"What did he say?"

"That you were the one that needed the apology. Which I knew, by the way." Ron paused. "He's completely in love with you." Hermione blushed a bit.

"I love him." Ron nodded.

"You two _are_ pretty perfect for each other." Hermione looked up at him in surprise and he smirked. "I've expanded that emotional range of a teaspoon to a tablespoon now." Hermione laughed.

"You know that's how I feel about you and Susan right?" Ron got that soft smile again.

"Yeah, she's pretty great." Hermione stared at him for a few seconds.

"You love her!" she said. Ron reddened, but he didn't deny it. "Have you told her?"

"Not yet," Ron said.

"Why not?" He shrugged.

"I dunno."

"You know she loves you too, right?"

"How do you know that?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"She puts up with you for one thing."

"Hey!" Ron said, then smiled sheepishly when he realized she was teasing him.

"Bad things can happen that you never expected," Hermione said, taking a steadying breath. Ron reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just, tell her, Ron."

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you're right." Ron squeezed her hand one more time before he let it go. Hermione smiled at him and glanced at her watch.

"Ginny and I should probably get going."

"Yeah, right," Ron said, opening the door. They walked back to Harry's desk in silence. Ginny was perched on the edge and Harry was looking up at her with a sappy expression on his face. His hand was on her knee, edging up under her robes.

"Oi, Potter, stop feeling up my sister at your desk." Harry jumped at Ron's voice and Hermione put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. Ginny glared at Ron, then her eyes widened when she noticed Hermione.

"Everything all right then?" she asked. Hermione smiled.

"Yes."

"Thank Merlin. I thought you were going to be a git forever," Ginny said to her brother. Ron scowled. Ginny jumped down off Harry's desk, leaned over and kissed Harry quite thoroughly, then stood and smiled sweetly at Ron. Hermione shook her head at the two siblings.

"No more bandages?" Harry asked Hermione. She grinned and pulled up her sleeve slightly.

"Took them off this morning," she said. "Healer Spencer told me I could go back to work tomorrow."

"That's great, Hermione," Harry said with a smile. Hermione pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Harry," she said. "For everything you did." Harry hugged her tighter.

"Don't ever do anything like that to me again," he said. She chuckled.

"I'll try not to." Harry finally let her go and Hermione smiled at him. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"We'd better get going, Ginny," Hermione said. Harry kissed his fiancée one last time and Ginny stuck out her tongue at Ron, who rolled his eyes. They made their good-byes and walked to the lift to go to the courtroom.

* * *

Given their stops beforehand, there was only ten minutes until the trial started once Hermione and Ginny reached the courtroom. Which meant, of course, that they were arriving around the same time as most everyone else. Ginny scowled at anyone who started whispering as they passed by. Hermione just kept looking straight ahead and tried to ignore it.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the wayward Miss Granger," Rita Skeeter said as she stepped into their path. Hermione sighed inwardly. "No werewolf escort today? Trouble in paradise?" Ginny rolled her eyes, as Hermione shifted to hide her arm in her robes.

"That desperate for stories, Rita?" Ginny asked, smiling sweetly. "Harry told me he rejected your request for an interview again. For the _eighth_ time." She batted her eyelashes as Rita scowled.

"I thought you were playing professional Quidditch," Rita said scathingly. "Did they cut you from the team already?"

"I go back to practice tomorrow actually," Ginny said with another sweet smile. "Thank you for being so concerned though. Come on, Hermione." Ginny pulled on Hermione's arm and they pushed past the reporter and made their way into the courtroom.

"You know she's going to write something horrible about you now," Hermione said. Ginny shrugged.

"She can give it her best shot," Ginny said. "The Harpies have someone for that."

"What do you mean?" Ginny waved a hand.

"Libel, defamation of character, all that. Barnabas Cuffe may be an idiot, but he's not stupid. He's not going to get the _Prophet_ embroiled in a lawsuit to satisfy Rita's pettiness."

"Too bad the Ministry doesn't have someone for that," Hermione said with a sigh.

"You don't need the Ministry, you have Harry," Ginny said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you honestly think he just let those two articles Rita wrote while you were in Mungo's go? He went in and had a talk with Cuffe about it. Threatened legal action if Cuffe wasn't careful."

"You're joking."

"Nope," Ginny said with a grin. "Rita can speculate all she likes, but she can't write anything _really_ spiteful. Cuffe won't print it. Rita knows it too, it's why she was so nasty today."

"She's always nasty," Hermione muttered. Ginny laughed. "I can't believe Harry had time to talk to the editor of the _Prophet_ on top of everything else he was doing."

"He didn't sleep much," Ginny said with a shrug. Hermione immediately felt guilty. Ginny bumped Hermione's shoulder with her own. "You're family, Hermione. Harry will do anything for his family." Hermione smiled softly. The entrance of the members of the Wizengamot put an end to their conversation and Hermione sat up straighter as Satterfield was led into the courtroom.

Her old boss looked haggard and worn. Hermione wondered how much of that was living in a holding cell for two weeks and how much was alcohol withdrawal. She suspected it was mostly the latter.

The questioning began. Hermione knew that they had mostly covered Satterfield's drinking and misconduct on the job in yesterday's questioning. Today was going to focus solely on his role in the werewolf executions.

After an hour, Hermione was nearly as frustrated as Kingsley appeared to be. Satterfield continually ignored questions, instead, talking to specific members of the Wizengamot, which was not allowed, about previous meetings or lunches they'd shared. It did help to ferret out who would be an ally to him but did little to move the trial forward. No amount of warning from Kingsley or the Head of the Wizengamot had curbed Satterfield's behavior.

"Mr. Satterfield," Kingsley finally thundered. "If you continue, I will be forced to take you back to your cell and postpone these proceedings until you are ready to cooperate." Satterfield gave the Minister a smile.

"As you say, Minister."

"Are you ready to proceed?" Kingsley asked tightly. Satterfield waved a hand.

"You must answer verbally, sir," the court clerk said.

"Yes," Satterfield said. Kingsley continued with the questioning. Satterfield stopped talking to members of the Wizengamot, but he either refused to answer questions or meandered so far from the point, it had the same effect. Finally, growing completely frustrated, Kingsley called an end to the trial for the day and ordered Satterfield back to his cell.

"We will reconvene at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

"Well, that was a waste of time," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I don't understand," Ginny said. "I don't think he was like this yesterday."

"Yesterday they weren't asking him about facilitating murder," Hermione said.

"True," Ginny said. The two of them made their way from the courtroom and managed to avoid any of the reporters in the crowd of people that were exiting.

"It's almost lunch," Ginny said. "Want to see if Harry's free?"

"I'm going to go back to Remus' actually," Hermione replied. "I told him I'd let him know what happened." Ginny nodded.

"I'll walk with you to the Floo," she said.

"I can walk through the Ministry by myself," Hermione said in exasperation.

"It's on my way anyway," Ginny said with a shrug.

"Not really," Hermione said. But she could tell by the look on the redhead's face Hermione wasn't going to dissuade her. Honestly, she wasn't a child.

They stepped into a lift and Hermione saw a few people staring at her. They averted their eyes quickly when she made eye contact. She sighed and rolled her eyes, wondering how long this was going to go on.

"Maybe you should just bring Remus to the Ministry and snog him in the middle of the Atrium," Ginny joked as they stepped off the lift and walked toward the Floos. "Might get all the ogling over all at once." Hermione snorted.

"Can I come over this afternoon and pick up Crooks?"

"Of course," Ginny said. "I'll be back after lunch." They had reached the Floos and Ginny hugged her good-bye and waited while Hermione stepped into the fireplace. Hermione shook her head at the overprotectiveness, suspecting that both Harry and Remus had a hand in it.

* * *

Hermione stepped into the living room just as Andromeda walked in from the kitchen.

"Hermione, we were not expecting you this early."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. She should have Floo called before she just walked in. "I didn't mean to intrude."

"Of course, you are not intruding," Andromeda said warmly. "You know you are always welcome anytime. I am just surprised that the trial is over."

"It's not," Hermione said.

"Oh, did something happen?" the older woman asked in concern. Hermione explained what had occurred at the trial.

"Kingsley sent him back to his cell and the trial will start again tomorrow morning." She looked around and realized it was awfully quiet. "Is Teddy napping already?"

"No, they were both full of nervous energy, so I sent them to the park," Andromeda said with a laugh. Hermione smiled. She knew how agitated Remus could get the day of the moon and Teddy was likely still excited to be home. "They just left a few minutes ago if you would like to join them."

"I think I'll do that," Hermione said. She transfigured her skirt into trousers and her robes into a Muggle jacket.

"It is just at the end of the street," Andromeda said.

"Thank you." Hermione stepped outside and made her way up the street to the park.

* * *

Remus watched Teddy as he climbed up the playset to the slide.

"Wat me, Daddy, wat me!"

"I'm watching," Remus said with a smile. Teddy sat down and pushed off, zooming down the slide into Remus' waiting arms. Teddy giggled like mad as Remus picked him up and tossed him in the air.

"Again!" Teddy said, squirming to get out of Remus' grip. Remus set him down and Teddy raced back to the steps up to the slide. When he reached the top, he stood there for a moment looking out over the park.

"My-nee, Daddy!" Teddy said.

"Hermione is coming over later, after your nap," Remus said.

"My-nee, dere!" Teddy pointed somewhere behind Remus and he turned around to see Hermione walking towards them. She wasn't supposed to be here for hours.

"Teddy come down the slide," Remus said, wanting to go to Hermione and see what was wrong.

"No, My-nee wat me!"

"Teddy, come down," Remus said again, more sternly. Something must have happened for Hermione to be here already.

"No!" Teddy insisted, stomping his foot for emphasis.

"Teddy," Remus warned.

"Hello, Teddy," Hermione said. Remus turned around and she covered the last few feet between them. "Hello, Remus."

"What's happened?" he asked immediately.

"Nothing," she said.

"Then why are you here so early?"

"I wanted to visit my two favorite men," she said with a smile.

"Hermione," he replied in exasperation.

"My-nee, wat me!" Teddy said. He sat down and pushed himself down the slide. Remus barely got back into position in time to catch him.

"Great job," Hermione said to the little boy. Teddy grinned and then squirmed to be put down. As he ran back to the steps, Remus turned back to Hermione.

"The trial was adjourned early because Satterfield wasn't cooperating." Hermione watched Teddy as he climbed the stairs again.

"My-nee, you cat me!"

"Okay," Hermione said, moving in front of Remus. "Ready, go!" Teddy came down the slide and Hermione gathered him to her and hugged him.

"Again!" Teddy said, and she laughed as she set him on his feet. She turned back to Remus and explained what had happened with Satterfield.

"You're all right?" Remus asked.

"I'm perfectly fine," Hermione said. She caught Teddy again and set him down. As Teddy ran back to the steps, Hermione took a step towards Remus and kissed him. "I'm fine." He hugged her and sighed in relief.

"Daddy, Daddy, you cat me!" Teddy said. Remus changed places with Hermione. When Teddy had finally tired of the slide, they wandered over to the swings. Putting Teddy into the swing made for toddlers, Remus pushed him with one hand and pulled Hermione into his side with the other. He breathed in her scent and felt himself relax for the first time since she'd left that morning. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.

"I talked to Ron," she said. Remus tensed slightly, and she looked up at him.

"How did that go?" he asked. He wasn't jealous, he and Ron had settled things days ago. But he didn't want the other man to have hurt Hermione again.

"It was good," Hermione said. "He apologized and I accepted."

"So, everything is all right between the two of you?" Remus asked.

"Yes," she said. "Why didn't you tell me he'd apologized to you?" Remus shrugged.

"Hasn't been the first thing I've thought about in the last two days." Hermione laughed.

"No, I suppose not," she agreed.

"He worked almost as hard as Harry did when you were hurt," Remus said.

"I know," Hermione said.

"I'm glad for you, love," Remus said, kissing the top of her head.

"Daddy!" Teddy shouted, trying to twist around in the swing to see them. Remus slowed the swing and they walked around to the front, arms still around each other.

"Yes?" Remus said.

"I done," he said. Remus chuckled and let go of Hermione to pull Teddy out of the swing.

"What now?" Remus asked.

"Dat!" Teddy said, pointing at the seesaw. Remus set him down and let Teddy run towards it. He took Hermione's hand and they followed. Teddy had climbed on the seat that was on the ground.

"Up, up!" he said, holding the handles and bouncing on his bum. Remus sighed. This was his least favorite thing that Teddy liked to do. Having only one child meant that Remus had to raise and lower the seesaw himself, all while keeping a grip on Teddy so he didn't fall.

"Here, let me," Hermione said. She stepped behind Teddy and raised the seesaw, settling herself on the seat behind Teddy.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked in confusion.

"Riding the seesaw, of course," she said. "Go over to the other side." Remus shook his head in amusement and walked around to the other side, throwing his leg over the other seat. Even the two of them together wouldn't be heavy enough to equal his weight.

"Hold on, Teddy," Hermione said, putting one arm around him and holding onto the handle with the other. Remus let his weight raise them up into the air and Teddy squealed in delight. He was much higher then he normally went when Remus raised and lowered the seesaw himself

"Ready to go back down?" Remus asked.

"Go, Daddy!" Teddy shouted. Remus chuckled as he pushed up with his legs. Hermione and Teddy only made it half-way to the ground before they rose up again.

"Should we make your daddy go up high?" Hermione asked.

"Yes!" Teddy said throwing up his hands.

"Hold on!" Remus admonished. Teddy regripped the handle. Thankfully, Hermione still had her arm around Teddy's waist. Remus' brow furrowed wondering how they were going to get him all the way up in the air when he still outweighed them by at least two stone. He saw Hermione flick her wrist and whisper something. Then he slowly rose into the air and stayed there.

"You up, Daddy!" Teddy shouted, giggling in delight. Hermione laughed along with him and Remus smiled at both of them.

"Should we let him down?" Hermione asked.

"No," Teddy giggled. "Daddy stay dere!" Remus pretended to pout, and Teddy laughed harder.

"It's almost time for lunch," Hermione said. "Should we let him down and go see what your nanna has made for us?" Teddy pursed his lips and stared at his father. Remus couldn't help but smile fondly. He looked very much like a mischievous Dora in that moment.

"Daddy come down," Teddy finally agreed. Hermione flicked her wand again and the extra weight she had added to their side of the seesaw disappeared. She and Teddy slowly rose into the air.

"I think I'll just leave the two of _you_ up there," Remus said with a smirk.

"No!" Teddy said. "Want lunts, Daddy!" He giggled again. Hermione smiled at Remus over the top of Teddy's head and he winked at her before slowly standing up and lowering the seesaw. Hermione stepped off, taking Teddy with her.

"It's a good thing Hermione came with us today, isn't it?" Remus asked his son, who was still in Hermione's arms.

"Yes!" Teddy said. He hugged Hermione around the neck. Hermione kissed his forehead.

"I'm glad I came too." Remus put an arm around Hermione and kissed her temple. Teddy stared up at him.

"Daddy? You tiss My-nee?" Remus tensed for a moment before remembering Andromeda's advice.

"Yes," Remus said, waiting for his son's inevitable question. It wasn't what he expected.

"I tiss My-nee?" Remus bit back a laugh and looked at Hermione.

"Sure, you can kiss me," Hermione said with a smile. Teddy kissed her cheek and then hugged her again.

"Love My-nee," Teddy said into her neck. Remus saw Hermione's breath hitch and she hugged Teddy tightly.

"I love you too, Teddy." Remus tightened his arm around Hermione's waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Come on," he said after a few moments. "Let's go have lunch."

* * *

Teddy had been put down for his nap, after much protesting. It was only when Hermione promised that she would still be there when he woke up that he finally settled and went to sleep. Hermione was currently curled into Remus' side on the couch. Andromeda was doing something in the kitchen and had left the two of them alone.

"So, whose idea was it for Ginny to stay glued to my side today?" Hermione asked.

"What do you mean?" Remus said evasively.

"After the trial was adjourned, she wouldn't even let me walk to the Floo by myself." Remus opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He stared at Hermione for a few moments before he sighed.

"In my defense, Harry agreed with me."

"Why am I not surprised?" Hermione said wryly.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I know that you're worried after everything that happened and the moon isn't helping, but Remus, you're going to have to stop doing this." He sighed again and looked at his lap.

"I don't want you hurt again."

"I could have still been hurt by the letter even if you were standing right next to me. Neither of us thought anything about taking the letters off the owls."

"I know that I'm being irrational," Remus said. "I know that you can take care of yourself."

"You don't sound convinced."

"It's not that, it's just," he shook his head. "Sitting there watching you sleep and knowing there was nothing I could do. And then, when Delia was trying to, I thought, I thought," he trailed off.

"I'm fine," she said, putting a hand to his cheek. He covered her hand with his own.

"I know you are, love," he said. "And I _do_ know that you can take care of yourself. It's just still fresh and with the moon, it's magnified." He kissed her palm. He studied her for a moment and Hermione saw the indecision on his face. He took the hand that was on his cheek and entwined their fingers, then looked at her resolutely.

"Speaking of the moon," he said. "Would you stay at Grimmauld Place tonight?" Hermione sighed.

"Remus," she began, but he interrupted.

"I know, Hermione and I wouldn't ask, it's just," he paused. "Tonight is going to be difficult for me, even with the Wolfsbane, because of all that's happened. If I know that you're not alone, that you're somewhere safe, the wolf won't be as agitated." She searched his face and could tell that he didn't really want to ask her, but his fear for her safety had overridden everything. He still had circles under his eyes from the little sleep he'd gotten while she'd been in St. Mungo's. The last thing she wanted was to cause him more restlessness and pain.

And, if she were being completely honest, she wasn't sure she was ready to go back to her house by herself. At least not overnight. She had been there this morning to shower and change before she went the Ministry, but that hadn't taken long. Ginny had arrived to go with her to the Ministry before Hermione was even finished. Hermione had purposely ignored the hole in the carpet. She had actually considered asking Ginny if she wanted to have a girls' night that night, so she wouldn't be alone the entire night. Now that Hermione had settled things with Ron, she wouldn't mind staying at Grimmauld Place.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Remus said after her long silence.

'No," Hermione said. "I'll talk to Ginny, but I'm sure it's not a problem for me to stay at Grimmauld."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked.

"Crookshanks is still there and I was going to go over there this afternoon anyway," she said with a smile. "It might be better until I can, can fix the carpet." Remus pulled him to her as she shuddered, thoughts drifting back to when the envelope started to smoke. She pushed her face into Remus' neck and breathed him in as he ran a hand slowly up and down her back.

Hermione shifted and kissed his neck, then moved up to his jaw and finally his mouth. He tangled a hand in her hair and grabbed her hip and pulled her closer to him as he kissed her. Hermione threw a leg over his lap and straddled him as he deepened the kiss. She finally tore her mouth away from his when she heard a noise in the kitchen.

"Shite," Remus said, breathing heavily. Hermione shifted in his lap and he groaned softly. "Hermione." He looked up at her, eyes completely amber and her breath hitched. She just wanted to forget everything that had happened and just _feel_. But she couldn't exactly do that with Andromeda in the kitchen.

"My house," she said, climbing quickly off his lap. She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the couch. He grabbed her and kissed her again, before he pulled in a breath and turned toward the kitchen. He was back moments later and she threw in the Floo powder. She stumbled out of the Floo, purposely avoiding looking at the carpet, and then Remus was behind her. He pulled her back into his chest, kissing her neck and running his hand up under her top to her breasts. Hermione put an arm around his neck and turned her head to kiss him.

Hermione pushed everything from her mind except Remus and the delicious things he was doing to her. While he didn't vanish their clothes like he had the night before, it didn't take long before they were both naked and Remus had her bent over the back of the couch. She pushed back against him as he moved behind her.

Just when she thought her legs might give out on her, she tensed and cried out. Remus finished shortly after and collapsed against her back. Her cheek rested against the back of the couch as she tried to regain her breath.

"Gods, Hermione," Remus breathed, kissing her shoulder blade. She made a noise of contentment and then protest as he stood, leaving her to shiver in the cooling air. He helped her stand and then led her around the couch. He reclined against the arm and pulled her down with him, gathering her into his side. He pulled a throw off the back of the couch and covered them with it. Her fingers traced small circles on his chest as he ran his hand up and down her arm.

"Your arm looks much better," he said.

"It's almost healed," she agreed, stopping her movements so he could inspect it more closely. Remus entwined their fingers and then raised her arm, placing small kisses on the inside of her forearm. Hermione shivered again and then looked up at him.

"If you keep that up, we won't be leaving here anytime soon," she said and he chuckled.

"Sorry, love, you're going to have to give me a bit more time to recover," he replied. She looked at him and he grinned. "Teddy will be asleep for at least another hour."

"Oh gods," she said, turning red and hiding her face in his chest. " _What_ did you say to Andromeda?"

"That you wanted to go pick up Crookshanks and that I didn't want you going alone." Hermione was shocked that he could have come up with a plausible excuse in the state he had been in. She _had_ been sitting on his lap just before he talked to Andromeda, after all.

"I don't know if she believed me," he continued with a slight grimace. Hermione groaned and turned redder.

"I can never show my face in your house again." Having Andromeda aware that they were sleeping together was one thing. Running out of the house in the middle of the afternoon to have a shag was completely another. Remus chuckled and kissed her temple. They lay in contented silence for a few minutes before Remus spoke again.

"Well, since we're already here, we might as well take advantage." Hermione looked up at him, slightly surprised.

"I thought you needed a bit of recovery time?" He shrugged.

"Full moon," he said, then rolled them to the side until he hovered over her. Hermione smiled as he kissed her. The full moon definitely had its benefits.


	68. Care

**A/N - So sorry for the delay! Summer schedules always take me a bit of time to get used to. Once again, thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 68**

 **Care**

 **19 April 2000**

"Good morning, Hermione," Andromeda said as Hermione stepped out of the Floo. It was just before dawn. Hermione knew that Andromeda rarely slept the night of the full moon, not to mention Hermione was concerned about what Remus had said about this moon being difficult after everything that had happened to her. She had spoken to Andromeda yesterday and arranged to come early to check on Remus. Hermione intended to help with Teddy as well, so Andromeda could take a short nap before Hermione had to leave for the Ministry.

"Good morning," Hermione said, purposely pushing all thoughts of yesterday afternoon from her mind. "How was everything?"

"As quiet as it always is, but that would be the silencing charm," Andromeda said. "I have no idea how he actually fared." Hermione sighed. She wished Remus wouldn't insist on the charm. If anything happened, no one would know he was hurt until the next day. Although, he would argue that they wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. With the Wolfsbane, though, Hermione would take the risk, despite the fact that he would be extremely angry if she did.

"Why don't you go upstairs and sleep for a bit? I'll take care of Teddy when he gets up," Hermione said.

"Oh, that is quite all right," Andromeda said. "I know you have to get to work and the trial."

"Not until a little after eight," Hermione replied. "You have plenty of time." Andromeda looked hesitant. "Please let me do this, you've been so supportive of us these last few weeks."

"All right," Andromeda finally nodded. "You can lower the wards in about ten minutes. Thank you, Hermione." She smiled and patted Hermione's arm as she left the room.

Hermione waited until she had gone and then walked into the kitchen and sat at the table, staring at the door that led to the cellar. She had spent the night at Grimmauld Place last night. Susan had joined them for dinner and the five of them had laughed and talked until quite late. The looks that had passed between Ron and Susan only cemented Hermione's belief that they two were completely besotted with each other. She hoped Ron took her advice soon.

When the ten minutes had passed, Hermione dropped the wards on the cellar and quietly made her way downstairs.

"Remus," she said as she reached the bottom. He looked up at her in surprise, still lying on the small carpet in one corner.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Hermione could see he was about to panic.

"Everyone is fine," she said. "I just thought I'd come early and let Andromeda get some sleep before I had to go into work."

"You didn't have to do that," Remus said, pushing himself into a sitting position with a grimace.

"I wanted to," she said with a small smile. "How are you this morning?"

"Sore," he said. "Tired. The usual."

"Nothing worse than usual?" He looked up at her with a smile.

"No, love, I knew you were safe." She bent down to help him stand, which he did with a groan. He held a blanket in front of him and Hermione grabbed his robes which were folded on a shelf the wolf couldn't reach. She slid them up his arms and then fastened them for him. He put his arms around her waist when she'd finished. Smiling up at him, she kissed him softly.

"Let's get you upstairs." She helped him up the stairs of the cellar and he sat down at the kitchen table. Hermione prepared him a cup of tea and some toast. Later, after he'd napped, he'd want a bigger breakfast, but his stomach was always a bit temperamental right after the transformation.

"Thank you," he said, taking a sip of his tea. He stared at her for a few moments.

"What?" she finally asked.

"I'm glad you're here." She smiled and reached across the table to take his hand. He ate half his toast and drank the rest of his tea, then yawned.

"Bed?" she asked. He nodded. "Is the salve upstairs?"

"Yes," he replied. He stood, and she put an arm around him as she led him to the stairs. He leaned against her, but not as heavily as he had when they came up from the cellar.

When they reached his bedroom, he stripped off his robes before he sank down onto his bed. Hermione took the tub of salve that Remus rubbed into his joints from his bedside table. He reached for it, but she didn't release it.

"I'll do it," she said quietly so as not to wake Teddy yet.

"I usually do it myself," he said.

"I know." She unscrewed the cap and began to rub it into his shoulders. He groaned. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," he said, letting his head hang. "Feels better." She continued down his arms and then moved to his hips and legs, finally ending at his ankles. When she stood, Remus took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"We might have to make this a regular thing," he said and she smiled.

"Lie down," she said. He obeyed and she pulled the blankets up over him. She sat down on the edge of the bed and he took her hand again. "Do you need anything else?"

"No," he said. "Thank you for coming over this morning."

"You don't have to thank me," she said. "But, you're welcome. Get some sleep." She leaned forward and kissed him again. He smiled at her when she pulled away. "I'll stop by after work today."

"Stay for dinner," he said.

"All right," she agreed. She squeezed his hand and stood.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too." She walked to the door and when she looked back, his eyes were already closed. Hermione smiled and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

* * *

Hermione made her way through the Atrium to the lifts. Ginny was coming in with Harry and meeting Hermione in her office before they went back to Satterfield's trial. The redhead had to go back to Wales that afternoon, so she was spending the morning at the trial, then having lunch with Harry before she headed back.

Hermione smiled to herself as she stepped into the lift. Teddy had been extremely excited when she had walked into his bedroom that morning. She had eventually had to cast a Muffliato around the two of them to keep him from waking up Andromeda or Remus as he chattered on to her about what he wanted for breakfast and what they would play afterwards. He had been a bit upset when she'd had to leave, but after she explained she would be back for dinner, he had calmed down.

The lift arrived at Level Two and Hermione stepped out, ignoring the whispers that started as soon as she did so. She rolled her eyes as she made her way to her office, wondering how long it would take until the next scandal diverted the attention away from her and Remus.

"Good morning, Cecily," Hermione said pleasantly before walking into her office. She frowned when she saw the letter lying on her desk. The envelope was thick, almost bulging, and only her name was scrawled across the front. Taking a step back from it, Hermione forced herself to pull in a breath and let it out.

"Cecily," Hermione said as she stepped back into the main office. "Do you know where this letter on my desk came from?" Cecily's brow furrowed.

"Letter?" she said. "What letter?" Hermione's heart began to pound.

"What time were you here this morning?"

"Eight o'clock as usual," Cecily said.

"Did anyone come in?"

"Not that I saw," Cecily said. "But I was in the back room for about fifteen minutes getting a few files for Ms. Fawcett." Hermione nodded and swallowed hard. She turned back to her office and cast a shield charm and as many wards as she could think of over her desk. She shut the door to her office behind her.

"Don't let anyone into my office until I get back," Hermione said. Cecily looked worried.

"Miss Granger, what's the matter?"

"Maybe nothing," Hermione said. "But, I need to get Harry." Cecily nodded as Hermione hurried from the office.

She practically ran to the Auror Department and ignored the secretary, heading straight for Harry's desk.

"Hermione?" he said as soon as she saw her. "What's wrong?" Ginny stood next to him looking concerned.

"There's a letter," Hermione said. She could feel her hands shaking.

"Letter?" Ginny repeated. "But I thought the mail wards were still up?"

"It's on my desk," Hermione managed. Harry's expression hardened and he pushed past her.

"Ron," he called. Ron stood from his desk a few feet away.

"What's up?" Ron asked. "Oh, hey, Hermione." His brow furrowed as he saw the expression on Hermione's face.

"Hermione's got a letter on her desk," Harry said. Ron's eyes widened and then his mouth thinned.

"Come on, then," he said to Harry and the two of them began to walk out of the office.

"Hermione?" Ginny questioned. When Hermione didn't answer, the younger woman moved to stand in front of her. Seconds later, she pulled Hermione into a hug. "It's all right. Harry and Ron will get it sorted." Hermione nodded and took another breath.

"I should go with them. I put up wards." The two witches made their way back to Hermione's office.

Harry and Ron were already inside, casting all manner of spells on the letter lying on her desk. Hermione and Ginny stood in the doorway along with Cecily and Margaret. As Hermione's other co-workers arrived, they congregated near her office as well, until Margaret insisted that everyone get back to work, even Cecily. Margaret remained at Hermione's side.

"It's clean," Harry finally said and Hermione felt herself slump in relief. Ginny, who had an arm wrapped around her waist, gave her a squeeze and Margaret put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. Harry looked up at Hermione.

"Do you want me to open it?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip but nodded. Harry slit open the envelope and pulled out the parchment inside. Ron read over his shoulder.

"It's all right," Ron said. "It looks like it's something about your werewolf proposal. From the Archives."

"Oh, I completely forgot about that," Hermione said.

"The Archives," Margaret repeated. "Why wouldn't they have just sent a memo?"

"I was looking for some specific records," Hermione explained. "And they couldn't find them straight away. Geoffrey told me that he would send them up as soon as they found them. With everything that's happened in the last week, it just, slipped my mind." Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry, Harry, I," she blew out a breath and felt her hands shaking again. Ginny and Margaret led her to one of the chairs in front of her desk and sat Hermione in it. Harry conjured a glass and filled it with water from his wand. He handed it to her and then squatted in front of her.

"It's all right, Hermione," he said. She shook her head, blinking rapidly to try and stave off the tears. She was being ridiculous. Harry looked up and Ron nodded, gesturing for Margaret and Ginny to leave the two of them alone.

"Hey," Harry said when everyone had gone.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered. "I'm being stupid."

"No, you're not," Harry said. "You were right to come get me." Hermione sniffed. Harry took her hands in his.

"Am I going to do this every time I get mail now?" she asked bitterly.

"Hermione, you've only been out of hospital for two days," Harry said gently. "After everything that happened to you, I'm not surprised that you reacted the way that you did." Hermione sniffed again, annoyed with herself. She had been practically terrified by a stupid envelope from the Archives for Merlin's sake.

"Besides," Harry continued. "Why did they put the records in an envelope anyway? They should have just laid them on your desk."

"It's personal information," Hermione said with a shrug. "I'm sure they didn't want it just lying around." Harry stood and pulled lightly on Hermione's hands. When she rose, he pulled her into his arms.

"It's all right, Hermione," Harry said. Hermione clung to him, her hands fisted in the back of his robes as she swallowed around the lump in her throat. "It's okay to be scared." Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. She would not cry, not again. Pulling in a breath, she let go of Harry and stepped back. He looked at her in concern, but she swiped her hand across her eyes and then put a smile on her face.

"I'm fine." She knew that Harry didn't believe her, but he didn't say anything. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Ginny and I should get down to the courtroom." Harry nodded.

"Ron and I are supposed to bring Satterfield in." Hermione looked at him for a few seconds and then hugged him again.

"Thanks, Harry." Harry squeezed her tightly. When he let her go, she opened the door of her office to an anxious looking Ginny and Ron. Margaret was talking to Cecily but looked over in concern as Hermione stepped out of her office.

"I'm fine," Hermione said immediately. "I'm sorry for worrying everyone." Gods, could this be any more embarrassing? "Gin, we should get to the courtroom."

"Are you sure, Hermione?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. Ginny didn't look any more convinced than Harry had, but she nodded all the same.

"Miss Granger," Margaret said, "are those the files indicated in your notes in section two?"

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"I'll just review them then," her boss said.

"Can we discuss it during the lunch break today?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I think we should."

"All right, I'll come to your office." Margaret tipped her head in acknowledgement and went into Hermione's office to retrieve the files. Hermione looked back at her friends.

"I'm fine, I promise," she said. Ron still looked worried, but Harry grabbed his arm.

"We need to get down to the holding cells, Ron."

"Right," Ron said, giving Hermione a small smile before following Harry out of the office. Hermione blew out a breath and turned to Ginny.

"Ready?"

"If you are," Ginny replied. Hermione nodded and the two witches left the office for the lifts.

* * *

As they stepped into the courtroom, Hermione noticed Gwendolyn seated a few rows up. As Hermione and Ginny walked up the steps towards her, Gwendolyn smiled widely.

"Hermione, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thanks. Have you met my friend Ginny Weasley?"

"I haven't, but I do know your father. He speaks highly of all his children," Gwendolyn said as Hermione made the introductions. Hermione and Ginny settled on the bench next to her.

"You testified the other day?" Hermione asked the older woman.

"Yes," Gwendolyn replied. "I didn't see you here."

"I wasn't," Hermione said. Gwendolyn looked at her questioningly. "It's a long story." Hermione could tell that Gwendolyn was curious, but the courtroom wasn't the place to discuss it. "We were here yesterday though."

"I had a meeting, so I didn't make it down. I heard I didn't miss much."

"You didn't," Ginny said. "Complete waste of time."

"Hopefully, today will be different," Hermione said. She turned to Gwendolyn. "How is the new job going?" The three women chatted for a few minutes until Kingsley and the Wizengamot entered the courtroom. They looked up expectantly, but the side door didn't open.

"Where are they?" Ginny whispered after ten minutes had passed and Harry and Ron still had not brought in Satterfield. Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. After a word from Kingsley, the court clerk hurried out of the room.

Five minutes later, Harry strode into the courtroom, followed by the clerk. Harry motioned to Kingsley, then cast what Hermione knew was a Muffliato. Harry and Kingsley spoke for a few minutes, Kingsley's expression turning more furious by the second. Hermione wished she could read lips.

Harry dropped the spell and left the courtroom once more as Kingsley turned to face the Wizengamot.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for the delay. But, it appears Mr. Satterfield may have taken ill. I ask for your patience as he is examined by a Healer." There was murmuring and grumbling throughout the Wizengamot and the spectators.

"Taken ill my arse," Ginny said with a snort. Hermione sighed. This entire trial was turning into a farce.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised he didn't try this earlier," Gwendolyn said.

"What did they cover on the first day?" Hermione asked.

"Mostly Satterfield's drinking and the complaints against him in the department. They never got to the monetary support of You-Know-Who or the werewolf, well, executions." She gave Hermione an apologetic glance.

"It's what they were," Hermione said. "You don't need to censor anything for me."

They waited for another twenty minutes before Harry came back into the courtroom and had another conference with Kingsley. When Harry left, the Minister once again rose to his feet.

"The defendant will be joining us in just a few moments." True to his word, Harry and Ron led in Satterfield a few minutes later.

"Really playing it up, isn't he?" Ginny asked. Satterfield was doing his best to appear ill. He clutched at his stomach periodically with a look of pain on his face. He grimaced with every other step. Ron and Harry pushed him into the chair in front of the Wizengamot none too gently and the chains rose up to wrap around his arms.

"Are you ready to begin?" Kingsley asked.

"I'm sorry, Minister, I need a moment," Satterfield said, grimacing and shifting in his seat as if trying to find a comfortable position. Hermione rolled her eyes. She could tell that Kingsley was quickly losing his patience.

"Mr. Satterfield, you have been examined by a qualified Healer who found nothing wrong with you." Kingsley turned to the clerk. "We will proceed."

The court clerk read out the accusations against Satterfield pertaining to his financial support of Voldemort and the situation with the werewolves.

"How do you respond to these accusations?" the Minister asked. Satterfield, looked up, confused look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Minister, I wasn't paying proper attention," he said. "Could you repeat the accusations?" Hermione looked at Ginny and Gwendolyn incredulously.

"If Kingsley doesn't murder him before the day is over, I'll be surprised," Ginny whispered. Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing. Kingsley stared directly at Satterfield as the list of accusations was read again. Anytime Satterfield grimaced or closed his eyes, Kingsley held up a hand to stop the clerk, only allowing him to continue when it looked as if Satterfield was paying attention.

"How do you respond?" Kingsley asked again once the clerk had finished for the second time.

"Well, it's a bit overblown," Satterfield said.

"How so?" one of the Wizengamot members asked. Satterfield paused with a pained look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, and Hermione saw that quite a few of the Wizengamot were getting irritated. "Could you repeat the question?"

"Minister, this is ridiculous," one of the members, who Hermione recognized as Ernie Macmillan's father, said. "It's obvious that Mr. Satterfield is just trying to stall." Others echoed the same sentiment.

"The man is obviously in pain," a woman argued.

"He's been cleared by a Healer," Mr. Macmillan retorted.

"Look at him," she said with a wave of her hand. "He can barely sit up." A wave of arguing broke out. Hermione watched Satterfield's face and saw the hint of a smirk before he covered it with another grimace.

Kingsley put up the privacy ward and the rest of the chamber fell silent before the spectators began to talk quietly amongst themselves. The Wizengamot was clearly still arguing and Hermione wondered if they would be able to come to a consensus.

"I don't understand why Satterfield is trying to prolong this," Ginny said. "I mean, surely they have enough evidence to convict him even if he doesn't answer any of their questions." Hermione bit her lip in thought.

"I think it's just the spectacle," she finally said. "He does seem to revel in causing chaos." She looked at Satterfield again. A smile played around his lips whenever he thought no one was looking.

"He's being an arsehole just to be one?" Ginny asked in disgust.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Gwendolyn muttered. Hermione sighed. She suddenly wished she hadn't attended the trial today. She could be talking to Margaret about the paperwork Hermione had received and the revisions to her proposal because of it. Satterfield obviously wasn't going to admit to anything he'd done, at least not where Voldemort or the werewolves were concerned.

Kingsley dropped the privacy ward and called for order. Satterfield appeared to have given up on his act for the moment.

"As Mr. Satterfield seems unwilling to help in his own defense, we will proceed with other testimony," Kingsley said.

"Finally," Ginny muttered under her breath. Hermione looked at Satterfield, but his face was blank and she was too far away to see the look in his eye. He seemed to have given up on his illness charade though.

"Let us continue, then," Kingsley said as he sat down. Testimony given by Hughes and Warrington concerning Satterfield's involvement was read into the official record. Records from Gringotts were introduced showing a transfer from Umbridge's vault to Satterfield's shortly after Voldemort took control of the Ministry. Victoria, Satterfield's former secretary, was questioned about the visits Umbridge made to Satterfield's office. And then Jensen Barbary was called into the courtroom. He had testified in Warrington's trial, of course, but that had been limited to what Barbary witnessed when he was working with Werewolf Capture Unit.

"I can't believe they didn't arrest him as part of all of this," Gwendolyn said fiercely. Hermione bit her lip. She knew about Barbary's real status in the department as Kingsley's mole, but obviously that had not come out yet.

"What happened to him after Satterfield was arrested?" Hermione asked.

"He just stopped coming into work," Gwendolyn said. "I figured he'd done a runner." Hermione didn't say anything as Barbary was seated in the witness chair.

"Please tell the court in what capacity you worked for the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Kingsley said.

"I was initially hired as part of the Werewolf Capture Unit," Barbary said. "Eventually, I was promoted to Head of the House-Elf Support Services Office." Hermione saw Gwendolyn stiffen. Kingsley opened his mouth to ask another question, but one of the Wizengamot members spoke up before he could.

"Isn't that a strange transfer?"

"Yes," Barbary replied. "Mr. Satterfield made it clear to me when I was hired that if I supported him, he would support me." Hermione glanced at Gwendolyn from the corner of her eye. The older woman's jaw was set in anger. There was a smattering of whispering in both the crowd and the Wizengamot.

"However, my true purpose for being there was to gain Mr. Satterfield's trust and then report back to the Minister." The courtroom erupted. Hermione smirked at the look of shock on Satterfield's face. She looked at Gwendolyn again and her face nearly mirrored Satterfield's.

"Order!" Kingsley shouted again. The crowd slowly quieted, but the Wizengamot was still in an uproar. Kingsley threw up the privacy ward again and attempted to calm everyone down.

"What the bloody hell?" Gwendolyn said disbelievingly. She looked at Hermione, then narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you look surprised?"

"Because I already knew," Hermione said. Gwendolyn looked even more shocked.

"How?"

"Remember the boy I helped escape from the Werewolf Capture Unit? Will?" Gwendolyn nodded. "Well, in the course of all of that, the Minister explained who Barbary really was. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I was sworn to secrecy. We couldn't risk Satterfield finding out." Gwendolyn blew out a breath and looked back at Barbary, who still sat in the witness chair waiting for his questioning to resume. Satterfield was staring daggers at Barbary and Hermione was very glad her old boss was chained to his chair.

The privacy ward was dropped, the Wizengamot back in their seats and relatively quiet. Kingsley turned back to Barbary and began questioning him once again. They went back over Barbary's testimony at Warrington's trial, namely that Barbary had suspected Warrington was inventing charges to give him the right to bring in werewolves for questioning, but it was clear that Barbary had had no idea what Warrington was really up to. Barbary had also witnessed the close relationship between Satterfield and Warrington. He was quite sure that Satterfield was aware of what Warrington was doing.

"I suspect the promotion to the House-Elf Support Services office was to get me out of the Werewolf Capture Unit," Barbary said. "I believe that Mr. Satterfield was getting worried that I would find out about the executions, given I was becoming more suspicious of Warrington. While Mr. Satterfield felt that I supported him, it's clear to me that he wasn't sure how I would react to finding out about Warrington's activities."

"That's ludicrous!" Satterfield suddenly shouted.

"Mr. Satterfield, you have not been recognized by the Wizengamot. You will keep silent," the clerk said.

"The hell I will!" Satterfield retorted. "There was a spy in my department!"

"And if you had nothing to hide, that wouldn't have mattered, would it?" Kingsley asked, clearly trying to keep his anger in check. Satterfield's face turned nearly purple with rage.

"He's lying!" he yelled.

"Mr. Satterfield, you will have your chance to respond to the charges," the Head of the Wizengamot said. "For now, you must follow protocol and be quiet."

"I'm responding now," Satterfield insisted. "And I say he's ly-" But he didn't get chance to finish his sentence as Kingsley waved his wand and silenced the man. Hermione shook her head at the enraged look on Satterfield's face. The man began yanking on the chains that bound his wrists and struggling in his chair. Kingsley ignored him and resumed his questioning.

When they had finally finished questioning Barbary, it was nearly time for lunch. Kingsley stared at Satterfield for a moment but must have decided that the man needed a bit longer to calm down because he called for a recess until two o'clock that afternoon. It was clear that Satterfield was protesting as Harry and Ron led him from the courtroom, but Kingsley didn't release the silencing spell.

"I suppose I owe Barbary an apology," Gwendolyn said wryly as they left the courtroom.

"I'm sure he doesn't expect one," Hermione said. "He took the job knowing what was likely to happen."

"Still," Gwendolyn said. The three made their way to the lifts in silence, Hermione's mind already on the documents she had received from the archives. Depending on what was in them, small changes might need to be made to her proposal.

"Hermione?" Ginny said, and Hermione looked at her friend. "All right?"

"Sorry," she said. "Just thinking."

"Do you have time for lunch?" Gwendolyn asked.

"No, actually," Hermione replied apologetically. "I have to meet with Margaret about a few things. Are you going back to the trial this afternoon?"

"Yes, shall I meet you?"

"Outside my office?" Hermione suggested. Gwendolyn agreed and said good-bye to both of them as she stepped off the lift at the fourth floor. Hermione and Ginny continued to the second. They paused outside the Auror office.

"Thanks for coming with me, Gin," Hermione said.

"You'll keep me posted on the outcome?" Hermione nodded. "And you and Remus will be at the match next week?"

"Of course, we will." Ginny smiled, and they said their good-byes. Hermione continued to her office to speak to Margaret about her proposal.

* * *

Apparating into the back garden, Hermione made her way to the house. She was immensely glad today was over. The afternoon had been nearly as irritating as the morning. She fervently hoped the trial would be over tomorrow as Kingsley expected, and the verdict would be delivered on Friday at the latest.

Hermione knocked on the back door and it was only moments before she heard the patter of small footsteps inside.

"My-nee!" Teddy exclaimed as the door was opened, Andromeda standing behind him.

"Hi, Teddy," Hermione said, bending down to pick the little boy up. She kissed his cheeks and Teddy giggled. "Hello, Andromeda."

"Hello, Hermione. How was your day?" Hermione sighed and hugged Teddy. Andromeda smirked. "That good, was it?"

"Worse," Hermione said.

"My-nee, you see my books?"

"I would love to see your books," Hermione said.

"We took a short trip to Diagon Alley today to give Remus a bit of peace," Andromeda explained. "Teddy found a few things at Flourish and Blotts." Teddy squirmed in Hermione's arms and she set him down. He grabbed her hand and began to pull her towards the living room.

"Just a minute, Teddy," Hermione said. She turned to Andromeda. "Can I help with anything?"

"Keeping Teddy occupied would be a tremendous help," she said immediately. "Remus is still tired." Hermione frowned at that and let the two-year-old lead her into the living room.

Remus was reclined on the couch, a blanket tucked around him, his head resting against the armrest, eyes closed.

"Daddy!" Teddy called, and Remus flinched.

"Your daddy is resting, remember?" Hermione said. "We should be quiet." Teddy nodded solemnly and made his way to Remus' side.

"Daddy?" he whispered. Remus opened his eyes and smiled at his son, then up at Hermione.

"Yes?" Remus said.

"My-nee here, Daddy."

"I can see that," Remus said in amusement.

"I get my books," Teddy said and ran off to the small side table near his toy basket. Hermione sat down on the coffee table and took Remus' hand.

"How are you?" she asked in concern.

"Just tired," he said. She frowned, and he lifted their clasped hands, tugging her towards him. He kissed her softly and smiled when she pulled away.

"Daddy, no tiss My-nee," Teddy said. "She see my books." Hermione laughed and turned to look at Teddy who held three new books in his hands. She picked him up and moved to the chair near the couch. Settling him into her lap, she admired the new books and then waited while Teddy decided which one they should read. Looking up at Remus, she smiled over the top of Teddy's head, then shifted her attention back to Teddy when he held up one of the books.

* * *

Remus watched as Hermione read to Teddy. Teddy was snuggled into her arms and listening raptly. He shifted his hair to match Hermione's and the breath caught in Remus' throat. He'd seen it before, of course, Teddy was constantly changing his hair to match those around him, but in that moment, it was different. Remus could picture another curly-haired child sitting on Hermione's lap while she read a story. Their child.

It all hit him like a Bludger then. He wanted that, wanted everything, with her. Marriage, children, all of it. But it was too soon, far too soon. They had only been dating for a little over a month, for Merlin's sake. Hermione was only twenty, she was just starting her career with the Ministry, he doubted she wanted marriage and a family already. Not to mention that the old laws were still in place. If they weren't changed then Remus shouldn't even be entertaining the notion of marriage. And if he couldn't give her that, should he even be entertaining the notion of a future with Hermione at all?

Hermione looked up from the book for a moment and she caught his eye. Her brow furrowed and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He didn't think he was all that convincing, however, as she continued to glance up at him from time to time, concern etched on her face.

When they had finished two of the three books, Teddy announced they would now play dragons. Hermione set him down and encouraged the little boy to get the toys out and she would be there in a few minutes. As soon as Teddy was occupied, she moved to sit on the coffee table again.

"Are you all right?" she asked Remus, brushing a lock of hair off his forehead.

"I'm fine, love," he said, smiling again.

"You don't look it," she said.

"Don't mind me," he said. "It's just the moon, makes me a bit… reflective, sometimes."

"And what are you reflecting on?"

"Just this and that," he said. Hermione didn't look convinced. He took her hand and entwined their fingers. "I promise you, I'm fine."

"You're rather tired this month," she said in concern. Remus shrugged.

"That happens sometimes too," he said. "Likely the stress just before the moon." She immediately looked guilty and he shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know," she said with a sigh. She disentangled their hands and took his in both of hers, rubbing the back of it with her thumbs.

"Come here," he said quietly. She leaned forward and he kissed her again, deeper than the first, his free hand cupped behind her head. When he pulled back, she smiled lazily at him and squeezed the hand she was still holding.

"My-nee!" Teddy called.

"You're being summoned," Remus said. Hermione laughed and leaned forward to kiss him once more. When she pulled back, the concern was gone from her face and Remus was glad for it. The last thing she needed was to hear his broody thoughts.

"My-nee, pay!" Teddy insisted.

"Coming, Teddy." Hermione said. With one last squeeze to Remus' hand, she let go and moved around the couch to join his son.

* * *

Andromeda had taken Teddy up for his bath and Hermione had joined Remus on the couch. He had come to the table for dinner, but Andromeda had sent him back to the living room as soon as he had finished eating. Hermione was still worried that he seemed so much more tired than he had the month before.

"Stop worrying," Remus admonished. "A good night's sleep tonight and I'll be good as new." She had curled into his side after repeatedly making sure that he wasn't still sore. He was, a bit, but nothing that he couldn't handle. Plus, he wanted her next to him far too much to admit to any pain. "Tell me what happened today." Hermione sighed. They hadn't had a chance to discuss it yet, not wanting to do so around Teddy.

"Satterfield is a complete arse." Remus snorted.

"I think we both knew that already, love." Hermione proceeded to recount the events of the day to Remus.

"Barbary was Kingsley's plant?" Remus asked in surprise when she reached that revelation. Hermione nodded. "You knew?"

"Harry and I both did," Hermione said. "Kingsley told us during that whole mess with Will."

"Rather smart on Kingsley's part," Remus said. "I am a bit surprised that he let it come to light though. He must have had others."

"I asked Harry about that," she replied. "Kingsley did have people in other departments, but all of those investigations have finished."

"Still, he won't be able to use that tactic again."

"I don't think he wants to," Hermione said.

"No, I suppose not," Remus agreed. Hermione finished her recap of events and they lay in silence for a few minutes.

"Well, Satterfield can't be doing himself any favors, acting the way that he is," Remus said. "I can't imagine it won't influence the Wizengamot against him."

"I hope so," Hermione replied.

"Did they finish the questioning today?"

"No," Hermione said. "There's a bit more tomorrow, but it should wrap up late morning. Kingsley is hoping for a verdict by Friday."

"Do you want me to come with you to the trial tomorrow?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm even going to go," Hermione said. Remus shifted so he could see her face.

"Why not?"

"It's just going to be more of the same," Hermione said. "And Margaret and I have a few more things to go over on my proposal." Remus kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry you won't be able to present it." Hermione had told him and Andromeda the status of her proposal at dinner.

"Don't do that," Hermione admonished, seeing the guilt in his eyes no doubt. "If it's not my fault that you were under stress just before the moon, it's not yours that we went public with our relationship. And before you say it, it's not your fault you're a werewolf either." He couldn't help his smile.

"I love you," he said.

"Good, then kiss me," she replied. He laughed and complied.

* * *

 **20 April 2000**

Neville led Hermione down the corridor towards the same room she and Ron had talked in a couple of days ago. He had come to her office, requesting that she come to the Auror Department to make her official statement about what had happened with Delia. Although she knew it was necessary, Hermione was in no way looking forward to it.

"Are you going to take my statement?" she asked Neville.

"No, it will be Proudfoot."

"Oh," she said. At least it wasn't Williamson.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, looking regretful. "Robards won't allow Harry, Ron or I to do it. He says we're too close to you and the case."

"I understand," Hermione said. And she did, but that didn't mean that she liked it. Ron and Harry will still at Satterfield's trial anyway. Hermione had decided not to attend this morning, for the reasons she had given Remus the previous evening. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and jumped when Neville put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" he asked. She nodded. She was being stupid. It was just a few questions after all. He looked at her in concern. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said. "It's just, I don't really like to think about it."

"I understand," Neville said. "There's a lot of things I'd rather not think about either." Hermione reached for his hand and squeezed it. Neville smiled at her.

They reached the room and Neville moved to open the door, when another door across the corridor opened. Hermione looked up as Remus stepped out. He looked like he had the day she'd woken up in St. Mungo's, relieved and terrified all at once.

"Hermione," he breathed and she hurried towards him. Not caring who was watching, she let him gather her into his arms. His nose immediately went into her hair and she heard him breathe in deeply.

"You gave your statement?" she asked quietly and she felt him nod. Her arms tightened around him.

"Miss Granger," a voice said and Hermione pulled back slightly. Proudfoot stood behind Remus. "I'm sorry, but I need to take your statement."

"All right," she said. Remus stepped back from her. She looked at him searchingly. He gave her a reassuring smile that she didn't believe for a second. While she wasn't looking forward to talking about her ordeal, it must have been even worse for Remus. Hermione had been unconscious for much of it, after all.

"I'm fine," he said, squeezing her hand.

"You could wait in my office," she suggested, but they both knew that wasn't a good idea. She bit her lip as he shook his head.

"I'll be fine, love," he said. "Are _you_ going to be all right?" She nodded.

"Gryffindor, right?" He smiled at her and kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand before he let her go.

"Miss Granger," Proudfoot prompted.

"Right, sorry," she said. She looked at Remus again. "Dinner at mine tonight?" He nodded and she turned to follow Proudfoot into the room.

* * *

Remus Flooed to Hermione's just minutes after five. He wanted to be sure that she was all right after giving her statement to Proudfoot. Merlin knew he hadn't been. Talking to Andromeda about it while Teddy napped had helped, but until Remus could see for himself that Hermione was all right, he felt on edge.

"Hermione," he called after realizing she wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. The Floo had been open though, so she must be home.

"I'm upstairs," she called. "Down in a minute." Remus tried to wait, he honestly did, but after his gaze continued to be drawn to where he knew the letter had been, he gave it up as a bad job. Hermione had fixed the carpet, but the image of the hole had burned itself into Remus' brain. He hurried to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Her bedroom door was open and she was standing with her back to him in her bra and knickers, just slipping a jumper over her head. He followed the fabric as it slid down the smooth skin of her back and settled just above the swell of her arse. She turned her head slightly to pull her hair from the back of the jumper and caught sight of him. She jumped in surprise.

In two strides he was in the room and had her back in his arms. She sighed in contentment.

"I'm sorry I startled you," he said into her hair. "How did it go?"

"It was fine," she said, but he had felt her go a bit rigid.

"Hermione," he admonished. She sighed.

"It was…upsetting while I was talking about it, but I'm fine now." She looked up at him and ran her fingers down his cheek. "What about you?" When he didn't answer, she gave him a look.

"It just brought…everything back," he finally said. She tightened her arms around him. They stood that way for a few minutes until Remus put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. He leaned down and kissed her, needing the reassurance that she was still there, that she was all right. When they finally parted, Hermione looked up at him.

"I'm here, Remus and I'm fine." He nodded, resting his forehead against hers. After a few moments, she pulled away and took a step back. She pulled the jumper back over her head and then reached out a hand to him. Taking it, he let her pull her to him as she slowly divested him of his clothes, as well as hers. She pulled him to the bed and he covered her body with his, trailing kisses from her lips, down her neck to her shoulder. It was not the frenzied, rough coupling of the day of the moon, but slow and gentle, both seeking solace from the other. Still, it wasn't any less intense, perhaps more so, and he wasn't any less spent when they were finished.

He rolled to his side, taking Hermione with him so they were facing one another. Their legs were tangled together, her nose in the hollow of his throat. He ran his fingertips up and down her back, making her shiver. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," he said.

"Mm, I love you, too." Remus closed his eyes. Hermione kissed his chest before he felt her eyes close as well. They drowsed, content and secure in the fact that the other was there, whole and safe.

* * *

Hermione woke first, shifting back from Remus slightly so she could see his face. He looked much more peaceful than he had earlier and she was glad for it. She was dreading the upcoming trial for Delia Wilkes. Having gone over it again for Proudfoot today, Hermione realized she wasn't as over what had happened as she'd thought. The way she had reacted to the letter she'd gotten from the Archives should have been proof enough of that. Something she still hadn't told Remus about.

She knew that she should. Harry, Ron and Ginny all knew and it was likely that one of them might mention something, not realizing that Remus didn't know. But, she still felt like an idiot for the way she'd reacted.

"I can hear you thinking," Remus said. Hermione glanced up at him. He still had his eyes closed, but his lips were curled up in a smile. She sighed and snuggled back into him. He shifted and wrapped his arms more tightly around her. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Hermione said, her voice muffled in his chest.

"Why don't I believe you?" He pulled back from her slightly, although she tried stubbornly to stay burrowed into his chest. "Love?" She sighed again and tipped her head back.

"Yesterday, when I got into work there was a letter lying on my desk." She felt his arms tighten and his legs go rigid against hers. "I, well, I didn't react well."

"I'm not surprised," he murmured, not loosening his grip.

"I went and got Harry and Ron and they came to my office to scan the letter. It was nothing, just some paperwork I requested from the Archives for my proposal that I'd forgotten about." She felt Remus relax and he looked down at her.

"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?"

"Because it turned out to be nothing and I didn't want to upset you."

"Hermione," he said in that admonishing tone.

"I know, but you were tired and frankly, I just didn't want to deal with it."

"I can understand that," he said. "But, you know you can always talk to me."

"I know." He kissed her forehead.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" She was silent for a minute, tracing one of the scars on his chest.

"I just want to forget about all of this."

"I know the feeling," he said.

"Today, I just, I'm not looking forward to having to go through everything again at the trial."

"No," he agreed. They lay in silence for a few minutes. She could hear the steady beat of Remus' heart against her ear and it calmed her. He nuzzled her temple and ran a hand down her back again.

"Let's go out," she said impulsively. He looked down at her quizzically. "For dinner. And then maybe see a film. I don't want to think about Delia or Satterfield or the Ministry at all, for that matter. I just want to go on a date with you and do normal couple things." He smiled at her.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea." She grinned and leaned up to kiss him. "Remember that getaway that you talked about?" She nodded. "Let's do that. Next weekend." She smiled widely.

"I love you, Remus Lupin." He smiled and kissed her again.


	69. Verdict

**A/N - Hi everyone! Next chapter for you. We're finally wrapping up all the trials in this one. Their little getaway will be in the next. Summer rules still apply for my posting, especially with the holiday next week. I will have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and continuing to review!**

 **Chapter 69**

 **Verdict**

 **21 April 2000**

Hermione fidgeted nervously. She was sitting between Remus and Gwendolyn waiting for the Wizengamot to file in. Satterfield's trial had ended yesterday and the verdict was set to be read this morning. Warrington had gotten fifty years, but Hughes had only gotten five. Hermione had no idea which way the Wizengamot would lean.

She felt Remus' hand cover hers where it rested on the stone bench. He squeezed her fingers lightly before he let go. She looked over at him and smiled.

Last night had been a wonderful respite from all the stress of the previous day. They'd had dinner at a small Italian place that Hermione knew of and then gone to the cinema. Losing themselves in a mindless comedy had been just what they needed. Remus had stayed the night, returning home just before Teddy would wake for the day.

She had already begun thinking about their weekend away. At dinner, she had remembered Ginny's match the following weekend, so they had decided on Wales for their getaway. While they could Apparate to the stadium from anywhere, Hermione hadn't visited Wales since she was a young child. Remus' mother was originally from Cardiff and they had visited his Muggle grandparents a few times when Remus was small. Once he was bitten, however, the visits became few and far between until they eventually stopped all together. Except for attending the match, they had decided they would act as Muggle tourists for the weekend.

The Wizengamot had settled and Satterfield was finally led in. He had lost some of the arrogance and confidence he'd had two days ago, although Hermione could tell he was still trying to put on a confident façade. Once he was seated in the accused's chair and the chains had snaked their way up his arms and legs, the clerk stood.

He once again recited the charges against Satterfield, to which Satterfield looked stoically ahead, not meeting anyone's eye. When the clerk was finished, the Chief Warlock turned to the Wizengamot. He went through each charge individually, asking for a vote of innocent or guilty. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as the majority voted guilty on each one. When all votes had been taken, the Chief Warlock looked down at the parchment in front of him and then turned back to Satterfield. Hermione felt Remus's hand cover hers again.

"Barnaby Satterfield, you have been found guilty on all charges." Hermione held her breath. "This court hereby sentences you to fifty years in Azkaban prison." She felt Remus' hand tighten over hers and she let out the breath she'd been holding. She heard Gwendolyn do the same. Satterfield would be a very old man before he was released from Azkaban, if he didn't die there.

"He deserved life," Gwendolyn muttered. "So did Warrington."

"I won't argue that," Hermione replied. "But fifty years is still a long time." Remus squeezed her hand again as they stood to leave the courtroom.

Thankfully, all the reporters were gone when they reached the doors, all hurrying back to their respective offices to write up their stories. As they stood waiting for the lift, Gwendolyn turned to Hermione.

"I ran into Jensen Barbary yesterday," Gwendolyn said.

"Really? How did that go?"

"I apologized, but you were right, he didn't expect me to." Gwendolyn smiled ruefully. "Did you know that his brother plays guitar for the Weird Sisters?"

"No," Hermione said. She didn't keep up much with the Wizarding bands.

"They're going on a world tour and Jensen is going to go with them, get out of Britain for a while."

"Jensen, huh?" Hermione teased. Gwendolyn rolled her eyes.

"It's not like that," she said. "I just admire what he did, that's all. It can't have been easy."

"No," Hermione agreed. "I'm sure it wasn't." The lift arrived and they fell silent, stepping in amidst quite a few other people.

Hermione felt Remus' hand against her thigh and she linked her little finger with his until they reached the Atrium. Remus gave her hand a quick squeeze and said good-bye before he stepped off the lift. Hermione bit back a sigh, glad that the hearing on her Werewolf proposal would be next week. She was tired of having to be careful around him in public.

She said good-bye to Gwendolyn at the fourth floor, promising to meet for lunch soon and then rode in silence to the second. Mind occupied thinking about meeting with Margaret on a few last-minute revisions to the proposal, Hermione made her way to her office. She startled when she felt a hand on her arm and whipped around, drawing her wand.

Cecily stared at her in shock, taking a few quick steps back. Hermione didn't even remember arriving in her department. She lowered her wand.

"I'm sorry, Cecily." The woman looked at Hermione warily. "You just…startled me."

"I called your name three times," Cecily said.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts." She gave the other woman a smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Ms. Fawcett would like to see you in her office."

"All right, thank you," Hermione said. She changed course to head for Margaret's office. Cecily hurriedly returned to her own desk, glancing at Hermione from the corner of her eye. Hermione sighed as she knocked on Margaret's door.

"Enter," Margaret called.

"You wanted to see me?" Hermione said as she walked in the door. Her boss indicated the chair in front of her desk.

"The verdict?" Margaret asked.

"Guilty on all charges, fifty years in Azkaban."

"Once Warrington only got fifty years, I knew they wouldn't give Satterfield more than that," Margaret said with a sigh. "Pity." Hermione tried to cover her snort with a cough, but Margaret winked at her.

"I got a memo from the Minister this morning after you had already left for the courtroom. He is moving the proposal up to Monday." Hermione blinked in surprise.

"Did he say why?"

"He wants the proposal heard before the trial for Delia Wilkes begins." Hermione sat back in her chair. While the two didn't appear to have anything to do with one another, Hermione was quite sure that Kingsley wanted the proposal heard before the public's attention was drawn back to Hermione and Remus' relationship. Even though Hermione wasn't giving the presentation any longer, it was no secret in her department that she'd been working on it. Given how many people knew, it was likely at least some of the Wizengamot would be aware of that fact.

"Very shrewd of the Minister," Hermione said.

"I thought so," Margaret replied with a smirk. "However, that means you and I are going to have to do a bit of work this weekend. I want everything to be perfect." Hermione nodded. Margaret shuffled through the parchment on her desk. "I'd like to clarify this point with a bit more research." She handed Hermione the section in question. Hermione read through her boss' notes and nodded.

"Cecily can get you whatever you need from the Archives or the library," Margaret said. Hermione smiled wryly. Margaret's brow furrowed at her expression.

"I think I may have frightened Cecily just a bit," Hermione said.

"How so?"

"I wasn't paying attention when I came back into the department. Cecily called my name a few times, but I didn't hear her. She put a hand on my arm to get my attention."

"And got the business end of your wand in her face?" Hermione's cheeks colored as she nodded.

"It's…instinct."

"One I wish someone as young as you didn't have," Margaret said with a sigh. "Don't worry about Cecily, I'll speak to her. Now, get working on that and I'll check with you later this afternoon. If you need anything beforehand, let me know."

"All right," Hermione agreed, taking the parchment and walking back to her office.

* * *

"Something is bothering you," Andromeda said as she handed Remus a cup of tea. "Is it the verdict?"

"No," Remus said, smiling gratefully as he took the tea. "I didn't expect the Wizengamot would give Satterfield longer than they did Warrington who did the actual killing." A shiver went through him as he sipped at his tea. Andromeda's lips thinned in anger.

"I do not know what they were thinking. Only fifty years for that atrocity."

"I'm grateful it was that long, to be honest."

"Remus," she chided, but he shook his head.

"You know as well as I there are plenty on the Wizengamot that don't even consider us people. Beasts or half-breeds at best." Andromeda sighed.

"So, this is about Hermione's proposal, I take it?"

"Partly. Or, well, it's all connected, I suppose." Andromeda waited in silence for him to continue. Remus wasn't sure if he wanted to. While Andromeda knew that he loved Hermione, he didn't know if he was ready to confess the depth of his feelings. When he still didn't say anything, Andromeda spoke.

"Is this about not being worthy or some such rot?" Remus sighed.

"Not exactly. I," he trailed off shaking his head. "What can I offer her, Andromeda?" Andromeda's brow furrowed.

"As far as what?"

"A future." The slight widening of Andromeda's eyes was the only indication she was in any way surprised. If Remus hadn't known her as well as he did, he wouldn't have even noticed it. "I don't have a job, not a full-time one anyway. After the reaction we got just announcing our relationship, I can't ask her to marry me and subject her to more of that or worse."

"Have you spoken to Hermione about this?"

"Of course not," Remus said. "It's far too soon to even consider."

"Then why are you considering it?" Remus scrubbed a hand down his face and sighed.

"Because," he looked up at her. "I want it." A small smile played around Andromeda's lips.

"Hermione has an excellent job that pays well," Andromeda said. "I do not think that money is an issue, if that is your concern." He opened his mouth to protest, but Andromeda held up a hand. "I do hope you are not the kind of man that assumes _he_ must make the money."

"I," Remus began, then frowned.

"Somehow, I do not think Hermione will expect that."

"That's not the point," Remus said.

"Then what is?"

"I, it's just," he trailed off in frustration. "It's important to me."

"I understand wanting to provide for your family," Andromeda said. "But I would wager that Hermione feels the same way about providing for hers. And there are other ways to provide, besides monetarily. Even now, you are raising Teddy to be the kind of man any parent would be proud of. That is no small feat." Remus colored slightly.

"I didn't mean to imply that making money was more important."

"I know you did not, darling," she said with a smile. "As for the rest, well, that is something that only you and Hermione can decide. But, even after everything that has happened, it seems to me that she has no intention of going anywhere."

"Like I said, it's too soon to consider."

"You know what is best, I am sure," Andromeda said, with a pat to his hand. Remus was sure she didn't mean it to sound as patronizing as it did. "In any case, it seems to make no sense to worry about these things until you know the outcome of the presentation." Remus sighed again.

"I suppose you're right."

"Of course, I am, darling." She sat back in her seat with a smirk. Remus snorted and picked up his tea. Taking a sip, he looked at her over the rim of his cup.

"Thank you, Andromeda."

* * *

 **23 April 2000**

Remus opened his eyes, blinking in the darkness, trying to determine what had woken him. He was in Hermione's bed. She and Margaret had worked late into the night on Friday and nearly all of Saturday. It was past nine when Hermione had Floo called, asking him if he wanted to come over. Remus had been more than happy to join her. Unfortunately, Hermione had been so knackered, she hadn't been able to stop yawning and Remus had insisted she go to bed. He had joined her, but she had been asleep nearly before her head hit the pillow. He hadn't minded, Teddy had been up unusually early that morning and Remus had drifted off to sleep shortly afterward.

Now though, something had woken him. He glanced over at Hermione. She was lying on her side facing him, still sleeping. Perhaps it had been Crookshanks wandering around downstairs. Remus had just closed his eyes when he heard it again. A whimper coming from Hermione. He grabbed his wand from the bedside table and cast the same dim 'Lumos' he used in Teddy's room when he checked on him in the night.

Hermione's brow was furrowed and the hand that lay on her pillow near her face was twitching. She whimpered again and her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Remus shifted closer to her when she called out.

"No, please!"

"Hermione," Remus said quietly, not wanting to scare her when she was obviously having a nightmare. She continued to whimper. He put a hand on her arm. "Wake up, love."

She flinched away from him, her arm flying up, the back of her hand catching his jaw. It hurt, but he was more afraid she was going to hurt herself. He grabbed for her flailing arm.

"Hermione wake up," he said a bit more forcefully. She tried to pull away and he managed to get his arm around her, pulling her into his body. She struggled in his arms. "It's all right. It's just a nightmare. Wake up, Hermione, please." He shook her shoulder and her eyes flew open. She stared at him, looking terrified.

"It's Remus, love, I've got you."

"Remus?" she questioned in confusion.

"You had a nightmare," he said, kissing her temple and pulling her close to him. She melted against his chest, letting out a shuddering breath. He could feel her trembling as he rubbed her back. "It's all right, you're safe. I've got you." She finally relaxed, her breathing back to normal, the shaking gone. Remus kissed the top of her head.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded against his chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" She stiffened again and he went back to rubbing her back.

"It was…Delia," she finally whispered. Remus forced himself to stay calm. "She was, she was trying to hurt you."

"Me?" he said in surprise. He had assumed that she was reliving everything with the letter. Hermione nodded.

"She had the potion and she said that she was going to use it on you if I didn't go away and leave you alone." Hermione hitched a breath. "She said, she said if she couldn't have you, no one could." Remus felt wetness on his chest and he knew she was crying.

"It's all right, love, I'm fine. She can't hurt anyone anymore. It was just a dream." He held her tightly, continuing to rub her back and whisper soothing words to her. When she had finally quieted, she pulled back from him.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You don't have to apologize," he said, brushing a lock of hair out of her face.

"It's so stupid," she muttered.

"What is?" he asked.

"Dreaming about her," Hermione replied, sounding almost angry. "I know she's locked up and she can't hurt you."

"Hermione, you had a traumatic experience and you've been under stress with everything going on with Satterfield's trial and this proposal. You've barely gotten any sleep the last couple of days. It's no wonder you're having nightmares."

"You went through the same traumatic experience and I don't see you having nightmares," she said huffily.

"Are you angry with yourself for having a dream?" he asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice. This wasn't the time to tease her.

"No, it's just," she sighed. "I don't know what I am."

"What you are is exhausted," Remus said, gathering her into his arms again. He leaned down and kissed her. "Go back to sleep, love. I'll keep you safe."

"I love you," she said quietly as she settled herself into his arms.

"I love you too." Remus lay in silence long after she fell asleep, wondering how he could ever let her go if it came to that.

* * *

 **24 April 2000**

Hermione sat nervously next to Harry, waiting for the Wizengamot to file in. Harry had the day off today but had come in to sit with her during Margaret's proposal. Hermione had wished that Remus could attend, but presentations of new laws were only allowed to be observed by Ministry employees, and usually only by those in departments the new laws might affect. It was how Harry and Ron had been able to watch her House-Elf proposal, given that just about every law affected the DMLE in some capacity. And, of course, why Harry had been able to join her now.

The Auror department was still handling the Werewolf Capture Unit duties. Kingsley had no plans to return the responsibility to the Beast Division in the DRCMC until the current proposal was heard and voted on. Fiona Campbell, new Head of the DRCMC, agreed that even if the Werewolf Capture Unit was returned to the Beast Division, any new employees would need more training and rules than they'd had under Satterfield.

"Relax, Hermione," Harry whispered.

"Sorry," she muttered back, trying to still her bouncing foot.

"You weren't this nervous before your House-Elf presentation," Harry said.

"Yes, but I actually gave that one, didn't I?"

"You don't trust Margaret?"

"No, I do, it's just," Hermione sighed.

"You'd be more confident doing it yourself," Harry finished. Hermione bit her lip and nodded. Of course, her boss was more than capable of giving this proposal. She was more qualified than Hermione to do it. But this proposal was _hers_ , and it had so much more potential to hurt people she cared about if it didn't pass. Harry reached over and took her hand.

"You've worked so hard for so long on this," Harry said. "It's going to pass."

"You don't know that, Harry."

"But I know how brilliant you are," Harry said. "How could it not?" Hermione gave him a half-smile and bumped his shoulder with hers. Harry squeezed her hand and they both turned to face the Wizengamot as Kingsley called the room to order.

* * *

Remus stood as Hermione came through the Floo. He couldn't read her expression, but when she threw herself into his arms without saying anything, his heart sunk. He hugged her tightly and kissed her temple.

"It didn't go well, then?" he finally asked when a few minutes had passed and she hadn't said anything. She pulled back from him immediately.

"No, no, it went fine." He searched her face, perplexed. "It went better than I expected, actually."

"I have to admit, I'm confused," he said. She sighed and took his hand, leading them both to the couch.

"I can't believe it's finally over, for one thing," she said. Remus put an arm around her and she settled into his side. "It's just, I've been working in this for so long and now, it's out of my hands and I have no more control over what happens." Remus made a noise of understanding.

"And Margaret did a wonderful job of it, not that I suspected she wouldn't," Hermione continued. "The Wizengamot asked a lot of questions, but most of them were good questions, intelligent questions. I feel like they're really going to consider everything that was said."

"Then what's the matter?" he asked. She sighed again.

"I'm afraid," she admitted.

"Of what?"

"That despite everything that happened with Satterfield and Warrington, the Wizengamot will fall back on old prejudices and dismiss all of it out of hand." Remus tightened his grip on her shoulder. Truthfully, he had the same fear. Hermione tilted her head back to look up at him.

"I just want you to have the opportunities you deserve. You and Will and all the others that haven't done anything wrong. I just want things to be fair." Remus tucked a curl behind her ear, his fingers trailing down her neck.

"I know you do, love," he said, giving her a small smile. "But, you've done all you can do. Now we just have to wait and see what happens." She sighed for the third time.

"You know I'm not good at that." He chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and they snogged for a few minutes. Remus finally pulled away from her and rested his forehead against hers. "Teddy is in the kitchen with Andromeda. I'm sure it won't be long before he comes in." She nodded and caught her breath, kissing him quickly one more time before they heard the patter of feet.

"My-nee!" Teddy shouted. Remus pulled away from her as Teddy ran across the room and jumped into Hermione's lap. He hugged her around the neck. Remus saw the tension leave Hermione's face, replaced by a wide smile for his son. Teddy tended to have that effect.

"What did you do today?" Hermione asked once Teddy had released her.

"I hep Nanna mate bistits."

"What kind of biscuits?" Hermione asked.

"Chocat chip!" Teddy said, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Your favorite," Hermione said with a smile. Teddy nodded.

"My-nee lite chocat chip?"

"I do like chocolate chip," Hermione replied.

"I get bistit," Teddy said scrambling down from Hermione's lap. She watched fondly as the little boy ran back into the kitchen. Remus reached for her hand and kissed the back of it. Teddy was back in just a few moments, holding a chocolate chip biscuit. He thrust it at Hermione. She took a bite.

"Mm, very good," she said. "You did an excellent job." Teddy beamed and climbed back into her lap.

"I has bite?" he asked.

"I think you'd better ask your daddy about that," Hermione said, amusement on her face. "It's almost time for dinner, isn't it?" Teddy turned to Remus.

"Daddy, I has bite?" he asked in his most polite voice. Remus heard Hermione cough trying to cover her laugh.

"One," Remus said, trying not to laugh himself. He held up one finger and Teddy nodded, holding up his own finger. Teddy turned back to Hermione expectantly and she broke off a piece of the biscuit. Teddy took it happily.

"Would _you_ like a bite?" Hermione asked cheekily, holding the rest of the biscuit out to Remus. He winked at Teddy before he opened his mouth and bit off the rest of the biscuit except for the small piece where Hermione was holding it.

"Daddy eats all!" Teddy said with a giggle. Hermione popped the last bite into her mouth before she put her hands on her hips and gave Remus a mock glare.

"What do you think we should do with him?" Hermione said. Teddy giggled again. Hermione leaned forward and whispered in his ear. Teddy nodded enthusiastically. "Ready? One, two, three!" At three, they both pounced on Remus and began to tickle him. Teddy was screeching madly as Remus grabbed him around the waist and returned the tickle torture. Remus grabbed Hermione's hand with his free one and pulled her towards him. Remus toppled backwards and Hermione followed, laughing. Remus still had a grip around Teddy's waist and the little boy ended up lying on his chest, Hermione resting half against the back of the couch, half on Remus. They were all grinning, faces red from laughing. Remus leaned up and kissed Hermione.

"What is all this noise?" Andromeda's voice said from behind them. Hermione pushed away from Remus, face reddening again, trying to make herself look presentable. Teddy scrambled up until he was sitting on Remus chest.

"Daddy eat My-nee's bistit," Teddy exclaimed. Andromeda had her hands on her hips, but Remus could see the look of amusement on her face. She leaned forward and swiped at the bit of chocolate smeared on the corner of Teddy's lip with her thumb.

"I think _you_ had a bit of Hermione's biscuit as well, young man." Andromeda tapped the end of his nose with her finger. Teddy covered his mouth with his hand and giggled again.

"I not yun man, Nanna, I Teddy."

"Yes, well, _Teddy_ , you need to wash up for supper."

"Tay!" Teddy said, jumping up on Remus' chest and holding his arms out to his grandmother. Remus groaned at the movement.

"Serves you right, you know," Hermione said once they'd left. Her cheeks were still pink with embarrassment.

"Because I stole your biscuit?" Remus said in amusement as he sat up and moved closer to her.

"You stole more than that," she said in admonishment. Remus chuckled and moved towards her once again.

"If I ask nicely will you indulge me?" She rolled her eyes, but he could see the smile playing at her lips. She leaned in and kissed him once more. He smiled when they parted, then rose from the couch and held out a hand to her, leading her into the kitchen for supper.

* * *

 **25 April 2000**

"Hermione?" She looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway of her office.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione said, waving him in. "What's up?"

"Official business, unfortunately." Harry closed the door to her office. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"What kind of official business?" Harry sighed and sat down in the chair in front of her desk.

"Delia Wilkes' trial is starting tomorrow at ten o'clock." He slid a piece of parchment across her desk. Hermione looked down at the summons to appear in court the next day. "You need to arrive at the witness rooms outside the courtroom at half nine. They'll keep you in one of them until you testify. Then you can watch the rest of the trial, if you like."

"Who else has to appear?"

"Hermione, you know I can't tell you that," Harry said apologetically.

"Right, sorry," she replied. It wasn't as if she didn't have a relatively good idea. Harry, of course. And Remus. Likely Ron or Neville, Healer Spencer and the researchers from St. Mungo's. Probably even Cressida Wilkes.

"All right?" Harry asked when she hadn't said anything for a few minutes. Hermione sighed.

"Yes, it's just," she shook her head. "I wish all this was over."

"That makes two of us," Harry said. They sat in silence for a few moments, Hermione staring at the parchment in front of her.

"Do you ever think that maybe she doesn't belong in Azkaban?" Hermione asked. Harry looked at her incredulously.

"Hermione, she tried to kill you," Harry said.

"I don't mean that she didn't do anything to _deserve_ Azkaban," Hermione said. "But, she needs help, Harry."

"I'm sure she does, but again, Hermione, she tried to _kill_ you."

"I honestly don't think she meant to kill me," Hermione said. "I think she was just trying to hurt me so Remus wouldn't want me anymore."

"I can't believe you're saying this."

"Think about it, Harry. That first letter she sent with that curse wouldn't have killed me. It just would have disfigured me somehow. I think that's what she meant to do with the potion too."

"That doesn't matter, Hermione. Even if she didn't intend to kill you, she meant to cause you serious bodily harm that might have resulted in your death."

"Don't Auror-speak me," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes.

"She Imperiused her own _sister_ , Hermione."

"Look, Harry, I'm not saying she shouldn't be punished. I just feel like sending her to Azkaban and doing nothing else to help her isn't going to do any good. When she gets out-"

" _If_ she gets out," Harry interrupted.

"Fine, if she gets out, she's not going to be any better off. Worse, most likely." Hermione looked up at him. "If the war hadn't happened, she probably never would have done something like this. She's nineteen years old, Harry." Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not that I don't understand what you're saying, but that's not how the system works, Hermione."

"Then the system is broken," Hermione said with a huff. A small smile formed on Harry's face.

"You just found your next project, didn't you?"

"What? No, I," Hermione paused and sat back in her chair. "Maybe." Harry chuckled.

"I've got to get back," Harry said. "You going to be okay?" Hermione nodded. Harry dropped the Muffliato, then stood and stepped around her desk to kiss her cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Harry said.

"Bye, Harry."

* * *

Remus sighed as he opened the window to let the owl inside. The mail ward was still up, so this must be something official from the DMLE as they were the only ones that were able to bypass it. And Remus had a relatively good idea what this letter would be about. He took it from the owl's leg, seeing the official Ministry seal on the back.

"Did I hear an owl?" Andromeda asked as she walked into the kitchen. There was no reason for Remus to answer as the owl flapped its wings and flew back out. "From the Ministry?" Remus nodded as he opened the envelope.

"It's my summons to appear tomorrow."

"What time?"

"Half nine, but the trial doesn't start until ten."

"Let me just Floo Cissy. I am sure that she would mind Teddy." Remus tried not to bristle at the other woman's name. While he had gotten over his initial rage and even understood Narcissa's reasons for not intervening when Bellatrix was torturing Hermione, Remus didn't know if he would ever be able to fully forgive her.

"You don't have to come, Andromeda." She turned to looked at him.

"You do not want me there?" she asked.

"That's not what I said," Remus replied. "It's just, you don't need to trouble Narcissa."

"Teddy adores her, you know," Andromeda said. "She would never let any harm come to him."

"I know that," Remus said. Andromeda cocked her head and studied him.

"Do you?" When he didn't respond, she sighed. "I have seen the glamour on Herimone's arm. I know what she is hiding under it." Remus looked up at her sharply. "Cissy told me what happened that day. All of it."

"I understand your anger and there is nothing I can say that will excuse what happened to Hermione. I do not want to try. But, Teddy is family. You have seen what lengths Narcissa will go to, to protect her family." Remus sighed.

"I know Narcissa wouldn't do anything to hurt Teddy," he said. "And she helped us when we were trying to find the antidote for Hermione. Even offered access to the Malfoy library if Severus didn't have what we needed." Andromeda looked shocked at that. Apparently, Narcissa hadn't given her that bit of information. "So, I am grateful to her for that. But, I don't think I can ever forgive her for what happened. Not completely."

"I am not asking you to," Andromeda said. "Nor does Narcissa expect it. If you would rather she not mind Teddy, I understand. But, she is still going to be a part of my life."

"I know," he said. "It's all right, go ahead and Floo her."

"You are sure?"

"Yes," Remus said. "Like you said, Teddy adores her and I'd like it if you were at the trial." Andromeda smiled and squeezed his hand. Before she could leave the room, he called her name.

"Thank you." She smiled again and the walked into the living room to Floo her sister.

* * *

Hermione walked into the house with a sigh, sinking down onto the couch. Crookshanks leapt up and climbed into her lap. Hermione smiled and ran a hand down his back and up his tail after he had settled himself.

She leaned her head against the back of the cushions and stared at the ceiling, her conversation with Harry playing through her mind. As common as madness seemed to be in some of the Pureblood families, one would think that the Wizarding world would have developed a better mental health program. But, Hermione was aware that if it couldn't be treated with a spell or a potion, wizards were wary to trust any other kind of treatment.

Calming draughts were a common treatment, of course, in various strengths. The strongest ones were almost like Muggle tranquilizers. She supposed if they couldn't cure the madness, they figured they might as well keep them as docile as possible.

But, someone like Delia could be treated and likely, recover, if given the proper help. The problem was, Hermione didn't think the Wizarding world had the proper help. And she highly doubted that Delia's family, especially as they were Purebloods, would be open to Muggle methods. Even the Weasleys, as indulgent as they all were about Arthur's Muggle obsession, would consider Muggle doctors dodgy. Hermione remembered how upset Molly had been when they'd tried to close Arthur's snakebite with stitches.

Even if her family were willing to try a Muggle psychiatrist, Delia couldn't very well tell them about what had actually happened. Not only would it violate the Statute of Secrecy, the moment Delia started talking about witches and wizards, she'd be locked up as delusional.

Hermione sat up as the Floo flared and Remus' head appeared. She smiled.

"You heard, I assume," he said.

"Yes," she replied with a sigh.

"I see you're looking forward to it about as much as I am." She smiled ruefully.

"You can come through, you know." He shook his head.

"Supper is about ready," he said. "You can join us."

"I think I've imposed enough lately."

"You're not an imposition, Hermione. You know that."

"I do, it's just," she shook her head. "I'm not feeling very social right now." Remus' brow furrowed.

"I changed my mind, I am coming through." Before she could say anything, his head disappeared. He stepped through moments later. Hermione gently pushed Crookshanks off her lap. She stood and then wrapped her arms around Remus' waist, resting her cheek against his chest.

"It's going to be all right, love," he said. "We'll deal with this." She nodded. They stood in silence, one of Remus' hands tangled in her curls, the other rubbing soothingly up and down her back. Hermione stood on tiptoe and kissed him. She smiled when they parted.

"Are you sure you won't come to supper?" he asked, looking at her in concern.

"No," she said. "But, you can come by later, if you like."

"I don't like leaving you alone when you're like this."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, melancholy, I suppose." She gave him a half-smile.

"I'll be fine," she said. "I've got Crooks to keep me company." The animal in question flicked his tail where he lay on the couch. Remus moved his hands up to cup Hermione's face.

"I'll be back once Teddy is in bed." She nodded. He kissed her again and she sighed in contentment as she melted into him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She smiled reassuringly. He didn't look all that convinced but turned and grabbed the Floo powder all the same. She waited until he had disappeared, then flopped back on the couch next to Crookshanks, wishing tomorrow was over.

* * *

 **26 April 2000**

Hermione made her way to the lifts to head to the courtroom. She'd lost count of how many times in the last two weeks she'd made this same trip. She had stopped in her Department first, wanting to know if Margaret had heard anything about the proposal. Apparently, the Wizengamot was still deliberating.

Hermione was glad that Delia's trial wouldn't be in front of the full Wizengamot. A smaller five-member panel would hear the case instead. The DMLE had deliberated about it for some time, given the nature of Delia's crimes, including her use of the Imperius curse. But in the end, it was decided that it was still primarily a case of one citizen attacking another and not something the full Wizengamot would usually deal with. They were mostly a lawmaking body, only acting as the high court when it came to crimes against society, such as with the Death Eaters. There had even been some argument before Satterfield, Warrington and Hughes had been tried that the full body shouldn't preside over the trials. Hermione suspected that it was only because of Umbridge's involvement, as well as Satterfield's additional charges, that the Wizengamot handled it.

Remus had returned last night and had reacted much the same way Harry had when Hermione expressed her reservations about sending Delia to Azkaban. Hermione couldn't blame him. If the situation was reversed, she would have a hard time showing compassion for Delia as well.

"Miss Granger," a voice said and Hermione looked up to see the clerk that had been at Satterfield's trial.

"Good morning," Hermione said. The clerk made a note on the parchment he held.

"If you'll just follow me, I'll take you to one of the witness rooms." He paused and looked over Hermione's head. "Ah, Mr. Lupin as well." The clerk made another note. "I'll take you both back." Remus slipped his hand into hers as they followed the clerk down the corridor. He stopped in front of an open door.

"Miss Granger, you'll be in here." Hermione glanced into the room and saw a table, chairs and a tea service. Otherwise, it was empty. "And Mr. Lupin, just down here."

"We're not in the same room?" Hermione questioned.

"No, I'm sorry, we keep all of the witnesses separated in cases like this," he said. "So you can't discuss your testimony beforehand? Protocol, you see." He indicated that Hermione should enter the room. She turned to Remus.

"I'll see you after," she said. He nodded and squeezed her hand. Without even a glance at the clerk, Remus leaned down and kissed her. She smiled when he pulled away, squeezed his hand one last time, and walked into the room. The clerk followed her in.

"If you need anything, simply activate the mirror like so," the clerk said. He showed her how to use the communication mirror. "Otherwise, someone will come for you when it's your time to testify. Afterward, you are welcome to leave or sit in the courtroom to hear the rest of the case. Any questions?"

"No, thank you." She waved to Remus as the clerk closed the door, sealing it with a spell. Hermione rolled her eyes. She supposed that was protocol too, but it wasn't as if she intended to sneak out. Sighing, she made herself a cup of tea and sat down to wait, wishing she had brought a book with her.

* * *

When Hermione walked into the courtroom, she was surprised to see not only Andromeda, but also most of the Weasleys, including Ginny. Only Bill and Fleur and Charlie were absent. Even Angelina and Susan were there. Hermione forced herself not to tear up at the show of support.

As she settled herself into the witness chair, Hermione chanced a glance at Delia Wilkes. She sat in a chair similar to the one in Courtroom Ten, although she wasn't chained to it. Hermione suspected a containment spell. Delia glared at her but didn't say anything.

The questioning began, as Delia watched sullenly. Hermione had a bit of a difficult time when she was asked how the decision was made to put her in a magically-induced sleep, but she managed not to break down. Delia's expression didn't change the entire time.

When she was excused, Hermione walked up to join the Weasleys and Andromeda. She sat down between Molly and Ginny. Molly patted her arm and Ginny gave her hand a squeeze.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione whispered as the next witness was brought in.

"Got the day off," Ginny said with a shrug.

"You've a match in three days."

"You're more important." Hermione gave her a watery smile.

"Thank you." They turned as Harry was brought in. Ginny winked at him and Harry smiled as he sat down.

"Auror Potter, please tell us what you found when you were called to Miss Granger's home on the morning of the thirteenth of April." Harry began his testimony. Hermione watched Delia, but she looked almost bored as Harry described the series of events and what they had found in Delia's cottage when they searched it.

After Harry finished, he joined them to watch the rest of the trial. Healer Spencer, Ron and Cressida Wilkes were all questioned. After Cressida finished, she moved to sit behind Delia next to an older man and woman that Hermione figured must be her parents. And then they finally called in Remus.

The change in Delia was immediate. She sat up straighter in her chair and stared at Remus as he walked in, look of longing on her face. Harry, who had sat down between Hermione and Ginny, immediately took Hermione's hand. Molly, on the other side, put her hand on Hermione's arm. Remus glanced at her just before he sat down and she smiled at him encouragingly.

While Hermione and Remus had discussed what had happened, Remus had never gone into detail. He had talked mostly about being scared of losing her. Listening to him describe the events that occurred when Delia got into Hermione's room under Polyjuice was more difficult to hear than Hermione had thought. Harry's hand tightened and Molly gripped her arm harder as Remus described wrestling Delia away from her as the stasis charm began to fail. Hermione could hear the emotion in his voice and she swallowed around a lump in her throat. When he finally finished, the courtroom was completely silent. Hermione saw Molly wipe a few tears from her face with her free hand. Susan was doing the same, Ron's arm around her shoulders.

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin. You are excused." Hermione watched as Remus stood and Delia followed his every move. "At this time, we will call a short recess before we finish our questioning." The panel members immediately stood and moved out of the courtroom through a back door. Delia was led away, still looking over her shoulder at Remus.

Hermione stood and moved to the end of the row as Remus hurried up the steps toward her. He pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist, her face in the crook of his neck, and breathed in, trying to calm herself. Behind them, she heard the click of a camera, but couldn't bring herself to care.

"Hermione, Remus," Harry said quietly. "Let me take you somewhere more private." Hermione stepped back from Remus but didn't let go of his hand. They allowed Harry to lead them out of the courtroom and back to the witness room she had waited in. She wasn't sure how many pictures were taken of them along the way.

"I'll be outside," Harry said, closing the door behind him. Hermione immediately returned to Remus' arms.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that again," she said quietly a few minutes later. Remus' hold on her tightened, but he didn't say anything. When she looked up at him, he captured her lips with his own. The kiss was fierce and demanding and Hermione's arms quickly moved up his back to tangle in his hair, pulling him closer to her. Remus' arms tightened even more, almost painfully, but Hermione didn't protest. When they finally parted to breathe, she looked up at him, putting a hand gently on his cheek.

"I'm all right," she said. Remus blew out a breath and nodded. His grip loosened and she pulled in a proper breath. "It's over now."

"It's not," he said. "They haven't finished."

"You don't have to stay." Remus immediately shook his head.

"I won't leave you."

"Neither of us has to stay." He searched her face.

"Is that what you want?" Hermione bit her lip.

"I don't know." He studied her again.

"I think we should stay."

"You're sure?" she asked. He nodded.

"We need to see this through, put it behind us for good." She took a breath and let it out.

"All right." He kissed her again, but it was much softer, gentle even.

"I love you," Hermione said when he pulled away.

"I love you, too," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

* * *

Remus had thought it would be difficult to listen to Delia's reasons for what she did, but all she continued to repeat was that Remus had saved her and they belonged together. She didn't seem to feel any remorse for what she'd done, except that she hadn't been able to finish the job. She wasn't even sorry that she'd used her sister and put Cressida's position at St. Mungo's at risk.

In the end, it was a bit anticlimactic when the panel sentenced her to life in Azkaban. Hermione gasped, but with the use of the Imperius curse, the fact that she tried to kill Hermione, and that she didn't appear to regret it, Remus wasn't surprised.

"Please!" a voice rang out in the courtroom. Remus looked down to see Delia's mother standing, looking beseechingly at the panel. "Please, you can't send her to Azkaban. She's sick, she doesn't understand what she did! Please!" The woman broke down in sobs. Delia showed the first bit of uncertainty.

Hermione put a hand to her mouth, tears running down her face. Glancing around at those that had gathered to support them, Remus could see that everyone was affected by Mrs. Wilkes' outburst. Even Percy, who sat looking stoically ahead, flinched when the woman fell to her knees, still begging the panel to reconsider.

"Aurors, clear the courtroom and remove the prisoner," the head of the panel ordered, trying valiantly to ignore the sobs of the distraught woman in front of him. Harry and Ron walked down the stairs to usher the press outside. As Proudfoot and Savage moved to pull Delia from the chair, she looked at her mother in confusion.

"Mum?" she said as the Aurors began to lead her away. "Mum? Mummy!" A fresh round of sobs came over Mrs. Wilkes and Hermione buried her face in Remus' shoulder.

Mr. Wilkes managed to get his wife to her feet with Cressida's help. Mrs. Wilkes slumped against her husband. Remus had to turn his head away from the distraught family as Harry and Ron returned.

"Hermione," Remus murmured. "It's over." He felt her take a shuddering breath. Remus conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She sat up to compose herself. Molly was dabbing at her eyes as well and Susan had her face hidden in Ron's chest. From the corner of his eye, Remus could see Mr. Wilkes leading his wife from the courtroom. Everyone began to stand, making their good-byes. Hermione and Remus were hugged more times than he could count. Molly insisted that everyone come to dinner at the Burrow that night.

"Come on, love," Remus said, pulling Hermione to her feet.

"There's going to be press outside," Harry warned. Hermione pulled in another breath and squared her shoulders. Remus grasped her hand as they walked towards the door of the courtroom. Once outside, the reporters began firing questions at them and Remus could hear the click of cameras. They ignored the questions and managed to get in a lift. Remus put his arm around Hermione and kissed the top of her head.

"Back to work?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I just want to go home." Remus nodded.

"Andromeda," he said.

"Teddy will be fine," she said.

"All right if I stop by, Andromeda?" Harry asked. "I'm off this afternoon."

"Of course, Harry," Andromeda said with a smile.

"Do you need anything from your office?" Remus asked Hermione. She shook her head. They reached the Atrium and Harry held out an arm to Andromeda, Ginny holding his other hand. Most everyone left the lift, save Arthur, Percy and Ron who were also returning to work. The reporters swarmed them immediately. They hurried quickly to the Floos, ignoring the questions and the stares, and Remus didn't even hesitate when he pulled Hermione into the Floo with him, calling out for her house.

They stepped out into the living room, stumbling slightly as Remus still had his arms around Hermione's waist. He was sure the photograph of their escape would be in the Prophet tomorrow. They kicked off their shoes and Remus reclined back on the couch, pulling Hermione with him.

"It's over, love," he said again. She tightened her arm around his waist and pulled herself as close to him as possible. "It's over."


	70. Getaway

**A/N - Sorry for the delay! I was out of town most of the week last week for the 4th. This story now has over 1000 reviews! I cannot believe it, but I am _so_ grateful to all of you who have reviewed along the way. So thank you all for that! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll get the next one out as soon as I can! Thanks for reading! **

**Chapter 70**

 **Getaway**

 **26 April 2000**

Hermione wasn't sure how long they had been lying there in silence, Remus' fingers running soothingly up and down her arm. She couldn't get the scene in the courtroom out of her head. All she could hear were Delia's mother's pleas as Delia was led out of the courtroom. Delia had looked so confused and scared. It only reinforced Hermione's belief that the girl needed therapy, not prison.

"All right, love?" Remus asked as he kissed her forehead.

"No," Hermione said. "I'm not." Remus tightened his arm around her.

"I know it was difficult, testifying and hearing everything that happened while you were asleep."

"It's not that." He shifted so he could look at her.

"What then?"

"Delia shouldn't be in Azkaban."

"Hermione," he said with a sigh. She knew how he felt about the situation, but she didn't agree. She sat up and looked down at him.

"She was sentenced to life, Remus. _Life_ in prison."

"Delia used an Unforgiveable," Remus countered, sitting up as well. "And she tried to kill you."

"Warrington actually _did_ kill people. Fifteen in fact. And he only got _fifty_ years."

"I'm not saying that Warrington's sentence was right, but we both know _why_ he only got fifty years." Hermione didn't want to start an argument about werewolves right now. Besides, she knew that Remus was right.

"I don't think that Delia really wanted to kill me," Hermione said. Remus looked at her incredulously. "Think of how many chances she had to actually do it. You can't tell me that the book she got that potion from didn't have lethal potions in it that would have done the job immediately." Hermione stood from the couch and began to pace.

"She had her sister, a qualified mediwitch, under the Imperius curse. She could have had Cressida slip me any number of potions that would have done the job. For Merlin's sake, when Delia was in my room under Polyjuice, she could have used the killing curse." Remus flinched. "But she didn't do that. Instead, she wasted time trying to get rid of the stasis spell. She wanted to hurt me, yes, but I do _not_ believe that she wanted me dead."

Hermione stopped pacing and crossed her arms over her chest, turning to look at Remus. He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Hermione, she felt no remorse for what she did," Remus said. "I think if she could have figured out a way to do something to you in the courtroom, she would have."

"Because she needs _help_ , Remus."

"That may be, but right now, she's where she belongs." Hermione glared at him and he sighed again, then rose from the couch.

"Love, I don't want to fight with you," he said, putting his arms around her waist. She allowed him to pull her closer. "I know that you don't like it and I agree that the system needs work. Probably a lot of work. But, you're here and you're all right and the person that hurt you can't do it again. And right now, that's all that matters to me." She looked up at him and he leaned down and kissed her. When they parted, Hermione relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'm sure you're going to want to talk to Margaret about this tomorrow," Remus continued. She looked up at him again. "But, for now, can we put this day behind us and think about other things?"

"What other things?" she asked with a knowing look.

"I have a few ideas," he said, kissing her once more. Hermione smiled and pulled him back to the couch.

* * *

 **27 April 2000**

The owl tapping at the window interrupted the quite thorough good-bye kiss Remus was giving her.

"I thought the mail ward was still up," Remus mumbled against her lips. Hermione pulled away reluctantly, although there was a tiny part of her that was glad for the interruption. She likely would have been late for work otherwise.

"Only the DMLE can get around that," Hermione said in confusion as she opened the window. Her confusion only increased when she saw the owl was carrying a newspaper in addition to a note. She untied both and handed the paper to Remus as she read the note.

 _Hermione,_

 _Thought you should see this before you got to work today. Kingsley has arranged for you to Floo directly into his office from your place at 8:45. The connection will only be open for five minutes._

 _Love, Harry_

"How bad is it?" she asked Remus as he stared down at the paper.

"Made the front page this time," he said, handing her the _Prophet._

Three photographs adorned the front of the newspaper. One was Delia being led away after the verdict was given. The other two were both of Hermione and Remus. The first was the two of them embracing in the courtroom after Remus finished his testimony and the second was the two of them stepping into the Atrium Floo, Remus' arms around her.

The accompanying article, which was not written by Skeeter, thank Merlin, was a fair representation of the trial. Hermione and Remus' reactions had been sensationalized a bit, apparently Remus had clung to Hermione for several minutes after his testimony and Hermione had sobbed into his chest when the verdict was read. But, overall, she couldn't find much fault with it. Harry's talk with Cuffe must have made an impression. Still, she was grateful for the use of Kingsley's Floo. Hermione wasn't looking forward to the reactions she was going to get at work today. She told Remus as much.

He took the paper from her hands and tossed it on the couch. He put his arms around her once more and began to kiss her neck.

"You could avoid it all together," he said, kissing his way up her jaw. "Spend the day with me and Teddy." He nipped at her earlobe and Hermione shivered.

"As tempting as that sounds," she managed. "I've missed too much work already." He stopped what he was doing and looked at her, then nodded. He kissed her one more time and Hermione nearly changed her mind.

"Two days," she said, resting her forehead against his chest after she pulled away from him once again. He groaned.

"Two days," he agreed. She gave him one last kiss and then waited while he stepped into the Floo. Pulling in a breath and letting it out, Hermione hurried upstairs to dress for work.

* * *

A half hour later, Hermione Flooed into Kingsley's office. The Minister was behind his desk when she arrived.

"Can't seem to stay out of the news, can you?" he said with a smirk.

"You know me, Kings," Hermione quipped. "Ever the attention whore." Kingsley laughed, rich and deep and Hermione smiled.

"I've ordered the press be kept in the Atrium," Kingsley informed her. "There are no trials today, so there is no need for them to be wandering the Ministry."

"Thank you, Kingsley."

"Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about your fellow employees." Hermione sighed, wondering how many visits she was going to get from colleagues who were ostensibly there to discuss 'work-related' projects, but just wanted gossip.

"Any chance I can use your secret doorway to go straight to my department?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Kingsley replied, drawing his wand. A door appeared next to the Floo. "I've also set up a meeting with you at five, so you can use the Floo to go home."

"You know I'm only delaying the inevitable," Hermione said with a sigh. Kingsley shrugged.

"Your personal life is your business, Hermione. Just because you're a war hero doesn't give them the right to stick their noses where they don't belong." Hermione impulsively leaned down and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you, Kings." He patted her arm.

"Go, make new laws," he said, waving her off. She laughed as she stepped through the door into her department.

* * *

Margaret sat back in her chair after Hermione had finished explaining what she hoped her next project would be.

"That's quite the undertaking," Margaret said.

"I know," Hermione replied. "And to be perfectly honest, I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to accomplish it, if I even will. But I'd like to start doing some research to see if it's feasible." The older woman studied her for a moment.

"I have to admit, I am surprised that you seem to want the woman that attacked you out of prison."

"I don't want her out of prison, exactly," Hermione said. "But, she needs mental help and she's not going to get that in Azkaban."

"I don't know where she would get it outside Azkaban either," Margaret pointed out.

"I know," Hermione replied with a sigh. "That's why I said I need to do some research."

"Quite a bit of research, it seems to me."

"You're not wrong," Hermione said wryly. Margaret pursed her lips and looked up at the ceiling, contemplating for a few minutes.

"I will approve your research," Margaret said, "under one condition."

"What is the condition?"

"That this is a secondary project," Margaret said. "If you have nothing else to work on, then by all means. But if there is something else that I need you to focus on, that takes precedence. I am quite sure that the werewolf proposal is not going to pass as we wrote it, so there will be revisions and compromises that need to be made, as well as help implementing what does pass."

"Of course," Hermione said. "Have you heard anything from the Wizengamot?"

"Not officially, no," Margaret said. "But, as always, there are rumors."

"Positive rumors?"

"Some," Margaret said. "And some not, which is why they are rumors. I don't expect to hear anything before the weekend, at any rate. So, you may use these next two days for your new project, at least."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a wide smile.

"I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything about the werewolf proposal." Hermione recognized the dismissal for what is was and stood. As she neared the door, Margaret spoke again.

"Hermione." Hermione turned to face her boss. "I do admire what you want to do." Hermione smiled again and left Margaret's office for her own.

* * *

When Hermione walked into Kingsley's office a few minutes past five, she was surprised to see Ron, Harry and Neville there as well.

"What are you all doing here?" Hermione asked after they had all greeted one another.

"The Minister called us in," Harry said, glancing at Kingsley's secretary. Hermione's brow furrowed. She knew that Kingsley had scheduled the 'meeting' with her so that she could use his Floo to go home, but that didn't explain her friends' presence.

"Any idea what it's about?" Hermione asked. All three shook their heads.

"The Minister will see you now," Miss Stebbins said, indicating the door to Kingsley's private office. Hermione followed Harry and the four of them stepped inside.

"Thank you all for coming," Kingsley said and Hermione's heart skipped a beat at the look on his face. He didn't look happy. He conjured two more chairs and indicated they should all sit.

"What's going on, Kingsley?" Harry asked.

"I've been meeting with some of the Wizengamot and Department Heads about the upcoming anniversary." After everything that had been going on, Hermione had nearly forgotten the second anniversary of the end of the war was in less than a week.

"There will be another memorial service at Hogwarts in the morning," Kingsley continued. "But many feel there should be some other kind of ceremony to mark the day." Ron's eyes narrowed.

"What kind of ceremony?" he asked.

"There will be a reception held in the Ministry's ballroom following the memorial service." His pronouncement was met with complete silence. And then Harry exploded. He jumped up from his seat and stared at Kingsley incredulously.

"You cannot be serious," Harry said. "They want a party?"

"They _wanted_ a ball," Kingsley said. Neville made a noise of disbelief and Hermione felt sick. "The reception was our compromise." Ron swore under his breath. Harry slumped back into his chair. Hermione put a hand on his arm.

"I suppose none of these people were actually at Hogwarts that day," Harry spat. "Because no one that was there would want to have a ball."

"No," Kingsley said. "They weren't."

"Wankers," Ron said. Hermione gave him a chastising look, but she caught Kingsley's smile.

"It's only been two years," Hermione said quietly.

"I realize that and believe me, there were some that were adamantly against this. But the rest, well," he sighed. "People want to move on, especially if they weren't personally affected. To them, the end of Voldemort is something to celebrate."

"I don't argue that," Neville said. "But, our friends _died_. I don't understand why the memorial service isn't enough."

"Like I said, I refused the ball for those very reasons," Kingsley said. "The reception will be presented as less structured memorial service. There will be a moment of silence for the fallen and there won't be an orchestra or music. There will be food, but no alcohol. If members of the press would like to attend, they may as regular citizens. No interviews or photographs will be allowed. It is not supposed to be a festive atmosphere."

"You can dress it up all you like," Harry said. "It's still a party." Kingsley sighed again and rubbed at his forehead with his fingertips. Hermione had a bad feeling about why the Minister had called the four of them together to discuss the reception.

"Kingsley, why did you call us all in?"

"I wanted you to be forewarned before the announcement was made tomorrow," Kingsley said. But, Hermione suspected it was more than that. He braced his elbows on his desk, looking at the four of them over his clasped hands. At the look on his face, Hermione knew.

"No," Harry said immediately. "No way." Neville looked from Harry to Kingsley a bit confused. Ron's eyes were still narrowed, but Hermione saw the dawning comprehension on his face.

"I'm sorry," Kingsley said.

"What?" Neville asked.

"We're being required to attend," Ron said, crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair in disgust. Neville's mouth dropped open.

"I cannot believe this," Harry snapped.

"If I had any choice, you know I wouldn't do this," Kingsley said.

"You're the bloody Minister!" Harry shouted, jumping out of his chair again. "You have every choice!"

"I do not!" Kingsley retorted, rising as well. Hermione sometimes forgot how imposing he could look. "You don't realize how many people sitting on the Wizengamot would love nothing more than to see me gone! You know the election has been set for August, now that the Wizengamot feels things have stabilized.

If I want to _stay_ Minister, I must make compromises. I do not like this Harry, no more than you do. I do _not_ want to celebrate the day we lost so many good people. But, if I fight them on this, I will lose on something else. Something that is much more important. And I am not prepared to do that." He blew out a breath and lowered his voice.

"I'm sorry, Harry. But I need your cooperation on this." Harry glared at him. "You, Ron and Hermione are heralded as the three that brought down Voldemort and Neville is the one that stood up to him when all hope seemed lost. The four of you are the face of the war."

"The rest of the Order," Neville began, but Kingsley cut him off.

"Will be _strongly_ encouraged to attend. But, I _need_ the four of you there. I don't want to require it as part of your employment, but if you force my hand, I will."

"Then maybe I should just quit," Harry said petulantly. Kingsley sighed and sank back into his chair. He looked tired and Hermione wondered how much sleep he had lost over this decision.

"Obviously, that is your right," Kingsley said. "But I hope that you know you are an extremely valuable member of the Auror department and I wouldn't want to lose you." He looked at the rest of them. "I wouldn't want to lose any of you. The four of you and those of your generation are the ones that are going to change this place, our world, for the better. I hope you won't give up on that already."

It was a bit of a guilt trip, Hermione knew that. But she couldn't help but feel sorry for Kingsley. Politics, as she had recently learned, were not fair. He was walking a fine line between trying to reform the wizarding world and keep as many people content as possible. The last thing they needed was to lose Kingsley and have someone with beliefs like Lucius Malfoy put in charge.

"Harry," she said quietly. Harry turned towards her, look of betrayal on his face.

"No, Hermione," he said.

"Harry, please." She looked to Ron for help.

"Mate," Ron said.

"Not you too," Harry said angrily.

"Listen, I know, all right. I _know_." Ron didn't say Fred's name, but he didn't have to. "But Kingsley's right. Think about what tosser could get elected if Kingsley loses." They all fell silent. Hermione knew that Harry would do what he had to in the end, but he wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Harry," Kingsley said, his voice much softer than it had been. "I _am_ sorry. I know that I'm asking too much of you, that our world has always asked too much of you." He paused and cleared his throat. Hermione could see the regret and remorse in his eyes.

"I won't force you to stay the entire time, I'm only asking for an hour. I wish I didn't have to make these kind of decisions, but the truth is, there are more people than not who just want to celebrate that fact that we're free from Voldemort and forget about the war. My hands really are tied." Kingsley glanced around the room at the resigned looks on the rest of their faces and sighed once more.

"Why don't you all go home. You can let me know your decisions in the morning. You can use my Floo." Harry was the first to stand, grabbing the Floo powder from the mantel and disappearing. Kingsley looked at the rest of them apologetically. "I really did try to talk them out of it."

"We know, Kingsley," Hermione said. "And deep down, Harry does too." Kingsley nodded once and gestured to the Floo. Neville said good-bye to all of them and then took the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, to commiserate with Hannah no doubt.

"Are you going home?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'd give him a bit to cool off." Ron nodded.

"Too bad Gin's not here," he sighed. Ginny's presence definitely would have helped. He hugged Hermione and said good-bye to Kingsley before he disappeared.

"Hermione," Kingsley said before she could follow. "May I ask a favor?"

"You want me to tell Remus," she said. He nodded.

"I thought hearing it from you would be easier. And yes, I realize that makes me a coward." She smiled a bit at that.

"I planned to tell him anyway," she said. "I wouldn't want him to read about it in the _Prophet_." Kingsley winced a bit at the dig.

"I plan to send owls to the rest of the Order tonight."

"Good," Hermione said. "No one should be blindsided with that." He nodded. "For what it's worth, as much as I hate this, I understand your position."

"Thank you, Hermione." She gave him a half-smile and then stepped into the Floo, deciding just before she threw down the powder to head to Remus' instead of her own.

* * *

Remus looked up in surprise as Hermione stepped out of the Floo. His smile turned to a frown as he saw the look on her face.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"My-nee!" Teddy called and he ran to hug her. Hermione picked him up and snuggled him to her. Remus' concern grew as she closed her eyes and hugged Teddy tightly.

"You kwish me, My-nee," Teddy giggled.

"Sorry," Hermione said, loosening her grip and giving him a small smile.

"You pay?" Teddy asked. Hermione glanced at Remus.

"Teddy, why don't you go in the kitchen and tell your Nanna that Hermione is here."

"Tay," Teddy said and Hermione set him on his feet. Remus looked at her in concern as soon as Teddy had disappeared. Hermione sighed and he pulled her into his arms.

"What's the matter, love?"

"Kingsley met with Harry, Ron, Neville and I just after work today."

"What about?" Remus asked in confusion.

"The anniversary." Remus' arms tightened around her. "There's going to be a memorial service at Hogwarts again. But then-" she trailed off.

"Then what?" She pulled back slightly at looked up at him.

"There's to be a reception at the Ministry." Remus' brow furrowed.

"A reception?" She nodded.

"Kingsley said that they wanted a ball." Remus stared down at her incredulously. She shook her head in disgust. "It's only been two years and they want to pretend like none of it happened, just be happy that Voldemort is dead."

"You're not going to go, obviously," Remus said. Hermione looked up at him sadly. "You are going to go?"

"The four of us are being required to attend. We are the 'face of the war' according to Kingsley. The rest of the Order is going to be strongly encouraged to be there." Remus dropped his arms from around her waist and stared at her in shock.

"A party?" he said. "They're having a party and they expect us to be there?" Hermione nodded, then sank down on the couch with a sigh.

"Kingsley did what he could, there won't be music or alcohol, just food. The press is allowed to attend as private citizens, but they can't ask questions or take photographs. And he's only asked us to stay for an hour. But he couldn't stop it all together." She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips and Remus realized she looked both exhausted and resigned.

"This is ridiculous," he said.

"I agree, but Kingsley doesn't have much choice. You know that the majority of the population wasn't at the Battle at all and most of the those that were, came in at the very end. They didn't see the heavy fighting." Remus sat down on the couch next to her, elbows braced on his knees and head in his hands.

"He's asking me to celebrate my wife's death." That wasn't true, Remus knew it, but it's how it felt. Hermione leaned her head against his shoulder, rubbing his back with one hand.

"For what it's worth, Kingsley doesn't want this. Not at all. You can tell just by looking at him." Remus nodded. He knew Kingsley was in a tight position, politically. The election had been ordered for August and while Kingsley appeared to be a popular Minister, there were more than a few that were disgruntled with some of the new laws that were coming out of his office. Given the chance, the opposition could mount a successful campaign.

"How is Harry taking all this?" Hermione sighed again. "That well, eh?"

"He threatened to quit the Auror department and then he stormed out."

"He won't quit," Remus said.

"I know he won't," Hermione replied. "And he'll show up to the reception, as much as he'll hate it. I just hope this doesn't damage his relationship with Kingsley."

"Ron and Neville?"

"Don't like it, but they understand," Hermione said.

"And you?" Remus asked, taking her free hand. His thumb rubbed small circles on the back of it.

"I hate it," Hermione said. "I think it's despicable a ball was even suggested. The fact that Kingsley was able to get them to agree on just this reception doesn't make it any better."

"There will be a ball at some point," Remus said. Hermione made a noise of agreement.

"Hopefully by then the public will have had their fill of gawking at the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends and we won't have to go." Remus kissed her temple just as Andromeda came into the room with Teddy. She looked from one to the other, concern on her face, but Remus shook his head. He would fill her in later.

"Dinner is ready," Andromeda said.

"Oh, I should get going," Hermione replied.

"Nonsense, Hermione," Andromeda said. "We always have plenty." Remus looked at her, hoping she would stay.

"My-nee, sit by me!" Teddy said in excitement. Hermione laughed.

"How can I refuse that?" Remus kissed her temple once more and they stood, following Teddy into the kitchen.

* * *

 **29 April 2000**

The sun shining through the small gap in the curtains woke Hermione. She could feel Remus' breath on the back of her neck and from the steadiness of it, she surmised he was still asleep. Smiling, she moved her hand to rest on top of his where it laid on her stomach.

They had arrived in Cardiff later than they'd intended the night before. Hermione had been late getting home because she'd gotten so involved in her research. And then Remus had been late getting to her house because Teddy had protested his leaving. Only, Remus said, because he had made the mistake of telling the toddler he was going with Hermione for the weekend. Still, it had taken Remus some time to calm Teddy down and he'd felt guilty for leaving at all.

" _We don't have to go," Hermione said quietly, her arms wrapped around his waist as they stood in her living room._

" _No, we've both been looking forward to this for days," Remus said._

" _Teddy is more important," Hermione said. "I don't want him to be upset."_

" _Teddy will be fine," Remus said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as her. "I spent every night with you while you were in hospital." Hermione didn't remind Remus that he'd seen Teddy during the day, even when he wasn't with him at night. She didn't want to make him feel worse._

" _And besides, he wasn't upset about me leaving so much as not getting to come along and see_ you _." She smiled._

" _If you're sure," she said._

" _Sure I want to spend the weekend with you? Of course, I am." He leaned down and kissed her._

Despite their intention to play Muggle tourist, they had still decided to stay in a wizarding hotel. As much as Hermione still did many things the Muggle way, there was some magic that was second-nature to her, even more so with Remus. They didn't want to bring the Ministry down on them for using magic in a Muggle hotel, even if it was only in their own room.

They'd had a late dinner once they had arrived and then gone up to their room. Hermione had tried to stay awake, but she had been up late the night before working and the three glasses of wine she'd had at dinner hadn't helped. She'd fallen asleep still dressed while Remus had been in the bathroom. When he had come out of the bathroom, he had just kissed her forehead, helped her out of her clothes and tucked her into bed. She didn't even remember him climbing in.

She'd have to make it up to him this morning, she thought with a sly smile. Although, judging by the sun coming in the window, it was still rather early. And she was quite sure that Remus was still asleep. Moving slightly, she snuggled further back into him. She was contemplating going back to sleep when she felt his hand slide from her stomach. He kissed her shoulder and she smiled.

"Are you awake?" he whispered.

"Yes," she said and his hand slid into her knickers.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she said, hitching a breath as his fingers began to explore.

"Good," he said as his other hand slipped under her tank top, cupping a breast.

"Remus," she breathed and he continued until she was shuddering in his arms and crying out his name. He kissed her shoulder again as she regained her breath but held her in place when she tried to turn. She heard the whispered contraception spell and then her knickers and top disappeared. He slid into her from behind, his hands continuing their ministrations. She reached an arm behind her, wrapping it around his neck. Remus sucked and nipped at her neck as he rocked into her.

"Fuck, Hermione," he groaned, speeding up slightly as she began to tense once again. He finished just after she did, both panting, his forehead resting between her shoulder blades.

"Holy hell," he said as they lay limp and thoroughly spent.

"Mm," was all Hermione could manage. When he slipped from her, Hermione turned in his arms, kissing him softly. They lay recovering for a few minutes until Remus fumbled for his wand and cast a cleansing spell on them both before drawing the sheet up over them.

"Good morning," he said a few minutes later.

"Morning," she replied, smiling at him. He leaned down and kissed her. "I was going to apologize for falling asleep on you last night, but if this is the thanks I get the next morning, maybe I won't." He chuckled and she snuggled closer to him, tangling their legs together and tucking her face into the crook of his neck.

They lay quietly, Remus running a hand up and down her back. She melted further into him wondering how long it might take before he was ready for another round. She kissed his neck and he hummed appreciatively. She wished they could wake up like this every morning. Not to sex, necessarily, although, she thought with a smile, it was a rather pleasant way to start the day. But just…together. At that thought, her eyes snapped open. Where had that come from?

"Hermione?" Remus said in concern. She realized that her body had gone rigid. She forced herself to relax. "What is it?"

"Nothing," she said. He pulled back slightly to look at her. She smiled at him, hoping it looked natural. He didn't look convinced.

"I just, um, thought of something for my research."

"Do you want to write it down?"

"No, it was nothing, really." She reached up and kissed him, her hand on his cheek. She smiled at him when they broke the kiss. He searched her face for a few moments, then kissed her again, before tucking her head back into the crook of his neck.

Hermione lay quietly in Remus' arms musing on her previous thought. There had been times over the last few weeks where she wished he could have stayed the night, but she had slept alone plenty and never really had an issue with it. But, just now, it had been more of a yearning, a need, to have him with her all the time.

Of course, Hermione had thought about their future, but not in any kind of concrete way. It had been more vague musings on various points of their relationship. What would happen when they went public or when the werewolf laws were revised, or if they weren't. She'd never really sat down and thought about living together or getting married or anything else that went along with those things. Now, though, she couldn't get it out of her head.

But, it was far too soon for that. They hadn't even been dating for two months, most of their friends and family had only known for a few weeks. Yes, she loved him and she knew that he loved her, but neither one of them were ready for more than what they already had, surely. She needed to put those thoughts out of her head. Remus would think she'd gone round the twist.

She yawned, the slow drag of Remus' fingers along her back, lulling her into a state of sleepiness. She kissed his chest and felt him kiss the top of her head before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

They never made it out of their room that morning, all plans for sight-seeing flying out the window when Remus woke for the second time to Hermione kissing her way down his chest. Finally managing to shower, albeit together, which took quite a bit more time than it would have normally, neither could ignore the protests coming from their stomachs any longer. They had lunch in the hotel's restaurant and then Apparated from the hotel lobby to the Harpies' stadium.

Their wands were scanned at the VIP gate, their names checked off the list for Harry's box, and the attendant waved them inside. Before they'd even made it to the stairs for the boxes, Hermione pulled Remus into a side corridor.

"Hermione, what-" he began, but he was cut off by the very thorough snogging Hermione gave him. When she finally pulled away from him, she looked up, face flushed and lips swollen.

"I may not get another chance to do that for hours," she said by way of explanation. Remus laughed and kissed her again. Taking his hand, Hermione led him from the corridor and back to the stairs.

Most of the Weasleys were already there once they arrived. Percy seemed to be the only one missing. And Bill and Fleur of course, although Remus knew that they weren't coming. Fleur was much too close to her due date. They were greeted by Molly and Arthur who spotted them first and then everyone else followed suit. Harry turned and waved, but remained standing at the railing of the box, watching the Harpies as they ran a few practice drills.

"How is he?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Still angry," Ron said. "He refused to speak to me at all on Thursday night. Just locked himself in his bedroom."

"I tried to find him on Friday to see if he wanted to get lunch, but he wasn't there," Hermione said. Ron nodded.

"He was on second shift yesterday, didn't get to the Ministry until after three. I talked to him a bit before I went home, but it was mostly about work. He hasn't said much today." Hermione sighed.

"I should talk to him."

"No," Remus said. "Let me." She looked up at him in surprise, but then nodded. Remus squeezed her hand and made his way to the front of the box to stand next to Harry. They watched the team in silence until the coach blew his whistle to call them in.

"I heard about the reception," Remus finally said when it was clear that Harry wasn't going to say anything. Harry let out a derisive snort.

"I suppose you feel the same way as Hermione and Ron," Harry said.

"No," Remus replied. "I think it's a ludicrous idea, actually." Harry turned to look at him. "I don't want to celebrate the day I lost my wife." Remus saw Harry's hands tighten on the railing.

"You're not going then?"

"I haven't decided," Remus said truthfully.

"At least you have a choice," Harry said bitterly. Remus put a hand on his shoulder.

"As much as I agree with you about this whole thing, I do know that Kingsley is in a tough position." Harry sighed.

"I know that. And I don't blame him, not really. It's just," he shook his head. "I just want to live my life." Remus' hand tightened slightly on the younger man's shoulder.

"I know you didn't ask for any of this, Harry. And I wish you didn't have to deal with it."

"But," Harry said.

"But, nothing," Remus replied. "I can't tell you what to do." Harry sighed again.

"I don't want to quit my job."

"You are very good at it," Remus said. Harry gave him a half-smile.

"Kingsley said we'd only have to stay for an hour." Remus nodded. He knew Harry would go, in the end. He probably would have even of his job wasn't threatened. Despite his hatred of being in the spotlight, Harry always did what was expected of him. To his detriment at times, but Remus wasn't sure how to change that. He suspected it had as much to do with growing up at the Dursleys as it did with Harry's inborn nature. Remus tightened his hand on Harry's shoulder once more.

"You won't be alone, Harry."

"I know," Harry said. "Thanks, Remus." Remus clapped him on the back, just as Hermione walked up on Harry's other side.

"All right, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said. He put an arm around her and gave her shoulder a squeeze. She looked over at Remus and smiled, mouthing 'thank you' behind Harry's head. Remus nodded and walked off to speak to Arthur, leaving the two friends to talk.

* * *

The match was over rather quickly for a professional game. The Harpies' Chasers were far better than the Kestrals but the Kestrals' Seeker was amazingly quick and caught the Snitch only an hour and a half into the match. The Kestrals won by fifty points.

Given they hadn't been there all that long, everyone remained in the box waiting for Ginny. Remus had gone to get them something to drink, when Molly approached Hermione.

"How are you doing, dear?" she asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Molly," Hermione said with a smile. "Thank you again, for coming to the trial."

"Of course," Molly said. She sighed. "That poor woman." Hermione knew she was referring to Delia's mother. Hermione shivered a little, still unable to forget Mrs. Wilkes' pleas in the courtroom. Remus walked up holding two bottles of Butterbeer and looked at her in concern. She gave him a wan smile and he put an arm around her.

"I hope to see the two of you at the family dinner tomorrow night," Molly said, smiling at them. Hermione nodded. They had already planned to meet Andromeda and Teddy at the Burrow.

"We'll be there," Remus said.

"Good," Molly replied, patting Remus' arm before she walked away.

"All right, love?" he asked Hermione once Molly had gone. Hermione leaned into him.

"I'm fine," she said. "Molly just brought up Delia's mother." Remus tightened his arm around her waist. Hermione looked up at him. "How long do you think we have to stay?" Remus chuckled.

"I think we should probably at least wait for Ginny to get here." Hermione sighed. She knew she was being a bit selfish, but she had enjoyed having Remus all to herself this morning. Now that the match hadn't lasted that long, she was impatient to have the rest of the afternoon and evening to themselves as well. Remus smirked at her, obviously knowing what she was thinking.

Ginny finally came into the box, clearly upset about the loss. Harry pulled her into a hug, as everyone else clapped and cheered. She had scored seven goals after all. It didn't take long until Hermione saw a smile on the younger woman's face.

"You didn't have to stay," Ginny said a few minutes later as she joined Hermione. Remus had been pulled into a conversation with Percy. "I know this is your weekend with Remus."

"We wanted to see you before we left," Hermione said, feeling a bit guilty that she had wanted to leave earlier.

"You'd rather be talking to me than shagging your boyfriend?" Ginny asked, waggling her eyebrows.

"Ginny!" Hermione said, slapping her friend's arm.

"What? You're not shagging him?"

"Oh my god, just stop, please." Ginny laughed as Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you're worse than George sometimes." Ginny grinned. Hermione caught sight of Harry across the room. She pulled Ginny a bit further away from everyone.

"Did you see the Prophet yesterday?" Hermione asked. Ginny shook her head.

"No, total news blackout the day before a match, you know that. We're only notified if there's an emergency." Hermione sighed and glanced at Harry again. "Why, what's happened?" Hermione quickly filled Ginny in on the meeting with Kingsley.

"Shite," Ginny said, glancing at Harry herself. "How bad was it?"

"About what you'd expect," Hermione said. "Remus talked to him earlier and I think that helped." Ginny nodded.

"Listen, can you do me a favor?" Ginny asked.

"Of course," Hermione said.

"Ask Ron to stay at Susan's tonight." Hermione nodded. "Thanks, Hermione." Ginny hugged her quickly, then crossed the box to where Harry stood. She put an arm around him and he pulled her into his side. Whispering something into his ear, Harry looked at her, brow furrowed. He asked her something and Ginny nodded. He kissed her forehead, then turned to everyone else.

"Feel free to stay and finish your drinks, but Gin's tired, so we're going to head home." George opened his mouth to say something inappropriate, no doubt, but a glare from his mother stopped him. As they watched Harry and Ginny make their good-byes, Remus murmured in Hermione's ear.

"Are you ready to leave?" She smiled up at him.

"I thought you'd never ask." He took her hand and after talking quickly with Ron and another round of farewells, they made their way to the Apparition point and Disapparated.

* * *

Remus took another sip of his wine, free hand playing idly with one of Hermione's curls. They had indeed done the touristy thing in the afternoon, visiting a few of the more popular sights around Cardiff. After dinner at one of the restaurants near the waterfront, they had bought a bottle of wine and come back to the hotel. Remus had transfigured one of the chairs on the balcony to a chaise and sat with Hermione between his legs, leaning back against him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked him.

"How relaxed I am right now," he said, which was the truth. Although, he was thinking about far more than that. He was thinking about a place of their own, with a chair just like this on their patio where they could sit every night and enjoy the stars.

"Mm," she said in agreement. The hand that had been playing with her curls wrapped around her middle instead, pulling her tighter against him. She sighed in contentment.

"I wish we didn't have to go back tomorrow," she said a few minutes later. Remus forced himself not to react. She was only saying she was enjoying their holiday, not that she was having the same fantasies he was. She suddenly tilted her head back to look at him. "I didn't mean I don't miss Teddy. That probably sounded horrible." Remus chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose.

"It didn't," he assured her. "And as much as I love him, it _is_ nice to have some time to ourselves without worrying that I need to get back." She put her arm over his and entwined their fingers. Remus set his wine glass on the side table and wrapped his other arm around Hermione as well.

"Have you thought more about the reception?" she asked.

"I've thought about it too much," Remus admitted. Hermione's hand squeezed his. "I still haven't decided."

"I don't blame you for not wanting to go," she said. "If I had the choice, I wouldn't."

"I'm sorry you don't," he said quietly. She sighed.

"As long as I remind myself I'm doing it to support Kingsley, it makes it easier to swallow." Remus hummed in agreement, nuzzling her temple with his nose. She closed her eyes and relaxed further into him. She tilted her head back again and Remus leaned down and kissed her. She smiled when he pulled away.

"I love you," she said. He smiled.

"I love you, too. Let's go to bed, love." Hermione stood and held a hand out to him, pulling him out of the chair. Waving his wand to return it to its original form, Remus pulled Hermione to him. He kissed her again, then took her hand and led back into their room, closing the curtains with a flick of his wand.


	71. Victory

**A/N - I'm so glad I actually managed to finish this chapter to get it posted today. Honestly, summer is kicking my butt worse than usual. As always, no promises on when the next chapter will be up. Thank you all for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 71**

 **Victory**

 **1 May 2000**

Hermione walked towards her office, her thoughts still full of Remus and their weekend together. They had both been reluctant to leave on Sunday, as much as she knew that Remus missed Teddy. Last night, after she'd gotten home from the Burrow, she couldn't stop thinking about her Saturday morning epiphany.

Even if it wasn't too soon to be thinking about such things, which it was, Hermione doubted she could ever move into Andromeda's house with Remus. It would be too strange sharing the room that used to be Tonks', especially in the house she grew up in. Hermione's house was plenty big enough, but it was still her parents' house. She could move out, she made enough money at the Ministry to get a nice flat. But, she wanted Teddy to be able to have a yard to play in, which, of course, he already did.

That wasn't even taking Andromeda into account. Hermione knew how much having Teddy and Remus living with her had helped the other woman with her grief. Hermione couldn't take that away from her for her own selfish reasons. Similarly, Hermione couldn't ask the woman to move out of the home she'd lived in for over twenty years. Sighing, Hermione pushed open the door to her department, not sure what the solution was.

Margaret was standing near Cecily's desk when Hermione entered.

"Ah, Hermione, good, you're here," Margaret said. "I've heard back from the Wizengamot." Hermione froze. Her boss' face gave nothing away.

"And?" Hermione said.

"And we have much to discuss," Margaret said. "Meet me in my office in five minutes." Hermione nodded, walking into her own office to set down her bag.

Did they have much to discuss because the Wizengamot hadn't agreed to any of the proposal? Or had they changed things so much, it was no longer recognizable? Or, had they agreed to everything and Margaret and Hermione now had to figure out how to implement it all?

Hermione pulled in a breath and let it out. It wouldn't do any good to speculate. Whatever the Wizengamot had decided, they would find a way to work with it. She gathered parchment and quill and made her way to Margaret's office.

After nodding to Cecily, Hermione walked in and closed the door behind her. She sat down in one of the chairs in front of Margaret's desk and looked at her expectantly.

"They did not agree with everything in the proposal," Margaret said. As much as they had expected this, Hermione still felt a pang of disappointment.

"Which parts?" Hermione asked.

"They do not feel the government can afford to provide the Wolfsbane." Hermione nodded. That point was the one thing she was almost positive they would disagree with. The Ministry was still recovering financially from the war. Repairs to Hogwarts and reparations that were made to those imprisoned or killed by Voldemort's regime, not to mention the orphans' fund and the orphanage that was built to house war orphans, had left the government with little extra. Vault seizures and fines of some of the Death Eaters had helped, but the government hadn't been in the best place financially during Fudge's tenure. And Scrimgeour had had more to worry about than budgets during his short stint as Minister.

"The class you want to incorporate into Hogwarts was agreed upon," Margaret continued. "Although, knowing Minerva McGonagall as I do, she wouldn't have gotten rid of it regardless of what the Wizengamot said." Hermione smirked. That was the reason she had gone to Minerva first with the idea for the class.

"They still want some kind of registry," Margaret said looking up at Hermione.

"Before everything that happened with Warrington and Satterfield, I would have said that wasn't an issue. Now though," Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"I agree," Margaret said. "It's probably the biggest issue with the revisions."

"What about the sanctuary?" Hermione asked.

"A mixed bag," Margaret said. "They agree that creating a place for werewolves to come and transform might be possible, but only if those that want to use it have taken the Wolfsbane potion."

"And most that need a facility like that probably don't have access to Wolfsbane," Hermione finished.

"Exactly. They are concerned that without the potion, the werewolves would fight and injure one another."

"That's highly possible," Hermione agreed.

"They have agreed with making ward experts available to check on any individual's transformation location and they don't object to werewolves having jobs, as long as they're registered. They've agreed to the stipulation that no one can be fired for having to take time off around the full moon, but they've changed it from three days to two. And there will be no restrictions on werewolves marrying or having children." Hermione's heart beat a bit faster at the last statement and she shifted in her seat. Margaret seemed not to notice.

"Lastly, they have agreed that the Werewolf Capture Unit should be abolished in its current form. However, they do not agree as to who should take over those duties when they are needed." In the proposal, Margaret and Hermione had recommended leaving it with the Auror department. "They argue that Aurors are not trained to apprehend magical creatures."

"That's simple enough to fix," Hermione said. "A few days of training is likely all they need to be proficient."

"Possibly," Margaret said. "But, they may insist that the DRCMC continue to be in charge of it."

"Have they agreed to classify werewolves as Beings?"

"Yes," Margaret replied. "Although they are unsure were the new capture unit should be housed."

"That's ridiculous, it's extremely rare that werewolves are captured during the full moon," Hermione said. "Normally, if a werewolf commits a crime, it's not even discovered until _after_ the full moon when the werewolf is a witch or wizard again." That was their argument for using the Aurors in the first place.

"I don't disagree with you, Hermione," Margaret said. "But it is our job to answer their concerns with different solutions."

"I know, I'm sorry," Hermione said. "And I never expected that the proposal would pass in its original form. I'm just frustrated with the number of revisions we're going to have to do." Margaret smiled ruefully.

"Welcome to the world of politics." Hermione sighed.

"Do we have a deadline?"

"Not a specific one, no," Margaret said. "However, I would like to present our changes as soon as possible." Hermione nodded. "Given tomorrow is the Anniversary and the Ministry will be closed, I am hoping that we can have something put together by next Wednesday. Earlier, if we can."

"Do you mind if I speak to Gwendolyn about these changes?" Hermione asked. "Her department will likely be handling all of this, so I'd like to get her input."

"Not at all," Margaret said. "In fact, that is probably a wise idea. I know she has been expanding the Werewolf Support Services."

"I'd also like to discuss it with Remus," Hermione said. "He may be able to help with the registry issue."

"I don't think we could bring him in as an official consultant," Margaret said. Hermione looked up in surprise. She hadn't even thought of actually hiring Remus, simply running things by him. Official consultants were paid. "Given your relationship, it might look like favoritism."

"I understand," Hermione said, a bit disappointed even though she hadn't been thinking along those lines in the first place.

"However," Margaret continued, "Gwendolyn has no such relationship." Hermione grinned at her boss, who winked.

"I'll speak to Gwendolyn this afternoon."

"Good. Now, let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

 **2 May 2000**

Remus offered Andromeda his arm as they walked up the path towards the memorial. Hermione walked on his other side, holding Teddy.

"Me walk," Teddy said as they made their way up the sloping lawn past the lake.

"Not today, Teddy," Hermione said. A walk with Teddy could turn into a two-hour adventure with as often as the little boy stopped to inspect things.

"Me walk!" Teddy insisted beginning to squirm in Hermione's arms. He threw himself to the side and Hermione gasped as she nearly dropped him.

"Teddy," Remus said sharply. Teddy stilled at the tone of his father's voice. He looked at Remus, lip quivering. The little boy had been out of sorts all morning, likely sensing his father's and grandmother's moods. He had been clinging to Hermione since she arrived at the house that morning. Remus almost relented at the look on his son's face. But there were too many people and they didn't have enough time to let Teddy explore right now.

"Stop squirming or I will have to carry you," Remus warned.

"No, want My-nee," Teddy said, sniffling. He wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face in her shoulder. Hermione rubbed his back and gave Remus a sympathetic look. Remus sighed and felt Andromeda tighten her hand on his arm in support.

"See all the people that are here, Teddy?" Hermione said quietly. Teddy lifted his head from her shoulder and looked around. He nodded. "We don't want you to get lost, so that's why I'm carrying you. All right?" Teddy nodded again and rested his head against Hermione's shoulder once more. Remus reached out with his free hand and rested it on the small of Hermione's back. She smiled up at him.

"See the castle?" Hermione said a few moments later when they came around the curve of the lake. Teddy lifted his head up and turned to look at it. He smiled widely. "Some day when you're a big boy, you can go to school here."

"I big!" Teddy insisted. Hermione laughed.

"When you're bigger then," she said. Sufficiently distracted, Teddy began to look around, chattering away to Hermione about the castle and the lake and whatever else seemed to catch his attention as they walked. Hermione smiled and nodded, interjecting a comment now and then. Remus couldn't keep the fond smile off his face.

They reached the memorial and the rows of chairs set up before it. As soon as Teddy caught sight of Harry and Ginny he again begged to be put down. As they were only a few feet away, Remus acquiesced. Teddy ran into his godfather's arms, giggling as Harry tickled him.

"Hey, mate," Harry said.

"Cassle, Ha-wy, see!" Teddy said pointing.

"I do," Harry said. "I went to school there."

"Me go!"

"When you're bigger," Harry replied.

"I big!" Teddy insisted again. Harry chuckled.

"You are big, but you have to be bigger." Harry turned Teddy towards a group of students, likely second or third years. "Big like those kids, see?" Teddy stared at the students. One girl caught his gaze and smiled, giving him a little wave. Teddy smiled back but then hid his face in Harry's chest.

Turning away from the students, they began moving into one of the rows of chairs. Most of the Weasleys were already seated and Remus greeted all of them as he sat down between Hermione and Andromeda. They found out that Bill and Fleur had elected not to attend. Fleur hadn't been feeling well the night before and wasn't up to traveling much these days anyway.

"She must be getting near to her due date," Andromeda said to Molly after learning about Fleur.

"Yes, any day now," Molly said, her excitement over her first grandchild seeming to temper her grief slightly.

The murmuring of the crowd began to die down as Kingsley and Minerva, along with a few of the other professors and people from the Ministry began to climb the stairs to the dais.

"Who dat?" Teddy asked, pointing at Filius.

"Shh, Teddy," Remus said. "We have to be quiet, remember?"

"Who dat?" Teddy asked again in a very loud whisper.

"That's Professor Flitwick," Hermione said quietly. "He's a teacher at Hogwarts."

"He not big," Teddy said and Remus turned an impressive shade of red as a few people around them chuckled. Glancing at Hermione, he saw that she was trying to hold in her laughter. Clearing her throat, Hermione whispered to Teddy again.

"Professor Flitwick is older than your nanna," Hermione said. "He's just not tall like your daddy or Harry." Teddy sat and contemplated this for some time, obviously confused by what 'big' really meant. They would have to explain things in terms of age, not height, from now on, Remus supposed.

Thankful that his son was quiet for the moment, Remus turned his attention to the dais where Minerva was rising to speak.

"Aunt Min," Teddy said happily, once again a bit too loudly. Remus bit back a groan. Perhaps they _should_ have asked Narcissa to mind Teddy during the memorial, something both Remus and Andromeda had contemplated. Remus dug into the bag he had brought along and passed a book to Hermione. They also had a few of Teddy's dragons, but he tended to get a bit loud when he played with them. Hopefully, he would just look at his book quietly.

"Read me, My-nee," Teddy said about five minutes later.

"I can't read that right now, Teddy," Hermione said. "We have to be quiet, remember?" Teddy lifted a finger to his lips.

"Shh," he said. Hermione nodded.

"Shh," she repeated. The speeches on the dais continued. As Kingsley rose to speak, Teddy turned to Remus.

"Me see Ha-wy." Remus glanced down the row to where Harry and Ginny were sitting.

"All right," he said. "But you have to be quiet." Teddy nodded solemnly and Hermione set him on his feet. Teddy walked past his father and Andromeda, then Molly and Arthur until he reached Ginny who picked him up and put him on her lap. He looked content enough and at least he was quiet for the moment.

The rest of the memorial was punctuated by Teddy walking up and down the row sitting with different members of the Weasley family as well as his own. Remus tried keeping him in one place, but it appeared that the easiest way to keep Teddy quiet was to let him sit with who he liked. None of the adults seemed to mind as he seemed to gravitate towards the ones that needed the most comfort at the moment. Remus just hoped his son wasn't too distracting to anyone else around them.

Finally, the ceremony concluded with Kingsley's speech and then a moment of silence. Andromeda was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief and Teddy crawled up into her lap in concern, snuggling into her and staying quiet. Remus bowed his head and Hermione reached over and took his hand.

Remus couldn't help the slight guilt he felt at being with Hermione, especially today. Not that Dora wouldn't have wanted him to be happy. He felt the ghost of a smile on his face as he pictured her with hands on her hips, rolling her eyes as she told him to stop being stupid. But, he still missed her terribly.

After the moment of silence, Kingsley invited everyone to join him at the reception at the Ministry. Remus sighed. He still didn't know if he was going to attend.

When Kingsley left the lectern and began shaking hands with everyone else on the dais, the crowd began to rise, some immediately making their way to the stone monument, others talking quietly with those around them. Andromeda had put Teddy down and he was running back and forth along the row of chairs. Remus felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see an elderly wizard behind him.

"Is that your son?" the man asked pointing at Teddy.

"Yes," Remus said. "I apologize, I know he was probably distracting." The man waved off his apology.

"On the contrary, I applaud you for bringing him. He was a delight on such a somber day."

"Oh, well, thank you," Remus said.

"Daddy! My-nee!" Teddy called as he ran towards them. "No be kyit?" Hermione laughed.

"No, you don't have to be quiet anymore." Teddy grinned and the older wizard next to Remus chuckled.

"Isn't that what the fight was for anyway? For the children to have a better life?"

"Yes, yes, it was," Remus said, looking at Teddy fondly. The wizard shook Remus' hand and then walked off.

"Daddy, we go?" Teddy asked as Hermione picked him up.

"We're going to go look at the monument first," Remus said.

"No, we _go_ ," Teddy whined.

"Remember what I told you before?" Remus said. "Mummy's name is there. And Grandad's."

"Mummy?" Teddy questioned. Remus nodded. "I see." Remus turned to Andromeda and offered her his arm once again. They made their way forward with the crowd towards the monument.

* * *

Hermione was making faces at Teddy and making him giggle when she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Claire, Annie and David walking towards them.

"I'm so glad to see all of you," Hermione said with a grin as they reached her. Teddy was watching the three students closely.

"Who's this then?" Annie asked.

"This is Teddy, Mr. Lupin's son."

"He's so cute," Claire said. "Hi, Teddy." Teddy hid his face in Hermione's neck as his hair switched to brown curls. It had been black most of the morning, looking like Harry's. David's eyes widened.

"Did he just change his hair?" Hermione glanced down.

"Oh, right," she said. "He's a Metamorphmagus."

"Wicked," David said. Remus chuckled.

"Hi, Mr. Lupin!" Claire said brightly.

"Hello, Claire. It's nice to see you." Remus turned to the other two teens and greeted them as well, then introduced Andromeda. Claire continued to glance between Remus and Hermione, wide smile on her face.

"What's going on?" Hermione finally asked.

"I _knew_ you liked him," Claire said. Hermione's cheeks reddened, as Andromeda covered a laugh with a cough.

"Claire," David hissed.

"What?" Claire said. "It's not like it's a secret. You read the _Prophet_ too." Annie rolled her eyes.

"Tact, Claire, is not your specialty." Claire huffed and crossed her arms in front of her. Hermione couldn't help but laugh a little.

The three teens walked with Hermione, Remus and Andromeda towards the monument, telling Hermione a bit about their second year. Their moods all became more somber the closer they got to it. Teddy eventually reached out for Remus and Hermione passed him over, knowing that Remus needed the comfort of his son right now.

They stood in front of the monument and Remus pointed to Ted's name and then Tonks'.

"I see Mummy," Teddy said.

"This is her name, right here," Remus said, reaching up to touch it. Teddy ran his little fingers over Tonks' name as well, then looked at his father in confusion.

"I see Mummy, Daddy," Teddy said.

"I said we were going to see Mummy's _name_ , Teddy. Mummy isn't here." Hermione felt a lump in her throat and Andromeda was dabbing at her eyes again. Teddy pouted.

"See Mummy."

"Teddy, I," Remus trailed off looking helpless and Hermione's heart broke. She took his hand, trying to think of something to say when Andromeda spoke up.

"Teddy, we can look at the photographs of your mummy when we get home, all right?" Teddy studied her for a moment before he nodded. Harry suddenly materialized on the other side of Andromeda.

"Hey, Teddy, want to come with me for a bit? I'll show you the Quidditch Pitch." Teddy's eyes lit up and he reached for his godfather.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Remus asked. Hermione thought Harry would have wanted to spend a bit of time at the memorial as well. Harry nodded.

"Gin and I came early, before anyone else was here. I've already paid my respects." Remus passed Teddy over. "You take your time." Harry walked off, Teddy in tow, chattering happily about brooms and Quidditch.

"At least he's easily distracted," Remus said quietly. Hermione put an arm around his waist and leaned into him. They stood and stared at the monument for a few minutes. Hermione knew Remus was seeking out the Potters' names and Sirius', as well as the rest of the friends he lost in the first war. She kept her arm around him, lending him what support she could. Andromeda still held his arm, but stood straight, looking stoically ahead, the occasional dab of her eyes the only thing that betrayed her emotion.

Hermione looked to her left where Claire, David and Annie stood. Claire had leaned into David and her head was resting against his shoulder. As Hermione watched, Annie slipped her hand into David's and squeezed. David's slight, almost imperceptible move towards Annie made Hermione smile. The three of them would take care of each other.

Remus moved, turning to Andromeda and asking if she was ready to leave. The older woman nodded and Hermione dropped her arm from his waist. He looked down at her, kissing the top of her head and the three of them moved away to let someone else take their place. As they passed the teens, the three students followed suit, Annie quickly wiping a few tears from her face.

Remus began leading them towards where Kingsley and Minerva were talking with Molly and Arthur along with a few other members of the Order. Hermione stopped before they reached them and Remus looked down at her.

"You two go ahead," Hermione said. "I want to talk to these three for a bit."

"All right," he said, giving her a smile and leading Andromeda towards the group of adults. Hermione turned back to Annie, Claire and David, hugging each of them in turn.

"I'm sorry I haven't written lately," Hermione said. "How are you all doing?"

"We're fine," Claire said. She glanced at Annie and David and spoke for the three of them. "I mean, it's still hard, but we're really okay." David looked up and nodded. Annie was still holding tightly to his hand.

"Annie?" Hermione said.

"It's better," she said with a smile. She glanced at David. "David, you should tell her."

"Tell me what?" Hermione asked.

"Claire's mum and dad, they, well, they want to adopt me." Claire smiled brightly.

"And what do you think about that?" Hermione watched a small smile form on his face.

"I think that it would probably be good." Hermione smiled. She hugged him again.

"I'm so happy for you."

"Yeah," he said, unable to keep the smile from his face.

"Anyway, we should be asking you how you are," Claire said. "We read about the trial."

"I'm fine," Hermione assured them.

"She really poisoned you? All because of Mr. Lupin?"

"Sort of," Hermione said. "She just, she's not well. The war, it damaged her. More than it did other people."

"Like PTSD?" David asked.

"Similar," Hermione replied. "Remus, Mr. Lupin, made her feel safe the day of the Battle and she just sort of, got stuck on that. I don't think she would have done something like this otherwise."

"Then how come they sent her to jail instead of a mental hospital?" Annie asked.

"The wizarding world doesn't have that," Hermione explained.

"You mean, she's really going to be in Azkaban her whole life? No one is going to help her?" Claire asked sadly. Hermione put her hand on Claire's shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"I'm working on it." Their talk turned to school and Quidditch, David having made the reserve team this year. Hermione hadn't even realized how much time had passed until a small body barreled into her legs.

"My-nee, I fwy!"

"You did?" Hermione said, as Harry and Ginny came up behind him. "Broke into the broom shed, did you?"

"Hermione, I'm an Auror, it's not 'breaking in'," Harry said. "It's just, testing the security of the school brooms." Hermione snorted. Ginny and Harry greeted Annie, David and Claire.

"Glad I saw you three, I've got a question for you," Harry said. Hermione grinned, knowing Harry was going to ask them if they wanted to come to a Harpies' match over the summer.

"My-nee, see Daddy," Teddy insisted, tugging on her robes.

"All right, he's right over here," she said. She said good-bye to the three teens and turned to the group of adults. She noticed that many of them had left. Minerva must have gone back up to the school. Remus was still talking to Arthur and Molly. Kingsley and Andromeda seemed to be having their own conversation a few feet away from everyone else. Hermione studied them for a moment, but Teddy's tug on her hand turned her attention back to Remus.

"Daddy, Daddy, I fwy!" Teddy announced and Hermione let go of his hand to let him run to his father. Remus picked him up and settled him on his hip.

"Did you now?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Remus smiled at Hermione over Teddy's head.

"Me tell Nanna," Teddy said and squirmed to be set down. Remus complied and watched the little boy run to his grandmother. Hermione saw Remus' eyes narrow as he took in Andromeda and Kingsley standing alone. Hermione put a hand on his arm.

"What's the matter?" Remus stared at the two of them for another moment, then shook his head.

"Nothing," he said, putting an arm around her. "Those three all right?" He nodded towards the second-years as David whooped. Hermione grinned.

"I'd say they're better than all right," she said. "Harry just invited them to a Harpies game." Remus chuckled. "But, yes, I think they're fine. How are you?" Remus sighed.

"I don't know how to make Teddy understand. I think he thought was going to see his mother today." Hermione gave him a sympathetic look and she heard Molly's sharp intake of breath.

"We'll just have to keep talking to him," Hermione said, then bit her lip thinking she might have overstepped with the 'we'. Remus just nodded and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Hermione looked over to see Molly giving her a knowing smile. She felt her cheeks heat.

"He probably won't understand, not for a while, at any rate," Molly said. "But, I think Hermione has the right idea." Remus squeezed Hermione's shoulder. "Arthur let's find the children and say good-bye." Hermione didn't ask if they were going to the reception. She already knew Molly had refused.

Once Molly and Arthur had gone, Hermione wrapped her arms around Remus' waist.

"Have you decided?" she asked. He sighed again. She propped her chin in his chest and looked up at him. "Do you want my opinion?"

"Of course, I do," he said with a smile.

"I don't think you should go," she said. He looked at her quizzically. "I think you should take Teddy home and look at pictures and tell him all the wonderful things about his mother and his grandfather." She saw Remus swallow thickly.

"But, you'll be alone."

"I won't be," she said. "Harry and Ginny and Ron and Susan will be there. Neville and Hannah too. I'll be all right."

"I want to be there for you."

"I know you do," she said. "But Teddy is more important today. And Andromeda needs you too. The three of you need each other." He sighed again and rested his forehead against hers.

"We need _you,_ too," he said. Hermione's heart swelled at that.

"Then, I'll be there," she said. "As soon as I can." He nodded, then kissed her chastely. When Hermione looked up, Andromeda was walking towards them, holding Teddy's hand.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked. Kingsley was already walking towards the gates.

"I am," she said. Remus turned back to Hermione. She squeezed his hand.

"Go," she said. "I'll be fine." Remus kissed her temple and then released her. Hermione hugged Teddy and Andromeda, then waved and made her way to where Harry and Ginny stood.

"He's not coming?" Ginny asked.

"No," Hermione said. "I told him not to."

"Wish we had the choice," Harry muttered. Hermione took his hand and squeezed it.

"Come on," she said. "Let's find Ron and Susan and get this over with."

* * *

Hermione followed her friends into the ballroom at the Ministry. They had run into Hannah and Neville as they were leaving Hogwarts. As they walked inside, the people nearest the door fell silent. The hush became like a wave, rolling back over the crowd as people realized that Harry had just walked into the room. Hermione could see the set of Harry's jaw as he realized what was happening.

As they passed groups of people, the whispering would begin in their wake. People craned their necks to get a glimpse of the Boy-Who-Lived as he walked by. By the time they reached the back of the room where Kingsley was standing, Harry's jaw was clenched so tightly she thought he might break something. He hated this kind of attention.

"Harry," Kingsley greeted. "Thank you for coming." Harry gave him a look that clearly said he wouldn't be here if he'd had any other choice. Hermione could see the apology in Kingsley's eyes.

"What do you want me to do?" Harry asked Kingsley, sounding resigned.

"Nothing in particular," Kingsley replied. "Your presence was all I requested."

"You don't want me to make the rounds of the room?" Harry asked bitterly.

"Harry," Ginny said quietly and Hermione saw him relax slightly. He ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"I don't need an apology, Harry," Kingsley said. "No one likes this." Harry sighed.

"Right," he said.

"Do what you like for now. In about a half hour, I'll make a short speech and then we'll have a moment of silence to honor the fallen. I'd like the four of you to join me up on the dais for that." He indicated the small raised platform a few feet away. "Afterward, you're free to go."

"I thought you wanted us to stay for an hour?" Hermione said.

"I expect that there will be more than a few people who want to speak with you on your way out," Kingsley said grimly. "By the time you get to the door, it will likely have been an hour." Hermione glanced around and saw more than one group of people looking hopeful. She was sure as soon as Kingsley finished speaking with them, someone would be brave enough to approach.

"There's Dad over there," Ginny said, and Hermione's gaze moved to where Arthur stood with a few people Hermione recognized from the Ministry.

"I thought your parents weren't coming?" Hermione said.

"Just Mum," Ron said. "Dad thought he should as a Ministry employee and an Order member." Hermione nodded.

"Let's go talk to him," Ginny suggested. "The people he's with are harmless enough."

They began to make their way toward Arthur, but they were stopped after only a few moments. To Harry's credit, he was polite and smiled, however fake it was, as he was thanked and fawned over by a group of middle aged witches. Ginny never left his side.

It wasn't long before everyone else began to get the same idea and Hermione, Ron and Neville were also quickly surrounded. Everyone just wanted a glimpse, a chance to say they'd spoken to a member of the Golden Trio or the one that stood up to Voldemort. Hermione knew now how Muggle celebrities felt. It was ridiculous.

Hermione tied to stick close to her friends, but they were all soon separated. Neville looked extremely uncomfortable and if Hannah hadn't been holding his hand, Hermione thought he likely would have bolted. Ron looked comfortable enough, but Hermione could see he was keeping his eye on the rest of them which wasn't difficult given how tall he was. Harry just looked resigned. He greeted people and answered questions, but Hermione could tell his heart wasn't in it.

Realizing that she was on the outskirts of the crowd and that no one was paying her particular attention at the moment, Hermione decided to walk over to the refreshments table and get something to drink. There weren't many people there, so hopefully she wouldn't really have to talk to anyone.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Granger." Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and bit back a groan. Hermione should have expected _she_ would be here. Plastering a fake smile on her face, Hermione turned around.

"I didn't think you would be here, Rita," Hermione said. "Seeing as you can't interview anyone."

"Just doing my duty as a citizen coming to pay my respects." Hermione snorted. Rita's eyes narrowed and she looked around Hermione as if she was searching for something.

"Surely you're not here all alone," Rita said, fake concern in her voice. "No werewolf support today?" Hermione forced her smile not to falter, although she felt like giving Rita the same treatment she'd given Malfoy in third year.

"No, you see, unlike you, Remus actually lost people in the war. He chose to be with his family today."

"And you're not considered part of the family, are you? How tragic." Rita pushed her lips into a pout. Hermione almost laughed at the ridiculous picture she made.

"Oh, Rita, you _are_ occasionally entertaining," Hermione said with a chuckle. The fake smile on Rita's face faltered for a moment before being replaced by a nasty smirk.

"I'm sure that everyone will be _quite_ entertained by my newest book. It's coming out in just a few months you know."

"I'll be sure to pick up a copy," Hermione replied, refusing to take the bait. She was well aware that Rita had been writing a book about Harry and Hermione wasn't stupid enough to think she wouldn't be included in it.

"I hear your department presented a proposal to change the werewolf laws," Rita said conversationally. Hermione's brow furrowed. She had no idea where Rita was going with this.

"And if they have?"

"Well, I just think that's a bit of a conflict of interest, isn't it? Given who you're currently dating."

"I wasn't the one who presented the proposal," Hermione said, her heart starting to beat a bit faster.

"That's true," Rita said, tapping her finger against her lips. "But, rumor has it you made an unscheduled trip to France a few months ago." Hermione crossed her arms in front of her and said nothing. "To, what was it again? Oh yes, you were given a comprehensive overview of France's policy on werewolves." When Hermione remained silent, Rita gave her an evil grin. "It's so useful to have so many contacts."

"Someday, Rita, you're going to-"

"All right, 'Mione?" Ron interrupted, suddenly appeared at her side. Hermione glanced at him, both grateful and annoyed that he arrived when he did. She wanted nothing more than to tell Rita Skeeter were to shove her 'contacts' but knew it would likely only backfire in the end.

"Fine, Ron," Hermione said tightly. Ron looked at Rita, who gave him a saccharine smile.

"Ah, Ron Weasley," she said. "Still looking out for your first love I see. How does your new girlfriend feel about that?"

"Perfectly fine, actually," Susan said, coming to stand on the other side of Hermione and linking arms with her. Ron beamed at his girlfriend, putting a hand to the small of Hermione's back.

"We should get up to the front," Susan continued. "It's almost time for the Minister to make his speech." Hermione gave Rita another fake smile and turned with her friends to walk up to the dais.

"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asked when they were far enough away.

"That was Rita being Rita," Hermione said with a sigh.

"What did she say to you?" Ron demanded.

"Mostly rubbish," Hermione said. "But she brought up the werewolf proposal. She knows I went to France."

"So?" Ron said.

"She's trying to connect me to the proposal."

"What's wrong with that?" Ron asked.

"Conflict of interest, Ron," Susan said. She looked at Hermione for confirmation. Hermione nodded.

"What will happen if she does?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I haven't done anything wrong, exactly, but if members of the Wizengamot think that I've done this just to help Remus, it could sway their votes." Ron made a noise of disgust.

"Anyway, thank you for arriving when you did. I'm not sure how much longer I might have gone without hexing her," Hermione said.

"I'm glad I didn't let you finish that sentence," Ron muttered.

"Why?"

"Were you or were you not about to threaten Rita Skeeter?" Hermione opened her mouth to deny it, then closed it again. It wasn't going to be a threat, exactly, but Rita would have surely taken it as one.

"Thanks," Hermione said, looking at both Ron and Susan. Susan squeezed her arm and led them to the dais.

* * *

Kingsley had finished his speech and they had observed a minute of silence for the fallen. Harry was intent on leaving as soon as possible and Hermione felt the same way. She wanted to get to Remus'.

Of course, their exit was not as easy as all that. They were stopped as soon as they'd stepped down from the platform, more people wanting a little piece of them. Ginny, Susan and Hannah, who had been waiting at the edge of the stage, tried to keep most of the crowd away from them, but it was a bit of a futile effort. Harry looked at her dejectedly and Hermione tried to think of something to do to get her friend out of there. Kingsley had been waylaid by someone himself and couldn't do much to help them at the moment.

Then, a Patronus burst into the room, catching everyone's attention. It stopped in front of Arthur and Hermione recognized Bill's voice.

 _Fleur's in labor. We've taken her to St. Mungo's_.

Hermione glanced at Harry and he smiled widely. Arthur looked around the room, obviously searching for his children. Hermione glanced up at Kingsley and caught his eye. The Minister raised his wand to his throat, casting a Sonorus charm.

"Excuse me, please," he said. "If everyone could move back and allow the Weasley family through, thank you." Ginny gripped Harry's hand tightly and dragged him with her, despite a few complaints from the other attendees. Her glare was enough to silence them. Ron looped his free arm through Hermione's and she grabbed Neville's hand. She wasn't leaving Neville and Hannah here to deal with everyone alone.

She heard people asking why Hermione and Neville were leaving as they weren't Weasleys, but she ignored them and followed Ron's long strides until they had reached the exit. None of them spoke until they reached the lift which Arthur and Percy had cleared and held for the seven of them. As soon as the doors slid shut, Hermione slumped back against the wall of the lift.

"Thank Merlin for Fleur's timing," Ron said and they all laughed.

"Thanks for taking us with you," Neville said to Hermione.

"I wasn't about to leave you to those people," Hermione said.

"Next time Kingsley wants me at one of these things, remind me to quit," Harry grumbled.

"Too right, mate," Ron said. Hermione saw the glint of something in his eye. She looked at him quizzically when Susan squeezed his hand in support. Ron shook his head slightly. Hermione knew she'd get it out of him eventually, but now wasn't the time.

"I can't believe it," Ginny finally said. "Today of all days."

"Perhaps, today might be the best day," Arthur said quietly and they all murmured in agreement. When they reached the Atrium, they walked towards the Floos.

"Hannah and I are going back to the Leaky," Neville said. "Tell Bill and Fleur we said congratulations."

"Of course, we will, thank you Neville," Arthur said, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. Neville followed Hannah through the Floo.

"Coming, Hermione?" Ginny asked as Arthur and then Percy disappeared.

"No," Hermione said. "The family should be there right now."

"Hermione, you _are_ family," Ron said. She smiled up at him.

"I know, but, I need to go see Remus. Keep us updated and we'll be there once the baby is here, yeah?" Ron nodded and stepped into the Floo, pulling Susan with him.

"You're sure?" Ginny asked.

"I am," Hermione said. Ginny hugged her before she followed her brother.

"Harry," Hermione said, putting a hand on Harry's arm before he could Floo as well. He turned to look at her and she wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her tightly to him.

"I'm sorry about today," she said. He nodded into her shoulder.

"You're sure you won't come?" he asked when he pulled away. She shook her head.

"Remus needs me." Harry smiled and kissed her cheek, then stepped into the Floo. Hermione watched him disappear, then stepped in and called out for Remus'.

* * *

Remus heard the Floo and walked into the living room from the kitchen. Hermione stepped from the grate and looked around. When she spotted him, she hurried towards him, practically throwing herself into his arms.

"That bad?" he murmured into her hair.

"Worse," she replied. They stood in silence, holding one another until Hermione finally let go a sigh and looked up at him. He leaned down and kissed her and she sighed again, melting against him.

"Some good news though," she said when they parted.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Fleur's in labor." Remus smiled. "Everyone went to St. Mungo's."

"Except you."

"I wanted to be here. I told Harry to keep us informed," she said. "Maybe we can go over later?"

"Of course, love."

"Where's Teddy?" she asked.

"Napping," Remus said. "Just got him down a few minutes ago. He's still a bit out of sorts."

"Still asking to see Tonks?"

"No, but today has been difficult for Andromeda. Teddy senses that. She went up to lie down."

"Difficult for you as well." Hermione reached for his hand. He nodded. She wrapped her arms around him again and Remus breathed in the scent of her.

"I'm glad you didn't come with me today," she said a few minutes later.

"What happened?"

"It was…overwhelming," she said. "More for Harry than the rest of us, but we were all talked to and fawned over and questioned." She made a face. "Rita Skeeter was there." Remus frowned and looked down at her.

"Did she talk to you?"

"Of course, she did," Hermione said with a sigh.

"What did she say?"

"It's not important."

"Hermione," Remus said and she sighed again.

"At first, it was the usual barbs, which honestly don't bother me. But, she found out that I went to France and talked to the Head of their Werewolf Support Services division." Hermione bit her lip and looked up at him.

"She knows you wrote the proposal."

"She suspects," Hermione said.

"And she'll likely make trouble."

"Probably," Hermione agreed. Remus studied her for a moment.

"Is she blackmailing you again?"

"No," Hermione said. "Not yet, anyway. Besides, I don't know what she'd want. She's finished her book on Harry, apparently. Told me it was coming out in a couple months." Hermione shook her head. "She just wants to cause problems for me. You know how much she hates me."

"I thought after her cooperation with Satterfield, she might have let that go." Hermione snorted.

"Not likely." She moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest. "I don't want to talk about Rita anymore." Remus kissed the top of her head and then released her, tugging lightly on her hand to lead her to the couch.

"Me either," he said, pulling her down next to him. Hermione snuggled into his side and he reclined back into the corner of the couch. They didn't say much, but Remus was grateful for her silent support. She had been right earlier. Today had been difficult, made more so by Teddy's insistence on seeing his mother at the memorial. Remus knew the little boy still didn't understand why he couldn't, but that would only come with age. They would just have to explain as well as they could until then.

* * *

Hermione had fixed a simple dinner, not wanting Andromeda to have to do it. The older woman had been in her room most of the afternoon, only emerging after she heard Teddy's squeals of laughter from below. She had protested Hermione cooking, but Hermione refused to take no for an answer. Andromeda had cooked plenty for her over the last few weeks. It was time for Hermione to return the favor.

After dinner, Andromeda wouldn't let Hermione help clean up, insisting that she join Remus and Teddy in the living room. Hermione finally acquiesced, coming in to find Teddy climbing all over Remus, who was lying on the floor.

"I get Daddy, My-nee!" Teddy said in triumph as he sat on his father's stomach. Hermione laughed.

"I can see that." Teddy bounced a little and Remus groaned.

"Teddy, we just ate." Teddy giggled and did it again. Remus looked up at him and in one swift movement, grabbed his son around the waist and began to tickle him mercilessly. Teddy shrieked in delight and Hermione almost didn't hear the Floo over his shouts.

"Harry!" she said as the flare of green caught her eye. Remus stopped his torture of his son and sat up, bringing Teddy with him.

"Ha-wy," Teddy said, still panting from the round of tickling.

"Hey, mate," Harry said with a smile.

"Well," Hermione said.

"It's a girl," Harry announced. Hermione's face broke into a wide smile.

"And they're okay? Fleur and the baby?"

"Both perfectly fine," Harry said. "We haven't seen her yet; Bill and Fleur wanted some time first. And you know Molly will be the first one in after that." Remus chuckled.

"Does she have a name?"

"Not yet," Harry said. "Are you going to come see her?"

"Is it all right?" Hermione asked. The Weasley clan could be overwhelming on a good day. Hermione didn't want to add more stress for Fleur after she'd just given birth.

"Of course, it is Hermione. You're all family." Hermione glanced at Remus. He nodded.

"All right, we'll be there in a bit."

"See you soon," Harry said as he pulled his head from the Floo.

"Ha-wy go?" Teddy asked.

"He had to go back to Ginny," Remus said.

"Me see Ha-wy," Teddy pouted.

"We could take him with us," Hermione suggested to Remus.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Remus said.

"Andromeda should come too," Hermione said.

"I don't know if she'll be up to it," Remus replied.

"If who will be up to what?" Andromeda asked as she walked into the room. "Did I hear the Floo?"

"Yes, it was Harry," Hermione explained. "Fleur's had the baby. A girl." Andromeda smiled and put a hand on her chest.

"Oh, how wonderful."

"We've all been invited to the hospital."

"See Ha-wy!" Teddy shouted. The three adults laughed.

"Would you like to come?" Remus asked his mother-in-law.

"Oh, I do not want to intrude," Andromeda said quickly.

"You won't be," Hermione said. "You're family." Hermione saw the emotion cross the other woman's face before she nodded.

"All right, then." Teddy put a hand on each of Remus' cheeks and turned his father's face towards him.

"Daddy, we see Ha-wy?" he asked. Remus laughed.

"Yes, we're going to see Harry." Teddy grinned. Remus set him down. "Go get your shoes."

* * *

"Ha-wy!" Teddy called as soon as they stepped out of the lift onto the maternity wing. Remus set his son down and Teddy ran towards his godfather. Harry picked him up and settled him on his hip. Everyone else looked around, smiling at their arrival.

"Congratulations, Molly," Hermione said as she hugged the other woman.

"Oh, thank you, dear," Molly said.

"Have you see her yet?"

"Yes, Arthur and I were just inside. She's just beautiful."

"Does she have a name?" Andromeda asked after she had greeted Molly as well.

"They're still discussing, but Bill is planning to bring her out in a few minutes to meet everyone." Hermione saw Ginny and walked over to hug her friend.

"Hello, Auntie," she said. Ginny laughed. "How's Harry doing?"

"Much better now that horrible reception is over," Ginny said. "What about you? I saw Skeeter corner you just before Kingsley's speech." Hermione shook her head.

"Just the same veiled insults," Hermione said. This was a happy occasion and Hermione had no intention of letting Rita Skeeter ruin it. Hermione looked around. "Aren't Fleur's parents here?"

"They should be in about an hour," Ginny said. "They wanted to get Gabrielle from school first." Remus walked up to the two of them, slipping his hand into Hermione's. Ginny smiled at the two of them as a door opened on the other side of the corridor.

Bill walked out holding a small, pink bundle. Ginny hurried forward, beating all her brothers to Bill's side. Andromeda stepped up next to Remus opposite Hermione.

"Oh, Bill," she said, as Bill passed the baby off to his little sister. Hermione saw a small fist wave in the air and she leaned into Remus. "She's beautiful."

"I'd like you all to meet Victoire Gabrielle Weasley." Hermione and Andromeda gasped at the same time, Andromeda bringing a hand to her mouth.

"What is it?" Remus asked in concern.

"Her name," Hermione said and she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. Before she could say anything else, Andromeda spoke.

"It means victory." Remus' hand tightened on Hermione's and his free arm went around Andromeda's shoulders. Hermione could see the tears running down Molly's cheeks and Arthur cleared his throat more than once.

"Very fitting," Arthur finally said, clapping his son on the shoulder.

"It's the perfect name," Molly agreed, hugging her eldest son. Everyone else was quiet as they looked at the newest member of their family and processed the significance of her name.

"Who dat?" Teddy finally demanded. breaking the silence. Hermione couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. Remus shook his head in exasperation, as Andromeda chuckled.

"This," Ginny said, holding the baby closer to Teddy, "is Victoire." Victoire let out a small mewl and Teddy wrinkled his nose, staring at her. He didn't look overly impressed. Still, he reached out a hand towards her.

"Be gentle," Harry said. "You have to be careful with babies." Teddy touched the tiny hand that had escaped the blankets and Victoire grasped his finger. Teddy's eyes widened and he looked at Harry. Angelina was holding a camera and she took a picture.

"I think she likes you," Ginny said and Teddy grinned.

Hermione looked up at Remus with a smile and then leaned into him, still holding his hand. Remus kissed her temple and they both watched his son greet the newest member of their rather extended family. Squeezing Remus' hand, Hermione was glad that now, there would always be something happy to focus on, amidst the sadness of the day.


	72. Changes

**A/N - Look at me, posting on a Thursday again! This chapter brings this story to over 500,000 words, which I honestly cannot believe. I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be and as soon as I give it a number, that will go right out the window, I'm sure. But, I am in ending mode, meaning I'm beginning to plan on how to wrap everything up. Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 72**

 **Changes**

 **5 May 2000**

Hermione sat at her desk reading through another memo from Gwendolyn. They had been discussing ideas about the proposal since their meeting the day after the Anniversary. Currently, they were contemplating asking for private donors to supply the Wolfsbane potion to any werewolves that might use the sanctuary to transform.

 _Fundraisers in the form of a ball or some kind of party are the usual protocol when trying to raise money for any type of cause. In this case, though, I think that contacting donors privately might be a better idea. Unlike raising money for war orphans or disadvantaged Hogwarts students, werewolves aren't going to evoke that 'pull at the heartstrings' feeling amongst donors, unfortunately. I doubt we could even find anyone to host such an event._

Hermione sighed. She knew that Gwendolyn was right. The typical practice would be to pitch their idea to a group of rich, usually pureblood, ladies who would then decide which would sponsor the ball or dinner. Their equally rich friends would be invited, donations would be made, and the cause would be funded for another year or two. In their case, that wasn't going to happen.

Hermione set the memo aside and sat back in her chair. She was extremely glad it was Friday. The last three days they had worked non-stop on brainstorming new ideas and revising the proposal, even staying late both the previous two days. Hermione was determined to leave on time this evening. She and Remus hadn't spent any time together since the Anniversary. In fact, if it hadn't been for the fact that she'd seen him yesterday at their joint meeting, she wouldn't have seen him at all.

Gwendolyn had thought hiring Remus as a consultant was a great idea and had sent the owl immediately after she and Hermione spoke on Wednesday morning. Remus had come in on Thursday and sat in on the meeting with Hermione, Margaret, Gwendolyn and Declan O'Reilly, the new head of Werewolf Support Services.

It had been Declan that had brought up the idea of donations to provide the Wolfsbane to the sanctuary. Margaret had wondered if the offer of receiving the Wolfsbane would cause more werewolves to come to the sanctuary to transform, even if they had an adequate place to do it elsewhere. Most werewolves couldn't afford to buy the potion from an Apothecary and given the skill and time needed to brew it, most couldn't do it themselves either.

"It's always possible," Remus had said. "But if it did happen, I doubt it would be for some time. Most werewolves aren't going to trust that the sanctuary is truly that, Wolfsbane or no. They'll see it as some kind of trap by the Ministry to round them up." Hermione had cursed Umbridge, Satterfield and Warrington again, the sentiment echoed by everyone in the room.

As for the registry, Remus had agreed that it would help that the Ministry had agreed to classify werewolves as Beings rather than Beasts. That the Registry had been moved to the Being Division and was now being run by two people who'd had nothing to do with it in the past was also a point in their favor.

"It is still going to be extremely difficult to get werewolves in to register," Remus had said. "Only time is going to solve that problem, I'm afraid."

The expectation was that those who were already registered would begin to find employment. They were aware that it wasn't going to be an easy process, however. Prejudice and fear wasn't going to go away overnight. Once the Ministry changed the laws and businesses were aware they couldn't discriminate, word would spread to the werewolves that the Ministry might be able to be trusted. It wasn't going to be a quick process, however.

Hermione wondered if they could do a PR campaign of sorts in a few months. Perhaps with interviews of werewolves and their employers to dispel the belief that it was unsafe to hire werewolves. She pushed that thought aside a moment later. It would likely only work if everyone involved could remain anonymous. Hermione didn't want anyone to have to make their status public if they didn't want to. And anonymity would defeat the purpose, as the stories could have easily been made up with no names attached to verify. Hermione sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"It can't be that bad," a voice said and Hermione looked up to see Ron standing in her doorway.

"I'm not sure bad is the right word," Hermione said as she sat up. "Frustrating certainly. What are you doing here?"

"Wondering if you want to have lunch with me," he said. Hermione glanced at the clock on the wall. She hadn't realized it was that late. She looked at the mess of parchment on her desk. She really shouldn't, if she wanted to get out of here on time tonight. Then again, she could just as easily read memos and revisions at home.

"Actually, that sounds like a perfect idea." She started to straighten up her desk, then threw her hands up and decided to forget it. Ron chuckled.

"Proposal revision not going well?" he asked, as Hermione pulled her bag from her desk drawer and walked towards him.

"It's not that, exactly, it's just a bigger job than I expected. And Margaret wants things done by Wednesday." She and Ron left her office, Hermione closing and warding her door behind her.

"Harry joining us?" Hermione asked as they headed to the lifts.

"No, he's out on a case."

"Is Susan meeting us then?"

"No, she's busy today." Hermione looked at him, puzzled. She couldn't remember the last time she and Ron had had lunch together, just the two of them. It might not have been since they were dating.

"Is something going on?"

"Can't I have lunch with my best friend alone?" Ron returned.

"Of course, but," Hermione trailed off. Ron looked a little nervous, but she had no idea why he would be. "Ron?" The lift arrived and they stepped in. Hermione didn't press him any further as the lift slowly began to fill. When they finally reached the Atrium, she put a hand on Ron's arm to stop him.

"Not here, Hermione, all right?"

"Just tell me that everything's okay."

"It is, I swear." Hermione relaxed slightly. She followed him out of the Ministry and instead of turning at the small magical café that they usually frequented, he walked further down the street to a Muggle sandwich place. Hermione had taken him and Harry here a few times, but Ron always picked the café if given the choice.

"Can you do the money?" Ron asked pulling a few bills from his pocket. "I still don't really understand it." She nodded, but her brow furrowed. Ron had obviously planned this, having gotten Muggle money in advance. They ordered and Hermione paid, then followed him to a table to wait for their lunches to be brought out.

As they waited, Ron told her that Fleur and Victoire had come home from St. Mungo's the day before. Charlie was coming home that weekend to see his new niece and would be at the Weasley family dinner on Sunday. While Hermione was happy to hear about Victoire and Charlie, she knew it wasn't the reason that Ron had asked her to lunch. She was about to demand he get to the point when their sandwiches were brought out. Ron busied himself with his napkin and drink, shooting furtive glances around the place. It almost reminded Hermione of the way Harry had acted when-

"Are you going to ask Susan to marry you?" she blurted out, Ron's behavior reminding her so much of Harry's the day he had told Hermione he was going to ask Ginny the same thing.

Ron, who had taken a bite of his sandwich, began to choke. Hermione slipped her wand from her sleeve as Ron grabbed his water and took a drink. When she decided he was going to be all right, she put her wand away and looked at him impatiently.

"Blimey, Hermione, warn a bloke before you ask something like that." He cleared his throat one more time and took another drink of water.

"Well? Are you?"

"No! Merlin, I just told the woman I loved her last week." Hermione sat back in her chair, smile on her face. "What the bloody hell made you think that?" His eyes narrowed. "What's the grin for?"

"You told her you loved her," Hermione said, smiling wider. Ron's ears turned red and he looked down at the table.

"Yeah," he finally said. When he looked up he was smiling too.

"Are you asking her to move in?" Hermione said.

"What? No. What is wrong with you?" Hermione shrugged.

"You're acting all twitchy just like Harry did when he told me he was going to ask Ginny to marry him."

"It's not about Susan, all right?"

"What is going on then, Ron?"

"I'm quitting the Aurors." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.

"You're what?"

"Quitting," Ron said.

"Why?" Ron sighed.

"I just don't feel the same way about it as I did at the beginning." Hermione looked at him quizzically. "I mean, at first, it was like cleaning up after the war, you know? Rounding up the rest of the Death Eaters and other supporters, making things safe again. Now though, it's different. I mean yeah, there are still people out there doing bad things and they still need to be stopped. I just don't want to be the one to stop them anymore." He paused for a moment, examining his plate.

"I mean, we spent seven years fighting with Harry against Voldemort in one way or another. And now Voldemort's gone and most of his supporters are gone and I just want to do something else." He looked up at her. "That makes me sound selfish, doesn't it?"

"Of course not," Hermione said. "You shouldn't keep doing a job, especially one like being an Auror, if your heart isn't in it any longer."

"Harry doesn't feel that way," Ron said.

"You're not Harry," Hermione said. Ron looked up at her, eyes narrowed. "Oh, don't give me that look, you know I didn't mean it like _that_. I'm just saying that being an Auror is as much a part of Harry as running a joke shop is a part of George. It's his thing, you know?"

"Yeah," Ron replied. "I know." Hermione reached across the table and squeezed Ron's hand.

"It's okay if it's not yours." Ron smiled at her. "So, do you have an idea what you _do_ want to do?"

"Well, speaking of George, I've been spending a lot of time at the shop lately. Mostly helping out in the front so George can work on projects, but I've been working a bit on my own too."

"Really? That's great, Ron."

"It's kind of strange really. I hated their pranks when we were growing up, mostly because they always experimented on me." Hermione chuckled. "But they really were brilliant. And George has missed having someone to bounce ideas off of. I know I'm not Fred, but," he trailed off and Hermione squeezed his hand again.

"You don't have to be Fred," Hermione said. They were silent for a few minutes before Ron cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I'm going to start part-time next week, on my days off from the Ministry. George is talking again about buying the old Zonko's store in Hogsmeade. If he does, I'll probably run it." He grinned. "It'll drive Filch mental." Hermione laughed.

"I'm really happy for you, Ron."

"Thanks, Hermione." He picked up his sandwich and took a bite, while Hermione started on her own lunch.

"So, what did Harry say when you told him?" Ron choked again and Hermione's eyes narrowed. "You didn't tell him?"

"Not yet," Ron wheezed out, gulping down more water.

"Ron," Hermione chided.

"I don't know what to say," Ron said gloomily.

"Just tell him what you told me," Hermione replied. Ron sighed.

"He's going to be upset."

"He'll miss working with you, yes," Hermione agreed. "But he's not going to be angry with you for quitting a job you don't really like."

"I know, you're right. Still doesn't make me look forward to telling him." Ron looked up at her hopefully. "I don't suppose you'd want to help me with it." She rolled her eyes.

"No, Ronald, I'm not going to do your homework for you." Ron snorted and she laughed. "Just take him to the pub after work and tell him." Ron nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, all right." With one last squeeze to Ron's arm, Hermione returned to her lunch.

* * *

Hermione came through her Floo and dropped the pile of parchment in her hands on the coffee table. She'd left on time but had to bring work home as she'd suspected. She knew that Margaret and Gwendolyn were doing the same, Hermione just wished it wasn't necessary. She fed Crookshanks, then wandered upstairs to change.

She heard the Floo as she came back down the stairs and smiled as she walked into the living room.

"Hey," she said to Remus.

"Hello," he replied with a smile of his own. She stepped into his arms and sighed in contentment as she settled against him.

"Rough day?" he asked.

"Just busy," she said. "And as you can see, it promises to be a busy weekend as well." She indicated the pile of parchment on the table. She reached up and put her arms around his neck. "But, I don't want to talk about work right now." He smiled knowingly.

"And what _would_ you like to talk about?"

"Hm, I didn't exactly have talking in mind at all." Remus smirked and leaned down to kiss her. Hermione sighed into his mouth. Three days was far too long to go without kissing him. Even though she'd seen him yesterday, she couldn't exactly snog him in the middle of the Ministry.

When they finally parted, she rested her cheek against his chest and sighed again. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I missed you," she said. Remus leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you too, love." His hand travelled lightly up and down her back. After a few minutes, she looked up and kissed him again.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, staring into his eyes.

"No," he said before he pulled her tighter to him once again. "Are you?" he asked when he released her lips and moved to her neck.

"No," she said, closing her eyes and tilting her head to give him better access.

"Work?" he mumbled from somewhere near her collarbone.

"Later," she said, gasping as he nipped her neck. She looked up at him, his eyes swirling green and amber. Kissing him one more time, she grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs.

* * *

 **6 May 2000**

Remus woke alone in the bed. He yawned and looked at the clock on the bedside table which read three in the morning. Thinking Hermione had just gotten up to use the loo, he closed his eyes again and laid back into the pillows.

When she still hadn't come back fifteen minutes later, Remus sat up in concern. He stood from the bed and stepped into his trousers. Walking into the corridor, he saw the door to the loo was open, the room dark. Frowning, he stopped and listened when he heard a quiet, scratching noise. Summoning his wand from the bedroom, he made his way silently to the stairs and listened again.

There was a dim light coming from the living room and the sound of scratching was louder now. Remus walked quietly down the stairs, avoiding the one in the middle that creaked. When he reached the bottom, he could see Hermione wrapped in a robe and sitting on the couch, writing quickly on a piece of parchment.

"Hermione," he said quietly so as not to startle her. She jumped anyway, grabbing for her wand.

"Remus," she said when she saw him, setting her wand back on the table and putting a hand to her chest.

"I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, putting his wand into his pocket and walking towards her. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I woke up and had a thought," Hermione said. "I wanted to write it down before I forgot it. Did I wake you?"

"No," he said. "How long have you been down here?"

"I don't know, what time it is?"

"After three."

"Oh," Hermione said in surprise. "A bit, I guess."

"How long?" Remus repeated.

"A couple of hours."

"Must have been some thought," he said. She blushed.

"Well, the first one sort of led to another and then another and well," she shrugged. He shook his head fondly.

"Come back to bed," he said, holding out a hand to her.

"I will, just give me one minute to finish this," Hermione said. She leaned back over the parchment and continued to write. Remus watched for a few moments, then sat down beside her when it became apparent she was going to need more than a minute. When another fifteen minutes had passed, however, and Hermione showed no signs of stopping, Remus bit back a sigh. He knew how focused she could get when working on a project. And as much as Remus admired her single-mindedness at times, he also knew that she tended to neglect herself when she was so absorbed. Sleeping and eating become unimportant.

While he would have liked to be able to spend the entire weekend with her to make sure she took care of herself, it wasn't possible. But, he was here now and he wasn't going to let her stay up the rest of the night when she could easily finish after she'd gotten some sleep. His own selfish reasons didn't even enter into it. Much. Remus lightly grasped her wrist to stop the movement of her quill.

"It will still be there in the morning," he said. Hermione looked over at him and opened her mouth to protest. "Come back to bed." She stared up at him and then finally nodded. Finishing her sentence, she waved her wand over the parchment to dry the ink. Then Remus stood and held out a hand to her. Hermione took it and he led her back upstairs.

Remus slipped out of his trousers and Hermione tossed the robe onto the back of a chair. They climbed back into bed and Hermione kissed him before snuggling into his side, resting her head on his chest. Remus wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," she mumbled into his chest. He could feel her eyes closing already.

"I love you too," he replied.

* * *

"Hermione," Remus said softly, not wanting to wake her, but not wanting to leave without saying good-bye either. Teddy would be up soon and Remus had told Andromeda he'd be home for breakfast.

"Mm," Hermione muttered in her sleep, gripping him tighter. Remus smiled down at her, running a hand down her back. He felt her shiver and tried not to react to it. They didn't exactly have time and she was still asleep at any rate.

Remus shifted to his side and kissed Hermione's temple. He moved a curl out of her face and smiled down at her.

"Hermione," he said again, a bit louder this time. "Wake up, love." Her eyes blinked open sleepily.

"Mm, time is it?" she mumbled.

"Nearly seven," Remus said. "You can go back to sleep, but I wanted to say good-bye."

"S'early," she muttered, closing her eyes again.

"Not so early for Teddy," he said in amusement. She opened her eyes again and looked up at him.

"S'pose not," she said with a yawn. Then she smiled and leaned up and kissed him. As she deepened the kiss, Remus bit back a groan. The thin t-shirt she wore left nothing to the imagination pressed up against him as she was. He should have gotten dressed before he woke her.

"Hermione," he said, breaking the kiss. "Love, I have to go." Her hand left his chest and moved down his body to his hip, even as she peppered his neck with kisses.

"Hermione, we don't have ti-" the rest of what Remus was going to say was drowned out by a moan as her hand slipped into his boxers and found its target. She smirked at him as he tried to form a coherent thought.

"We don't have time, love," he finally managed to stutter out, although time was becoming much less of a concern the longer she had her hand wrapped around him.

"We can be quick," she said, letting go of him and pushing him onto his back. She grabbed her wand to cast the contraception charm, then stripped off her shirt and tugged down his pants. She straddled his body and engulfed him in one go. Remus gave up all protest, letting her movements wash over him for a few moments. Then he sat up, pulled her flush against him and kissed her deeply. She continued to move and he let his hands roam, finally settling on her hips to help guide her movements. She cried out and bit his shoulder and he followed moments later.

"Gods, Hermione," he panted as her head flopped down on his shoulder. She lazily kissed his neck and then his cheek, finally finding his lips. She gave him a sated smile when she pulled away, then glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

"Look at that, you're not even late." He laughed, then kissed her again.

"Merlin, I love you," he said and she grinned.

"I love you too," she replied, brushing a lock of hair off his forehead.

"I really do have to go," he said.

"I know," she replied, kissing him once more before she moved off him. She cast a cleansing spell on them both, then laid back down on the bed as he got up to dress, her head propped up on one arm. He had to stop what he was doing twice to kiss her.

"Go, she finally said against his lips, sitting up to shrug into the robe she'd discarded the night before. "Or I'll lock the Floo and set up wards to keep you here all day." He kissed her quickly one last time, then put on his shoes and moved to the door. He stopped when he reached it and looked back.

"If you need a break later," he said. "You know you're always welcome."

"I do," she replied with a smile. "I'll Floo later, regardless." He nodded and then forced himself to walk down the stairs, when he would have much rather stripped off his clothes again and crawled back into bed with her.

* * *

Hermione was sitting on the couch, parchment spread out on the coffee table in front of her. She was rereading a note from Margaret when she heard the Floo. Looking up, she saw Harry's face in the fireplace.

"Oh, you're busy," he said.

"I was just getting ready to take a break, actually," Hermione lied. "What's up?" Harry sighed.

"Can I come through?"

"Of course," Hermione said. Obviously, Ron had told Harry. Seconds later, Harry stood in her living room.

"You talked to Ron," Harry said. Hermione nodded.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"You don't look it," Hermione said with a small smirk. Harry made a face at her and then threw himself into the armchair. "It's okay to be upset about this, Harry."

"I had no idea," Harry said, "that he wasn't happy."

"I didn't either," Hermione pointed out.

"But you don't work with every day, do you?"

"No," Hermione conceded.

"I'm a horrible friend."

"You are not," Hermione said. "I think he kept it hidden from everyone, except maybe George."

"Susan knew," Harry replied. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course, Susan knew. If it had been you, Ginny probably would have known before you did." Harry snorted. Hermione stood from the couch and walked over to the large armchair, perching herself on the arm.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked.

"How can I not be, Hermione. I don't want him to stay in a job he doesn't like."

"I know _that_ , but how do you feel about it?" Harry shrugged.

"Going to be strange, is all," Harry said. "I've seen him nearly every day since we were eleven." Hermione gave him a commiserating smile. That had been the hardest thing about deciding to go back to Hogwarts without the boys the year before. It definitely hadn't been the same without them there and she'd missed them terribly.

"You still live together," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm getting married soon," Harry said. "Gin and I have been talking about finding a house somewhere with some land around it. You know, for Quidditch."

"Or for all the little Potters you plan on having," she teased. Harry's cheeks colored.

"Yeah, that too. But, I thought at least Ron and I would still see each other at work." Hermione ran a hand over his messy hair. "I mean, I'm happy for Ron, really," Harry said.

"You just wish things didn't have to change?"

"Yeah," Harry said with a sigh.

"We're adults now, Harry. It was bound to happen sometime."

"Yeah, well, sometimes being an adult sucks." Hermione laughed.

"That is very true." Harry reached up and grabbed her hand. She smiled down at him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Harry said, returning her smile.

"Ron's going to be much happier working with George."

"I know. Thanks for listening to me whine."

"What are sisters for?" she asked. Harry smiled and stood from the chair. He hugged her tightly.

"I'll let you get back to work," he said, kissing her cheek. "We'll see you Sunday?" Hermione nodded. Harry walked back to the Floo.

"Love you, Hermione."

"Love you too, Harry."

* * *

 **7 May 2000**

Remus opened the window for the large owl that was fluttering outside. They had finally had the mail wards lifted just before the Anniversary. He still received letters about Hermione sometimes, but at least the Howlers had stopped. Remus didn't recognize the owl, so he cast a protection spell on his hands before taking the letter from its leg. The owl accepted the bit of bacon Remus gave him from the breakfast plates, then turned and took flight, disappearing out the window again.

Remus turned the envelope over and immediately dropped it on the kitchen table as he saw Andromeda's name on the front. He hadn't recognized the owl and he didn't know the handwriting either. Raising a ward on the doorway from the kitchen to the living room to keep Andromeda or Teddy from walking in, Remus began scanning the letter.

"Remus?" Andromeda said in confusion as she tried to walk into the kitchen but was stopped by the ward.

"Stay there," Remus said grimly, still going through his series of scanning spells. From the corner of his eye, he saw Andromeda turn and cast something at Teddy, presumably a shield. When Remus finished and realized the letter was clean, he blew out a breath.

"It's all right," he said and he dropped the ward. Andromeda dropped the shield around Teddy and then walked into the kitchen.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Post for you." She looked up at him in surprise. She didn't get much post, a note from Narcissa or Molly now and then. But Remus would have recognized either woman's handwriting. Andromeda stared at the letter but didn't move to touch it.

"Do you want me to open it?" Remus asked.

"Oh, I, no," she finally said, reaching for it herself. She slit open the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. Remus saw her eyes jump to the bottom as she unfolded the parchment. "It is from the Minister."

"Kingsley?" Remus said. Andromeda smirked.

"He _is_ the Minister," she said as she began to read. Remus couldn't imagine why Kingsley would be writing to Andromeda. Remus' mind immediately went back to the day of the memorial service and the long conversation that Kingsley and Andromeda had been immersed in. He watched her as she read it, her face giving nothing away. When she finished reading, she folded the parchment up and put it in the pocket of her robes. Remus waited for a few moments, but she didn't say anything.

"What does he want?" Remus finally asked, unable to help himself.

"He has invited me to dinner," she said. Remus' eyes widened.

"Dinner," he repeated. "He's asked you on a date?"

"Of course not," Andromeda replied, laughing. "The Ministers from France and Germany are coming for a visit and bringing their wives. Kingsley asked if I would mind having dinner with them, so as to even out the numbers."

"That sounds like a date," Remus said. Andromeda laughed again.

"Darling, it is a formal dinner. Kingsley knows I am aware of the protocol for that. Merlin knows it was pounded into my skull enough throughout my entire childhood."

"So, you're doing him a favor?"

"Something like that," Andromeda said. Remus nodded, then realized how surprised and somewhat accusatory he'd sounded. Andromeda's life was her business. If she wanted to date Kingsley or anyone else, she could. Hadn't she accepted Hermione with open arms?

"Well, if it _were_ a date, I think that's wonderful." Andromeda smiled.

"It is not a date," she reiterated. "I do not know if I am, or will ever be, ready for that. But, thank you." She squeezed Remus' arm and walked back into the living room. Remus leaned against the doorframe, watching as she ran a hand over the top of Teddy's head, smiling as the little boy grinned up at her. Andromeda deserved to have someone in her life, someone besides Remus and Teddy.

* * *

 **8 May 2000**

Hermione settled into the meeting room with Margaret, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Hermione was nearly vibrating with excitement to share her news. Margaret had news of her own, but she had elected to wait to share it until everyone else was present. She had asked Hermione to do the same.

Hermione wasn't sure she could wait. She had spoken to Harry the night before at the Weasley dinner about the Wolfsbane problem with the sanctuary. He had immediately offered to fund the entire thing.

" _Harry, that's an awful lot of money," Hermione said. "A donation would be fine._

" _Hermione, you don't realize how much money I actually_ have _," Harry said. "The Black vaults alone could do it with plenty left over. And then there's the Potter vaults as well."_

" _Potter vaults?" Hermione questioned. She had been with Harry to his vault and while there was a substantial amount of money in it, she didn't think he could fund the whole project indefinitely._

" _The one you've seen isn't all of it," Harry said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I haven't even seen everything yet, according to the goblins I've been working with."_

" _Why are you just now finding out about all of this?" Hermione asked._

" _The Potter vaults didn't transfer to me until I came of age," Harry explained. "And we were a bit busy then, yeah?" Hermione snorted at the understatement. "After, I just, I couldn't deal with it right away, you know? And when I finally sat down and started to read some of the things Gringotts was sending me, I was overwhelmed, so I ignored it for a while longer. Plus, they weren't exactly excited to speak with me after all the damage we did breaking out, not to mention the Imperius I used." Hermione could relate. The goblins still glowered at her every time she went into the bank, even after she, Ron and Harry had arranged for the sphinx that they requested to replace the dragon. She supposed Harry had paid for it, as well as the damage they'd done. Hermione avoided the bank as much as possible._

" _I'm making regular donations to the orphanage and the war widows fund," Harry said. "I tried to get Andromeda to take some of it, she's a Black after all, but she refused, said she didn't want anything from the family that disowned her. So, I set up a trust fund for Teddy. I'm talking to Minerva about doing some kind of scholarship program for families that can't afford supplies and robes and such. Even if Gin and I both quit our jobs and never worked again, I couldn't spend everything in five lifetimes. I want to do this. My dad and Sirius would want it."_

" _Most of the rest of the Blacks are probably rolling in their graves," Hermione said._

" _All the better," Harry replied with a grin. "And if you need anything else, tell me."_

Hermione wouldn't forget the emotion on Remus' face when she told him about Harry's offer. He hadn't been surprised by Harry's generosity, but neither had Hermione. Harry had grown up with nothing. While some would have used the money as an excuse to buy whatever they wanted to make up for what they'd never had, Harry wasn't one of those people. Family and friends had always been more important to him than money.

There were voices outside in the corridor and Hermione looked up as Gwendolyn, Remus and Declan walked in. They all greeted one another, Remus giving Hermione a small smile as he sat down. It was a bit silly, everyone in the room knew they were dating, but keeping things professional at work was important to both of them.

"Hermione, why don't you begin," Margaret said, obviously sensing that Hermione wouldn't be able to keep her news in much longer. Hermione wondered what that meant about Margaret's news. Pushing that thought aside, Hermione told everyone about Harry's offer, met with smiles and excitement all around. Margaret, however, seemed a bit subdued.

"Margaret?" Gwendolyn finally said, when the excitement from Hermione's news had died down. The older woman sighed.

"While Mr. Potter's agreement to supply the Wolfsbane potion is certainly a mark in our favor, I have less encouraging news."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"There has been pushback," Margaret said. "From a small section of the Wizengamot. A previously rather influential section of the Wizengamot."

"Not exactly a surprise," Gwendolyn said.

"No," Margaret agreed. "But a problem nonetheless. They have been courting those in the middle, many of whom are either undecided or have issue with parts of our plan. I have heard there was a gathering over the weekend."

"What kind of gathering?" Hermione asked.

"The kind where influence is peddled and promises are made," Gwendolyn said with a sigh.

"Exactly," Margaret replied.

"Are they trying to kill the proposal entirely?" Gwendolyn asked.

"With the exception of the registry, I believe so," Margaret said. "There has also been talk of barring children with lycanthropy from attending Hogwarts."

"Minerva would never let that happen," Hermione insisted.

"She may not have a choice," Margaret said. "As history has proven, the Ministry can interfere at Hogwarts if they choose."

"Maybe when Fudge or Voldemort were in charge," Hermione said. "But Kings-, erm, Minister Shacklebolt would never do that."

"Be that as it may," Margaret replied, choosing to ignore Hermione's slip, "we must prepare for every possibility." Hermione rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. Merlin, she hated politics.

"So, what do we do?" she asked.

"Well, as I said, Mr. Potter's generous donation will definitely help. If we can ensure that the Wolfsbane potion will be available, the sanctuary may be approved."

"I'm sure Harry could cover any Hogwarts students as well," Hermione said quickly.

"Do we know how many there are?" Margaret asked Declan.

"So far, only two," Declan said, looking down at the notes in front of him. "A first-year and a seventh-year." Hermione knew that Will was the first-year, but she had no idea who the other student was.

"Well, adding two students shouldn't be a problem," Margaret said. "That may take care of the Hogwarts issue."

"But without the potion being available to the public at large, they may pull back on the other allowances they've already made," Hermione guessed.

"Unfortunately, yes," Margaret said. Hermione sighed.

"We could still ask for donations," Gwendolyn suggested. "On top of what Mr. Potter is offering, we may be able to help more people."

"But how do we prioritize who gets help without causing resentment?" Hermione asked.

"We could start with those on the registry," Gwendolyn said. "It might give more people an incentive to register."

"Or it may have the opposite effect and keep new registrants away," Remus said, speaking up for the first time.

"How so?" Margaret asked.

"Trust between werewolves and the Ministry was never high to begin with, but it is at an extreme low right now," Remus explained. "If they think the Ministry is trying to bribe them to get them to register, many are going to balk, thinking the Ministry has an ulterior motive." Hermione frowned. As much as she didn't like it, she knew it was true.

"What do you suggest?" Gwendolyn asked. Remus sighed.

"I honestly don't know if there's a good solution here," he said. "Time might be the only answer."

"The longer nothing horrible happens to werewolves that do register, the more that might come in, you mean," Hermione said. Remus nodded.

"The problem is, the Wizengamot wants this registry and they want it now," Margaret said.

"Trying to force registration will not work in your favor," Remus said.

"No, it won't," Margaret agreed. They all sat in silence for a few moments. Hermione's mind went over what she had been thinking about the other day, about the PR campaign. She had dismissed the idea then, but perhaps a slightly different approach would work.

"What about a personal appeal?" Hermione finally asked.

"If you're referring to me," Remus began, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, I wasn't," she replied.

"Although, that might not be a bad idea," Gwendolyn said. Remus looked at her in question. "You're already on the registry, everyone is aware of your status and you're a war hero."

"I am also dating Hermione, an employee of the department trying to pass the legislation," Remus said. "I don't think that would be a point in your favor."

"Hermione's name isn't on the legislation," Gwendolyn countered. Remus opened his mouth to argue, but Margaret interrupted.

"At the risk of being insensitive, Remus is not a typical werewolf. At least not as the Wizengamot sees it."

"Margaret is right," Remus said. "I went to Hogwarts and I've lived in wizarding society all my life. With the exception of the months I spent undercover during the war, I haven't lived in a pack. Those are the werewolves the Wizengamot is targeting with the registry, the ones they are afraid of."

"But you are an example of how those with lycanthropy can live the same kind of life as everyone else in wizarding society," Gwendolyn pressed. Remus stared at her for a moment before he tipped his head in acknowledgement.

"If you feel it would help, I can speak in front of the Wizengamot."

"Hermione, what were you thinking?" Margaret asked.

"A mother," she said.

"Explain," Margaret said.

"A mother whose child was taken from her by Voldemort and given to the werewolves because her husband refused to help the Death Eaters. A mother who lost her husband during the war but got her child back. A child that is now a werewolf. A mother that just wants that child to have the same opportunities as his siblings regardless of his lycanthropy." Hermione glanced at Remus. He was looking down at the tabletop, but she could tell that he didn't think it was a good idea.

"You have someone in mind, I assume?" Margaret asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "If you think it would help, I'll speak with her. But, I can't promise she'll do it."

"You would out her entire family," Remus said, his voice tight.

"Will is already on the registry," Hermione said quietly.

"The contents of which are unknown to anyone except Gwendolyn and Declan," Remus said, clearly upset.

"I know," Hermione replied. "Which is why I said I couldn't promise anything. But, Remus, regardless of how Minerva decides to handle students with lycanthropy, it won't stay a secret forever. _Your_ friends figured it out when they were only twelve." He glared at her for a moment, then looked away. Hermione bit her lip but turned back to the rest of the people in the room.

"Would it help?" Hermione asked. Margaret pursed her lips.

"It could very well sway those in the middle, yes."

"Then I'll speak to her."

* * *

"Remus," Hermione called as Remus strode toward the door. There hadn't been much left to discuss after Hermione's suggestion and the meeting had adjourned soon after. Gwendolyn and Declan had already left, but Margaret was still in the room. Remus contemplated pretending he hadn't heard Hermione call his name. He was angry that she would even think about putting Caroline Burke in that position. Still, he paused in the doorway.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Margaret gathering up her notes. She looked from him to Hermione and quickened her movements.

"No one else is using the room until this afternoon," she said as she left, closing the door behind her.

Remus and Hermione stood in silence. She finally moved around the table towards him.

"I know you're upset with me," she said.

"Do you know what kind of position you are going to put her in?" Remus demanded.

"I'm not going to force her to do anything," Hermione protested.

"But, by asking, you are forcing her to choose between Will and the rest of her family."

"Will is _part_ of her family."

"Hermione, you don't understand," Remus said in irritation.

"Then explain it to me," she snapped.

"Right now, very few people know that Will is a werewolf. They're isolated where they live, there's no real chance of anyone finding out. But the _momen_ t that Caroline Burke speaks in front of the Wizengamot, _everyone_ will know. You'll put a burden on Will before he even starts Hogwarts. He'll be shunned by some, ridiculed by others, feared by many. His brother will face the same fate. Rachel will likely escape some of it as she finishes school this year, but it will still follow her. She may lose jobs or friends because of what her brother is."

"What her brother _is_?" Hermione repeated. "Remus, he's a twelve year old boy. He's not Greyback."

"But others won't see that, Hermione!" Remus shouted. "Don't you understand? They will look at him and see Greyback and only Greyback." Hermione's brow furrowed.

"Where is this coming from Remus?" she asked. Remus sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

"What do you think the Wizengamot is going to assume when they find out Will lived with a pack for four years?"

"Will is a child," Hermione retorted. "He didn't fight for Voldemort."

"No, but others in his pack _did._ And that's what the Wizengamot and everyone else will see."

"You don't know that," Hermione protested.

"Why do you think my father constantly moved us when I was a child?" Remus asked.

"I thought he was afraid of anyone finding out about your lycanthropy."

"That was part of it, yes," Remus said. "But it was also so Greyback wouldn't find me. My father knew that if I was taken back to the pack, not only would they never see me again, but I would become just like Greyback. It's why he bit children, so he could take them and train them and mold them the way _he_ wanted them to be. That's what everyone will see when they find out about Will." Hermione was quiet for a moment.

"But, Greyback was never Will's alpha," she finally said.

"That doesn't matter," Remus said. "Michael _was_ Greyback's and while he might not have been as vicious, he is still in Azkaban for fighting for Voldemort." Hermione's eyes widened. "I did a bit of digging after I started working with Will."

"What happened to Ophelia?"

"Dead," Remus said. Hermione sighed.

"I understand everything you're saying and I'll be sure to explain all of that to Caroline when I talk to her. I am not going to force her, Remus. And I'll be sure that she understands that I won't feel any differently about her and Will if she decides not to speak. But, if there's a chance that what she says will sway people in our favor, shouldn't we take it?" He stared at her for a few moments, before he spoke again.

"Less than two months ago, you accused me of thinking of the 'greater good' when we spoke about Gwendolyn's transfer to the Pest Advisory Board," he said, his voice low and hard. "But, isn't that exactly what you're doing now? Sacrificing one for only the _possibility_ of the good of the rest?" Hermione's mouth dropped open. Remus stared at her for a few moments before he turned on his heel and left the conference room, ignoring the stab of guilt at the look of hurt on her face.

* * *

 **A/N 2 - In case you need a refresher on the incident Remus is referring to here, it occurs in Chapter 52 on March 24.**


	73. Advocate

**A/N - Another Thursday chapter! I really wanted to get Andromeda and Kingsley's dinner into this chapter, but it just didn't happen. It will be in the next chapter for sure though. I'm glad so many of you are excited about it. :) Thanks so much for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 73**

 **Advocate**

 **8 May 2000**

Hermione stared at the spot where Remus had just been, completely shocked by what had just happened. She slowly lowered herself into one of the chairs, hurt coursing through her at his last words to her. Was that what she was doing? Outing Will to try and make things better for everyone else, regardless of what it would do to Will and his family? Wasn't that exactly the reason she had pushed away thoughts of the PR campaign, because she didn't want to force anyone to make their status public? Hermione put her face in her hands, hating herself.

She never wanted to hurt Will or his family. They had been through more than enough. She just wanted him and the rest of the children like him to have a chance, the same chances that any magical child in their society had. Hermione was doing the best she could, facing ridiculous prejudice and preconceived ideas. Bringing Caroline Burke to speak before the Wizengamot was the only way she could think of to change that.

That thought stilled her. She was only trying to fight for the same rights for those with lycanthropy. She wasn't going to force anyone to speak or manipulate them into it. Maybe there were people that would _want_ to talk to the Wizengamot if they knew that it could help make their lives better.

Remus was right about one thing. The terror that Greyback and his followers had caused during the war was what most people would think about when presented with someone who was a werewolf. However, that was exactly the point of her proposal, to change people's minds and show them that just because someone was a werewolf, it didn't mean they were a vicious monster. The best way to do that was to have those affected speak out.

She understood that Remus had been taught to be ashamed of what he was. His parents' constant moving and forbidding him to tell anyone about his condition assured that. He was taught that he wasn't as good as everyone else, that at any moment, he could snap and hurt someone.

Will shouldn't be ashamed of what he was. It wasn't his fault that he was taken from his family and given to Greyback. His parents were only trying to do what was right and Will was punished for it. That was no one's fault but Voldemort's and the Death Eaters. That's exactly what Hermione wanted to change and if Remus couldn't understand that, then they had a definite problem.

Her hurt had given way to irritation. She had thought that after everything that had happened, Remus was past all this. He had been awarded the Order of Merlin for god's sake. Minerva was hiring him to teach again. He had a son, a circle of friends and he had her. He knew that she loved him, that she didn't care about the fact that he was a werewolf. She couldn't understand why he still fell back into old excuses.

Sighing, Hermione stood and left the conference room, heading back to her office. She would need to speak to Caroline tonight as the presentation was Wednesday. Taking a detour, she walked towards the lifts instead, intending to head to the mail room. She would send Caroline an owl to see if it was all right to stop by after work.

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what is bothering you now?" Andromeda asked when she had come back downstairs after putting Teddy down for his nap. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. He had been upset since he got home from the Ministry. He had tried to keep it from Andromeda and Teddy, but apparently, he hadn't been successful.

"It's this proposal," he said.

"Did the meeting not go well?"

"It's not that." He sighed again. "Hermione and I had a difference of opinion."

"Ah," Andromeda said, as if that explained everything.

"She doesn't understand."

"Understand what?"

"What it's like," Remus said.

"I assume you mean having lycanthropy," Andromeda said, brow furrowed.

"Of course, that's what I mean," Remus retorted. At her narrowed eyes, he sighed again. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"I think you should explain what happened." Remus gave her a synopsis of the meeting, as well as the argument between him and Hermione afterward.

"I don't understand how she could ask Caroline to do that after everything they've been through," Remus finished, shaking his head. Andromeda remained silent and Remus looked finally looked over at her. "You don't have any input on this?"

"I do not think that you will like what I am going to say," she said. Remus stared at her for a moment. Did she not understand what he'd just said?

"You think Hermione is right?" he asked incredulously.

"I think you are letting your past cloud your judgement," she said.

"My past?" Remus repeated. "Of course, my past affects my judgement! I'm a werewolf!"

"Remus," Andromeda said gently. "You spent all of your childhood hiding what you were." He scowled at her.

"Of course, I did, Andromeda. Did you miss the part where I said I was a werewolf?"

"Do not give me that look," she said sharply. "Just sit there and listen." He was so taken aback, he simply stared at her, mouth agape.

"I understand why your parents did what they did when you were a child. They thought they were protecting you. But, it taught you to be ashamed Remus. Ashamed of something that was not your fault." He couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks. "And that shame shaped every interaction you had. You hid your condition from your friends at school. Even after they found out, you were afraid that one day they would change their minds about you."

"How long did it take you to tell Lily Potter about your lycanthropy?" Andromeda asked. Remus looked away, swallowing thickly, regretting that he had told Andromeda this story. Lily had been one of his first friends, even before James and Sirius and Peter. But, he had never confided in her. It wasn't until a few months after they'd finished school and James and Lily moved in together that James had convinced him that Lily needed to know. James couldn't disappear every full moon without his girlfriend suspecting something. When Remus had finally gotten up the courage to tell her, she had already known. She had figured it out third year after they had studied werewolves.

"That shame followed you into adulthood," she continued. "It kept you from relationships, from employment, even from friendships, I would guess." Remus looked down at his lap. "It was not until my very determined daughter came into your life that you even considered that you might be worth something." His face colored again.

"Do you want Will to feel that same shame?"

"Of course, I don't," Remus said. "But, that's not the point."

"I think it is exactly the point," Andromeda said. "One of the purposes of Hermione's proposal is to change people's minds about how they see werewolves, yes?"

"Yes," Remus said, unsure where she was going with this.

"Then why should she not give them a chance to fight for it if they so choose?"

"I just don't want Will or his mother to have to carry that burden," Remus said.

"Darling, they are already carrying it," Andromeda replied. Remus looked down at his lap again. He knew she was right. But, he couldn't help but look at Will and see himself at twelve. He would have been horrified had everyone known that he was a werewolf. And that, he supposed, was exactly what Andromeda was trying to say. He had been taught to be ashamed and Will shouldn't be put through the same thing.

"This war," Andromeda said, leaning forward and putting a hand on his arm. "It took so much from so many. It is time that stopped." When Remus looked up, her eyes were bright. He took her free hand in his and gave it a squeeze. After a few minutes, he sighed and let go of her hand. He raked a hand through his hair.

"I was a complete arse, wasn't I?" he asked.

"If you are referring to Hermione, then yes, I am afraid that you were," she said, amusement in her eyes. He groaned.

"She'll probably never forgive me."

"Do not be ridiculous, Remus. The woman loves you." He stood from the couch.

"I should go back to the Ministry and apologize."

"You should do no such thing," Andromeda said. He looked at her in confusion. "You need to apologize, yes, but wait until she gets home."

"But-" Remus began. Andromeda gave him a quelling look.

"Do you really think this is something she would want to discuss at work?" He sighed.

"No, no, you're right," he said. "I'll wait until she gets home."

"Just so," Andromeda said. She rose from her chair, but Remus took her hand before she could walk away.

"Thank you," he said. She smiled and patted his cheek.

"You just need a bit of reminding, sometimes." He laughed and hugged her, then kissed her cheek.

* * *

Hermione came through the Floo into her living room. She sighed as she set her bag down on the chair and shrugged out of her outer robes. When she hadn't heard back from Caroline by the end of her work day, Hermione had come home. She had hesitated for a moment in front of the Floo, contemplating going to Remus' instead. In the end, she decided against it. She couldn't expend the energy she was going to need in making him understand when she needed to talk to Caroline tonight as well.

She had thought about it all afternoon and while she was still upset that Remus had said what he did, she did understand. Asking Caroline to speak to the Wizengamot was a big decision. It would immediately make Will's status public, although just before she'd left for the day, Hermione thought that she might have found a way around that. She needed to check with Margaret in the morning to be sure.

Just as Hermione was about to flop down onto her couch, there was a tapping at the back door. Turning to look over her shoulder, she saw an owl hovering outside. It was likely Caroline's response. She walked to the back door and opened it, gasping when she saw more than the owl outside her door.

"Hello, Hermione," Remus said. He was sitting on the bench next to her back door.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

"I was waiting for you," Remus said. The owl, obviously tired of waiting for Hermione to take the letter, flew over her head and into the house. Hermione stared at Remus for a few seconds before she turned and followed the owl inside, leaving the back door open.

After she'd removed the letter from the owl's leg and given him a treat, he turned and flew out the open back door. Remus still hadn't come inside. Brow furrowed, she walked over to the door and looked out.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"I thought, under the circumstances, I should wait for you to invite me," he said. Hermione softened a bit as he followed her in. She opened the note from Caroline, who was happy to meet with her at seven. Setting the letter down on the side table, Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Remus.

"I might not have found you out there, you know," she finally said when he didn't speak. "I rarely Apparate home from work anymore."

"I know," he said. "I was intending to knock once I heard the Floo. But when the owl arrived, I figured I would just wait." They stood in uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes before Hermione sighed.

"What are you doing here, Remus?" she asked. She really didn't want to get into another argument with him right now.

"I came to apologize," he said. Hermione stared at him in shock. Not because he'd apologized, he'd done that plenty of times in the past. But he had been so adamant at the Ministry, she never thought he'd change his mind.

"What I said was uncalled for and hurtful and I'm sorry." Hermione's eyes narrowed. So, he hadn't changed his mind, he just regretted the words he'd used? She asked him as much. He sighed and sat down on her couch, elbows on his knees, his hands hanging loosely between his legs.

"I've grown protective of Will," Remus continued. "And I don't want to see him hurt."

"Remus, I would never purposely hurt him," Hermione said. "You have to know that."

"I do," Remus assured her. "But, that's part of the reason I reacted the way I did."

"What's the other part?" she asked. He sighed again, scrubbing a hand down his face.

"As you know, growing up, I was made to hide my condition," Remus said. "My father was especially terrified that someone would find out. At the time, my mother told me that they didn't want anyone to take me away from them and for her, that's what the fear was about. But, for my father, it was shame. Shame to have a werewolf for a son." Hermione sat down next to him on the couch, aching to pull him into her arms, but refraining for now. "He may never have said it in so many words, but I knew. I'm sure you can imagine what that does to a child." Hermione put a hand on his back. She had suspected of all this, but she was a bit surprised that he had finally acknowledged it.

"I don't want that for Will, for any child, or adult for that matter, that had the misfortune to be bitten." He finally looked at her. "I suppose that I still let that shame color my reaction to some things."

"Remus," she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and resting her forehead against his temple. They sat that way for a few moments, Hermione trying to keep a lid on her emotions. Her heart ached for the little boy that had grown up that way.

"I think you should talk to Caroline," he finally said. Hermione pulled back to look at him.

"You do?" she asked.

"Like you said, she doesn't have to agree. And, I'd like to speak as well, I think." She looked at him in surprise once again. He hadn't sounded all that excited about it earlier. "If Gwendolyn thinks it would help, then perhaps she's right."

"What brought all this on?" Hermione asked.

"I'd like to say that I came to it all on my own, but you're not the only very wise witch in my life." Hermione laughed. Of course, Andromeda would have had something to say about it.

He turned and held out an arm to her. She smiled and let herself be pulled into his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair.

"I'm sorry, too," she said. He pulled back from her slightly, looking at her in confusion.

"What on earth for?"

"What you said before, while not presented in the kindest terms, it was sort of true."

"Hermione, no, I-" but Hermione stopped him, putting her fingers to his lips.

"What I'm asking Caroline to do, it _is_ going to be a sacrifice."

"But you're not forcing her to do it," Remus countered.

"No, but, given our relationship, do you think that she'll be comfortable saying no? She's always told me that I saved Will, gave him back to her. I don't want that gratitude to make her feel like she _has_ to do this."

"We'll make sure she understands she doesn't."

"We?" Hermione questioned. Remus colored.

"That is, if you want me to, erm, no, no of course not, you should go by yourself." Hermione laughed.

"Of course, I want you to come with me," she said. Remus looked sheepish. "Now kiss me." He didn't need to be told twice. When they parted, she sighed and rested her head against his chest.

"I love you," he said.

"Mm, I love you too."

* * *

They Apparated to the cottage a few minutes before seven. Remus took Hermione's hand as they walked towards the front door. She gave his hand a squeeze and he smiled at her. After simply holding one another for a while on her couch, they had a bite to eat and Hermione had told Remus about the obscure passage she'd found in a book about Wizengamot rules and bylaws.

In certain cases, a secrecy vow could be invoked during deliberation of a law. Meaning that the members would agree not to discuss what happened in the chamber with anyone outside of it. This was usually used for things pertaining to their society's security, but Hermione hoped that they could use it when Caroline and anyone else spoke during their presentation. That way, while the members of the Wizengamot would know about Will's and anyone else's status, they wouldn't tell anyone about it. When they spoke to Caroline, they would mention it, but stress that she should assume they wouldn't be able to use it.

They knocked on the front door which was quickly opened by Will. He grinned up at Remus and then hugged Hermione.

"How are you?" Hermione asked, feeling guilty that it had been so long since she'd seen him. "Look at you, I think you've grown a foot!"

"He certainly eats as if he has," Caroline said walking up behind Will, Rebecca at her side. Will just smiled sheepishly, quite a difference from his early reactions to Caroline's teasing. It warmed Hermione's heart to see it. "Oh, hello, Remus."

"I hope you don't mind that I brought him with me," Hermione said quickly, realizing that Caroline was only expecting her.

"Of course not," Caroline said. "Come in, both of you."

"How's that assignment going that I gave you?" Remus asked, putting a hand on Will's shoulder. The boy made a face.

"Does it really have to be a whole _foot_ of parchment?" he asked. Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the look on Will's face. He reminded her of Harry and Ron groaning about essays.

"I think you're quite capable of that," Remus said, amusement in his eyes. Will huffed. "Just do your best."

"So, what's this all about?" Caroline asked as they reached the living room. Hermione and Remus glanced at each other.

"It might be best if we spoke to you first, without the children present," Remus said. Caroline immediately looked concerned.

"There's nothing wrong," Hermione assured her. Caroline looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Will, take your sister up to her room for a bit, will you?"

"C'mon, Becca," he said, taking the little girl's hand.

"Will you play fairies with me?" Rebecca asked, skipping next to him. Hermione saw Will's eye roll and stifled another laugh.

"Yeah, all right," he said. Caroline watched them fondly as they disappeared.

"They seem to be getting along better," Hermione said. Caroline nodded.

"Yes, thank goodness. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, we're fine," Hermione said, anxious to get to the reason they'd come. "I'd like to ask you something, but before I do, I want you to know that I do not want you to feel obligated in any way to say yes. It's completely your choice and no matter what you decide, neither of us will feel any differently about you or Will. It's absolutely optional and-" Remus put a hand to Hermione's arm to stop her babbling. Caroline looked completely confused.

"Why don't you just ask her?" he said.

"Right," Hermione said taking a breath. She began by explaining the werewolf legislation that her department was trying to get passed. As she finished with the new objections by the small faction of the Wizengamot, Hermione could see that Caroline's hope had faded to irritation and then anger.

"These are _children_ they're talking about, not hardened criminals," Caroline said in response to Hermione's statement that there was talk of banning children with lycanthropy from attending Hogwarts.

"That brings me to what I'd like to ask," Hermione said. She looked up at Caroline. "We thought that a personal story from a mother might help sway the vote."

"And I assume you'd like me to be that mother," Caroline said.

"Only if you want to," Hermione said quickly. "As I said, I don't want you to feel pressured."

"You're asking me to announce in front of the Wizengamot that my child has lycanthropy."

"Yes," Hermione said quietly. Caroline sat in silence, looking down at her lap for a few minutes.

"I'm not ashamed of him," Caroline finally said.

"Of course, you're not," Hermione replied. She had never thought that.

"And I know that people will find out eventually. But, announcing it on my own," she shook her head.  
"I don't know about that."

"There is a small possibility that the members of the Wizengamot could take a secrecy vow," Hermione said. "I'm not promising anything because I only just came across the rule this evening, but I plan to speak to my boss about it in the morning. But, I don't want that to color your decision. You should assume that we can't use it." Caroline nodded.

"Tell me honestly, what do you think the chances of your proposal passing without me speaking?"

"I really don't know," Hermione said. "This is the second go round. The first time, they approved a few things, but denied the rest. This time, there's talk of pulling back from some of what they've already approved plus more. All I know for sure is that nearly everyone wants the registry." Caroline scoffed at that.

"Of course, they do," she said scornfully. "What better way to be able to blame innocent people for crimes they didn't commit?"

"I know it likely doesn't help, as everyone already knows what I am," Remus said. "But, I plan to speak as well." Hermione leaned forward and put a hand on Caroline's arm.

"Think about it," she said. "You don't have to give us an answer tonight. Talk to Will about it if you think you should."

"When would you need to know?"

"The presentation in Wednesday morning," Hermione said as Caroline's eyes widened. "I'm sorry for the late notice, we just found out about this group this morning."

"Hermione, even if I wanted to speak, I don't think that's going to work," she said. "What would I do with the children? I wouldn't want to bring them with me into all of that." Hermione bit her lip in thought.

"I'll have to check with her, but I'd bet that Ginny could do it," Hermione said. "She doesn't go back to Wales until the weekend."

"And if Ginny isn't available, I am sure that my mother-in-law would be happy to mind them," Remus said.

"Thank you both," Caroline said, a bit of emotion in her voice.

"Please, Caroline, don't think you have to do this because you owe me or Remus something," Hermione said. "We want this to be your decision. Do what's best for your family." Caroline nodded. She asked a few more questions and then called the children back into the room. Hermione chatted with Will while Rebecca sat herself in Hermione's lap. Hermione waved off Caroline's admonishment, splitting her attention between the two children as she listened to everything they'd been up to since the last time she'd seen them.

"Do you think Harry would take us to another match?" Will asked.

"Will," his mother scolded. "You can't just ask things like that." Will looked confused.

"Why not?"

"You hafta wait to be 'vited, Will," Rebecca replied sagely. Hermione heard Remus chuckle behind her. "It's p'lite."

"Oh," Will said, his face reddening. Hermione put her arm around his shoulders.

"It's all right," she said. "I'm sure Harry would love to have you at another match. There's always room." Will smiled at her. Hermione looked down at Rebecca. "What about you, little miss? Do you want to see Quidditch this time?" Rebecca rolled her eyes.

"Quidditch is boring." Will looked at his sister indignantly, as Hermione snorted out a laugh.

"You're mental," Will said to the little girl.

"I am not!" Rebecca insisted. "Mummy, Will called me mental."

"Will," Caroline said, fighting a smile.

"Mum, it's Quidditch," Will justified.

"What have I told you?" Caroline asked. Will sighed.

"Not everyone likes the same thing," he said. "Sorry, Bec." Rebecca stuck her tongue out at her brother before snuggling back into Hermione.

"On that note, I think it's bedtime," Caroline said.

"I'll be good," Rebecca immediately said. Hermione and Remus laughed.

"Actually, Remus and I have to be going anyway," Hermione said. She set Rebecca down on the floor and stood from the couch. She hugged Rebecca and then Will. "I promise I won't stay away so long next time, okay?" Will nodded.

"And I will see you on Thursday," Remus said, clapping Will on the shoulder. "With that foot of parchment."

"Yes, sir," Will said begrudgingly.

"You two head upstairs, I'll be there in a minute," Caroline said. She waited until the two children had gone upstairs to speak. "I will think about what you said and let you know tomorrow."

"All right," Hermione said. She reached over to hug the older woman. "Thank you for considering it." Caroline nodded. Remus made his good-byes as well and they left the cottage.

"What do you think she'll decide," Hermione asked as they walked towards the Apparition point.

"I don't know," Remus said honestly. "But don't fret about it, love."

"Easier said than done," Hermione replied. Remus chuckled. He wrapped his arms around her, kissed her lightly, then turned, Disapparating.

* * *

 **10 May 2000**

Hermione took a deep breath as she walked into the Wizengamot chambers. Despite the small gains they had made over the last two days, Hermione still wasn't sure how this was going to go.

After speaking to Margaret about the secrecy rule she had found, Margaret had immediately met with Kingsley and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Their debate over the rule had lasted for over an hour, but ultimately it was invoked only for the portion of the proceedings where citizens would be speaking. Caroline had agreed to speak before she knew about the decision, something Hermione was eternally grateful for. She still felt a bit guilty about asking the woman at all but knowing that the Wizengamot members wouldn't go spreading Will's status to all and sundry made her feel much better. It wasn't like the Unbreakable Vow, no one would die, or even suffer any injury, if they spoke about Will, but vows, oaths and honor were extremely important to wizards, especially in the Pureblood set. Hermione felt fairly confident that no one would go against it.

The small group that was trying to sway opinions had, apparently, not been able to convince as many as they had wanted to. Most in the middle were waiting to see what Margaret's department came up with to decide. Still, Hermione knew that it could go either way at this point.

She had spent the last half hour sitting with Caroline and Remus, who were not going to be allowed into the chamber until it was their turn to speak. Caroline was outwardly nervous, pacing and going over what she was going to say quietly under her breath. Hermione could tell that Remus was a bit tense as well, although he was much better at hiding it. Even though everyone knew he was a werewolf, standing up in front of their governing body and announcing it was something else entirely.

Hermione climbed the stone steps and slid into a seat next to Gwendolyn and Declan. A few minutes later, Harry joined them. Given Ron was quitting in a week, he no longer had clearance to attend Wizengamot proceedings. Harry took one look at her and grabbed her hand giving it a squeeze.

"Relax, Hermione," he murmured. "It's going to be fine."

The Wizengamot finally filed into the room. She scanned their faces as they sat down, trying to read body language and facial expressions. She could tell almost immediately who was in the group trying to sabotage the proposals. The sneers and bored looks were easy to read. Harry squeezed her hand again and Hermione realized she'd gone rigid, her shoulders tense with anger. She sat back in her chair and tried to relax.

Kingsley and the Chief Warlock were last to enter. After they were seated, the Chief Warlock called everyone to order and then gave Margaret permission to begin. Things ran smoothly at first, but as soon as Margaret brought up the sanctuary, she was interrupted.

"You have still included the sanctuary in your second proposal but have made no mention of providing the Wolfsbane potion."

"If you would let me continue, we have come up with a solution to that," Margaret said, her voice clipped.

"By all means," the wizard said, condescendingly. He reminded Hermione very much of Lucius Malfoy.

"Mr. Harry Potter has generously agreed to provide funds to cover the cost of the potion for those that choose to use the sanctuary for their transformations," Margaret said. "Any students at Hogwarts that are affected by lycanthropy will be provided for similarly."

An immediate murmuring broke out among the Wizengamot members. Hermione had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the expression on the wizard's face. Harry squeezed her hand again.

"Excuse me, but how can we be sure that Mr. Potter can continue to provide the potion consistently?" another wizard asked. "If the sanctuary is approved, how do we know that a year from now, funds will not dry up?" Harry didn't even try to hide his snort.

"While Mr. Potter's gift is extremely generous and welcome, it is our intention to continue to contact other donors to help with the cost. We have already received a few donations to this end."

"That didn't answer my question," the man said. "And there is no guarantee that you will get others to donate."

"I don't think that Mr. Potter's financial status is on trial here, nor is it any of your business," another member said.

"On the contrary," the first wizard argued. "If we are to approve such a sanctuary, we need to know for certain that the potion will continue to be provided." Harry let go of Hermione's hand and stood.

"Chief Warlock, Minister, if I may?" Harry said. Kingsley immediately waved Harry forward, although there were complaints about procedure as he walked down the steps.

"I assure the Wizengamot that I have more than sufficient funds to cover this endeavor," Harry said when he reached the front. "For as long as they are needed."

"How can we be sure?" the first wizard sneered.

"I have no plans to provide you with a financial statement, if that's what you're asking," Harry said snidely. "However, I think that many of you are familiar with my father's family and their extensive holdings, as well as Gringotts' talent for growing wealth." There were murmurs and the nodding of heads amongst many of the Pureblood crowd. "My godfather also left me a considerable sum. I will have no problem providing the potion for the sanctuary, no matter how large it gets or how long it is in existence. The same applies to students at Hogwarts." With a nod to Kingsley and the Chief Warlock, Harry turned and walked back up the stairs. Hermione grinned at him when he sat down.

As the first wizard opened his mouth to protest again, Kingsley held up a hand for quiet.

"I think Mr. Potter has covered the issue of funds quite thoroughly, thank you. Let's move on."

When Margaret finished her presentation, Kingsley turned to the Wizengamot.

"We will now hear from two members of the community whom these laws will affect," Kingsley said. "Because of the sensitive nature of what they are going to reveal, we are putting the secrecy vow into effect." There was an immediate uproar. Some of the newer members had no idea what Kingsley was talking about, given the fact that the rule hadn't been used for quite some time. Others who were familiar, were outraged that it would be used in this instance.

"Order! Order!" the Chief Warlock demanded.

"This is not the reason that rule was made," the wizard who had questioned Harry protested.

"Not originally, no," Kingsley agreed. "However, after much discussion between the Chief Warlock and myself, and given the continued prejudice against werewolves, it is our decision to invoke it now."

"Minister, what is this rule?" someone else asked.

"You will vow not to discuss anything you are about to hear with anyone that is not present for the presentation," Kingsley explained. "If you feel you cannot honor that, you may excuse yourself. However, if you are not here for the entire presentation, you may not vote on its outcome." This caused a bit more complaint, but no one left the room and everyone took the vow, albeit some rather grudgingly.

Remus spoke first and Hermione found herself smiling through the entire thing. Harry nudged her once, his eyes dancing with laughter at the goofy grin on her face, but she couldn't help it. This was the first time Remus had ever spoken out about the treatment that werewolves received by both the Ministry and the public in general. She could tell that some were swayed by what he said.

Remus wasn't allowed to stay in the room after he finished speaking, but he caught Hermione's eye and gave her a small smile as he walked out. Caroline was led in and she stepped up to the front of the room, looking nervous. Margaret smiled at her encouragingly and she took a breath, then looked up at the Wizengamot.

"My name is Caroline Burke," she began. "Many of you know who I am and the rest likely recognize the name. During the war, my husband was asked to support You-Know-Who. When he refused, he was told that he would regret it. If he had known what the Death Eaters had in mind, he likely would have taken our family and fled."

"A few weeks later, Death Eaters showed up at our door. They incapacitated all of us and took my son." Caroline's voice broke and she had to take a few moments to compose herself. Hermione could feel the tears forming in her eyes. "They took my son Will and told us we would never see him again. He was seven years old." Hermione saw that everyone looked uncomfortable, many sickened by what they were hearing. "My husband moved us to a remote cottage and spent the rest of his life searching for our son. He was thrown into Azkaban after You-Know-Who took over the Ministry and he died there." Hermione felt a tear roll down her cheek. Harry grasped her hand again.

"A few months ago, Harry Potter showed up at my door with news I never thought I would hear. My son had been found, alive. However, he was now a werewolf." There were a few gasps and horrified looks. "After the Death Eaters had taken Will, he was given to a werewolf pack where he was bitten and turned, with the intention of training him for You-Know-Who's army."

"I was so happy to know that my son was alive, I didn't care about the lycanthropy. Mr. Potter brought Will home to me and it has been an adjustment for both of us. After living with a pack for four years, it has been difficult for him to assimilate to home life again, but we are managing."

"He is being tutored in order to be ready to attend Hogwarts in the fall, something that I have been told may be in jeopardy." She looked up from her notes and met the gaze of a few members of the Wizengamot.

"My son has three siblings, all of whom have or will attend Hogwarts. Why should Will be denied the same opportunity? He is a twelve-year-old boy. He loves Quidditch and flying, being outdoors and playing with his brother. He hates homework, chores and when his little sister forces him to have tea parties." There was a smattering of chuckles and Caroline smiled.

"My son is just like any other magical child, except that once a month, he must take a potion and be locked up while he transforms. This doesn't affect his intelligence or his magical ability in any way. I don't understand why my child should be shunned and punished because of something that happened to him that was beyond his control. Something that was forced on him because my husband chose the right side of the war and dared to go against evil. None of what happened was Will's fault. It wasn't my husband's fault. It was solely the monster that called himself Voldemort." Many flinched when they heard the name and Hermione barely held back an eyeroll.

"If you do not allow my son the same opportunities that every other child in our world has, you are letting Voldemort win. He tried to control all of us with fear and prejudice. I ask you not to let that happen again." Looking at the Wizengamot, Hermione could see that there were quite a few people that were outwardly affected by what Caroline was saying.

"Minister, Chief Warlock, I appreciate the vow of secrecy that everyone here has taken. But, as Will's mother, I release them from their vow. I am not ashamed of my son and I won't hide him away because of what happened. Thank you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Burke," Kingsley said. Caroline nodded once, then hurried from the room. Hermione wanted to follow her, but she also wanted to hear what Kingsley would say.

"Despite the fact that Mrs. Burke has released you from your vow, I request that you still choose to honor it. A child of twelve should not have his life disrupted by reporters and gossipmongers." There were many nods of agreement.

"Deliberation will commence. The Chief Warlock will notify me when you have reached a decision." Kingsley left the courtroom, followed by the court scribe. Those in the gallery stood to leave as Margaret gathered her parchment together.

Once they were outside the chambers, the doors were sealed. The Wizengamot would start deliberating. Hermione wasn't so naïve to think they would have an answer any time soon. After saying good-bye to Harry, Hermione and Margaret, along with Gwendolyn and Declan, made their way to the small side room where Remus and Caroline had been during the presentation. Hermione opened the door to see Remus sitting next to Caroline, his arm around her shoulders. The woman was crying softly.

When Caroline looked up and saw everyone watching her, she reddened and swiped at her eyes with the handkerchief in her hand.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Hermione said as she crossed the room. "I was emotional too."

"I think we all were," Gwendolyn added. She glanced at Declan. "We need to get back to work, but we just wanted to thank both of you for speaking today." Remus inclined his head and Caroline nodded. Gwendolyn and Declan quickly left. Caroline had mostly composed herself and she looked up at Margaret.

"Do you know when you'll hear something?" Caroline asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Margaret said. "It depends on how much they argue with one another." Caroline cracked a smile. Margaret moved across the room to sit on the other side of Caroline. "You released them from their secrecy vow." Remus' eyes widened.

"What I said was true," Caroline replied. "I'm not ashamed of Will."

"The Minister asked them to honor it anyway," Margaret added. "So, hopefully you will not find yourself inundated by reporters." Caroline chuckled.

"Thank you," Margaret continued. "For what you said today. I know that it moved many people."

"Hopefully, it moved them to the right side," Caroline said and Margaret smiled. She looked at Remus. "Thank you also, Mr. Lupin. Your status as a war hero will help as well." Hermione could tell that the smile on Remus' face was forced.

"You're welcome," he said.

"Well, I need to get back to the office," Margaret said. "Hermione?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Hermione said. Margaret glanced from Hermione to Remus, but must have decided not to say anything, as she simply nodded and left the room.

"I should get home," Caroline said. "Make sure that the kids haven't driven Miss Weasley mad." Hermione laughed.

"Growing up with six brothers, I'm not sure anything could drive Ginny mad." She stepped up to Caroline and took the other woman's hands in hers. "Thank you. For agreeing to this and for everything you said."

"I just want my son to have a chance," Caroline said. Hermione hugged the other woman. Caroline said good-bye to Remus and then left. Hermione turned to Remus and he pulled her into his arms.

"You did very well," she said with a smile.

"Ah, yes, the war hero speaks and everyone listens, even if he is a werewolf."

"Stop that," she said, swatting his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It's just the comment from Margaret bothered me more than I thought it would."

"You know that's not the only reason she and Gwendolyn wanted you to speak."

"I know," Remus said with a sigh, pulling her closer to him. "I'm just glad it's over." He kissed her then and she relaxed in his arms, glad that it was over too.

"I have to get back to work," she said regretfully. He smiled at her and kissed her again.

"And I told Teddy I'd be home for lunch."

"I'll see you tonight?" she asked. He nodded.

"Dinner at ours?" he suggested.

"I'll be there." He kissed her once more, then stepped back from her.

"Good-bye, love." She watched him walk out of the room and then followed a few minutes later, going back to her office.

* * *

 **11 May 2000**

Hermione walked towards the Auror offices. She and Harry were having lunch today. There had still been no word from the Wizengamot, not that she was surprised. They had taken over a week to decide on the original proposal. Hermione didn't expect this one would take any less time.

She reached to pull open the door to the Auror department at the same time that it swung outward. Hermione stepped back and looked up, apology ready on her lips. The words she was about to say died as she saw who was standing in front of her.

Lucius Malfoy stared back at her, clearly just as surprised as she was. Hermione felt her hand begin to move toward her left arm and she forced it back to her side. She stuck her hand in her pocket and gripped her wand instead.

The former Death Eater looked much healthier than he had during his trial two years ago. The circles under his eyes were gone and while he was always pale, he no longer looked sallow and gray. He had put on a bit of weight, she noticed, the gauntness gone from his cheeks.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, hating how shrill her voice sounded. Malfoy's eyes narrowed and he sniffed.

"I do not believe that I am required to answer to you."

"You're supposed to be locked up in your house."

"Ah, perhaps you have forgotten the date, Miss Granger. My confinement ended today." Hermione pulled her hand from her pocket, wand in hand. She let her arm hand loosely by her side, but Malfoy did not miss the action. She saw his jaw clench, but he didn't say anything.

"Now, if you will excuse me." He walked past her, snakehead cane tight in his grip as he moved toward the lifts. Hermione watched him go, her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Hermione?" Harry said, appearing in the door way. "I thought we were meeting in your office?" He glanced over her shoulder and grimaced as he saw Malfoy walking away.

"Did you know he was coming here today?" Hermione demanded.

"Yes, that's why I told you I'd pick you up in your office," Harry said. He moved towards her, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, but her hand moved to the word on her arm all the same.

"Are you sure?" Hermione nodded. Harry didn't look convinced. He pulled her into his arms.

"I didn't want you to have to see him today," he said.

"Why was he here anyway?"

"Had to sign some paperwork and have his wand scanned for Dark Magic. You're sure you're all right?" Harry asked pulling back from her.

"I'm fine, Harry." He still looked skeptical, so Hermione plastered a smile on her face and took his hand, pulling him towards the lifts. "Let's eat."

* * *

"I know that you do not like to talk about him, but I thought I should remind you that Lucius' house arrest ended today," Andromeda said after they had put Teddy down for his nap. Remus tensed. The last person he wanted to think about was Lucius Malfoy. Remus didn't begrudge Andromeda her relationship with her sister, but Lucius was another story.

"Do you think Hermione will remember the date?" Andromeda asked.

"I don't know," Remus said. "She was quite wrapped up in the proposal. Now that it's done, she's gone back to her research on mind healing." Remus was immediately concerned. After the way Hermione had reacted to Narcissa last month, he had no idea what would happen should she remember about Lucius. Although, the meeting with Narcissa had happened right after they had found out about everything with Warrington and Satterfield, so perhaps it wouldn't affect Hermione as much. And it's not as if she was going to actually see Lucius. She would likely be fine. Still, he would feel better if he knew for sure.

"I'll see her when she gets home from work," Remus said. Andromeda nodded. Remus had never told her specifically about Hermione's scar, but Andromeda was aware of the torture that Hermione suffered at Malfoy Manor. Remus knew that his mother-in-law had been able to put two and two together about Hermione's reaction to Narcissa on Teddy's birthday.

* * *

At a few minutes after five, Remus picked up the Floo powder, intending to see if Hermione was home, when he heard the crack of Apparition outside. Brow furrowed, he went into the kitchen where Andromeda was making dinner.

"You heard that?" she asked. Remus nodded.

"Stay here," he said. "I'll be right back." He drew his wand and opened the back door, warding it behind him when he stepped outside. Looking to the back of the garden, he put his wand back in his pocket when he saw a familiar figure sitting on the swing in the oak tree. Remus hurried towards her.

Hermione didn't look up at his approach, something that immediately gave him pause. She sat on the swing, looking down at the ground. He saw that her knuckles were white where they gripped the ropes.

"Hermione?" he said quietly. When she didn't respond, he squatted down in front of her. "Love?" She raised her head to look at him.

"Did you know that Lucius Malfoy is off house arrest?" she asked, her tone flat.

"Yes," he said.

"I saw him today. At the Ministry." Remus swore under his breath.

"What did he say to you?" Remus immediately asked. If Malfoy had done _anything_ to her, he would regret it.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "I was going to have lunch with Harry and I ran into him outside the Auror Department." She let go of the ropes of the swing and put one arm on her lap, the other covering her scar. Remus reached out and put a hand on top of hers.

"Are you all right?" She stared at their hands for a moment, then looked up at him.

"When is this going to stop happening?" she whispered. Remus tucked a curl behind her ear.

"What, love?"

"When am I going to stop reliving what happened to me whenever I see one of them?" Remus moved to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. Hermione gripped the front of his shirt. "I couldn't concentrate the rest of the afternoon. I just kept seeing it, seeing _her_." Remus didn't have to ask to know she was talking about Bellatrix.

"She's gone, Hermione. She can't hurt you." Hermione pulled away from him abruptly.

"I know that!" she said. "I _know_ she's gone. I know why the Malfoys didn't help me, why they couldn't. I _know_ all that, but this still keeps happening to me!" She had gone from upset to enraged. Remus sat back on his heels as Hermione jumped up from the swing. She began to pace in front of the oak tree. Remus slowly got to his feet.

"Hermione," he began, but she cut him off.

"I'm not scared of them," she said defiantly.

"I know you're not," he replied. "Just listen to me for a minute." She stopped pacing and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring. He knew she wasn't angry with him, it was the situation.

"Your last year in school, you saw Draco quite often, didn't you?" he asked. Hermione nodded. "And did you have this reaction every time?"

"I had nightmares at first," she admitted. That was something Remus hadn't known. "But, no, just that time we dueled and I saw the Dark Mark."

"What about Narcissa?" he asked.

"I've only seen her twice," Hermione said quietly. "Once in Flourish and Blotts and then on Teddy's birthday. But I reacted this way to her both times."

"When you saw her at Teddy's birthday, you were having nightmares. That was a horrible week for all of us, you were under quite a bit of stress." Hermione nodded. "What about at Flourish and Blotts?"

"I was with Annie, David and Claire," Hermione said. "We were school shopping. I wouldn't call that stressful."

"Not in the same way that things during Teddy's birthday were stressful, but I'm sure you had mixed feelings about returning to school."

"I did," Hermione agreed.

"Not to mention feeling protective of Claire, David and Annie." Hermione nodded again. "And this was the first time you'd seen Lucius, correct?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"You can't tell me that this past week hasn't been stressful with the presentation."

"What are you trying to say, Remus?" He moved towards her and pulled her into his arms again.

"I'm saying, I don't think that this is going to keep happening every time. You didn't continually have this reaction to Draco. And I don't think that you'll keep having this reaction to the other Malfoys either." He kissed her forehead. "Don't be so hard on yourself." She sighed and relaxed against him, her cheek against his chest.

"I'm supposed to be a Gryffindor," she said.

"That doesn't mean you never feel afraid," he said. She sighed again and he ran a hand up and down her back, continuing to soothe her.

"Thank you," she finally said. He kissed the top of her head.

"Why don't you come inside?" he suggested. "I think there's someone there that can most definitely make you forget all your troubles." Hermione laughed.

"He is rather good at that," she agreed. She looked up at Remus. "He must get it from his father." Remus smiled and then leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you," she said when he pulled away.

"I love you too," he replied. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her inside the house, Teddy's shout of 'My-nee!' making them both laugh.


	74. Date

**A/N - Hey everyone! So far, I've told this story from Hermione's or Remus' point of view, except for two scenes. But Andromeda needed to have her say about her date with Kingsley, so there is a section from her POV in this chapter. Also, I've been keeping up with the weekly posting for the last few chapters, but school starts in just over three weeks. The rest of my month is packed with appointments for my kids and a few end of the summer activities, so the weekly posting may not continue. Once school starts after Labor Day, I should be able to get back to the normal Thursday posting.**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing! I've gotten a few very nice guest reviews lately, so thank you to those who have left them, since I can't thank you through PM's. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 74**

 **Date**

 **12 May 2000**

Remus looked up as Andromeda walked into the living room. His eyes widened. He had always known Andromeda was an attractive woman, although he didn't consciously think about it. She was his mother-in-law after all. But, tonight, she looked stunning. Her hair was done up in some complicated twist and she was wearing a bit more make-up than usual. Her dress robes were very flattering. She brought a hand to her hair, looking a bit self-conscious.

"Well?" she finally said. "Do I look all right?" Remus rose from his chair and walked towards her. He took both her hands in his.

"You look beautiful," he said. "Kingsley won't know what hit him." She rolled her eyes.

"I told you, Remus. It is not a date."

"As you say," he said with a smirk. She glared at him. Teddy looked up from his toys at their conversation. He jumped to his feet and ran towards his grandmother. Remus intercepted him and picked him up, so he wouldn't wrinkle her dress.

"Doesn't Nanna look nice?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded.

"You boo-ful, Nanna." Remus chuckled. Teddy had obviously been listening to their conversation.

"Thank you, darling," she said, leaning in and kissing Teddy's cheek. "You be a good boy tonight, all right?" Teddy nodded again.

"My-nee!" he said. Andromeda smiled.

"Yes, I know you are going to Hermione's. I am sure you will have a wonderful time." She turned to the Floo.

"We'll be back at Teddy's bedtime, but stay out as late as you like," Remus said. Andromeda looked over her shoulder at him.

"It is not a date."

"I'm aware," Remus said, enjoying teasing her a bit. It was only fair he return the favor, after all. She shook her head in exasperation. "Enjoy yourself."

"I will see you later." She stepped into the Floo and disappeared.

"We see My-nee, Daddy?" Teddy asked after his grandmother had left.

"Yes, we'll go see Hermione," Remus said.

"We go now?" Remus laughed.

"Yes, we'll go now." He put his son on his feet. "Go and get your shoes." Teddy raced out of the room and Remus shook his head fondly as he summoned Teddy's bag and gathered up a few of his toys to take with them. When Teddy returned, Remus helped him put on his shoes and then they stepped into the fireplace.

* * *

Remus watched as Teddy tried to get Crookshanks interested in some of his toys. The cat twitched his tail in what Remus could only assume was boredom and began licking his front paws. Chuckling, Remus walked into the kitchen where Hermione was working at the cooker. He wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her lean back into him.

"How was Andromeda before she left?" Hermione asked.

"Well, despite the fact that she insisted it wasn't a date, twice," Remus said in amusement. "I think she was a bit nervous. She looked beautiful, though."

"I hope they have a good time," Hermione said. "I think they would be good for one another."

"I tend to agree," Remus said. "But, I'm not sure that Andromeda is ready to admit she'd like to date again." Hermione turned in his arms and looked up at him.

"I imagine it's difficult for her. She and Ted were together for a very long time."

"Since their sixth year," Remus said. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. He smiled down at her when they parted.

"My-nee!" Teddy called as he raced into the kitchen.

"What's the matter?" she asked, dropping her arms from around Remus' neck, wrapping one around his waist instead.

"Tat runned way!" Remus stifled a laugh in Hermione's hair. He was surprised that Crookshanks had been patient for as long as he had.

"Crookshanks ran away?" Hermione questioned. Teddy nodded vigorously. "Where did he go?"

"He go up!"

"Upstairs?" Teddy nodded again. "He's probably just tired."

"He take nap?" Teddy asked.

"Yes, he's probably taking a nap." Teddy contemplated this for a few moments, his little brow furrowed.

"He pay me?"

"Maybe later," Hermione said. Remus cleared his throat to cover another laugh. He highly doubted there would ever be a day when Crookshanks would willingly play with Teddy. "Now, are you hungry?"

"Yes!" Teddy said.

"Good, because dinner is just about ready."

"Let's wash your hands," Remus said, picking up his son and carrying him to the sink. Hermione had already set the table and transfigured one of the chairs into a high chair for Teddy. After his hands were washed, Remus sat Teddy in his chair, while Hermione brought the spaghetti to the table.

Remus and Hermione laughed as Teddy devoured his spaghetti. Plenty of it ended up on his face and the floor, although he was getting much better at using a fork. When he finally gave up on the fork and just picked the spaghetti up with his hands, Remus shook his head and looked over at Hermione. She was watching Teddy with a look of fondness on her face. Remus felt his heart twist at how much she loved his son. He couldn't have asked for anything more.

Well, he supposed he could, but he wasn't going to. Not yet anyway. It was still too soon.

Reaching across the table, he took her hand. When she looked at him, he brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. She squeezed his fingers and turned her attention back to Teddy, wiping a bit of sauce off his nose with a napkin. Teddy grinned at her and shoved more pasta in his mouth.

* * *

Remus was gathering up Teddy's things, while Hermione held the sleepy toddler. She wanted to ask them to stay. They could transfigure a cot for Teddy and Remus could always go home and get Teddy's pajamas. She wanted to ask them to stay forever, but she didn't. It was still too soon and Hermione couldn't do that to Andromeda.

When Remus had finished, he put the bag over his shoulder and turned back to her. Hermione smiled and he walked forward, leaning down to kiss her. Teddy, tired as he was, barely stirred. She pulled away before she could get lost in the kiss. Remus kissed her forehead and then reached for his son.

"Come on, Teddy," he said, gently taking the boy from Hermione's arms. "Time to go home."

"Me pay tat," Teddy mumbled as he settled into Remus' shoulder. Remus snorted. Hermione smothered a laugh with her hand. Crookshanks had come back downstairs for a few minutes after dinner, but he ran off again when Teddy lunged for him and didn't return for the rest of the night.

"You might have to get a cat," Hermione said with a grin.

"I'm shocked that you would condone terrorizing an innocent animal." Hermione laughed. Remus smiled and leaned down to kiss her again.

"Teddy and I are planning on going to the park tomorrow if you would like to join us." Hermione smiled.

"I'd love to."

"Eleven?" She nodded.

"I'll be there." She put a hand on Teddy's head.

"Good night, Teddy." Teddy yawned and mumbled something under his breath.

"Good night, love," Remus said.

"Good night."

* * *

Remus was in the kitchen when he heard the Floo. He started to walk into the living to ask Andromeda how her night had gone when he heard the Floo a second time. Brow furrowing, he moved toward the door to the living room which was half open. He stopped when he heard a familiar baritone respond to something Andromeda said.

Remus moved behind the door to the kitchen. A part of him felt badly about eavesdropping, but it was overshadowed by his intense curiosity as to what Kingsley was doing in his house.

"I told you it wasn't necessary to escort me through the Floo," Andromeda was saying.

"I wanted to be sure you arrived safely," Kingsley said.

"I have been using the Floo on my own since I was eight years old," Andromeda said dryly. "I believe I would have managed." Remus could picture the expression on her face. Kingsley chuckled.

"Perhaps it was just an excuse to spend a bit more time with you then."

"Flatterer," Andromeda said, amusement in her voice.

"I very much enjoyed this evening," Kingsley said.

"It enjoyed it as well. The French Minister is quite charming." Kingsley laughed.

"Thank you for accompanying me," he said. There was silence and Remus chanced a peek around the door. Kingsley had taken Andromeda's hand and raised it to his mouth, his lips lingering.

"Good night, Andromeda," Kingsley said.

"Good night." He smiled at her before he stepped back into the Floo. Remus waited a minute before walking into the living room.

"Oh, you're home," he said. "I thought I heard the Floo. How was your evening?"

"It was very pleasant, thank you. How was yours?"

"Entertaining," Remus said. Andromeda looked at him questioningly. "Teddy was rather enamored with Hermione's cat. The feeling was not mutual." Andromeda laughed. They stood looking at one another for a few moments.

"You're not going to elaborate?" Remus finally asked.

"Elaborate on what?"

"Your date."

"It was not a date."

"Fine, your very pleasant evening, then."

"We had drinks and dinner with the French and German Ministers and their wives. I'm not sure what else there is to elaborate on."

"I don't know, maybe that fact that Kingsley brought you home," Remus said. Andromeda's eyes narrowed.

"He was being a gentleman," she said. "I told him it was not necessary."

"All right," Remus said, trying to keep a smile from his face.

"It was _not_ a date," Andromeda said again.

"You've said that." She huffed.

"It's late and I am tired. Good night, Remus." Before she could leave the room, Remus grasped her hand.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Her face softened and she patted his cheek. A little harder than was strictly necessary, in Remus' opinion.

"I will see you in the morning."

"Good night."

* * *

 **13 May 2000**

Teddy rode on Remus' shoulders as they walked home from the park. They had spent nearly an hour there, Teddy running from the swings to the slide to the climber and back again. His energy finally seemed to have waned as they started the walk back to the house. After only a few feet he was begging to be carried. Hermione figured he would nap quite well this afternoon.

"Who dat?" Teddy asked. Hermione looked up and saw a delivery van parked near Remus' house. There was a florist's logo on the side. A man got out with an armful of flowers and started up the drive. Hermione glanced at Remus in question. He shook his head, obviously having no idea either.

They continued towards the house as the man knocked on the front door. Remus pulled Teddy down from his shoulders, settling him on his hip.

"Who dat, Daddy?" Teddy asked again.

"He's bringing Nanna flowers," Remus said as Andromeda answered the door, looking surprised. She took the large bouquet from the man, thanking him and closing the door. Hermione and Remus made it to the drive as the man was walking back to his van. He gave them a wave, smiling when Teddy waved back.

"Kingsley?" Hermione questioned.

"That would be my guess," Remus said. They walked around the back of the house, entering the kitchen through the back door. Andromeda was in the kitchen, putting the flowers into a vase.

"Those are beautiful," Hermione said. Andromeda looked over her shoulder at them.

"They are that."

"Me see," Teddy insisted and Remus set him down. He ran to his grandmother who picked him up. Teddy leaned over and smelled the flowers with an exaggerated sniff.

"Boo-ful," he echoed. Remus chuckled.

"Who are they from?" Remus asked innocently. Andromeda gave him a look, somewhere between a glare and exasperation. Figuring the two needed a moment, Hermione turned to Teddy.

"Teddy let's go wash your hands, all right?" Andromeda set him down and he ran to Hermione. She scooped him up, then walked down the corridor to the loo.

* * *

"I'm guessing they're from Kingsley," Remus said once Hermione and Teddy were gone.

"Yes," Andromeda said.

"Must have been some date," Remus said.

"Remus, I've told you, it was not," but Remus held up a hand to stop her.

"He sent you flowers from a _Muggle_ florist, Andromeda, just because we live in a Muggle neighborhood. I'm quite sure Kingsley, at least, thinks it was a date." She sighed. Remus stepped up next to her. "What's the matter, really?"

"I don't know," she admitted.

"Do you like him?"

"Of course, I like him. He is a very charming man."

"You know that's not what I meant." She sighed again and moved to sit down at the kitchen table. Remus followed, hoping Hermione would keep Teddy occupied for a bit longer.

"As I told you before, I'm not sure that I am ready to date."

"I understand that," Remus said. He reached over and took Andromeda's hand. "A few months ago, you told me that Dora would want me to be happy. Ted would want the same for you."

"I know that," Andromeda said, her breath hitching slightly. Remus squeezed her hand. She looked over at him. "He is the Minister for Magic."

"And?" Remus said.

"Any private life he has is going to be scrutinized and publicized and lived out in the press. There was already a photograph in the _Prophet_ this morning and plenty of speculation." Remus hadn't seen the paper today, Teddy had kept him busy since he woke up. Speaking of, Remus heard noise in the corridor and then Hermione suggesting they go into the living to play with Teddy's toys.

"That is something to consider," Remus agreed. Publicity around Kingsley and Andromeda would likely be even worse than it was for Hermione and Remus. "But if you really do like him, it might be worth it." Andromeda laughed breathlessly.

"I have not dated anyone since I was sixteen," she said. "I have no idea what to do."

"It's hasn't changed all that much," Remus replied in amusement. "Except there's less snogging in broom cupboards." She looked at him, a shocked laugh escaping. He shrugged a shoulder, smirk on his face.

"Did you know that we were in school together?" Andromeda asked. Remus shook his head. Kingsley was older than him, but Remus had never known how much older exactly. Andromeda had finished school the spring before Remus started. "We were in the same year, but he was a Gryffindor."

"Did you know each other?"

"Not really," Andromeda said. "I knew who he was, of course, but even back then Slytherins and Gryffindors really did not mix all that much. He was in a few of my classes, but I am not sure if we ever spoke."

"While I am admitting this in fear for my immediate safety, I overheard the two of you last night," Remus said.

"You eavesdropped, you mean."

"Well, I suppose if you want to get technical about it, yes." Andromeda shook her head, but Remus could see the amusement in her eyes. "I've known Kingsley for a few years now and I could tell he was quite taken with you." She looked away, but not before Remus saw the slight blush on her cheeks.

"He is very…charming."

"So you've said," Remus replied. "I feel like there's more to it than charm, but that's your business." There was a tapping at the window and they looked up to see an owl hovering outside. Remus rose to let him in and the bird flew to Andromeda, holding out its leg after landing on the table. She removed the scroll and unrolled it.

"He's asked me to dinner," she said.

"When?"

"Tomorrow night." Andromeda stared at the note while the owl stared at her, clearly waiting for a response.

"Are you going to go?" Remus asked.

"I don't know," she said. She looked up at Remus helplessly. "I don't know what to do." He sat down beside her again.

"It's just dinner, Andromeda," Remus said gently. Looking down at the note again, she summoned a quill. She scratched out a quick reply and then retied it to the owl's leg. The owl flew off through the still open window. Remus waited for Andromeda to say something, but she continued staring at the tabletop.

"Andromeda?"

"I'm sorry," she said, rising from the table and practically running from the room. Remus stared after her in concern, wondering what she'd written back to Kingsley.

* * *

They'd had lunch and put Teddy down for his nap, but Andromeda still hadn't come down from her room. Remus was starting to get concerned.

"You should go up and talk to her," Hermione said. They were sitting on the couch, Hermione leaned into his side. Remus rubbed a hand up and down her arm. Hermione toyed with a button on his shirt. "I'm sure you understand how she's feeling." Remus had told Hermione about the dinner invitation when she questioned if Andromeda was joining them for lunch.

While he ate, Remus had pulled out the Prophet and read the article accompanying the photographs of their dinner the night before. While it was ostensibly a report on the official dinner with the German and French Ministers, Andromeda was right when she'd said there was plenty of speculation about her and Kingsley.

"You know that I don't feel like I'm betraying Dora by dating you, don't you?" Remus asked, wanting to reassure her.

"I know you don't feel that way anymore," Hermione replied with a smile. Remus stared at her. "You never said anything, but I suspected that was one of your reasons against us being together."

"Hermione-" he began, but she shook her head.

"No, it's all right. I think I would have been more surprised if you hadn't felt that way. I know how much you loved her." He pushed a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. Then he leaned down and kissed her. He still wasn't sure how he had gotten so lucky twice in his life. She smiled up at him.

"I've got to go anyway," she said. "I promised Ginny I'd help her with wedding stuff today. She goes back to Wales tomorrow." She sat up and kissed him again.

"What time will you be back tonight?" he asked.

"After dinner," she replied. "Stop by if you like."

"I will definitely be there," he said, pulling her in for one more kiss.

"Okay, I really have to go," she said, looking like she would rather stay and continue what they were doing. "And you have to talk to Andromeda." He nodded and stood from the couch, holding out a hand to her. Once she was standing, he wrapped his arms around her.

"Have fun with Ginny," he said. She kissed him quickly and nodded.

"I'll see you tonight." She grabbed the Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace, disappearing in a flash of green. Remus stood there staring at the fireplace for a few moments before turning to the stairs.

He knocked lightly on Andromeda's door, not wanting to disturb her if she was resting.

"Come in," she said. Remus opened the door and stepped inside. Andromeda was sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the window. She was staring out into the back garden.

"You missed lunch," Remus said. "Are you hungry?"

"No, thank you," Andromeda replied. "Has Hermione gone?"

"Yes, she went to talk about the wedding with Ginny." Remus moved to the chair next to Andromeda and sat down. "Do you want to talk about it?" She sighed.

"I loved Ted for more than half my life," she said. "It is very difficult for me to imagine being with anyone else."

"Did you imagine you would spend the rest of your life alone?" Remus asked.

"Not alone," she said. "I have you and Teddy."

"If you'll remember, I said something similar to you and you told me I needed more than that. That I deserved more than that. The same applies to you." She gave him a wry smile.

"Turning my own words against me?"

"If I have to," he replied with his own smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes. She was looking down at her wedding ring, twisting it back and forth on her finger.

"Perhaps I should speak to Ted," she finally said. Remus looked at her, knowing she was planning on going to the cemetery.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. "I'm sure that Hermione and Ginny could talk about the wedding here."

"No, this is something I need to do by myself," she said. She reached over and took his hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. Remus nodded and stood from his chair. Andromeda did not let go of his hand. "Thank you, Remus." He smiled, then leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Take your time." He turned and left the room, hoping that she would find the peace she so obviously needed.

* * *

Hermione and Remus lay on her couch, her head resting on his shoulder while he idly played with her hair. She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him.

"How's Andromeda?"

"She spent a good part of the afternoon at the cemetery," Remus said. "But when she came home, she told me she'd stopped in Diagon Alley and sent Kingsley an owl accepting his invitation." Hermione smiled. "She's still a bit nervous about it, I think."

"But, she's already been out with him once."

"Yes, but that was with other people and she refused to call it a date," Remus said. "Now, she's openly acknowledging that's what it is."

"Well, I hope they have a lovely time," Hermione said.

"So do I." Hermione traced her finger around one of the buttons on his shirt.

"I talked to my parents this morning," she said. "They invited us to come visit them again."

"I'd almost forgotten about that," Remus said.

"I'm going to go sometime in July, I think, but I'd love for you and Teddy to come with me." He pushed a curl behind her ear and smiled at her.

"For how long?" he asked.

"I planned to go for a week, but if that's too long we could shorten it."

"Maybe five days?" Remus suggested. "It's just that it's Teddy's first holiday and I'm not sure how he's going to react."

"Five days is fine," she replied, happy that he wanted to come with her. "I'll talk to my parents and see if they have any plans." She leaned forward and kissed him. When they parted, she laid her head back down on his shoulder and his hand moved back into her hair. She was content, for the moment, to just lie in the quiet and enjoy being close to him.

* * *

 **14 May 2000**

Remus stood in front of the fireplace kissing Hermione. He'd stayed much later this morning than he normally did. Andromeda had insisted that he didn't need to be home for breakfast. Remus suspected that she was trying to keep herself as busy as possible so she didn't think too much about this evening.

"Mm," she said as he finally broke the kiss. "Are you sure you don't want to stay a bit longer?" He smiled down at her.

"You know I do," he replied. "But, I think Andromeda is going to need plenty of distraction today."

"You're likely right about that," Hermione said.

"What are your plans for the day?"

"I'm going to go over to the Burrow this afternoon," Hermione said. "Charlie is in town, he came to see Victoire. I haven't seen him for ages." Remus tried to tamp down on the flare of jealousy at the mention of the dragon tamer. The kiss between the two of them last Christmas had been completely innocent, he knew that. There was no reason for Remus to be jealous. He knew that the moon only being four days away was influencing his emotions. Hermione, thankfully, seemed oblivious as she continued speaking.

"Are you coming to the family dinner tonight?" Remus shook his head.

"Andromeda isn't leaving until half six." The Weasley dinners always started around five. "We should stay until she leaves, I think." Hermione nodded.

"You could stop by for pudding," she suggested.

"Maybe," he replied. He leaned down and kissed her again, a bit more forceful and possessive than usual. When he pulled away, she looked at him quizzically.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. She studied his face for a moment, obviously not completely convinced, but she didn't say anything else. "I had better go."

"All right," she said. "Maybe I'll see you tonight." He kissed her one last time.

"You probably will." She smiled as he grabbed the Floo powder.

* * *

"You look very nice," Remus said as Andromeda's hands fluttered over her dress, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. "It's nice that Kingsley chose a Muggle restaurant. You won't have to worry about the press bothering you." Andromeda nodded absently, clearly not really listening to him. Remus walked towards her, putting his hands on her upper arms.

"Andromeda," he said. "Relax." She shook her head.

"This is a mistake."

"Why?" Remus asked, releasing her arms.

"I, it is too soon," she said.

"If you truly believe that, then Kingsley will understand," Remus said. "But if you're just nervous,"

"Of course, I am nervous," Andromeda snapped before Remus could continue. She sighed and rubbed at her forehead with her fingertips. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Remus said. "Are you really not ready?"

"No, I, no. I don't know."

"I thought you enjoyed yourself on Friday."

"I did," Andromeda said.

"Then just think of tonight as an extension of that," Remus suggested. "The two of you must have gotten on well."

"We did, but there were others present."

"Somehow, I don't think that the presence of the others is what you enjoyed." He saw the beginnings of a smile on her lips.

"Perhaps not."

"It's just dinner," Remus said. "Go and enjoy talking to another adult that isn't me." She laughed and he smiled, glad she had relaxed somewhat.

The Floo flared and Andromeda tensed again as Kingsley stepped out. Teddy, who had been playing with his toys and completely ignoring his father and grandmother, jumped up, likely expecting someone he knew to step through. When he saw Kingsley, he hurried to Remus' side, hiding a bit behind his leg.

"Good evening, Andromeda," Kingsley said. "Remus."

"Kingsley," Remus greeted. Kingsley smiled as he saw Teddy.

"Hello, Teddy." Teddy buried his face in Remus' leg and Kingsley chuckled. Remus bent and reached behind him, picking up his son.

"Can you say hello?"

"Who dat?" Teddy asked.

"This is Kingsley," Andromeda said. "Do you remember meeting him when we were at Hogwarts?" Teddy just stared at Kingsley for a few moments before giving him a little wave. Kingsley chuckled again.

"It's very nice to see you again, Teddy." He turned to Andromeda, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. "You look lovely." Remus could see the slight blush on Andromeda's cheeks.

"Thank you," she said.

"Do you mind Apparating?" Kingsley asked. "There really isn't a Floo close to the restaurant."

"No, I don't mind," Andromeda said. "Let me just get my wrap." Kingsley nodded and watched her walk out of the room. He turned back to Remus.

"I suppose now is your chance to threaten me if I do anything untoward," Kingsley said with amusement.

"I don't think I need to do that," Remus said with a small smile. "Just…be patient with her." Kingsley's smirk turned to a frown.

"Is she all right?"

"She will be," Remus said.

"Ted?" Kingsley asked. Remus nodded. "I figured as much when she sent back my owl telling me she would have to think about the dinner invitation." Their conversation stopped when Andromeda walked back into the room. She glanced between the two of them, but both men gave her genuine smiles.

"Where go, Nanna?" Teddy asked.

"Kingsley and I are going to have dinner."

"Me go?" he asked. Andromeda smiled and walked towards him.

"You have already eaten your dinner," she said. Teddy pouted. "Besides, I thought you were going to the Burrow to see Harry and Hermione?"

"Daddy, we go?" Teddy asked excitedly.

"In a few minutes," Remus said in amusement.

"Give Nanna a kiss now," Andromeda said. Teddy leaned forward and placed a smacking kiss on her cheek. "I will see you in the morning."

"Have a good evening," Remus said to both of them as they all walked to the back door. Kingsley opened the door and held out an arm to Andromeda. She took it with another small blush and they walked to the back of the garden past the wards. Remus watched from the doorway as Kingsley said something to Andromeda. She smiled up at him and he pulled her slightly closer to his body, placing his free hand on top of hers. Turning, they Disapparated.

* * *

Remus came back into the living room at the Burrow after changing Teddy's nappy to see that Charlie had sat down on the couch next to Hermione. She was turned slightly towards him, one foot tucked up under her, laughing at something he was saying. Remus heard the wolf growl in his head. He took a breath, forcing himself to stop being ridiculous.

"Daddy," Teddy whined. Remus realized his hold on his son had tightened.

"I'm sorry," Remus said, setting the toddler on his feet. Teddy ran off to where Harry was sitting with Ron and Susan. Ginny had left a short time ago for Wales. Remus walked towards Hermione. She looked up at him with a smile as he sat down on her other side. He immediately took her hand in his. If she was surprised by this show of affection, she didn't show it.

"Charlie was just telling me about the reception he got when he first met Victoire," Hermione said with a grin.

"Fleur had just finished feeding her. I picked her up and she returned her meal all over my shoulder." Remus smiled faintly.

"Yes, they'll do that," he said, his voice a bit tight. Hermione looked at him strangely.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he said, hoping the smile he gave her was genuine. Remus wasn't sure if he was having this strong of a reaction to Charlie because of the impending moon, the fact that he'd kissed Hermione before, or that he was the only unattached male in the room. Remus suspected it was a combination of the three.

He knew he was being ridiculous. Charlie had no romantic interest in Hermione. And Hermione had certainly shown him that Remus was the only one she wanted. But he couldn't stop his arm from moving to her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. Because they had kept their relationship hidden for so long, they still weren't overly affectionate when they were around other people. He was sure that Hermione was wondering what he was doing. When Charlie finally excused himself to get something else to drink, Hermione whirled to face Remus.

"What is going on?" she hissed quietly.

"Nothing," Remus said, but he knew she didn't believe him. Standing, she turned towards Harry. He had Teddy on his lap and the little boy looked to be close to falling asleep. Tugging on Remus' hand, she pulled him from the room and through the kitchen to the back garden.

"I'll repeat, what is going on?" Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm trying not to."

"You're trying not to what?" Hermione demanded.

"I know you don't like jealousy," he said.

"What could you possibly have to be jealous of?" He shook his head. "Is it Charlie?" Remus looked away, saying nothing. "You're jealous of Charlie?"

"No, I," but he trailed off with a sigh. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Have I _ever_ given you any indication that you need to be jealous when I talk to other men?"

"Of course not! It's not that, I," he made a noise of frustration. "I don't want to blame this on the moon, but it's only four days away and Charlie kissed you at Christmas-"

" _You_ kissed me at Christmas," Hermione interrupted. "And you're the one I'm with, not Charlie."

"I know that, Hermione," Remus said. "I know the kiss between you and Charlie didn't mean anything, but he's not seeing anyone and, it's, my instincts are just, I, I'm sorry." He turned away from her, disgusting with himself for his reaction and the fact that he couldn't articulate what he wanted to say. Not to mention the fact that she had to keep reassuring him, even after all these months. He cursed the fact that he was a werewolf and was going to have to deal with this stupid possessiveness that reared its head each month. Hermione would never stand for it and he didn't blame her.

"Remus," she said and he turned back around to look at her. "Charlie is my friend."

"I know," Remus replied.

"I'm not going to stop talking to him because your wolf is in a snit." He snorted. It was as apt a description as any.

"I don't expect you to," he said. "Maybe Teddy and I should just go."

"Is that going to make you feel better?"

"No," he admitted. Likely he would be even more agitated.

"Then stay," she said. "Just stop with the need to mark your territory."

"Hermione, I don't think," but she stopped him with a kiss. He let himself fall into it, pulling her tightly against him. Walking her backwards, he pushed her up against the house and snogged her. Her hands pushed into his hair, tugging lightly on the ends and he groaned into her mouth. His lips moved to her neck where he nipped and scraped his teeth lightly over her skin.

"Remus, Remus we shouldn't," but the rest of what she was going to say was cut off when he ground himself against her. She let out a breathy moan. The sound brought him back to himself and he pulled away from her reluctantly, trying to get himself under control.

"I'm sorry," he said, but when he looked back at her, she was biting her lip and looking like she'd like nothing more than to let him shag her up against the house, despite what she'd said. He moved back towards her for a moment before he stopped. No, they couldn't do this. Everyone was just inside. His _son_ was in there for fuck's sake.

The thought of Teddy was enough to quell his rising desire. He scrubbed a hand down his face and looked back at Hermione.

"I don't think of you as my territory," he said, trying to get back to the point at hand.

"I know _you_ don't," she said. The meaning was clear. Remus might not, but the wolf surely did. He sighed and looked away from her. She put a hand on his arm and when he looked up at her, her expression had softened.

"Charlie is just a friend. Honestly, even if you and I weren't together, he wouldn't be interested in me." Remus looked at her quizzically. "He's not interested in anyone."

"Ah," Remus said in understanding. She took another step towards him and Remus wrapped his arms around her. "I _am_ sorry."

"I know you are," she said, looking up at him. "And I know you try very hard not to act this way." She stood on tiptoe to kiss him lightly. He didn't deepen the kiss, not trusting himself to be able to stop again, regardless of who was inside the Burrow.

"We should probably get back inside," he said.

"Afraid if we stay out here, you'll have your wicked way with me?" she said with a glint in her eye.

"Hermione," he groaned. She laughed and then kissed him quickly. She took his hand and pulled him back towards the house.

* * *

Andromeda held tightly to Kingsley's arm as they Disapparated. They landed in a small alley and Andromeda immediately looked around to see if they had been observed.

"Muggle repelling charm," Kingsley said. "There are a few places like this in London."

"And I suppose as Minister, you are privy to them all?"

"Actually, I found out about them when I was an Auror," he said, leading her from the alley. "Standard information to have, especially during the wars." She nodded and they fell silent as they reached the pavement.

When they reached the restaurant and were shown to their table, Andromeda was glad to see it wasn't one of the ones located in a few of the shadowy corners. She knew she wasn't ready for the implications of that kind of table.

Kingsley helped her with her wrap and then pulled out her chair for her. He smiled when he sat down across from her.

"Have you eaten here before?" she asked once they had been presented with menus and the hostess had left.

"Just once," he said. She found herself wondering who he had dined with. "When I was guarding the Muggle Prime Minister, he had a party here for the staff. It was in a small room in the back that they rent out for such things." For some reason, Andromeda was relieved to know that he hadn't been here on a date before. She pushed that thought out of her mind as ridiculous.

Their conversation was a bit stilted at first, but after a few minutes, they were talking easily with each other. As Andromeda had already experienced at the dinner two night ago, Kingsley had a wonderful sense of humor and she found herself laughing quite often.

"What about you?" he asked halfway through the main course. They had been discussing how he decided to become an Auror.

"What about me?" she said.

"Did you ever think about a career? From what I remember, you did very well at school." She laughed lightly.

"Black daughters were not raised to have something as common as a career," she said. "We were supposed to marry well and look beautiful on our husband's arm. Perhaps join a charity board or two. If my father had had his way, we would not have attended Hogwarts at all, let alone beyond fifth year. There was no need for it, in his opinion."

"Your mother pushed for it then?"

"Oh no," Andromeda replied. "Mother shared whatever opinions Father had. No, my grandfather Pollux insisted on it, actually. He told Father that he would not have three uneducated granddaughters who could not tell a Hippogriff from a garden gnome. He threatened to cut Father from the will if he did not send us to school."

"Did you ever think about it?"

"I was always interested in being a Healer," she admitted. "But, I never expected to be able to pursue it. I knew I would be presented to society once I finished Hogwarts and have a betrothal contract soon after. I knew that no Pureblood husband would ever allow his wife his wife to have a job."

"After Ted and I eloped and I was burned from the family tapestry, I considered trying to get into the Healer's program. But, then Nymphadora came along. I was raised by House-Elves. I wanted to be a mother to my child, like my mother never was." She felt a wave of emotion for a moment and was surprised when Kingsley reached across the table and covered her hand with his.

"I'm sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic."

"I, it wasn't that," she said. "Thinking about them is sometimes still…difficult."

"I understand," Kingsley replied, giving her hand a small squeeze. He took a few more bites of his food and she recovered herself.

"What about now?" he asked a few minutes later.

"What do you mean?"

"You could go into Healer training now, if you liked." Andromeda stared at him for a moment before she laughed.

"I do not think so," she said.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I am not a young woman anymore, Kingsley."

"You're not an old woman either. Not by any stretch of the imagination."

"Now you are just trying to flatter me."

"No, I'm being serious." She shook her head.

"That time has passed," she said. "Now, I am perfectly happy helping take care of my grandson." Their talk turned to other things and when they had finished, Kingsley asked if she would like to take a walk.

"It's still early," he said. "And I could use a stroll to walk off some of this food. I do a lot more sitting now than I used to when I was an Auror." Personally, Andromeda didn't think that he needed any exercise, walking or otherwise. He was still in very good shape, not that she was looking.

They strolled along the streets of London, talking and laughing, stopping to rest on benches every now and then. After nearly an hour, Andromeda realized they were back in front of the alley they had Apparated into.

"I find myself not wanting this evening to end," Kingsley said as he turned to face her. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as she smiled. "Unfortunately, I do have to work in the morning."

"And I have a little boy that likes to rise shortly after the sun," she said. Kingsley chuckled before he raised her hand to his mouth, letting his lips linger. He led her into the alley and before she could move to let go of his arm, he wrapped the other around her and turned.

They landed in her back garden and stood staring at one another for a few moments before she took a step back. Kingsley let go of her waist but kept her other arm through his and began a slow walk towards the house.

"I had a very nice time," she said once they had reached the back door. Kingsley smiled at her.

"As did I. Perhaps we could do it again?"

"I think that might be possible," she replied. They stood staring at one another for a few moments. Andromeda wasn't sure just what she wanted, but she felt herself leaning slightly towards him. As soon as she realized, she pulled back, putting her hand on the doorknob and opening the door.

"Good night," she said. Something made her linger in the doorway. Kingsley leaned towards her and panicking, Andromeda turned her head slightly so his lips only grazed the corner of her mouth. She felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment, but Kingsley merely smiled, squeezed her hand and said good night. She watched him walk to the back of the garden disappear.

Closing the door quietly, Andromeda leaned her forehead against the cool wood for a few moments, trying to collect herself. It would not do for Remus to see her in this state. She lifted a finger to her mouth, tracing the spot where Kingsley's lips had bushed against hers. Pulling in a breath, she let it out and then walked into the living room where she was quite sure that Remus was waiting.

* * *

Remus sat on the couch reading a book when he heard the sound of Apparition outside. Glancing at the clock, he smirked. It was after eleven. He started to stand, but then decided against it. Andromeda deserved her privacy. He waited, trying to continue to read, but failing miserably. A few minutes passed, longer than it would take for Andromeda to reach the house.

He finally heard the back door open and then the sound of quiet voices. Remus turned back to his book, trying not to overhear what they were saying. He could have, easily, given how close the moon was, but he started reciting spells in his head to distract himself.

"Good night," he heard Andromeda say. There was a moment of silence and then Kingsley returned the sentiment. Remus could hear the Minister's footsteps retreating and assumed Andromeda must be watching him walk back to the edge of the wards. A few moments later, Remus heard the tell-tale crack and quickly stuck his nose back into his book. Andromeda walked into the living room a few seconds later.

"How was the dinner?" Remus asked as he looked up from the book.

"It was very nice," she replied. "The food was very good."

"Lasted quite a while," Remus said conversationally. Andromeda's eyes narrowed.

"It was a very nice restaurant," she said. "There were a few courses. And we took a walk afterwards." Remus nodded, trying to keep the smile that was threatening off his face.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did," she replied.

"Is there going to be a second date?"

"Perhaps," she said and Remus saw the slight blush on her cheeks. He couldn't help it, he finally smiled.

"Looks more like a yes to me." She scowled at him.

"That will be enough from you, thank you."

"So, you're allowed to tease me about my relationship with Hermione, but I'm not allowed to reciprocate."

"That is correct," she said. Remus chuckled. He stood from the couch and walked towards her, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. And I hope there is a second date." She squeezed him briefly before letting him go.

"Yes, well, we shall see," she said. "I am going to go up to bed." Remus nodded.

"I'll set the wards." He watched Andromeda leave the room, secret smile playing about her lips. Remus was positive there would be a second date.


	75. Court

**A/N - So sorry for the delay! I have discovered that I do not do well when I only have small snippets of time to write, like I have these last couple of weeks. Don't expect the next chapter until the first week of September as next week is going to be just as bad as the last two have been for me. I really cannot wait for school to start!**

 **I am so happy that everyone seems to be loving Andromeda/Kingsley. More from Andromeda's POV in this chapter. I am having too much fun writing them not to. Lots of fluff in this chapter too, just a little bit of plot, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 75**

 **Court**

 **15 May 2000**

Andromeda read through the note again, small smile on her face. The owl had arrived while Remus was upstairs getting Teddy dressed for the day. It was from Kingsley, of course, thanking her for the previous evening. He had asked her to dinner again on Friday. She had read the note twice and then sent the owl back without a response.

The full moon was on Thursday and Remus was tired and sore the day after. He would need help with Teddy and Andromeda couldn't just abandon them. Of course, said a small voice in her head that sounded remarkably like Narcissa, Hermione would be more than happy to come and help with Teddy while Remus rested. Andromeda couldn't really use Remus as an excuse.

So, why then, hadn't she accepted right away? Trying to write it off as Pureblood etiquette, a lady should never look too eager, Andromeda snorted. It had been over thirty years since she had followed any Pureblood courting rules. Ted hadn't known what they were, of course, and while he was always respectful and polite, keeping their relationship secret meant that any courting rituals were basically meaningless.

It had nothing to do with Kingsley's actions either. He had been a perfect gentleman the night before and gave her no indication that he expected anything from her that she wasn't ready to give.

There was a bit of guilt, even though she knew that Ted would never have wanted her to spend the rest of her life alone if she found someone who could make her happy. Andromeda laughed wryly as she realized those were nearly the same words she had said to Remus months ago. Remus had said as much to her the other day, but she had brushed it off.

In reality, it was only her own nervousness that kept her from accepting the invitation. She still wasn't sure if she was truly ready for another relationship. But, she found herself seriously considering it and that scared her more than anything.

She had been with Ted for almost thirty years. Imagining someone else in his place was difficult, no matter how much she thought she might want it. She knew it was just dinner, Kingsley wasn't proposing to her for Merlin's sake. But the possibility of something lasting was hard to wrap her mind around.

"You look rather serious," Remus said as he walked into the kitchen. Andromeda could hear Teddy digging into his toys in the living room. Remus noticed the parchment in her hand. "Everything all right?"

"Yes, it is a note from Kingsley thanking me for last night," she replied. "And he has asked me to dinner again." Remus smiled.

"That's wonderful."

"I am not sure if I am going to accept."

"Why not?" Remus asked in confusion.

"He wants to have dinner on Friday and that is the day after the full moon."

"I can manage," Remus said. "And I'm sure Hermione would stay to help with Teddy if I asked her." When Andromeda didn't respond, he frowned.

"What is it?" She sighed and shook her head. Remus sat down next to her and took her hand. "It's all right to be scared."

"I don't know why I am having such a difficult time with this," she said.

"Thirty years is a long time," Remus said. "Kingsley understands that."

"He is a good man," she agreed.

"I know I can't tell you what to do," Remus said. "But, I think you should go." She smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you, Remus."

"Daddy!" Teddy called from the other room. Remus rose from the table with a smile. He squeezed her hand once more before he let go and went to join his son.

* * *

 **16 May 2000**

Hermione walked to her office with a smile on her face. She had been thoroughly ravished by Remus last night and again early this morning. While she would never complain about their activities in the bedroom, she had to admit that the full moon did have one advantage.

Margaret was standing outside her office when Hermione walked in. Hermione had been trying not to think about the proposal, as much as she had been trying not to think about Rita Skeeter's threat at the Anniversary reception. The fact that there hadn't been an article in the Prophet within a week of the threat had made Hermione relax slightly. But she knew never to count Skeeter out completely.

"Has something happened?" Hermione asked her boss.

"The Wizengamot has come to a decision," Margaret said. Hermione felt the breath leave her. "They will announce it at the beginning of their session this morning." Hermione knew that was at ten o'clock. She also knew that the full Wizengamot did not always sit in on announcements like this. Most of the time the Chief Warlock met with the department head and gave him or her the decision. Hermione wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. Her worry must have shown on her face, because Margaret put a hand on her arm.

"Don't read anything into this, Hermione. It is likely just for convenience sake. They are hearing another proposal this morning." Hermione nodded and tried to will her heart to stop pounding. She had the urge to Floo Remus but decided against it. She wanted to see which way things went before telling him.

"We can walk down together a little before ten."

"All right."

"Try not to worry." Hermione nodded again and walked to her office. Sinking down into her chair, she blew out a breath, knowing that in an hour she would either be extremely happy or extremely upset. She certainly hoped it was the former.

Hoping to distract herself, she pulled a book towards her and opened it, deciding to do some work on her mind healing project. After rereading the same two sentences multiple times and still not taking in a word, she gave up and sat back in her chair. She stared at the ceiling, going through all the possible scenarios and trying to determine just which one the Wizengamot would choose.

* * *

Remus was just taking Teddy out of his high chair after lunch when there was a crack outside. He and Andromeda looked at one another, both shaking their heads. Remus handed Teddy to his grandmother and she immediately took him into the living room. Remus drew his wand, walking to the back door. He cast a spell to make a small section of the door transparent and saw Hermione hurrying towards the house. Remus frowned. What was Hermione doing here in the middle of the day?

"It's Hermione," he called to Andromeda. Pulling open the door, he looked at Hermione in concern. When she saw him, he could see that her eyes were shining. Before he could even process what was happening, she ran across the garden and threw herself into his arms. When she started to cry, he hugged her tighter.

"Hermione, what is it? What's happened?" She said something, but it was muffled in his shirt. He pulled her with him back into the house and closed the door, locking it behind them.

"My-nee!" Teddy shouted as he and Andromeda walked back into the kitchen. Andromeda shushed him.

"I didn't hear you, love," Remus said. He was near to panicking. Something must be seriously wrong to bring her here in the middle of the day in this state.

"The proposal," she mumbled. His heart sank. After all the work she'd put in, everything they'd done, it hadn't passed. He shouldn't be surprised, not really. But, there was a small part of him that had hoped, well, he just shouldn't have.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, kissing the top of her head. She pulled back slightly and looked up at him, shaking her head. She had a smile on her face despite her tears. He was very confused.

"It passed," she said. Andromeda gasped.

"It passed?" he asked as his eyes widened. She nodded, laughing and crying at the same time. "All of it?"

"Well, most of it," she said, wiping at her eyes. "They're still not supplying the Wolfsbane to everyone, but everything else, yes." Remus stared at her in complete astonishment. "And it was all due to what you and Caroline said. A few of the members told Margaret privately that the personal stories really swayed their decision."

"I can't believe it," Remus breathed. "It really passed?" She brought a hand to his cheek.

"It really passed."

"My-nee," Teddy said again, reaching for her. Andromeda stood immobile, as shocked as Remus was. "Nanna, see My-nee." Remus looked at his son, unable to process what was happening. "Daddy, see My-nee!"

"Remus?" Hermione said in concern. Remus thought he might pass out.

"My-nee!" Teddy said insistently.

"Just a minute, Teddy," Hermione said, grabbing Remus' arm and pulling him to one of the kitchen chairs. She pushed him gently into it, then turned to Andromeda. Remus was vaguely aware of Hermione taking Teddy from Andromeda's arms and leading Andromeda to another chair.

"Oh, Merlin," Andromeda whispered.

"Remus are you all right?" Hermione asked. Remus felt as if she was talking from far away. The blood was pounding through his head and he was having trouble focusing. "Remus!" He felt her hand on his shoulder, pushing his head toward his knees.

"Sit with your nanna, Teddy," Hermione said and Teddy made a noise of complaint. Hermione appeared in front of Remus, kneeling on the floor, taking his hands in hers. "Breathe, Remus." He took in a gulp of air and his vision started to clear. Hermione continued to hold his hands as his breathing returned to normal. He finally sat up, but she was still looking at him in concern.

"I'm fine," he said. He looked at Andromeda who had tears on her cheeks.

"Why cy, Nanna?" Teddy asked, brushing her cheek with one of his hands. "You gots an owts?" She just laughed and hugged him to her. Teddy wrapped his arms around her neck.

Remus looked down at Hermione and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet and then into his lap. Not caring that his mother-in-law and son were sitting right next to them, Remus kissed her for all he was worth.

"Daddy tiss My-nee!" Teddy said with a giggle. Remus laughed and pulled away, resting his forehead against Hermione's.

"Teddy, we still need to wash your hands," Andromeda said, finally recovering enough to give them a bit of privacy.

"You are the most brilliant witch I have ever known," Remus said once they'd gone. "I love you." She laughed and kissed him again.

"I love you too. But, I didn't do this all myself you know. If you and Caroline hadn't spoken up, it probably wouldn't have passed."

"I'm sure that had more to do with Caroline than with me," Remus said.

"Don't discount your part in this," she admonished. "Yes, Caroline's speech was very powerful, but yours was just as important for different reasons." He finally nodded his head in acknowledgement. She sat wrapped up in his embrace until Teddy raced back into the room.

"My-nee, you pay!" he insisted. She laughed and stood from Remus' lap, bending to pick Teddy up.

"I have to go back to work," she said apologetically. Teddy pouted. "Besides, isn't it almost time for your nap?"

"No nap," Teddy said.

"Oh, yes, nap," Andromeda said. "But, would you like to invite Hermione to have dinner with us tonight? I think we have a bit to celebrate."

"My-nee, you eat dinner wif me?"

"I would love to have dinner with you," Hermione said, rubbing her nose with Teddy's. Teddy giggled again and then willingly went to his grandmother. After a kiss from his father, Andromeda carried the little boy upstairs to his room.

Remus took Hermione's hand and walked her to the Floo.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"Well, the logistics of everything haven't been figured out," Hermione said. "That's up to Gwendolyn and Declan now, although I told her that I'd be happy to help if she needed it. I'm sure she's going to want to talk to you again, ask for your input. I think she's going to try and contact a few others on the Registry as well."

"I still can't believe it," Remus said. "I never thought I'd see this in my lifetime." Hermione smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me," she said.

"I do, Hermione. The work you put into this, even just attempting it in the first place, that's," he shook his head. "There aren't many people out there who would want to take this on." She blushed and didn't reply. Remus leaned down and kissed her, softly and sweetly.

"I really have to go," she said reluctantly when they parted.

"I know," he said.

"I'll see you a little after five. Earlier if I can manage it."

"I'm sure Teddy will be waiting anxiously," he said with a smile.

"Just Teddy?" she asked cheekily. He kissed her again, leaving her breathless.

"Does that answer your question?"

"Completely."

* * *

 **19 May 2000**

Hermione stepped quietly through the Floo. Andromeda was dozing on the couch, but opened her eyes when Hermione stepped out.

"Good morning," Hermione whispered.

"Hello, Hermione," Andromeda said quietly.

"Go ahead and get some sleep," Hermione said. "We'll be fine down here."

"You know you don't have to do this," Andromeda said. "Especially with you being here again this evening."

"I want to," Hermione replied with a smile. Andromeda didn't argue. Hermione wondered if she was nervous for her date tonight with Kingsley.

"I will see you in a couple of hours then," Andromeda said as she rose from the couch. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hermione replied. She walked into the kitchen and put the kettle on for tea, then lowered the wards and walked down the stairs to the cellar. Remus was sitting up, leaning against the wall, his robes over his lap. He had his eyes closed, but he opened them when she came down the last step and gave her a half smile.

"Good morning, love."

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Tired, mostly. Bit sore as usual. It was a rather quiet moon." She walked towards him, bending down to kiss him softly before picking up his robes. She put them over her shoulder and then reached down with both hands to help him up. He groaned and put a hand on the wall to steady himself once he was standing. Hermione helped him into the robes.

"Are you ready to go up?" she asked.

"Just give me a minute," he said. She waited quietly until he nodded, then put an arm around him to help support his weight. He dropped heavily into one of the chairs at the table when they reached the kitchen. Hermione made toast and tea, setting them in front of him a few minutes later. When Remus had finished eating, she helped him upstairs to his bedroom.

"You should try and sleep a bit," he said after she'd rubbed the healing salve into his joints. "Teddy won't be up for another hour or so."

"Don't worry about me," she said. "One early morning isn't going to hurt anything." He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, then settled himself in bed. "Sleep and I'll see you tonight after work. Tell Andromeda not to cook, I'm bringing takeaway." Remus nodded, yawning and closing his eyes. She kissed his forehead and then quietly left the room, closing the door behind her. She cast a silencing charm, then set her wand to chime when Teddy woke and made her way downstairs.

Back in the living room, she reset the wards on the Floo and then laid down on the couch. Despite what Remus said, Hermione knew she wasn't likely to sleep. Her thoughts were too consumed with both the werewolf proposal resolution and her new project.

They had already acquired a large piece of land to serve as the werewolf sanctuary. It was mostly wooded, which was fine for their purposes, although they would clear out some of the trees and underbrush, and it was isolated. The closest neighbor was at least ten miles away. It had belonged to an elderly wizard that had died with no heirs. Although he had left all his money and belongings to friends and various charities, he had left his property, including a large manor house, to the Ministry. He had given whoever the current Minister was at the time of his death power to determine what happened to the property, with the stipulation that the Ministry couldn't sell it to profit from it. Kingsley had immediately designated it for the sanctuary's use after touring it. Hermione, Gwendolyn and Declan had seen it two days ago.

A large wall would have to be built, of course, and wards set to both keep the werewolves in and others out during the full moon. But they were hoping they could have it up and running before the next full moon in June. Members of Magical Law Enforcement would be trained to run it and there would a Healer on staff to tend to any injuries the morning after as well.

Right now, the house was in too much of disrepair for any use, something Kingsley had suggested was the reason it was left to the Ministry in the first place. The previous owner probably thought he was saddling the Ministry with an unusable property. But, Hermione hoped that they could fix it up and let those that had transformed sleep for a few hours after the sun rose if they so chose, perhaps even offer temporary housing to werewolves that were in need. As it was, they were going to have to at least repair the main floor where the Floo was located so that the werewolves could get to and from the sanctuary. Apparating just after the full moon was just asking to be splinched, not to mention, not everyone could Apparate. All in all, though, Hermione was pleased with the location.

The only issue was the Wolfsbane potion. Declan was starting to interview brewers, but they needed someone that was skilled at making the potion and wouldn't charge them an exorbitant amount of money to do it. Even though Harry could afford it, Hermione didn't want him to be taken advantage of. If they couldn't find someone to do the brewing in the next couple of weeks, they wouldn't be able to open the sanctuary in June.

Most of the rest of the changes to the law were more straight-forward and, for the most part, would only require education of the public at large. An incentive for businesses to hire those with lycanthropy had been discussed but it was something that would have to approved by the Wizengamot if they decided to move forward. For now, making sure that employers knew they couldn't discriminate against those afflicted was the main goal.

As smoothly as things with the werewolf laws seemed to be going, Hermione's other project had stalled. She had done as much research as she could and had found nothing very helpful. The most she had found was information about the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo's, which of course, was for long-term damage caused by spells, not trauma. From what Hermione had read and experienced herself the time that they had been mistakenly thought to be visiting Lockhart in fifth year, there wasn't any therapy going on. For the most part, it was just keeping their patients comfortable, locked in, and trying to reteach them things they had forgotten. Nothing like the treatment Delia and others like her needed.

She had made an appointment to talk to Healer Spencer this afternoon, but Hermione didn't expect to learn anything new. If Hermione wanted St. Mungo's to be able to treat people like Delia, Hermione was going to have to create the program herself. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to do that. While she was an expert researcher, she couldn't research something that didn't exist.

Sighing, Hermione rolled to her side and stared at the empty fireplace. Her parents had a friend that was a psychiatrist, but he had no idea magic existed. Short of Obliviating him after speaking to him, something she had no intention of doing as she'd had enough of memory charms after what she'd done to her parents, she couldn't really talk to him. Besides, she wasn't sure what help he would be, as he would have no idea how to integrate magic with his techniques.

Although, maybe they didn't really need to integrate magic. Therapy could be done without the use of medications or potions, for that matter. But, that didn't change the fact that they couldn't have witches and wizards going to Muggle psychiatrists or psychologists for treatment without breaking the Statute of Secrecy. Not to mention, many wouldn't anyway, given the therapists were Muggles.

Hermione would just have to wait and see what Healer Spencer had to say. Perhaps she would have a suggestion Hermione hadn't thought of yet. Sighing again, Hermione closed her eyes after making sure her wand was lying next to her so she would hear Teddy. She supposed she should at least try to get a bit of sleep before the little boy woke.

* * *

"My-nee," Teddy said excitedly as Andromeda opened the back door that evening.

"Hi, Teddy," Hermione said as she stepped inside.

"Here, let me take that," Andromeda said, reaching for the bag Hermione held.

"It already has a stasis charm on it," Hermione said. Andromeda nodded and carried the food into the kitchen. Hermione turned back to Teddy and picked him up. "Did you have a good day?" He nodded.

"Daddy tired," he said.

"Yes, your daddy had to rest today," Hermione agreed. She followed Andromeda into the kitchen.

"Remus is still resting," Andromeda said. "But, I believe he is awake. I think I will go upstairs and get dressed if that is all right?" Andromeda said.

"Of course," Hermione replied. "We'll be fine." Andromeda smiled and left the kitchen.

"We eat My-nee?" Teddy asked.

"Are you hungry?" Teddy nodded. "Let's go up and see if your daddy is hungry too."

"Daddy pay?" Teddy asked.

"I'm not sure if he'll be able to play tonight, but he could probably read to you." She began to climb the stairs, listening to Teddy chatter about his toys. When they reached Remus' room, Hermione put her finger to her lips and Teddy quieted. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in," Remus called.

"Daddy, you wake?" Teddy said as Hermione opened the door. Remus chuckled.

"Yes, I'm awake." Teddy squirmed to be put down and Hermione set him on the bed.

"Be gentle," she admonished just before Teddy appeared ready to jump on Remus' lap. Teddy instead crawled up and settled next to his father. Remus put an arm around him and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. Remus looked up at Hermione.

"Hello," he said. She smiled.

"Hi." She leaned in and kissed him.

"How was work?"

"I'll fill you in later?" he nodded.

"Daddy, you hungy?" Teddy asked.

"I am a bit," Remus said.

"We eat My-nee?" Hermione laughed.

"Yes, we can eat." She looked at Remus. "Do you want to join us or shall I bring you a tray?"

"I think I'm tired of being in this bed," Remus said.

"That didn't exactly answer my question," she said with a smile.

"I'll come down." She nodded and scooped Teddy off the bed, setting him on his feet. Remus threw off the blankets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Can you hand me my trousers?" Hermione picked them up off the chair where they lay and Remus pulled them on with only a slight grimace. He was already wearing a t-shirt. She almost moved to help him stand, then waited, knowing that he didn't like to be coddled.

"All right?" she asked once he was standing.

'I'm fine, love, thank you." He reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"All right, Teddy, let's go have dinner," Hermione said. Teddy cheered and scampered out of the room, Hermione and Remus following behind.

When they reached the kitchen, Remus managed to get Teddy into his high chair, then sat down a bit gingerly. Hermione made a mental note to rub more of the salve into his knees and hips after supper.

She shook her head as she pulled out the takeaway containers in the kitchen. She would ask Remus first if he wanted her to do it. She was acting like his keeper _. Or his wife_ , a little voice in the head said. Hermione shook off that thought and levitated the containers to the table, carrying of stack of plates in her free hand.

They had just finished eating when Andromeda walked into the room. She was wearing black trousers and a deep green jumper. Her hair was loose around her face. She looked a bit self-conscious.

"Kingsley said to dress casually," she said. "Do you think this is all right?"

"I think it's perfect," Hermione said. Andromeda gave her a grateful smile.

"You look very nice," Remus agreed.

"Did Kingsley say where you're going?" Hermione asked.

"We're having dinner, but no, he didn't specify."

"Nanna, you eat wif me?" Teddy asked. Hermione pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at the mess on his face.

"I'm sorry, darling, I am having dinner with Kingsley tonight." She flicked her wand and the mess was gone from Teddy's face and hands.

"You give me baf?" Teddy said, little brow furrowing.

"Hermione is going to give you a bath tonight," Andromeda said. Teddy looked as if he was having problems deciding if he should be upset that his grandmother was leaving or happy that Hermione was filling in for her. "But, I will see you in the morning for breakfast. Shall I make you pancakes?"

"Yes!" Teddy said excitedly and Andromeda chuckled. Hermione heard the chime of the Floo and Andromeda hurried into the living room to remove the ward from the fireplace. Kingsley stepped out a few moments later. He kissed Andromeda's cheek and even from the table, Hermione could see the blush on the older woman's face.

"We'll have to Apparate again," Kingsley said. Andromeda nodded and led him into the kitchen.

"Hello, Kingsley," Hermione said with a smile.

"Hermione," Kingsley replied. "Remus. Hello, Teddy." Teddy studied the Minister solemnly. Clearly, he wasn't sure what to think about the man's recurring presence in his house. Hermione had been in Teddy's life since he was an infant, and Teddy had never questioned her increased presence once she and Remus starting dating. Kingsley, on the other hand, was someone new and it was clear that Teddy wasn't sure if he should like the man or not. Teddy's grandmother always left with him, after all. Remus stood a bit stiffly and lifted Teddy from his high chair.

"Can you say hello, Teddy?" Remus asked.

"Hello," Teddy said quietly, resting his head on Remus' shoulder. He continued to watch Kingsley, but he didn't say anything else.

"Well, I suppose we should be going," Andromeda said. She leaned towards Remus and kissed Teddy's cheek. "Sleep well, darling."

"Enjoy yourselves," Hermione said. Good-byes were said and the older couple left the house, Disapparating a few moments later.

"Where Nanna go?" Teddy asked.

"Remember she told you she was going to have dinner with Kingsley?" Remus said. Hermione began to clean up the table, pausing when she saw Remus grimace. He moved back to one of the chairs and sat down again.

"Would you like me to get the salve?" Hermione asked.

"No, no, I'm fine," Remus said. Hermione didn't think he was, but she decided not to push things just now.

"Nanna eats wif me," Teddy said, his lips in a pout.

"Nanna does usually eat with you, but tonight she's going to eat with Kingsley."

"No," Teddy said, crossing his little arms over his chest. He scowled.

"You'll see your nanna in the morning," Remus said. "She's going to make you pancakes, remember?"

"No," Teddy repeated, still scowling. Remus looked at Hermione over the top of Teddy's head. She mouthed 'pudding' to him and he nodded.

"How about pudding?" Hermione said trying to distract the toddler. "I brought cake." Teddy perked up at the word cake. "It's chocolate." Teddy immediately lifted his arms to Hermione, so she could put him back in his high chair. She laughed as she picked him up, then levitated the cake from the kitchen and gave Teddy a slice.

Sufficiently distracted from his annoyance about his grandmother's departure, Hermione looked over at Remus. Every time he shifted in his chair, she saw the pain on his face. Reaching over, she put a hand on his arm.

"Are you sure I shouldn't get the salve?" she asked quietly. He sighed.

"I don't want to go back to my room," he said stubbornly. "I've been up there all day and I want to spend some time with the both of you."

"You don't have to," she said. "I can bring it downstairs. You can put it on in the bathroom and then sit on the couch." Remus thought for a moment, then nodded. She squeezed his arm, going back to her cake.

* * *

Kingsley and Andromeda landed in yet another alley, although she realized it wasn't the same one as the week previous. They were in a different part of London and Kingsley led her to a park.

"I thought a picnic might be nice," he said when they reached an open area near a pond. Andromeda smiled.

"And I suppose you have a picnic basket stowed away somewhere," she said.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Kingsley replied with a grin, pulling something from his pocket. He glanced around, but no one was paying them any attention. Flicking his wand, which was still mostly concealed in his sleeve, the basket grew to its normal size. Another flick of his wand had a handkerchief expanding to the size of a blanket. Kingsley spread it on the ground, then held out a hand to her. Andromeda settled herself, legs folded to the side as Kingsley knelt and opened the basket, pulling things out.

"I must say, I am appalled that the Minister would use magic in front of Muggles," Andromeda said in mock indignation. "Shall I expect the DMLE to come down upon us at any moment?" Kingsley chuckled.

"How do you know they aren't already here?" he asked, winking at her as he began opening containers and spooning food onto plates. Andromeda stared at him for a moment, then began to look around the park. She had no idea if he had a security detail with him or not. If he did, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. While she was sure that any law enforcement official assigned to protect the Minister would use the upmost discretion, it would still be a bit unnerving to have someone watching them on their date.

"I was joking," he said, seeing the look on her face. "I never bring security with me when I go into Muggle areas. Frankly, I don't see the need for it, especially when I have such lovely company." She smiled, fighting the reddening of her cheeks. She didn't think she'd blushed this much since she was a fifth year. "But, as far as the public knows, I always have security with me. Safer that way, I suppose."

"That is good to know," she said. "I'm not sure how I would feel knowing we were being watched." Kingsley handing her a plate.

"Exactly why I haven't allowed them with me when I've been with you," he said. "Although they always protest, vehemently." Her brow furrowed in concern.

"Are you sure that it's safe for you?" she asked.

"No one knows that I'm here, nor would they expect me to be," Kingsley said, finishing with his own plate. "Anyone who would want to do me harm would never believe that the Minister, member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, would sit on the ground in Muggle London and eat dinner." Andromeda laughed. That was definitely true. She hadn't even known what a picnic was until she married Ted. It had been a favorite activity of theirs when Nymphadora was small.

"That's a rather wistful look on your face," Kingsley said.

"Just remembering," she said fondly. "Nymphadora loved picnics." Kingsley smiled softly. Andromeda sometimes forgot that he had worked with her daughter for a number of years.

"She was one of a kind," he said.

"That she was," Andromeda agreed. They fell silent for a few moments, both lost in their thoughts as they began to eat. "This is wonderful. Did you make it?" It was Kingsley's turn to blush.

"Some of it," he admitted. "I do have a House-Elf, but over the years I've found that I enjoy cooking." Andromeda wondered again why he was single. Although they were, as Kingsley had said, both Sacred Twenty-Eight, their paths had never crossed much. While they didn't have the financial challenges the Weasleys did, the Shacklebolts were similar in that they had never felt that Purebloods were superior. As such, they hadn't been invited to many Pureblood events when Andromeda was growing up. After she had been blasted from the family tree for marrying Ted, she had become focused on her husband and daughter and paid little attention to the society pages in the _Prophet_. Still, she thought she would have known if Kingsley had ever been married. But, she didn't want to pry. He would tell her if he wished to.

They chatted easily as they ate their dinner and drank their wine. Andromeda found herself laughing more than she had in quite some time. Kingsley had a wonderful sense of humor. And, she found that she was much more relaxed than she had been on their first date.

"Finished?" Kingsley asked some time later.

"Yes, thank you," she said handing him her plate. "It was delicious." He smiled at her as he packed up the food containers and the dishes, setting the basket on the grass next to them. He reclined back on his arms, his legs crossed at the ankle and stared out at the pond. Andromeda leaned back on one hand, the other holding her glass of wine that she was still sipping at.

"It's a lovely night," she said, the sun beginning its descent.

"It is," he agreed, but when she glanced at him, he wasn't looking at the sky, but at her. She wasn't sure what made her do it, maybe it was the wine, but she leaned towards him slightly. He closed the remaining distance and brushed his lips softly over hers. When he pulled back, he smiled at her, then covered her hand with his and looked out over the pond again. She shifted until their shoulders were touching and leaned against him slightly, watching the sunset.

* * *

Hermione carried Teddy into his bedroom, wrapped in a fluffy towel. Remus smiled at them from the rocking chair. Hermione set the little boy on Remus' lap while she retrieved a nappy and his pajamas. Teddy snuggled up to him and yawned. Remus kissed the top of his head, breathing in the clean scent of his shampoo.

"What story should we read tonight?" Hermione asked when she returned with his pajamas and lifted him off Remus' lap. Once he was dressed, Teddy ran over to his book shelf and pulled out a book, then carried it back to her. Remus waved his wand to transfigure the rocking chair into a small couch. Hermione picked up Teddy and the book and settled them next to Remus.

"My-nee read me," Teddy insisted.

"Hermione _is_ going to read to you, I'm just going to listen," Remus replied, putting an arm around her shoulders. Teddy looked at his father for a few moments, then finally nodded, settling onto Hermione's lap. Remus heard her try to stifle her laughter. She cleared her throat and opened the book.

Before she was even halfway through, Teddy's eyes started to droop. He was asleep before she read the last page. Hermione quietly closed the book and shifted, leaning further back into Remus.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" she asked.

"No, love, you're fine," Remus said, brushing his lips across her temple. "Do you want to put him down?"

"Not just yet," she said, snuggling Teddy closer to her. He muttered something in his sleep and gripped the front of her jumper in one hand. Remus reached down and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. It slowly morphed from brown curls, as it had been in most of the night, to Teddy's own lighter brown. Remus felt quite content, the three of them sitting there together.

"Tired?" Remus asked.

"Hm, a bit," she said. "I forget how much energy he has." Remus chuckled.

"That is an understatement." Hermione smiled up at him and he leaned down to brush his lips over hers. They sat that way for a few more minutes until Hermione stood and laid Teddy in his cot. She pulled a blanket up over him, made sure he had Padfoot in his arms, and smoothed his hair down. Remus stood and put a hand on his son's back, wishing him a quiet good night before they both left the room. They walked back downstairs and settled themselves on the couch. Hermione rested against his side, entwining their fingers, as Remus idly played with her curls with his free hand.

"You were going to tell me something about work," he said.

"I had a meeting with Healer Spencer today," Hermione said.

"Did you learn anything new?" Hermione sighed.

"Not really. Calming draughts and a few other similar potions are about the extent of mental health treatment in the wizarding world."

"What did Healer Spencer have to say about your ideas?" Remus asked.

"She was sympathetic but didn't seem all that enthusiastic about a new branch of Healing. Not that she would have any idea what to do or how to start it. She told me I should speak to the Director of St. Mungo's, but I'm not sure what good that will do if I don't have a starting point."

"You need to find someone who is familiar with the wizarding world and also a therapist or a psychiatrist," Remus mused.

"Right," Hermione agreed. "It would likely have to be a parent or sibling of a Muggle-born or else a Squib. You don't know anyone who fits that category do you?" He shook his head.

"Sorry, love."

"I wonder if Mrs. Figg would know anyone," Hermione mused.

"Arabella?" Remus said. "It wouldn't hurt to ask I suppose."

"Is she still living in the Dursleys neighborhood?"

"As far as I know. Minerva would likely know for certain." Hermione nodded, then relaxed back into Remus. He smiled in contentment. She'd been right about the salve. His joints felt much better than they had at dinner. He was still a bit sore, but by tomorrow he expected he would feel just fine.

Letting go of her hand, he put his fingers under her jaw and tipped her head up, leaning down slightly to kiss her. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling herself closer for a few seconds, then stilled, pulling away. At his quizzical look, she bit her lip.

"I just don't want to hurt you," she said.

"Hermione, I'm fine," he said, a bit annoyed. She knew he didn't like to be treated like spun glass after the transformation. "If I'm in pain, I'll tell you."

"I'm sorry, it's just, I know that you were still in pain at dinner." Biting back his irritation, he smiled at her, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"I was," he agreed. "But your suggestion of putting on more of the healing salve was the right one. I feel much better now." She stared up at him for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed him again. He wrapped both of his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. The kiss deepened and one of Remus' hands moved to her side, sliding under her jumper to the bare skin of her back. Hermione shivered against him. His other hand slid into her hair, tangling in her curls as he continued to kiss her. Despite the lessening of his pain, he knew he wasn't going to be up to more than this tonight. Not to mention the fact that Andromeda could return at any time. Still, he wasn't complaining. There were few things he enjoyed more than kissing Hermione.

* * *

They landed in the back garden with a quiet crack. Instead of offering her his arm, Kingsley took Andromeda's hand in his and they walked toward the house. When they reached the door, Kingsley turned towards her and took her other hand as well, before smiling at her.

"Once again, I very much enjoyed myself."

"As did I," Andromeda said, returning his smile. He lifted her left hand and kissed the back of it. She felt a fluttering in her belly as he stared at her. Leaning in, he kissed her again. While it was still chaste, it lasted longer than the first kiss and Andromeda found herself stepping closer to him, putting a hand on his upper arm.

"I want to see you again," he said when they parted, still standing rather close to her. She could feel her cheeks grow warm and hoped it was dark enough that Kingsley wouldn't notice. Honestly, the blushing was getting ridiculous.

"I would like that," she replied.

"Sunday?" he asked. "I'd like to make you dinner."

"Oh," she said feeling a bit nervous. Going out to dinner and the picnic in a public park were fine, but she was unsure about being alone with him in his flat. Not that she thought he would try and take things further than she was ready for, Kingsley wasn't one to take advantage.

"I've made you uncomfortable," he said, stepping back a bit.

"No, you haven't, I just," she trailed off, unsure how to explain it to him.

"Andromeda," he said. "I understand." She looked up at him. "You and Ted were together for a long time. I have no intention of rushing you into anything."

"I did not mean to imply, I don't, I," she shook her head and looked away.

"It's all right," he said. "I know that's not what you meant. I just want you to know that I will take things as slowly as you like." She looked at him again and he smiled. "I'm not in any hurry." She managed a smile.

"Thank you," she said.

"So, Sunday?"

"Actually, Sunday is the weekly Weasley dinner," she said apologetically. "We do not always attend, but Molly is celebrating Ron going into business with George."

"Ah, yes, today was Ron's last day at the Ministry, I believe."

"It was," Andromeda said.

"You know, I have a standing invitation to that dinner," Kingsley said, with a wink.

"Perhaps you should help us celebrate, then," she said.

"Perhaps I should."

"And maybe you could make dinner for me another night this week?" she suggested tentatively. He smiled widely.

"I think that could be arranged." He kissed her gently one last time.

"I'll check my schedule and let you know. Good night, Andromeda."

"Good night, Kingsley."

* * *

Hermione pulled away from Remus abruptly when they heard the crack of Apparition outside. Her hair was disheveled and her lips swollen from his kisses. She quickly pulled down her jumper and he saw her adjust her bra. They _might_ have gotten a bit carried away there at the end, he thought as he pulled down his t-shirt.

He grimaced as his back protested when he sat up. All right, they had definitely gotten a bit carried away. Hermione frowned as she attempted to tame her hair.

"I thought you were going to tell me if you were in pain," she said.

"Well, I wasn't _then_ ," Remus reasoned. Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed out a breath. "Are you going to tell me that you weren't enjoying what we were doing?" She blushed and he hid a grin. That he could still make her blush after everything they'd done together amused him a bit.

The back door opened and they heard Andromeda's quiet good night to Kingsley, then the door close again. Hermione and Remus pretended to be extremely interested in the cold fireplace when Andromeda walked into the room.

"Hello," Andromeda said.

"How was your night?" Hermione asked.

"It was very nice, thank you. How were things here?"

"They went fine," Remus said, deciding not to tell Andromeda about Teddy's protests that his grandmother had left. He didn't intend to make her feel guilty about moving on with her life. Teddy would get used to it. The three of them chatted for a bit and then Andromeda excused herself to her room, saying she was tired. Remus was sure that she was trying to give them some privacy.

But, he was a bit tired himself, despite the fact that he had slept a good part of the day away. It was always this way after the moon. He tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

"I should get going," Hermione said.

"You don't have to," he said, wanting to spend more time with her. In fact, he wouldn't object if they went back to what they were doing before Andromeda got home.

"You should sleep," she said. "You know how early Teddy gets up these days." Remus groaned. He certainly hoped the six o'clock wake-up time was just a phase that Teddy was going to outgrow soon. Hermione took pity on him and leaned down to kiss him again. They got lost in the kiss for a few minutes, but she eventually pulled away. They both stood from the couch.

"Thank you," he said. "For helping tonight."

"You don't have to thank me," she said. "I'm happy to do it."

"Teddy loves you, you know." She smiled.

"I love him."

"I love you, too," Remus said. Still smiling she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him one more time.

"And I love you." She picked up the Floo powder from the mantel and threw it in the fireplace. "Call me tomorrow?" He nodded and pulled her to him again, kissing her as thoroughly as he could.

"Good night," he said with a smirk. She muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like 'incorrigible' and stepped into the fireplace, Remus chuckling as she disappeared.


	76. Expose

**A/N - Hi everyone! School has finally started and I feel like I'm getting back into my normal groove of writing. So, (fingers crossed), I hope to get back to my weekly Thursday posting schedule. This chapter is a little bit shorter than they have been lately, but I wanted to end it where I did. Thank you so much for continuing to read and review. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 76**

 **Expose**

 **21 May 2000**

Hermione was surprised to see Ginny when she walked into the Burrow that afternoon. She should have still been in Wales for practice.

"Hello, Hermione," Molly said. Ginny turned around with a grin.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked as she hugged her friend.

"Couldn't miss Ron's celebration, could I?" Ginny asked. "Besides, the match isn't until next weekend, so Gwenog gave the team the day off. I heard about the werewolf proposal. Congratulations."

"Thanks," Hermione said with a wide smile. "I was a bit surprised to be honest. But having Caroline and Remus speak really helped."

"Harry said you'd found a place for the sanctuary," Ginny said.

"Yes," Hermione replied and proceeded to describe it to Ginny. "There's a crew working on the house already and the security team that will work during the full moon has started training. Declan has started notifying those that are registered about the sanctuary. Now we just have to find a brewer."

"No one's interested?" Ginny asked.

"No one that won't charge a ridiculous fee. Gwendolyn is thinking maybe someone who's retired might want to take it on since it's only one week a month. She's checking into it."

"What about Andromeda?" Ginny asked. "She already makes the potion for Remus and Will."

"This has the potential to be a much bigger job though," Hermione said. "We have no idea how many people will want to utilize the sanctuary, Declan's only just started notifying those on the registry. I don't know if Andromeda would want to take that on and I don't want her to feel obligated because of our relationship." Ginny nodded in understanding. Hermione moved into the kitchen and began chopping carrots at Molly's direction.

"I had a letter from Luna," Ginny said a few minutes later.

"How is she doing?" Hermione asked.

"She's coming home."

"Oh, when?"

"In a few weeks, she wasn't sure exactly, but she said she'd let me know when her plans were set," Ginny said.

"It will be so good to see her. I can't believe it's been a year."

"I was thinking we should have a party when she gets back," Ginny said. "We haven't gotten everyone together since our New Year's Eve party." She smirked at Hermione.

"Don't remind of that night," Hermione said with a groan. Ginny laughed. They both heard the Floo and Teddy's exclamation of 'Ha-wy!' a few seconds later.

"Turned out all right in the end, didn't it?" Ginny asked. Hermione smiled when she heard Remus' voice from the other room.

"Yes, it did."

* * *

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, it has been far too long since you've been here," Molly scolded as Kingsley walked past the Apparition wards and into the garden. She had elected to have dinner outside, as it was such a pleasant evening. Remus felt Andromeda stiffen next to him. She had been quiet that afternoon before they'd Flooed over to the Burrow. In fact, at one point, Remus was sure that she wasn't going to come.

"I'm sorry, Molly," Kingsley said with a chuckle, putting a hand on Molly's arm and kissing her cheek. "It's that pesky job of mine. Keeps me quite busy." Remus could see Kingsley's eyes cut to Andromeda. "But, I found myself with a free evening and I have missed your cooking."

"Well, we're happy to have you," Molly said. She excused herself and went back into the house. Kingsley turned and began to make his way towards them.

"Are you all right?" Remus asked, still sensing the tension in Andromeda.

"Fine," she said, but Remus could hear the tightness in her voice.

"Remus," Kingsley said, shaking Remus' hand.

"Hello, Kingsley," Remus replied. Kingsley turned to Andromeda. He paused for a moment as their eyes locked.

"Andromeda," he said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "It's lovely to see you again."

"You as well," Andromeda replied. Remus felt her relax and he glanced between the two of them in confusion.

"I have something I need to speak to Arthur about, but I will talk with you later?" Andromeda nodded and Kingsley let go of her hand with a smile, walking over to Arthur. Remus stared at Andromeda for a few moments, before he glanced around the garden to make sure Teddy was still being entertained by Hermione and Ginny. He took Andromeda's arm and led her further away from everyone.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been tense since this afternoon, then Kingsley arrives, acts like the two of you haven't seen one another since the memorial and suddenly you're as relaxed as you are at any other dinner." She sighed.

"When Kingsley suggested he might attend this evening, I was happy about it. Only the more I thought about it today, the more nervous I became."

"Because no one knows about you two yet?" Remus asked. When she looked away, he knew he had guessed correctly. "Why don't you want anyone to know?"

"I don't know," she said with another sigh.

"These are our friends, Andromeda, our family. If they can accept Hermione and me, I really don't think anyone is going to have a problem with you and Kingsley."

"It's not that," she said. She stared at the ground and Remus watched her trying to put her concerns into words. "It makes it all…real, I suppose." She shook her head before Remus could say anything. "That is not exactly what I mean."

"I understand," he said. She looked up at him. "Now, it's just the two of you, really. Sure, Hermione and I know, but it's been private up to now."

"I know that the Weasleys will respect our privacy. But-" she trailed off.

"Now more people will know," Remus finished. She sighed and nodded.

"That makes me sound ridiculous."

"It doesn't," he said. "I know exactly how you feel."

"Yes, I suppose you do." She smiled faintly.

"Well, I'm not sure how you accomplished it, but Kingsley seems to have gotten the memo." Andromeda looked over at the man, who was laughing at something Arthur said.

"Yes, that was rather astute of him, wasn't it?" She smiled softly. Remus wanted to grin, but he managed to keep it off his face. She didn't even realize how smitten she was.

"Rather," Remus agreed. Suddenly, Teddy came barreling into his legs. Remus looked up and smiled at Hermione who was following his son.

"Daddy, me fwy?" Teddy asked.

"Harry and Ginny offered to take him for a ride before dinner," Hermione explained.

"A short one," Remus said. "It's almost time to eat."

"Kay," Teddy squirmed to be set down and Teddy raced back to Ginny who laughed as she picked him up. Hermione stepped up next to Remus who put an arm around her. Andromeda smiled at the two of them and then excused herself to see if Molly needed any help in the house.

"Everything all right?" Hermione asked. "Andromeda seemed a bit...off earlier.

"She's unsure if she wants anyone to know about her and Kingsley just yet."

"I was a bit surprised when he showed up," Hermione said. "He hasn't been to a dinner since last summer."

"I'm just glad Molly seemed to attribute his sporadic attendance to being busy as Minister," Remus said.

"I understand how Andromeda feels," Hermione said, leaning into him. He smiled down at her.

"So do I," he replied. "But, I can't see anyone here having issue with the two of them."

"Of course, they wouldn't," Hermione said. "I imagine Andromeda's a bit worried about the press finding out."

"Well, yes, but who's going to tell them? No one here would do that."

"No," Hermione agreed. "But you know that the more people that know a secret, the higher the chance something will slip out."

"I suppose," Remus said. He saw Kingsley glance around the garden, obviously looking for Andromeda. "Kingsley seemed to figure out Andromeda's fears rather quickly. Just by looking at her, in fact." Hermione smiled.

"It's obvious he's quite smitten with her."

"I'm sure Andromeda would deny it, but I'm positive the feeling is mutual." A few moments later, Andromeda walked out of the house. Her eyes instantly searched out and found Kingsley, who smiled at her.

"I'd say you were right about that," Hermione said, still smiling. Remus watched as Andromeda pointedly ignored Kingsley to ask the Weasley boys to set up the tables and then come inside to bring out the food.

"If she keeps trying so hard, she's going to give it away herself," Remus said. Hermione nodded in agreement. He turned towards her.

"Have I told you lately how glad I am that we don't have to hide things anymore?" She grinned and put her arms around his neck.

"Not lately."

"How rude of me," he said, leaning down and kissing her softly. As much as he wanted to, he didn't linger, given where they were.

"I'm going to see if Molly needs help," Hermione said when they separated. Remus nodded and she squeezed his hand as she left. Remus cast his Patronus and sent it off to the meadow to let Harry and Ginny know to bring Teddy back.

* * *

Andromeda stood at the kitchen sink, looking out the window. They had finished eating and everything had been cleaned up. People were still talking in the garden. But, she had come inside to get away from everything for a few moments. She felt jumpy in her own skin and knew that it was Kingsley's presence that was causing it. It wasn't that she did not want him here, in fact that exact opposite was true. That was one of the reasons she had come inside.

"Andromeda?" a deep voice said and she turned around to see the man who was so thoroughly occupying her thoughts step into the kitchen, look of concern on his face.

"Kingsley," she said, eyes darting to the door. She had met Bill on her way into the house, but he had been going back to the garden. She did not think anyone else was inside.

"Are you all right?" he asked, taking a few steps towards her.

"I am fine," she assured him, but he must not have been convinced as he kept walking until he was standing right in front of her.

"You don't look it," he said.

"You do know how to flatter a girl," she quipped. He chuckled and then took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I hope that my presence isn't what's been causing you distress."

"Not in the way you mean," she said. He cocked his head in question. "I find myself enjoying it a little too much." Kingsley looked surprised and, she thought, a bit pleased. But she could tell that he was still confused.

"I'm not sure that I understand."

"I am not sure that I do, either," Andromeda laughed. She let go of his hand and leaned back against the countertop. His proximity was affecting her more than she wanted to admit.

"I told you before that I'm in no hurry," Kingsley said. "We'll take things at whatever pace you like." She smiled.

"And I am very grateful for that." She stared at him for a few minutes and then found herself pushing away from the counter, stepping towards him once again. Kingsley's hand reached out and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She felt herself shiver. As she looked up into his eyes, his hand moved to the back of her neck, thumb moving back and forth just behind her ear. She stared at him as he lowered his head and then stopped, waiting for her to decide. Closing the remaining distance between them, her lips met his. One of her arms wrapped around his back, the other rested on his shoulder as he kissed her. His free hand encircled her waist and Andromeda stepped even closer to him. The hand on the back of her neck moved into her hair just as she heard a quiet gasp behind them.

Andromeda immediately stepped back and she could feel her face heat. Kingsley turned slightly and Andromeda looked past his shoulder to see Fleur standing at the back door holding Victoire.

"Pardon," she said. "But, ze baby is hungry."

"It's all right," Kingsley said. Fleur moved toward the living room but stopped before she reached it and turned back to them.

"I saw nozing," she said with a smirk, then disappeared into the other room. Andromeda could hear her murmuring to the baby in French.

Kingsley turned to face Andromeda. She was sure that he wanted to laugh but was waiting to see what her reaction would be first. In truth, she wasn't sure what to think. She was a bit mortified at being caught, but she also found herself trusting that Fleur wouldn't say anything to anyone. In all reality, they were lucky it was just Fleur who had walked in on them. With as many people as were here, the kitchen was not the best place to kiss the man she was trying to hide from everyone.

She looked up at Kingsley again and gave him a wry smile. He chuckled, taking her hand once more.

"We should probably get back outside," he said.

"Probably," she agreed. His thumb began to rub circles on the back of her hand.

"I checked my schedule," he said. "Are you free on Wednesday?"

"Yes."

"I would still like to cook you that dinner. Seven?" She smiled.

"Seven." He squeezed her hand, then leaned in and kissed her cheek, lingering. He smiled when he pulled back, then let go of her hand and walked back outside.

Andromeda blew out a breath once he'd gone, turning and bracing her hands against the sink. She knew she was falling for him and falling quickly. And she was not sure just what to think about that.

* * *

Most everyone had gone home. Ginny had to get back to Wales and Remus and Andromeda had taken Teddy home to put him to bed. Hermione, Harry and Ron were still sitting in the back garden. Hermione was leaning against the trunk of a tree and Harry and Ron were sprawled on the ground beside her, staring up at the stars.

"Going to be strange going to work tomorrow without you, mate," Harry said.

"For me too," Ron said. "I mean, even though I've been working in the shop here and there, it'll still be weird, you know?"

"You still have to come and have lunch with us once in a while," Hermione said.

"Course I will," Ron replied. He rolled to his side and propped himself up on one elbow. "I'm not disappearing you know."

"We know, don't we Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said, but he sounded a bit down. She nudged him with her foot. Harry sat up with a sigh, resting his elbows on his knees. "Sorry, Ron, you know I'm happy for you."

"S'alright," Ron said. "I am going to miss it. Well, not all of it. Won't miss Williamson."

"Or the paperwork," Harry replied with a grin.

"Definitely not." They both laughed.

"I am going to miss working with you though, Harry."

"Me too," Harry said, reaching over Hermione and squeezing Ron's shoulder. Hermione felt herself getting a bit teary.

"We better stop, Hermione's going to cry," Ron said with a chuckle.

"I am not," she protested, smacking his arm with the back of her hand.

"Sure, you're not," Harry said grinning. Hermione huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I hate both of you." Both men laughed.

"Aw, but Hermione, we _love_ you," Harry said, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, 'Mione," Ron agreed, sitting up and repeated Harry's action.

"Don't call me 'Mione," she said with a scowl. Both Harry and Ron tightened their arms around her. She saw Ron glance at Harry from the corner of her eye. Harry nodded and they both leaned in and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

"You two are ridiculous," she said, shoving them away from her, but she couldn't help the smile that played about her lips.

"But you love us," Harry said.

"Merlin only knows why," she said with an eye roll. Harry looked at Ron with a grin and soon they were all laughing. Harry put an arm around her and she leaned into his side. Ron sat up and moved closer to her, their shoulders touching. She put a hand over his where it rested on the ground beside her. Sighing in contentment, she rested her head against Harry's shoulder as the three of them sat in silence, staring up at the sky.

* * *

 **24 May 2000**

"Hello, love," Remus said as Hermione stepped out of the fireplace. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest with a sigh. "Bad day?"

"Just disappointing," she said.

"Arabella didn't have anything for you?"

"No," Hermione said with another sigh. "It wasn't as if I was really expecting her to, but-"

"You hoped she would," Remus finished. She nodded. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.

"Where's Teddy?" she asked.

"Upstairs with Andromeda. He wanted a story from her before she leaves." Hermione looked up at him.

"Is he still upset about that?" she asked.

"A bit," Remus admitted. "Having Kingsley at the Weasley dinner helped. The more Teddy sees him, the more used to him he'll get."

"Is Andromeda all right?" Remus sighed.

"She feels guilty even though I've told her she has no reason to."

"She's still going though, isn't she?

"Yes, although she did briefly consider cancelling." There was movement upstairs and Andromeda and Teddy came down the stairs a few moments later. Hermione smiled when Teddy ran into the room.

"Hey, you," she said picking him up and hugging him. "I missed you."

"I miss you!" Teddy said. Hermione laughed. She didn't think Teddy really knew what that meant.

"Hello, Hermione," Andromeda said. Hermione greeted the other woman. Andromeda turned to Remus. "I am going to change." Remus nodded and Andromeda went back upstairs.

"My-nee, you pay wif me?" Teddy asked.

"Of course, I'll play with you. After supper, all right?"

"Nanna eat wif me," Teddy said.

"I think your nanna is going to eat with Kingsley tonight."

"No, Nanna eat wif me!" Teddy insisted.

"Not tonight, son," Remus said. Teddy pouted.

"You don't _always_ eat with your nanna," Hermione said. "Remember when you ate supper with Harry? That was fun, right?" Teddy nodded with a smile. "Well, tonight you get to eat supper with me and your daddy." Hermione tickled him and Teddy giggled. "Tomorrow you can eat with your nanna again, okay?"

"Kay," Teddy said. He squirmed and Hermione set him down, watching him run over to his toys. Remus put his arms around her again.

"Thank you," he said. She shrugged.

"Andromeda deserves a life too." Remus smiled and leaned down and kissed her.

"I'll go check on supper." Hermione watched him go, then turned her attention to Teddy.

* * *

Kingsley was waiting for her when Andromeda arrived. He held out a hand and helped her step out of the fireplace. She looked around his flat. Definitely masculine, but it was neat and tastefully decorated. Not that she had expected anything else.

"Hello," he said in greeting, kissing her cheek.

"Hello," she returned. The stood there smiling at one another for a few moments.

"Would you like something to drink? Wine?"

"Wine would be lovely, thank you," Andromeda said. Kingsley walked over to a side table and picked up the bottle of red wine, pouring them each a glass. Although she had been looking forward to tonight, now that she was here, she found herself a bit nervous. Not to mention still a bit guilty about Teddy. Although, he _had_ given her a kiss before she left and told her she would eat with him 'morrow', so perhaps he had gotten over his disappointment at her leaving.

"Something wrong?" Kingsley asked as he ushered her towards the couch.

"No, just, Teddy has been a bit out of sorts with me leaving before supper," she said. "I think he is so used to me being there all the time that he gets upset when I am not."

"Does the same thing when Remus goes out with Hermione, I suppose," Kingsley said.

"No, actually," Andromeda admitted.

"Ah, so he just doesn't like _me_ then," Kingsley said and Andromeda realized how what she said must have sounded.

"No, that is not, I should not have, I," she trailed off, mortified. Kingsley chuckled and grasped her free hand.

"Andromeda, I was only teasing," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. She blushed.

"Hermione has been around for as long as Teddy can remember," Andromeda said. "Even before she and Remus were dating." Kingsley nodded.

"Teddy doesn't know me," he said. "It's completely understandable. Perhaps the two of us should take him somewhere together. Is there a park near your house?"

"Oh, you do not have to do that," Andromeda said, although she was secretly pleased.

"I want to," he said. "I'd like to get to know your grandson better, as well. This Saturday?"

"All right," she said with a smile. He squeezed her fingers. "How was your week?"

"Mostly exasperating," Kingsley said with a sigh.

"Oh?" she said taking another sip of her wine.

"Nothing of consequence, just many small annoyances that had to be handled." He chuckled. "Seems to be a large portion of my job, actually." She chuckled.

"I can imagine." Kingsley glanced at his watch.

"I need to check on a few things. Would you like to see the kitchen?"

"I would love to," she said. He helped her from the couch and held her hand as he led her into the kitchen. She perched on a stool drawn up to the counter as he checked on the pot bubbling on the cooker.

He summoned the bottle of wine from the living room and refilled both their glasses. They chatted as he finished up with dinner. The thoughts she'd had at the Burrow swirled around her mind. The more time they spent together, the more Andromeda knew that she was feeling something for him. Something more than just friendship. Realizing Kingsley had asked her a question, she shook herself from her thoughts.

"I think we're ready to eat," he said a short while later. She was a bit confused when he led her into the dining room without the food. But moments later, a House Elf walked into the room, setting the food onto the table.

"Is Master needing anything else?"

"No, Jinx, thank you," Kingsley replied. The elf bowed to both of them and then left the room.

Andromeda had to hold back a moan when she took the first bite of her dinner, it was so good.

"Kingsley, this is wonderful." He smiled, but she saw his cheeks darken slightly. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. He was always so confident but compliment his cooking and he blushed as much as she had been lately.

"Thank you," he said, clearly pleased with her praise. Their conversation flowed throughout dinner and Andromeda managed to keep her thoughts on the conversation instead of her anxiety about her feelings. When they had finished dessert, she sat back in her chair with a smile and picked up her glass of wine.

"You are an amazing cook."

"Thank you," he said again. "I do enjoy it. And I've had plenty of years to practice."

"Why is that?" she asked, then realized she was being rather intrusive. "I'm sorry, I do not mean to pry."

"It's all right," Kingsley said. He took a sip of his wine. "There was someone, a long time ago. Things just…didn't work out."

"I'm sorry," Andromeda said again, feeling horrible for bringing it up.

"Don't be," he said, with a faint smile. "As I said, it was a long time ago. Afterward, I threw myself into my work and never really made much time for dating. They were a few relationships over the years, but none that were ever very serious." He shrugged, then looked at her. "Perhaps that might change someday." While she didn't say anything, Andromeda couldn't stop the small smile that played at her lips. She knew that Kingsley saw it, as he returned it seconds later.

"Shall we?" he said, rising from his chair and holding out a hand to her.

"All right," she said, taking his hand and standing from her own chair. Kingsley pulled her closer to him, keeping her hand clasped in his and resting it against his chest. He leaned in and kissed her. Though the kiss didn't last long, she was breathless when he pulled back. Smiling once again, he squeezed her hand and kissed her fingertips before dropping their arms and leading her back into the living room.

* * *

 **26 May 2000**

"How does the first of July sound?" Hermione asked. They were sitting on the couch in her living room.

"It sounds like the start of a new month," Remus said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"For our trip to Australia," she said. Remus chuckled.

"I knew what you meant," he said, leaning down and kissing her.

"If we come home the sixth, that's still over a week until the moon." Remus smiled.

"Sounds perfect." She looked at him, biting her lip. "What's the matter?"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked. "It's all right if you don't."

"Don't you want me to come?" he asked.

"Of course, I do. But you only met my parents that one time and it didn't go exactly how I wanted it to and I don't want you to be uncomfortable or-" he cut her off by putting his fingers on her lips.

"Have you parents given you some indication that they don't want me there?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"No!" Hermione insisted. "My mum asks me about it almost every time I talk to her, actually."

"Then what's the problem, love?" He brushed her hair back behind her ear.

"I don't know, I," she trailed off and sighed, looking away from him. The problem was that she wasn't sure if taking this trip meant something different to her than it did to him. Yes, she'd already introduced him to her parents, but this was a _holiday_ together. _With_ Teddy. It felt important, as if they were making a statement about their relationship. But, she had no idea if Remus felt the same way about it. How could he? It had only been a little over two months.

Remus reached out and put his fingers under her chin. He turned her to face him again, looking worried.

"Talk to me, Hermione."

"I'm being silly," she said, shaking her head.

"It isn't silly if it's got you this anxious." She looked up at him, studying his face.

"It's just, we're going on holiday together," she said as she looked away. "To see my parents." Remus stared at her for a few moments.

"I hope it's the first trip of many," he said. Hermione looked back at him, but she couldn't see anything but sincerity in his eyes. She smiled and surged forward to kiss him. Remus pulled her closer and she straddled his lap. It had been more than a week since they'd had an evening alone together and Hermione immediately attacked the buttons on his shirt. She only broke the kiss long enough to pull her jumper over her head. Remus' hands immediately went to her breasts as she leaned forward to kiss him again.

It wasn't long before they had shed the rest of their clothes and Remus was laying her back on the couch, covering her body with his. When he thrust into her, she sighed in contentment. Despite their earlier frenzy to get each other undressed, Remus slowed his movements and she smiled up at him before he kissed her again. They moved slowly together, hands roaming, neither in a hurry.

"I love you," he said as she tightened around him, pulling him over the edge with her.

"Mm, I love you too," she said lazily afterward. He kissed her before he turned them to their sides, entangling their legs. Summoning his wand, he cast a fire in the grate to keep them warm as they drowsed on the couch.

"You're staying?" Hermione asked sleepily, her head pillowed on his chest.

"Of course, I am love." She kissed his chest and closed her eyes, wrapping an arm more firmly around his waist.

* * *

 **27 May 2000**

"Nanna," Teddy called from the living room. She walked in from the kitchen to find her grandson surrounded by nearly all his toys. His little brow was furrowed as he looked through the pile of dragons in front of him.

"Yes, darling?" she said.

"Dragon, hidin'. No find it." Teddy began to dig through his toy box again.

"All your dragons are right here, Teddy," she said, moving to crouch beside him.

"No, hidin'," Teddy insisted. Andromeda quickly counted the dragons on the floor and realized there was indeed one missing. Which one it was, she couldn't say.

"I'm sure we can find it," she said. She stood to look in the box of toys, but there were only a few blocks remaining in it. She looked behind the toy box and did a quick scan of the room, but there was no other dragon lying anywhere.

"Maybe it's under the couch or one of the chairs." Teddy quickly jumped up and ran to the couch, squatting down and peering under it.

"Dark, Nanna," he whined.

"Here," she said, kneeling next to him. "Lumos." She stuck her lit wand under the couch.

"No under dere," Teddy said. He ran to one of the chairs and Andromeda followed with her wand. After searching under the rest of the furniture and not finding anything, she stood.

"Perhaps it is in your room," she suggested. Teddy ran out of the living room and Andromeda followed him up the stairs. They searched his room, finding nothing. Andromeda contemplated doing a summoning spell, but that would only cause the rest of his dragons to come flying at them as well. She glanced at the clock on Remus' bedside table as they ventured into his room to look. Remus had stayed at Hermione's the night before and the two of them were going to Ginny's Quidditch match today. Kingsley was due to arrive any minute.

She looked down and chuckled as Teddy had nearly completely disappeared under the bed.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

"No," he said his voice muffled. He scooted himself out from the bed. "No under dere." He looked up at her, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh, darling, it's all right," she said, hurriedly scooping him up. "We'll find it." Teddy sniffled and Andromeda heard the chime of the Floo. She left Remus' room and quickly made her way downstairs.

"Who dat?" Teddy asked as Andromeda waved her wand to lower the wards on the fireplace.

"Remember I told you that Kingsley is coming over?"

"No, Nanna eats wif me!" Teddy wailed, beginning to cry in earnest.

"Shh, of course I'm going to eat with you," she said as Kingsley stepped out of the Floo. Teddy buried his face in her neck. Kingsley looked at her in concern. Andromeda shook her head, trying to soothe her crying grandson.

When Teddy's cries had finally faded away, Andromeda looked down at him.

"Remember that I told you we were going to the park this morning?" she asked. Teddy perked up at that, raising his head to look at her. Andromeda took the handkerchief Kingsley offered her and wiped a few stray tears from Teddy's face. "Kingsley is here to go to the park with us. Won't that be fun?" Teddy turned his head to see Kingsley standing in front of the fireplace.

"Hello, Teddy," Kingsley said, giving the boy a smile. Teddy put his head back on Andromeda's shoulder as he stared at the man.

"Are you ready to go to the park?" Andromeda asked. Teddy shook his head. "Why not?"

"Dragon hidin'," Teddy said, sniffling again.

"Why don't you take one of your other dragons?" she suggested.

"No," Teddy said.

"Teddy, we've looked everywhere," she said a bit exasperated.

"No," Teddy said. "Want boo one." Andromeda looked at Kingsley apologetically, but he simply smiled at her.

"Teddy," he said. Teddy's eyes darted towards him. "Did you know that I'm very good at finding things? It used to be my job." Andromeda looked at him skeptically.

"What?" Kingsley said. "Dark wizards, toy dragons, what's the difference really?" Andromeda chuckled. Kingsley turned back to Teddy. "May I help you?" Teddy nodded tentatively.

"All right, what does your dragon look like?"

"Boo," Teddy said.

"It's blue?" Teddy nodded. Kingsley picked up one of the dragons on the floor. "Does it look like this?" Teddy shook his head, then squirmed in his grandmother's arms. She set him on the floor and he began to dig through the pile of dragons. Kingsley looked at Andromeda.

"Did you summon it?" he asked her quietly. She gave him a look.

"Do you see how many toy dragons are in this house?"

"Fair point," he said. "But, I think I can help with that." Andromeda gave him a questioning look, but Teddy stood up from the pile of dragons before Kingsley could answer.

"Dis one!" Teddy said, holding up a red dragon.

"It looks like this, but it's blue?" Teddy nodded. Kingsley studied the dragon, then squatted down in front of Teddy. "I think I can find it, but I need your help, all right?" Teddy nodded again. "I want you to hold out your hand like this." Kingsley held out his hand, palm up. Teddy imitated him. "Very good. Now, I want you to say, 'fly to me, dragon'."

"Fwy me, dragon," Teddy said.

"Excellent," Kingsley said. "Now, when I tell you, I want you to say that again, very loud. Can you do that?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Andromeda watched, wondering just what on earth Kingsley was up to. He turned to the pile of dragons on the floor, then muttered a spell. They glowed for a moment.

"Are you ready?" Kingsley asked Teddy. The boy nodded again. "All right, go ahead."

"Fwy me, dragon!" Teddy shouted. At the same time, Kingsley flicked his wand, casting a silent 'accio'. A few seconds went by and then the small blue dragon flew into the room. Another flick from Kingsley's wand and it sailed gently into Teddy's hand. Teddy's eyes lit up and he looked up at Andromeda.

"Nanna, Nanna, dragon fwy me!"

"I see that," Andromeda said. "Can you thank Kingsley for his help?" Teddy looked up at the man, then ran towards him, wrapping his arms around Kingsley's legs.

"Tank you." Kingsley leaned down and patted Teddy's back.

"You're very welcome, Teddy." Teddy looked up at him with a grin, before turning to his grandmother.

"We go park now, Nanna?"

"We can," she said fondly. "Go find your shoes." Teddy raced out of the room.

"That was rather impressive," she said, taking a few steps towards Kingsley.

"Just a modified shield spell on the other dragons," he said, turning and cancelling said spell. "We used it when I was an Auror, for similar purposes."

"Finding toy dragons?" she questioned, laughter in her voice. He chuckled.

"Something like that." She stepped closer still.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome. I can teach it to you, if you like."

"Maybe later," she said, then leaned in and kissed him.

* * *

Teddy raced around the park, from the swings to the slide to the seesaw, Andromeda and Kingsley following dutifully behind. Any misgivings Teddy had had towards Kingsley were completely banished by the events at the house with his missing dragon. It was Kingsley Teddy wanted to push him on the swings, Kingsley he wanted to watch him on the slide and the climber. When Teddy had finally had his fill of the park, they began to walk back to the house. Kingsley took Andromeda's hand as they followed the little boy down the pavement.

"I think I should be jealous," Andromeda said teasingly. "Teddy could have cared less that I was even there."

"What can I say? I'm irresistible."

"Humble too, I see." Kingsley chuckled. They paused as Teddy squatted to examine something in the grass. Likely some kind of bug or maybe a worm.

"Are you saying that _you_ don't find me irresistible?" Kingsley said, glint in his eye.

"I think it will take more than summoning a toy dragon to convince me."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Take it however you like," she said. Kingsley glanced at Teddy to be sure he was still occupied, then kissed her rather thoroughly. Andromeda was nearly breathless when he pulled away.

"Nanna, bug go way!" Teddy said. Andromeda shook her head to clear it and looked down at her grandson.

"Oh, well, we should get home. It's almost time for lunch." Teddy jumped up.

"Me up?" Teddy asked, reaching his arms up to Andromeda.

"How about a ride on my shoulders?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes!" Teddy shouted. Kingsley laughed and picked up the little boy, settling him on his shoulders. He looked over at Andromeda and smirked. She rolled her eyes and put an arm through his, walking back towards the house.

* * *

 **28 May 2000**

Remus carried Teddy's breakfast to the table as Andromeda unlocked the window for the owl bringing the _Daily Prophet_.

"Here you go," Remus said, setting the plate in front of his son. He picked up the pitcher of milk and poured some into Teddy's cup before snapping on the lid and handing it to him.

"Tank you," Teddy said, grabbing a piece of fruit and shoving it in his mouth.

"Use your fork," Remus admonished, picking up the small fork and giving it to him. Teddy stabbed another piece of fruit and grinned at his father before putting it in his mouth. Remus chuckled.

He sat down at the table and pulled the teapot towards him. Andromeda walked in with her bowl of porridge, the Prophet tucked under her arm. She set the paper down next to her as Remus poured her a cup of tea, stirring a bit of milk into it. She picked up the cup with one hand, the other unrolling the paper. Remus took a bite of his breakfast just as Andromeda's teacup went clattering to the table, spilling its contents. He looked up at her in surprise, but she made no move to clean up the spreading tea.

"Nanna pill," Teddy said as Remus drew his wand to clean up the liquid before it could fall into her lap and burn her. Andromeda's knuckles were white where she gripped the paper, her mouth open in shock.

"Andromeda?" he questioned, heart beginning to pound at her reaction. Her hand began to shake and the paper lowered far enough that Remus could read the headline.

 **Minister for Magic in Secret Tryst with Andromeda Tonks!**


	77. Response

**A/N - I'm so sorry I didn't get a chapter posted last week. I had this chapter almost finished when I realized I had written myself into a little bit of a corner. So I had to completely rewrite it.**

 **The beginning of the conversation between Andromeda and Narcissa near the end of the chapter was inspired by a conversation with MaryRoyale, so credit for that goes to her. :) If you haven't read her stories, do so, she's amazing! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 77**

 **Response**

 **28 May 2000**

Remus stared at the headline for a few moments, unable to believe just what he was seeing. He knew that Kingsley and Andromeda had stuck to Muggle areas so that this _wouldn't_ happen. Glancing at Andromeda again, he could see that she was reading the article, eyes moving quickly over the story. Her mouth tightened and then she dropped the paper on the table. Remus picked it up and read through the article himself.

 **Minister for Magic in Secret Tryst with Andromeda Tonks!**

 _Our Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, has been keeping a rather large secret. He has been spotted in the company of Andromeda Tonks, formerly Black, on more than one occasion. Andromeda Tonks is a widow. Her husband, Ted Tonks, was a Muggle-born that died during an altercation with Snatchers while trying to evade the Muggle-born Registration Commission during the war._

 _Mrs. Tonks first accompanied the Minister to a formal state dinner with the Ministers for Magic of both France and Germany, along with their wives, a few weeks ago. When questioned about his companion, Minister Shacklebolt had little to say, save that Mrs. Tonks was a friend._

 _According to sources, the two are much more than friends. They have been seen together in Muggle London and Mrs. Tonks was reported to be at the Minister's flat earlier this week. Yesterday, they took Mrs. Tonks' grandson, Teddy Lupin, to a local park. Teddy is the son of Mrs. Tonks' only child, the late Nymphadora Lupin, formerly Tonks, who died tragically at the Battle for Hogwarts. She was married to Remus Lupin, former professor and werewolf, who is currently dating Hermione Granger._

 _On the walk home from the park, the Minister and Mrs. Tonks were seen holding hands, as well as sharing a rather heated kiss, apparently oblivious to the small child they were supposed to be supervising._

 _It is obvious that there is more between these two than friendship. The question remains as to why the Minister is keeping the relationship a secret. What do they possibly have to hide?_

When Remus finished he sighed. Even without attaching her name, it was obvious Rita Skeeter had written it and that she had used her Animagus ability to get the information. He looked up at Andromeda. Her mouth was in a thin line and her hands were fisted, the knuckles white. Remus glanced at Teddy, but his son was happily engrossed in his breakfast and seemed not to notice his grandmother's anger.

"Andromeda," Remus said, putting a hand on her forearm. Her arm was taut with tension.

"How dare she," Andromeda said through gritted teeth.

"You're aware it was Skeeter?"

"Who else?" Andromeda nearly spat. "How dare she accuse me of not watching my grandson!" Remus was a bit taken aback. He expected that Andromeda would be angry and likely upset about her personal life being splashed all over the newspaper. But, it appeared she wasn't so much worried about that as she was people thinking she was neglecting Teddy.

At the word grandson, Teddy looked up. His grin faltered slightly at the expression on his grandmother's face.

"Nanna, you has bite?" he asked tentatively, holding out his fork which had a bit of melon on it. Remus saw Andromeda force herself to relax, giving Teddy a small smile.

"No, my darling, but thank you." Teddy grinned again before shoving the fruit into his mouth. Andromeda looked at Remus. "I need some air." She rose from the table and walked out the back door.

"Nanna go?" Teddy asked.

"She'll be right back," Remus said.

"Nanna eat wif me?" the little boy asked, looking more concerned.

"Yes, Nanna will be back to eat with you in a few minutes," Remus soothed. He moved to the other side of the table to sit by his son. Teddy was staring at the back door, frown on his face. "How about a bite for me?" Teddy looked at his father for a moment before smiling and stabbing a bit of egg on his fork, offering it to Remus.

"Mm, delicious," Remus said. Teddy giggled.

"You wants mo' bite?"

"Yes, please," Remus said and Teddy gave him a piece of fruit this time. Remus smiled at the boy, glad that he was still so easily distracted.

Andromeda came back inside a few minutes later, looking much calmer. Teddy studied her as she walked around the table and sat down. She waved her wand to reheat her porridge, then gave Teddy a warm smile. He relaxed and turned back to his breakfast. Remus moved back to his usual spot at the table and poured Andromeda another cup of tea.

He continued to watch her as she spoke to Teddy and ate her breakfast. While she looked calm enough on the outside, he knew that she was anything but. It was a Black family talent, enhanced by being sorted into Slytherin. Even Sirius, as reckless as he'd been, had had it to some degree. Remus had seen it whenever Sirius had been forced to interact with a member of his family.

"I done," Teddy said a few minutes later. Remus rose and picked up his son, taking him to the sink to wash his hands and face.

"Why don't you go play for a while," Remus suggested, setting the little boy on his feet.

"You pay me, Daddy?"

"In a little while, I need to talk to your nanna first." Teddy looked back at Andromeda, then nodded to his father, running into the living room. Remus smiled after him.

"Andromeda," Remus said as he turned around. Her mask was still in place even though Teddy was no longer in the room. When he said her name, it cracked slightly and he saw her fingers tighten around her tea cup.

"How did she know?" Andromeda asked. "There are very few people that know and I trust all of them implicitly." Remus sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. He sat down in his chair.

"She's an illegal Animagus." Andromeda stared at him, her face unreadable.

"And how did you come by this knowledge?" she asked, her voice tight.

"Hermione," Remus said.

"Hermione," Andromeda repeated.

"Do you remember the articles that Skeeter published during the Triwizard Tournament?"

"Yes," Andromeda said carefully. Remus could tell she still had a tight leash on her emotions.

"Apparently some things that she reported, especially about Hagrid and Hermione, happened in private, where there was no one around to hear. It aroused Hermione's suspicions and she eventually figured out that Skeeter must be an Animagus." A slight smirk graced Andromeda's face. Remus had felt the same way when he found out.

"Hermione caught her in the hospital wing after the third task. Skeeter had overheard all of Albus' plans for reforming the Order and she had seen Sirius transform. Not to mention what she'd already written about Harry. Hermione wasn't going to let her get away with that."

"I do not understand," Andromeda said, looking puzzled. "If Hermione caught her, why is she still around to write such rubbish?" Remus hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't trust his mother-in-law; it was the fact that she was now dating the Minister for Magic. Kingsley might have a very different view of what Hermione had done.

"Skeeter's Animagus form is a beetle," Remus said. Andromeda's eyes widened.

"The bug in the grass," she said.

"What bug?"

"Teddy stopped to look at a bug in the grass," she said. "That was when Kingsley, when he kissed me." A faint blush stained her cheeks, but Remus didn't comment on it. "What does her form have to do with my question?"

"When I said that Hermione caught her, I meant that she _caught_ her," Remus said. "She put her in a jar with an unbreakable charm on it." Andromeda stared at him for a moment and then began to laugh. Remus, a bit surprised at her reaction, simply looked at her.

"If I did not already love her, this would have cemented it," Andromeda said. "But, Hermione obviously let Skeeter go at some point."

"Yes, about a week later," Remus said. "Hermione made Skeeter promise that she wouldn't write anything at all for a year, or Hermione would report her to the Ministry."

"Only a year?" Andromeda questioned.

"She thought that if Skeeter couldn't write for a year she would reconsider the way that she treated people." Andromeda scoffed. "She was only fifteen."

"I am not saying anything against Hermione," Andromeda assured him. "But, I went to school with Rita Skeeter, she was in my House. The woman has always been like this." Before Remus could ask about that, there was a crack outside. They both rose and looked out the window. Kingsley was walking across the garden towards the house.

"Andromeda," Remus began. "There's more." It was that he didn't want Kingsley to know, but Remus wanted Hermione to have a say in it.

"I have no plans to say anything to Kingsley until I speak to Hermione."

"Thank you," Remus said, then moved toward the door. Just because the man outside looked like Kingsley, didn't mean it was. Andromeda moved into the living room to peek at Teddy who was happily playing in his toy corner. She nodded to Remus who went to the door. At Kingsley's knock, Remus amplified his voice but didn't open the door.

"What did you help Teddy with yesterday?" Remus asked.

"I found his blue dragon," Kingsley said and Remus opened the door. His face was set in anger, but it softened as soon as he caught sight of Andromeda. Crossing the room, he moved towards her. He stopped when he reached her as if he wasn't sure she would still want his attention. She smiled and put a hand on his arm. Remus could see the tension go out of his body. He hid a smile. While he had known it already, it was clear that Kingsley was more than just a bit smitten.

"I'm sorry," Kingsley said.

"It is certainly not _your_ fault," Andromeda said.

"I don't understand how this happened," he said, rubbing a hand over his head. "We stayed in the Muggle world so this _wouldn't_ happen." Remus glanced at Andromeda, but she had looped her arm through Kingsley's and was leading him into the living room. Remus followed.

When Teddy caught sight of them, he jumped up with a grin.

"Ting!" He said. Remus chuckled at the moniker.

"What?" Kingsley said over his shoulder. "It's not as if I expect the boy to be able to get his mouth around Mr. Shacklebolt. He's got to call me something." Teddy rummaged around through his toys until his chubby fist closed around the blue dragon that Kingsley had found for him the day before.

"You pay?" Teddy asked, running up to Kingsley. Kingsley smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Maybe later," he said. "I need to talk to your dad and your grandmother." Both Remus and Andromeda looked at Teddy. Neither wanted the little boy to overhear their conversation. Even though Teddy likely wouldn't understand most of what was going on, Remus was sure there would be a few choice things said. Besides, Teddy had just about reached his limit of being able to entertain himself. He wouldn't leave them alone if they were all in the room with him, nor was it fair to ask him to.

"I should take Teddy upstairs," Remus said. "Let you two talk about this." Remus moved towards his son when the Floo pinged. Remus stood in front of Teddy, drawing his wand as Kingsley took a similar stance in front of Andromeda. She looked at the man in exasperation before she stepped around him and lowered the wards on the fireplace. Harry's head came into view.

"Ha-wy!" Teddy shouted and tried to run towards the Floo. Remus caught him before he could.

"Andromeda, I just saw the paper, what-" Harry trailed off as he noticed Kingsley in the room. "It's true then?"

"Yes," Andromeda said.

"When did this happen?" Harry asked.

"Only a couple of weeks ago," Kingsley said. Harry stared at the Minister for a moment. Remus glanced at Andromeda in question and she nodded her head.

"Actually, Harry, would you mind taking Teddy for a little while? We've got a few things to discuss here," Remus said.

"All right," Harry replied. "I'll come through," Harry said. A few moments later, he stepped into the living room. Remus put Teddy down and he ran across the room, jumping into Harry's waiting arms.

"Hey, mate," Harry said. "Want to come over to mine for a bit?"

"Yes!" Teddy said excitedly. Harry laughed. His eyes cut back to Andromeda and Kingsley and he smiled.

"I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, Harry," Andromeda said and Kingsley tipped his head in acknowledgement.

"I'll just get his bag," Remus said and moved to the stairs to summon it from Teddy's room.

"Pick out some toys, all right?" Harry said, setting Teddy down and then following Remus.

"It was Skeeter," Harry said quietly.

"Yes," Remus replied. Teddy's bag came down the stairs and landed in Remus' hand.

"Do they know?" Harry asked.

"Andromeda does."

"Remus," Harry began, but Remus shook his head.

"Andromeda is going to talk to Hermione first. I'm actually a bit surprised she isn't here yet."

"She's probably still sleeping," Harry said a bit sheepishly. "She had quite a bit more to drink after you left."

"She got home all right?" Remus asked in concern.

"Yes, I made sure." Remus nodded and handed Harry the bag.

"I appreciate you doing this, Harry."

"Not a problem," Harry said. Both men turned around and walked back toward the fireplace. Harry looked at Teddy who had an armful of toys. Every time one thing fell, he would bend over to get it, causing another two of three to follow suit.

"I think that's a bit too much," Remus said in amusement. He took a few things and handed them to Harry to put in the bag. "Be a good boy, all right?" Teddy nodded and Remus picked him up, hugging him before passing him off to Harry.

"Have fun, darling," Andromeda said, leaning in to kiss his cheek.

"Bye Nanna, bye Ting, bye Daddy." They all waved as Harry stepped into the Floo and they disappeared.

When they were gone, the three adults stood in silence for a few moments before Kingsley sighed and sat down on the couch. Andromeda sat down next to him.

"It's obvious the article was written by Rita Skeeter," Kingsley said. Remus took the chair next to them, sitting forward and resting his forearms on his knees.

"Yes, the fact that she was sure to say I was a werewolf and dating Hermione made that obvious, not to mention the dig about you two not watching Teddy." Andromeda looked murderous once again. Kingsley put a hand over hers and Remus watched with interest as she calmed.

"That doesn't explain how she found out about us," Kingsley said. "Or how she knew about the park."

"I suspect that either she saw you in London herself or someone else did and told her about it," Remus said. They _did_ need an explanation as to why Skeeter was following them in the first place.

"That's the thing though," Kingsley said. "Regardless of how she initially found out, when I'm in the Muggle world, I'm still careful. I cast charms as soon as we reached the park yesterday, as well as the other times we were in London together. There was no one under a Disillusionment charm or wearing a glamour. I suppose she could have used an Invisibility cloak, but they're so rare, I doubt she has one. Although, you can't check for Polyjuice. I wouldn't put it past Skeeter to go that route."

"Nor would I," Andromeda said. Remus said nothing. Even though he would do anything to protect Hermione, he was still uncomfortable not telling Kingsley the truth. Kingsley sat in thought.

"It is possible someone else saw us in the park and told her about it, I suppose." He turned to Andromeda. "There isn't anyone else magical living in your neighborhood is there?"

"There is always a chance, but I highly doubt it. Unless there is a Muggle-born student. But, even if that were the case, that does not explain how they knew my name. Everyone knows who you are, but I cannot imagine a Muggle-born student would know who I am."

"Well, it's obvious from the article that Skeeter already knew about the two of us, so it wouldn't matter if whoever saw us didn't know who you were." There was silence again.

"My question is how she knew Andromeda came to your flat," Remus said, trying to turn the conversation away from the park. The security around Kingsley's flat was tight. Remus suspected that he had many of the same wards as the Ministry itself. No one in Animagus form could get into the Ministry undetected. If Kingsley had the same ward, Skeeter couldn't have gotten onto his property, even as a beetle. Someone had known Andromeda was there, however.

"My Floo is monitored for security reasons," Kingsley said. "A record is made of anyone who even attempts to Floo in. If they don't have clearance, meaning they don't get through, they're investigated." Andromeda turned to look at him.

"You did not think this was something you should have informed me of?" she asked, clearly upset that her travel to his home had been recorded.

"It doesn't record _who_ Floos in, just where they came from," Kingsley said. "And I trust my security team."

"I could have Apparated," Andromeda said, but Kingsley was already shaking his head.

"The Anti-Apparition wards extend too far. If you had Apparated, you definitely would have been seen coming in. I thought the Floo would offer the most privacy."

"Who else has access to the information?" Remus asked.

"Just the security detail," he said. "They file their reports with my office monthly, but I'm the only other person with access to those. Unless there's a breach, no one else would see them." Kingsley sighed.

"I don't want to think so, but it's possible someone one my team has been passing information." He scrubbed a hand down his face. "I need to get to the Ministry and look into this." Remus glanced at Andromeda. Neither of them wanted an innocent person accused.

"What will you do?" Andromeda asked.

"First, I'm going to see if there is anyone magical living in your neighborhood. Since Skeeter knew about two of our previous dates, I doubt that's how she found out about the park, but I might as well rule it out. Then, I'll see who was on duty on my security team the night you came to my flat."

"Don't jump to any conclusions, Kingsley," Remus said. "There may be another explanation."

"Yes, don't you remember what she was like in school?" Andromeda asked. Kingsley shook his head. "No, you likely wouldn't. She was two years older than us and in my House. She was always lurking, spying, trying to get whatever information she could to up her standing." At Kingsley's and Remus' confused looks, Andromeda continued. "She was a Pureblood, but barely. She had a Muggle-born great-great-grandmother. Definitely not Sacred Twenty-eight and there were still many in our House that considered her a Half-blood. She had no qualms about using anyone for information if it helped her."

"I'll keep that in mind, but if I have a leak on my team, I need to deal with it." He rose from the couch. Andromeda stood as well.

"I will walk you out." Kingsley made his good-byes to Remus who stayed in the living room to give them some privacy. Remus hated not telling Kingsley everything, but he would do whatever was needed to protect Hermione.

* * *

"Are you truly all right?" Kingsley asked when they had reached the back door.

"I am not overly happy about how it has all come out," Andromeda replied.

"I'll understand if you don't want to continue things between us."

"That is not what I meant," she said. "I just wanted to announce it on our own terms."

"So did I," Kingsley said with a sigh. He took her hand in his. "Andromeda, now that it's public knowledge, it might be a lot to deal with. There will be letters, press wherever you go, speculation and assumptions about the two of us. Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" she said lightly. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"Of course not," he said. "I just, this is going to interfere in your life and I don't want you to come to resent it, resent me for it."

"Kingsley," she said. "Even if we had made the announcement ourselves weeks or months from now, all of those things would still happen."

"Yes, but we haven't been seeing one another for very long. You could easily change your mind."

"I could change my mind," she agreed. She paused and looked up at him. "But I do not know that it would be easy." He stared at her for a few moments before he smiled, then leaned in and kissed her.

"Just for the record, it wouldn't be easy for me either. You have gotten under my skin, Andromeda Tonks." She tried not to blush and failed. He smirked and kissed her again.

"I'll be back," he said. She nodded. Giving her one last smile, he hurried to the back of the garden and Disapparated.

* * *

Hermione yawned as she walked into the kitchen, a thoroughly annoyed Crookshanks yowling at her feet. He was accompanied by the incessant tapping of the owl at the window.

"I know, I'm sorry," Hermione said again, as she poured food into her cat's bowl. "Blame Ron and Ginny." Ginny's game had lasted until well into the evening and, of course, they'd gone out to celebrate the win afterwards. Remus had left before she did, knowing that Teddy would be up early, but Hermione had let Ginny and Ron talk her into far too many more drinks. Thank Merlin for hangover potions.

She opened the window and let the owl inside, taking the _Prophet_ and laying it on the table. She started the kettle and poured herself a glass of orange juice before sitting down with the newspaper. She opened the paper and read the headline, then promptly choked on her juice.

 **Minister for Magic in Secret Tryst with Andromeda Tonks!**

Hermione quickly read through the article, then stared at the paper in shock for a few moments. There was no byline, but she knew exactly who had written it. Her expression hardened. She stood and flicked her wand at the kettle to stop its whistling. Not bothering to change out of her pajamas, she waved her wand to transfigure them into a pair of jeans and a jumper. She summoned a hair tie and threw her hair up into a messy ponytail as she strode to her back door. She stepped into her back garden and Disapparated.

She didn't lose a step as she landed in Remus' garden and headed for the house. Hermione was furious that Skeeter had once again hurt someone she loved, but guilt gnawed at her as well. If she had told someone about the reporter long ago, none of this would have happened.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said the moment that Remus opened the door.

"It's not your fault," Remus said as she walked inside.

"But if I'd told someone," Hermione began.

"This still may have happened," Andromeda finished. Hermione's head whipped around to stare at the older woman.

"Andromeda, I," but Andromeda help up a hand to stop her.

"Remus told me about Skeeter being an Animagus and how you discovered it." Hermione glanced at Remus. "He also told me what you did to her." Hermione bit her lip and looked at the floor. It was one thing to tell Remus about what she'd done, but she had no idea how Andromeda would react to it.

"Hermione," Andromeda said. Hermione looked up slowly. The older woman's lips twitched and Hermione could have sworn she was trying not to laugh. "I have to say; my only complaint is that you did not keep her in that jar longer." Hermione gaped at her and Andromeda laughed. "I went to school with the woman. Trust me, darling, you did everyone a service." Hermione relaxed as Remus chuckled.

"I am sorry," Hermione said.

"I do not blame you," Andromeda said. "And before you insist that this would not have happened had you turned her in, however she found out about us in the first place could have easily happened with another reporter."

"Maybe, but unless that other reporter was also an Animagus, they likely wouldn't have been able to follow you without you knowing."

"Perhaps," Andromeda said. "But, I still do not blame you."

"Does Kingsley know?"

"No," Andromeda said. "I did not want to tell him without speaking to you."

"Well, we should tell him."

"Hermione," Remus said. "If he arrests her, you know she isn't going down without a fight."

"It's the right thing to do, Remus."

"And if she accuses you of keeping her in that jar?"

"I was only fifteen," Hermione said.

"You weren't fifteen when you gave her the information about Satterfield," Remus said.

"What information?" Andromeda asked. Hermione sighed.

"I was the one that gave Skeeter the tip about Satterfield drinking his lunch."

"I see," Andromeda said. She stared across the room, clearly thinking.

"She still needs to be arrested, Remus," Hermione said.

"Hermione, you know that Kingsley won't be able to keep this quiet. If she accuses you," he shook his head. She took his hand and stepped in front of him.

"It will be all right."

"What about everyone else that knows?" he asked. "Do you want Harry, Ron and Ginny to be arrested too?" Hermione bit her lip.

"Luna also knows."

"Because of the Quibbler article?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded.

"Skeeter is only aware that Harry and Luna know."

"Still," Remus said. Hermione sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want her to keep doing this to people."

"I know, love, but I don't want you in Azkaban."

"You think it would come to that?" she asked, looking up at him. "I mean, I never actually told Skeeter to use her Animagus form to spy on Satterfield."

"What did you say?"

"I told her to use her special talents," Hermione said. "That could mean anything."

"But, once they find out you knew she was an Animagus, the Wizengamot could spin it however they liked."

"This is not Fudge's Wizengamot," Hermione said.

"It isn't," Remus agreed. "But that doesn't reassure me all that much, I'm afraid."

"I think we need to wait for Kingsley to return," Andromeda said. "While it is unlikely that he found anything, someone _had_ to have told her about seeing us in London. His security team knew about it, even if they were not there. He may be right and one of them may have tipped Skeeter off." Hermione nodded. Remus kissed the top of her head.

"Where's Teddy?" Hermione asked, finally noticing that the little boy wasn't in the house.

"We sent him to Harry's," Remus said.

"I should talk to Harry," Hermione said. "He's involved in this too if I turn Skeeter in." Remus nodded.

"And I need to talk to Bill," he said, turning to Andromeda. "If Skeeter has been following you, I want to put up wards to keep her and anyone else out in their Animagus form." He swallowed visibly after he said it. Hermione squeezed his hand, knowing he was likely thinking about James and Sirius. Maybe even Peter.

"I was going to suggest it," Andromeda said.

"Will you be all right here alone?" Remus asked.

"I am not helpless," she said a bit testily.

"I know that, but the owls will likely start arriving soon."

"I will be fine."

"All right," he said. "I had better call Bill first. Hermione are you going to Floo to Harry's?"

"I might as well as long as you're opening the Floo." She turned to Andromeda.

"Do not apologize again," the older woman said.

"I won't," Hermione said with a smile. Andromeda returned it and then stepped forward, pulling the younger woman into a hug.

"Do not blame yourself." When she released her, Hermione followed Remus into the living room. He lowered the wards on the fireplace and turned to her. Hermione tried to smile at him, but she must have failed because he gathered her into his arms.

"It's going to be all right, love." She breathed in the scent of him, then looked up and kissed him. Remus smiled when they parted. "I love you."

"I love you too." Hermione said. She grabbed the Floo powder and stepped in, calling out for Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Andromeda opened the window to let in another owl. This was the third in the last twenty minutes. Another request for an interview, this time from Witch Weekly. Andromeda set the letter alight with her wand, dropping it into a bowl on the table that she had set out for that purpose.

"At least they are asking," she muttered as the last of the letter turned to ash. She picked up her tea and took a sip, grimacing when she realized it was cold. Walking to the sink, she dumped it out, looking out the window to the street.

While she was not looking forward to the publicity, what Andromeda had told Kingsley was true. It wouldn't be easy to end things between them. The thought had surprised her as soon as she had said it, but she could not deny that it was true. The only thing that gave her pause was the short amount of time it had taken for her to feel the way that she did. But, she had known Kingsley for a few years and knew what kind of man he was. Perhaps it also had to do with the fact that she was older and knew what she wanted in a relationship.

Before she think on it further, there was a popping noise outside. Andromeda immediately drew her wand and walked out of the kitchen to the back window. She sighed when she saw who was approaching the house. She had actually expected her sister to arrive sooner. She must have had a lie-in this morning.

"Narcissa," Andromeda said once she had opened the door. She didn't bother to check her sister's identity. No one outside the families knew that the two had reconciled and Narcissa had not been here for a few weeks, well before Skeeter had found out about Kingsley. "I was not expecting you."

"That does not surprise me" Narcissa said, walking into the house. She dropped a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ on the table and then looked at Andromeda, eyebrow raised. "This, however, did."

Andromeda sighed and moved further into the kitchen.

"Tea?" she said over her shoulder. Andromeda did not really want more tea, but it would keep her busy and Narcissa would likely expect it.

"You are not going to deny it?"

"Why would I?" She turned to face Narcissa.

"You are seeing the Minister for Magic," Narcissa said. It was only years of training at their mother's knee that kept the incredulity off Narcissa's face, Andromeda knew.

"I suppose so."

"And how long has this been going on?" Andromeda had told Narcissa about the state dinner, but she had stressed that it was not a date.

"A couple of weeks," Andromeda replied.

"You did not see fit to tell me?"

"I did not see fit to tell anyone," Andromeda said. Narcissa raised an eyebrow, gaze moving to the newspaper. Andromeda gave her a scathing look.

"I did not consent to that."

"But you consented to being fondled on a public street?" Narcissa said with a sniff of disdain. Of course, their upbringing absolutely forbade any kind of public displays of affection. Not that there really were any, given the number of arranged marriages in the Black family tree. Andromeda had felt the same with Ted, at first, but his easygoing nature had stripped her of most of her discomfort. She knew Kingsley would never kiss her in the middle of Diagon Alley as he did in her own neighborhood. Nor would she be comfortable with it. But, living among Muggles did have its advantages. Andromeda gave her sister a self-satisfied smile.

"Oh, Cissy, you do not know what you are missing." Narcissa stared at her, shock actually registering on her face. Andromeda had to struggle to hold back a laugh. Narcissa finally huffed out a breath.

"Charming," she said, but there was no bite in her tone. Andromeda chuckled and Narcissa shook her head, amusement in her eyes. She sat down as Andromeda turned to make the tea. When she brought it to the table Narcissa was looking at the newspaper again, tapping one perfectly manicured nail on the headline.

"Pity," Narcissa said, taking a sip of the tea Andromeda had passed her.

"What is?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt, Pureblood, Sacred Twenty-Eight. You could not have realized this when we were still in school?" Andromeda's eyes narrowed.

"I am simply pointing out the irony," Narcissa said airily.

"Yes, I am sure you are," Andromeda said dryly, taking a sip of her own tea. Narcissa smiled, covering the action with her tea cup. Andromeda couldn't even find it in her to be offended. They had not teased one another like this for some time.

"So, how serious is it between you and our Minister?" Andromeda nearly choked on her tea.

"It has been two weeks," she said. "We have been on _three_ dates."

"And taken your grandson to the park," Narcissa pointed out.

"Only because Teddy has been upset that I have been missing supper with him. I wanted him to get to know Kingsley better." Narcissa smirked.

"As you say." Andromeda glared at her. She was not about to tell Narcissa about her growing feelings for Kingsley. Especially after her earlier comment. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"From the style, I am guessing that Rita Skeeter is behind this?"

"That is the consensus, yes."

"I do wonder how she found out about the two of you in the first place." Andromeda studied her sister. Narcissa's face gave nothing away, of course, but that meant nothing. She knew something, Andromeda was sure of it.

"As do we," Andromeda said. "Especially since every date we have had, save the one at Kingsley's flat, has been in the Muggle world."

"Seeing how much time she spent in school denying she had any Muggle blood at all, Skeeter spending time in Muggle London seems unlikely," Narcissa said, taking another sip of her tea.

"I would have to agree."

"Perhaps she was there for another reason."

"Perhaps." They lapsed into silence again. Andromeda had to admit, she was ready to just ask Narcissa what she knew. She had not played these Slytherin games in quite some time and while they had once been second nature to her, after the morning she had had it was a bit exhausting. But, there must have been a reason that Narcissa did not just volunteer the information. And the only thing that made sense would be if there was someone else even closer to her she was trying to protect. Which meant it was either Lucius or Draco.

Andromeda wondered what either one of them could have had to do with Rita Skeeter. Andromeda did not remember any articles the woman had written during the war about Death Eaters, suspected or otherwise. In fact, she hadn't written much at all between the Triwizard tournament and Dumbledore's death. A year of that hiatus was Hermione's doing, of course, save the Quibbler article about Harry. But, if Andromeda remembered correctly Draco had been quoted in at least one of Skeeter's articles during the tournament. Curious.

"I have heard that Skeeter has special talents," Andromeda said conversationally. "I suppose she would have to, to get some of the information she has."

"I suppose she would," Narcissa agreed, sipping her tea. "I have to confess that I have heard similar rumors."

"Oh?" Andromeda said. "From whom?"

"One hears many things in my circles," Narcissa said. Andromeda was well aware that the 'circles' Narcissa spoke of were nearly non-existent since the end of the war. Lucius had turned against too many of his fellows. And those that hadn't worn the Mark, even if they believed in the message, had put as much distance as possible between them and those that had been branded. It was highly unlikely Narcissa had recently found out about Skeeter's Animagus ability.

"I imagine," Andromeda said.

"And you?" Narcissa asked.

"I have quite a few intelligent people around me," Andromeda said. Narcissa studied her for moment before she nodded.

"Just so." Andromeda smiled and sipped her tea.

"And what are these intelligent people planning on doing with their information?" Narcissa continued. Andromeda's eyes flicked to Narcissa's hands. Her knuckles were white where she grasped the handle of her cup.

"It is still under discussion," Andromeda said. The whitening of Narcissa's knuckles lessened but did not disappear. She was nervous for someone.

"Surprising given the number of Gryffindors you surround yourself with." Andromeda smirked.

"Not everyone is all or nothing, Cissy." The tension left Narcissa's hand completely.

"I had lunch with Anastasia Greengrass the other day," Narcissa said. Andromeda did not comment on the sudden change of topic.

"Oh?" Andromeda said. "I did not know the two of you were on lunch terms." Anastasia Greengrass had been a year younger than Narcissa in school. All that Andromeda remembered of her was that she was an incessant gossip. She did not recall Narcissa being particularly close to her, not to mention that the Greengrasses had been neutral during both wars.

"Draco has been courting her younger daughter, Astoria, for the last year." Narcissa's face softened as she spoke of her son. Andromeda smiled.

"How lovely, Cissy," she said, truly meaning it. Narcissa smiled into her tea cup for a moment.

"Lucius, of course, is pressing for a betrothal contract, but Draco has so far refused. He has insisted that he will marry when he chooses and on his own terms."

"Good for him," Andromeda said. Narcissa raised an eyebrow. Andromeda laughed. "You cannot possibly be surprised by my reaction, Cissy."

"No, I suppose I am not."

"And your feelings on the matter?" Andromeda asked. Narcissa looked seriously at her sister.

"I would do anything to ensure my son's happiness." Andromeda met her gaze, knowing she was talking about more than just Draco's future with the Greengrass girl. Narcissa blinked and her mask fell back into place.

"Anastasia tells me that Skeeter is working on another book," Narcissa said.

"Is she?" Andromeda said, not surprised. After the popularity of Dumbledore's biography, not to mention Snape's, Andromeda could only guess who she was going after next. "And what poor soul is she planning on skewering this time?"

"Harry Potter." Andromeda stared at her sister, allowing the shock to show on her face.

"Excuse me?"

"I believe you heard me, Andi." Sipping at her tea, outwardly calm once again, Narcissa continued. "In fact, Skeeter contacted Draco asking if he would like to be interviewed." Andromeda's eyes narrowed. "He refused, of course. My son wishes to put his school years behind him."

"A wise choice," Andromeda said. Narcissa made a noise of agreement.

"I question whether the rest of his schoolmates would feel the same way." Andromeda sat back in her chair. No, it was likely that there were people that would be willing to talk about Harry's years at Hogwarts, even to Rita Skeeter. There was always someone with an axe to grind. Even, perhaps, someone wanting to meet in Muggle London to avoid detection.

"No, I do not expect they all would," Andromeda said. There was a pop outside and Andromeda looked up to see that Remus and Bill had arrived. They did not immediately come towards the house, Remus gesturing to Bill around the garden, obviously discussing the wards.

"I should get home," Narcissa said as she stood, obviously having seen the men's arrival. "Lucius does get cross if he has to eat alone." Andromeda rose from her chair.

"I will open the Floo." Narcissa followed her into the living room. The two women embraced briefly.

"I am happy for you, Andi," Narcissa said.

"Thank you," Andromeda replied with a smile. She watched Narcissa disappear. Their conversation had been quite informative, to say the least.


	78. Missing

**A/N - Hi everyone! Thank you for all your reviews last chapter and to everyone who has been reading. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 78**

 **Missing**

 **28 May 2000**

Remus, Hermione and Andromeda sat at the kitchen table. Hermione had returned from Grimmauld Place with a sleepy Teddy who had been put down for a nap. Remus and Bill had finished with the wards.

Kingsley had returned briefly with the news that one of his staff, Alan Radford, had been on duty three of the four times that Kingsley had seen Andromeda - their picnic, the date at Kingsley's flat, and yesterday when they took Teddy to the park. Hermione and Remus had been surprised by this revelation, but they had been even more so when Kingsley had spoken about the security measures that were taken, even when he was in Muggle areas and did not have security with him.

" _There is always at least one person who knows where I will be. Plus, there are charms." Kingsley stopped abruptly and glanced at all three of them, then shook his head as if it didn't matter and continued. "There are charms that will alert that person if I'm disarmed or cast certain offensive spells. And there's a tracking charm on this." He pulled a watch fob from his pocket. "So they can find me if needed." They were all surprised._

" _After the war, there were threats," Kingsley explained. "Remember that we hadn't rounded up all the Death Eaters and Voldemort's other supporters yet. Precautions were taken. Once everyone was in prison, I wanted to decrease security. But, there are always threats for one reason or another."_

" _Kingsley," Andromeda said in concern, putting a hand on his arm._

" _Nothing credible, as far as I'm concerned," he said. "Otherwise, we never would have been without security." He picked up her hand and kissed her fingertips. "But the head of DMLE insists."_

After eating a bit of lunch with them, Kingsley left to bring his staff in for questioning. He promised to return as soon as he knew anything.

"Narcissa was here," Andromeda said without preamble once Kingsley was gone. Hermione tensed slightly and Remus reached for her hand. He squeezed it and she relaxed again.

"I have the feeling that Draco may know about Skeeter being an Animagus," Andromeda continued. Hermione sat back in her chair and brought her free hand to her forehead.

"Of course, he does," she said. "He was one of her sources during the Triwizard tournament. I can't believe I forgot to mention that. There were a few Slytherins that knew. They all gave Rita information for those articles she wrote."

"Well, that explains it," Andromeda said.

"Explains what?" Remus asked.

"Narcissa was very concerned about what we were going to do with the information about Skeeter."

"You told her Hermione knew?" Remus asked incredulously.

"Of course, I didn't," Andromeda said, a bit snappishly. Remus gave her an apologetic smile.

"Then, I don't understand," he said.

"We talked around it, of course," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "But Cissy was quite nervous."

"Draco didn't keep her in a jar," Hermione said. "Or ask her to spy on his boss."

"No, but Draco was a Death Eater," Remus said.

"Not when he was talking to Skeeter he wasn't," Hermione said.

"It likely will not matter," Andromeda replied. Hermione sighed. She held no affection for Draco Malfoy, but he had been thrown into a war that should have been fought by adults, just as surely as she, Harry and Ron had. Yes, Draco had been on the wrong side, but she knew that he hadn't been given a choice. That final year at Hogwarts, after the war, he had kept his head down and just tried to fulfill the terms of his probation. She hadn't seen or heard anything about him since. She could only assume he was trying to move on with his life like everyone else.

"She also told me that Skeeter is writing another book," Andromeda said, her face grim. "This one is about Harry."

"Damn," Hermione swore. "I was afraid of that."

"You knew?" Andromeda asked.

"Suspected," Hermione said. "When I spoke to Skeeter about Satterfield, she told me she was writing another book. She said it was about the war and she wanted quotes from 'the Golden Trio'. I refused, of course."

"She contacted Draco and asked for an interview. He declined."

"Well, that's something," Remus said. Hermione nodded. She wasn't surprised, really. If the shoe had been on the other foot, she was sure that Harry wouldn't have wanted to be interviewed about Draco either.

"Narcissa was quick to remind me that not everyone would likely refuse," Andromeda said. Hermione sighed.

"No, I'm sure there are some that would love to dish dirt on Harry, true or not."

"That might have been who Rita was meeting when she saw the two of you in London," Remus said. "If this person Kingsley was talking about isn't the culprit, that is."

"Yes," Andromeda agreed. "And that is not illegal." They all sat in silence. Hermione still thought they should tell Kingsley everything, but she _was_ worried about what the outcome of it all would be. Hermione knew that if she hadn't sent Rita after Satterfield, she likely wouldn't have as much to be concerned about. But, Hermione would never regret stopping him and Warrington before they could hurt more werewolves. She would go to Azkaban twenty times over if she had prevented even one more person dying.

Remus reached over and took her hand again, lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of it. He seemed to understand what she was thinking about. She smiled at him gratefully.

"Do you really think that someone on Kingsley's team would have spoken to her?" Hermione asked. If it was true, the man would lose his job, but Hermione didn't know if he would face any further punishment. Andromeda was right, it wasn't illegal to talk to a reporter. And it still didn't solve the problem of Rita Skeeter.

"Anything is possible," Remus said.

"Why though?"

"A million reasons," Remus said. "He might have been upset with Kingsley for some reason or maybe she offered him money for information."

"Blackmail," Andromeda said. "I am sure that Skeeter has no problem finding dirt if it is there to find."

"That just seems like a lot of work for little gain," Hermione said, brow furrowed. "I realize that Rita enjoys scandals, but the two of you dating is hardly one. You're both single, there's nothing sordid in either of your pasts. Beyond the initial surprise, I can't see the public being against the two of you for any reason. What could Rita possibly have to gain by going to those lengths?"

"Connecting Andromeda to the Minister, connects both of us to him," Remus said. "Indirectly, yes, but you could argue that his relationship with Andromeda allowed either of us to try and influence him on the werewolf proposal. Since your name wasn't on it, I would be the likely choice."

"Or, that I influenced Kingsley myself. Everyone knows that Remus was married to Nymphadora," Andromeda said.

"But you weren't even dating when the proposal was heard," Hermione argued.

"But they were before the Wizengamot had made their decision. And the public has no idea how long they have been," Remus reminded her.

"Stirring up trouble is Rita's specialty," Hermione agreed. "But still, Kingsley only gets a vote if there's a tie in the Wizengamot, which there wasn't."

"He has influence, though," Andromeda said. Hermione sighed and nodded. "That is why Kingsley and I will need to make a statement as soon as possible."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Remus asked.

"No, but I will not have that legislation questioned for any reason," Andromeda replied. "Obviously, it will have to wait until he finishes questioning his staff." The three of them fell silent once again, all wondering if a member of Kingsley's security team had betrayed him or if Rita was simply up to her usual tricks.

* * *

Kingsley returned before dinner. One look at his face and Andromeda knew that he did not have good news. She had been just as surprised as Remus and Hermione when Kingsley had told them that he thought there was a leak on his team. Knowing Rita's Animagus status, Andromeda had just assumed the woman had stumbled upon them by accident and had been spying on them ever since. She supposed it made sense if someone had given her the information initially. London was a large place, it was highly unlikely they would have been in the same area by coincidence. Andromeda took his hand.

"Come and sit down," she said, leading him into the living room.

"Ting!" Teddy shouted and ran towards him. A genuine smile crossed Kingsley's face as he leaned down and ruffled Teddy's hair.

"Hello, Teddy." When Kingsley sat down on the couch, Teddy climbed up beside him. Andromeda gave Teddy a fond smile as she sat down on his other side.

"Drink?" Remus asked. The Minister shook his head.

"As much as I'd like to, I have to go back to the Ministry later this evening." He looked at the three of them. "I found the leak. It was Radford." Hermione's mouth dropped open and even Andromeda was surprised.

"He actually spoke to Rita Skeeter," Remus said incredulously.

"Well, he hasn't admitted to that yet," Kingsley confessed. "But, he did speak about my plans to someone else."

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"His girlfriend," Kingsley said.

"So, she spoke to Skeeter?" Andromeda said.

"Radford swears that she would never do that, but we haven't been able to question her yet," Kingsley said. "She was visiting family in Scotland and is on her way back." At their confused expressions he continued. "She's Muggle-born and took the train. It arrives at King's Cross in two hours. She will be met at the station and brought in for questioning."

"Tain!" Teddy said and scrambled off the couch, running to his toys. He came back with a miniature version of the Hogwarts Express and showed it to Kingsley. He examined the toy and made the appropriate compliments before handing it back to Teddy. "You pay?"

"I'm sorry Teddy, I can't play with you right now," Kingsley said apologetically.

"Teddy, why don't we take your train outside," Hermione suggested. "You can drive it on the patio." Teddy ran back to his toys and tried to gather the rest of the train cars. Hermione walked over to help him, then followed the little boy as he ran out of the room. They heard the door open and then close a few seconds later.

"Do you believe him?" Andromeda asked once they were gone. "That he did not tell Skeeter?"

"If you had asked me before today I would have unequivocally said yes. But as it is," Kingsley trailed off, shaking his head. "I don't know what to think."

"What's going to happen to him?" Remus asked.

"Even if he didn't tell Skeeter, he still told his girlfriend," Kingsley said with a sigh. "Who could have then told any number of people, including Skeeter. He'll lose his job at the very least."

"What if neither of them told her?" Andromeda asked. "What if she simply overheard a conversation?"

"While that's possible, it makes it even more irresponsible," Kingsley said. "Skeeter could have only overheard them if they were in public. Telling his girlfriend my business in the privacy of his home is one thing, but discussing it in a public place where anyone could have heard them?" Kingsley shook his head again. "It shows extremely poor judgement."

"Did he explain himself?"

"Apparently, it's a relatively new relationship. Radford didn't say in so many words, but I think he was trying to impress her." Kingsley ran a hand over his head in agitation. "Of all the ridiculous reasons." Remus had to agree. It _was_ a stupid decision, but sometimes people did stupid things for love. He looked at Andromeda who had moved closer to Kingsley once Teddy had left. Deciding they could use a bit of privacy, Remus excused himself and joined Hermione and Teddy outside.

"Did I miss anything important?" Hermione asked as he closed the back door.

"No," Remus said. "Except that he probably told his girlfriend to try and impress her." Hermione shook her head. Remus watched Teddy as he made train noises, pushing the toy along the edge of the patio.

"I still feel guilty not telling Kingsley," she said. Remus stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back into him.

"I know, love," he said.

"What if this isn't how Skeeter found out?" Hermione asked.

"Let's just wait and see what happens," Remus said.

* * *

When Remus left the room, Andromeda put a hand on Kingsley's arm. He looked up at her and gave her a half-hearted smile.

"Do not blame yourself for this," she said.

"He's on my staff," Kingsley replied. Andromeda took his hand in hers.

"You cannot control every single thing your staff does."

"Perhaps not, but I hired him in the first place."

"Kingsley," she said a bit exasperated. "Yes, we were exposed sooner that we would have liked. It is not the end of the world."

"I know, I'm sorry," he said with a sigh. "I'm overreacting, aren't I?"

"Well, you do need to make sure that your security team is not out revealing your movements to all and sundry, but, a bit, yes." He chuckled and brought her hand to his lips, kissing her palm. She smiled.

"I was thinking," she said. "Perhaps we should give an interview." His eyes widened in surprise.

"You want to talk to the press?"

"Not particularly, no," she admitted. "But, I like even less that the only information anyone has is what Skeeter has told them. Which, of course, was written to try and cast as much suspicion as possible."

"Of course," Kingsley agreed.

"If we do not say anything, it looks as if we _do_ have something to hide." Kingsley sighed again.

"You're right," he said. "Did you have a publication in mind?"

"Well, the _Prophet_ would reach the most people, but I find myself less than enthusiastic about giving them the privilege."

"I have to agree," Kingsley replied, thoughtful look on his face. "We could just hold a press conference. Get it over in one go."

"We would have no control over the questions then," she pointed out.

"No, but we don't necessarily have to answer any questions," Kingsley said. "I could read a prepared statement and leave it at that."

"That might cause more speculation."

"It might," Kingsley agreed. "We could always take a few questions and end it if someone asks something we don't want to answer. I have a pretty good idea who will be less intrusive in their questioning. I could start with them." Andromeda thought about it for a few moments and then nodded. "Shall I set something up for tomorrow morning?"

"Do you think that we could do it tonight?" she asked. "Then, it will be in all the papers tomorrow morning." Kingsley thought about it for a moment before he nodded.

"All right," he said. "I'll have it set up." He looked back at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?" She smiled and clasped his hand.

"Yes," she said, surprised to find that she was being completely truthful. While she knew there would be issues related to dating the Minister for Magic, she found she did not much care anymore. The secret itself was already out. Kingsley grinned and drew her to him, kissing her.

"Stay for dinner?" she asked when they finally parted. She was a bit breathless.

"I'd love to, but if I'm going to get this press conference organized, I should head back to the Ministry." He kissed her once again and then pulled away rather reluctantly.

"Eight?" he asked. She nodded. "I'll come and get you half seven."

"All right," Andromeda agreed. He stood and she followed suit, opening the Floo for him. After leaning in for one last quick kiss, he stepped into the Floo and disappeared.

Andromeda blew out a breath and walked to the garden to inform Hermione and Remus of their decision.

* * *

Andromeda's hand tightened on Kingsley's arm as they stepped into the Atrium. Members of Kingsley's personal security team surrounded the dais. Aurors were positioned at the back of the crowd. The number of reporters standing in front of the dais waiting for them shocked Andromeda. She hadn't known there were this many publications in Britain. She looked around for Rita Skeeter, but didn't see her. Just as well, Andromeda thought.

Kingsley released her arm, then stepped up to the podium. She stood next to him, avoiding making eye contact with anyone by looking out over the crowd's heads. Kingsley cast a Sonorus charm and thanked everyone for coming.

"As you are all aware, an article was published this morning in the _Daily Prophet_ , revealing a relationship between Andromeda Tonks and myself. This is true." Kingsley turned to her and smiled. Andromeda dipped her head and smiled back. Murmurs immediately broke out amongst the crowd and Andromeda could see many of the reporters scribbling quickly at their parchment.

"The speculation in the article that I was hiding something was completely false, however. Knowing the amount of attention any relationship I entered into would generate, Mrs. Tonks and I decided to stay in Muggle areas. This was simply a matter of trying to protect our privacy as we got to know one another, nothing more."

"Mrs. Tonks and I had every intention of disclosing our relationship to the public when we were ready to do so. It is unfortunate that the _Daily Prophet_ chose to ignore our privacy and print an article without asking for comment from either of us. We have decided to clear up any confusion the article may have caused by speaking to you today. We will take a few questions."

"Minister how long have the two of you been dating?"

"Just two weeks," Kingsley replied. There was more muttering from the crowd. Clearly, the press was expecting that they had been hiding it longer than that.

"Are things serious between the two of you?"

"Did you miss my answer to the last question?" Kingsley asked dryly. Andromeda bit back a laugh.

"Minister when you were asked after the state dinner about Mrs. Tonks, you said you were just friends. Was that a lie?"

"No," Kingsley said. "We were not dating at that time. Our relationship began shortly after."

"Mrs. Tonks, did your decision to pursue the Minister have anything to do with your former son-in-law's status as a werewolf?" Kingsley glared at the man and opened his mouth to speak, but Andromeda put a hand on his arm and amplified her own voice.

"Firstly, Mr. Lupin is still my son-in-law, I do not know why you use the word 'former'. Second, I assume you ask this question in reference to the recent legislation that was passed by the Wizengamot?" The reporter nodded. "Considering the Minister does not have a vote unless there is a tie in the Wizengamot, I am not sure how dating him would have influenced anything. If that were my goal, I think I likely would have chosen someone from the voting body, would I not?" She smiled sweetly at the reporter and there was a smattering of laughter from the rest of the crowd. She felt Kingsley squeeze her hand where it was hidden by the podium. The reporter scowled but did not give up.

"It is common knowledge that the Minister's opinion holds sway amongst some members of the Wizengamot. Do you deny this?"

"No," Andromeda said. "But, as the Minister's views on this topic were the always the same as my own, something which all of you here are aware of, there was nothing to influence."

"Next question," Kingsley said when the reporter opened his mouth for a third time.

"Is there a chance of a proposal in the future?"

"I repeat, it has been two weeks," Kingsley said. Andromeda wondered how he managed to keep the exasperation out of his voice. "That will be all for this evening, thank you all for coming." He held out his arm to Andromeda even as questions continued to be shouted at them as they walked out of the Atrium. They didn't speak until they were in the privacy on his office.

"You were absolutely brilliant," Kingsley said, grinning at her as he pulled her into his arms. She laughed and he kissed her.

"At least someone asked something unrelated to marrying us off," she said when they had parted. He rolled his eyes.

"Two weeks," he said again. She laughed once more. They glanced at one another and then looked away.

"Do you have to stay?" she asked, changing the subject. Kingsley sighed and released her.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said. "We still have both Radford and Fiona Murray in the interrogation rooms."

"Has she said anything?"

"She vehemently denied telling Rita Skeeter anything, or anyone else for that matter."

"Do you believe her?" Kingsley had been an Auror for years before he became Minister. He was well acquainted with determining guilt or innocence.

"Honestly? I'm inclined to." He scrubbed a hand down his face. "Radford has admitted that he _may_ have mentioned something to Fiona when they were in Diagon Alley, which could have been overheard, but he doesn't remember exactly. She hasn't said anything to confirm or deny that. I had to leave for the press conference before they started questioning her about it."

"Perhaps you should just let them go and be done with it," Andromeda said. Kingsley looked at her quizzically. "You have already fired him and there are not any criminal charges to be filed. He broke confidentiality, but he did not do it maliciously." Kingsley sighed.

"You're right," he said. "I had just hoped to get some kind of proof that this was how Skeeter found out."

"Does it matter?" she asked. "It will not change the fact that she did. We just had a press conference because of it."

"I know," Kingsley said with another sigh. There was a knock on the door and Kingsley walked over to open it. He spoke to whoever was on the other side for a few moments, then nodded and closed the door once again.

"I have to go," he said apologetically. She nodded. Closing the distance between them, he leaned in and kissed her slowly. When they parted, he stared at her for a few moments.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" she asked.

"For handling all of this the way that you have," he said. He cupped her cheek in his hand. "Some women would have run as far and as fast as they could."

"I am not most women," she quipped. He chuckled.

"No, you most definitely are not." He kissed her once more, then led her to the Floo. "Good night, Andromeda."

"Good night, Kingsley."

* * *

A cloaked figure approached the house with an acid green door. Looking furtively around, they crept to the back garden. Wand raised, wards were tested and a few dismantled before the figure stepped to the back door and replaced the wards. A whispered 'alohomora' had the door opening with a soft click. Slipping inside, the door was closed silently behind them.

A quick scan of the house revealed no one inside and the figure stepped into the shadows to wait. Less than a half hour passed before the rush of the Floo was heard. The cloaked figure stepped into the corridor and made their way on silent feet towards the front of the house. As they approached, quiet muttering could be heard. As they stepped into the doorway, a woman with blonde curls came into view. She was bent over a table that was scattered with parchment and books, digging through a crocodile skin handbag. The blonde woman froze, then turned swiftly around, hand groping her pocket for her wand, eyes widening at the figure standing in the doorway.

"Hello, Rita."

* * *

 **29 May 2000**

"I'm not surprised," Andromeda said as she finished reading the _Prophet's_ article about the press conference the previous evening. "He _was_ a little annoyed with me." She smiled wickedly and Remus laughed. The reporter who had asked Andromeda about influencing Kingsley on the werewolf vote had been from the _Daily Prophet_. The article definitely had a more suspicious slant than any of the others they had read. Kingsley had sent over a package of newspapers from all over Britain that morning. The rest had all simply repeated what Kingsley and Andromeda had said at the press conference. Some were complimentary, some speculated about their future, of course, but only the _Prophet_ seemed to think there was something dubious about their relationship.

"It is interesting that Skeeter was not there," Andromeda said.

"She doesn't actually work for the Prophet, I don't think," Remus said. "Just sells articles to them."

"Still," Andromeda said. "I would have thought she would have wanted to see the results of her handiwork."

"True," Remus agreed. It was a bit strange. Andromeda shook her head.

"I should be glad instead of questioning it." She took a sip of her tea.

"Did you hear anything else from Kingsley?" Remus asked. He had been upstairs changing Teddy when the papers arrived. After getting Teddy's breakfast and sitting down to eat himself, Remus' attention had been taken by the newspapers and he had forgotten to ask.

"Yes," she said with a sigh. "After a bit of prodding, Ms. Murray remembered that Mr. Radford did indeed speak to her about our picnic while they were walking through Diagon Alley. She was adamant that there was no one else around when he said it, but the consensus is that she just did not notice Skeeter. Which, as we both know, is highly possible. Whether Skeeter began spying on us after that or continued to followed Mr. Radford around to get more information is anyone's guess. In the end, it really doesn't matter."

"He's been fired then?" Remus asked.

"From Kingsley's team, yes," she said. "He's been moved to the Department of Magical Transportation. A very large demotion, but at least he is not out of a job entirely." Remus nodded.

"Done, Daddy," Teddy said. Remus looked over at his son and chuckled. Small bits of egg clung to his cheek. Teddy grinned and giggled as Remus wiped his face and took him out of his highchair.

"Is Hermione coming to dinner?" Andromeda asked.

"If that's all right," Remus said.

"Of course, it is," Andromeda replied. "I believe Kingsley is coming as well." Her cheeks tinged pink.

"My-nee! Ting!" Teddy said with a grin.

"Sounds like an enjoyable evening," Remus said, not commenting on her blush as he carried Teddy to the sink to wash his hands. He did, however, smile widely as soon as his back was to her.

"I can see you smiling," she said and Remus laughed as he shook his head.

"Only because I'm happy for you," Remus said as he returned from the sink and leaned down and kissed her cheek. Teddy followed suit. She shook her head fondly at the both of them and then shooed them upstairs so Remus could get Teddy dressed for the day.

* * *

"Hermione how is the search for a brewer for the sanctuary going?" Kingsley asked that evening as they ate.

"Not well, I'm afraid," she said with a sigh. "We are just going to have pay the ridiculous fee brewers are asking for if we want to open in June. The potion will have to be started in a week in order for it to be ready in time. I know we can continue the search for the future, but Gwendolyn has exhausted every avenue she can think of.

The biggest problem is that the potion is difficult to brew. There are a limited number of brewers that will even attempt it, which overall is a good thing, but not for us. Then, while it only takes a few days to brew, it is time-consuming in short bursts, with longer times of simmering in between. It's difficult for apothecaries to do it and still run their business. And most researchers or independent brewers don't want to take time away from their other projects." Kingsley nodded.

"What we really need is someone who is skilled and doesn't mind working part-time," Hermione continued. "That's why Gwendolyn was contacting retired brewers. But, either they weren't qualified or they weren't interested." She sighed again.

"Have you thought about Caroline?" Andromeda said.

"Caroline?" Hermione questioned. "Will's mother?"

"Yes," Andromeda said.

"I knew she was helping you make the potion for Remus and Will, but does she know how to brew it herself?" Hermione asked.

"She has not made it from start to finish on her own, no," Andromeda said. "But she is getting very close to doing so. She did the majority of the work last time. I would be willing to help for a few months, until she in competent to do it on her own."

"I can't ask that of you, Andromeda," Hermione said immediately.

"You are not asking," Andromeda said. "I am offering."

"Do you think she would be interested?" Hermione asked. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but if Caroline was willing to do this, it would solve all their problems.

"Remember she told us she was planning on going back to work before we found Will," Remus reminded her.

"That's true, but," Hermione bit her lip, thinking.

"This could be the perfect solution for her, at least right now," Andromeda said. "Rebecca is still young and while Caroline does need the money, she also wants to be there for her youngest as she was for the others. It has been adjustment for Rebecca as well, having Will back."

"Just ask her, Hermione," Remus said. "If she says no, you're no worse off that you were before."

"If she cannot do it, I will," Andromeda said. Hermione looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Hermione said.

"I want you to be able to open the sanctuary."

"But, what if we can't find anyone to take over for you?" Hermione said.

"We will cross that bridge if we come to it," Andromeda replied. "I have a feeling you won't be needing me for long, anyway."

"Andromeda, thank you, I'm sorry I didn't ask you before. It's not that I didn't trust your brewing, I just didn't want you to feel obligated or that I was using our relationship to get you to agree, or-" Andromeda cut her off by putting a hand on her arm.

"Hermione," she said with a smile. "I understand." Hermione looked sheepish for a moment, then leaned forward in her chair and embraced the older woman.

"Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

"You are welcome."

"My-nee," Teddy said. When Hermione looked up, Teddy was holding out his arms to her. She laughed and walked over to his high chair. The rest of the adults chuckled.

"You want a hug too?" she asked. He nodded vigorously and she leaned down and hugged him tightly. Teddy grinned at her when she let him go. She kissed his forehead and went back to her chair. She smiled widely at Remus as she picked up her fork, excited to tell Gwendolyn in the morning.

* * *

"Do you think she'll do it?" Hermione asked Remus later after Teddy was in bed. They were sitting outside in the chaise Remus had Transfigured from one of the patio chairs. While it was getting warmer, the nights were still a bit chilly and Remus had cast a warming charm around them. Andromeda and Kingsley were still inside.

"Caroline?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded. "I hope so." She snuggled back into him further. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her temple.

"How has the post been today?"

"There's been a lot of it, if that's what you're asking," Remus said with a sigh. Hermione began to run her fingers back and forth over his forearm soothingly. "It's mostly been requests for interviews. A few letters, but nothing malicious so far."

"I can't see why there would be," Hermione said.

"No," he agreed. "Their situation is quite different than ours." She shook her head against his shoulder.

"I didn't mean it like that."

"I know, love," he said. Hermione stared out across the garden.

"I dreamed about her again," she said softly.

"Who?" Remus asked in concern. Hermione hadn't had a dream about Bellatrix for months.

"Delia." He tightened his arms again and waited for her to go on. "She keeps asking me to help her."

"You're doing your best," he said. Hermione sighed.

"It seems hopeless," she said sadly. Remus kissed the top of her head. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Remus trying to offer her as much support as he could.

"Do you think it's odd Skeeter hasn't written anything else about Kingsley and Andromeda?" Hermione asked. Remus shrugged.

"She's probably working on her book."

"It just doesn't seem like her. You know how much she likes causing chaos."

"Well, she did force a press conference and get someone fired, so maybe she's moved on."

"Maybe," Hermione said, but Remus could tell she wasn't convinced.

"Don't borrow trouble, Hermione." She sighed again and tilted her head to look up at him.

"I know, you're right. I just feel like we're waiting for the other shoe to drop or something." He made a noncommittal noise and leaned down to kiss her. Hermione's arms went around his neck and he deepened the kiss. When he finally pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers, both of them breathing heavily.

"Right, don't borrow trouble," Hermione said. He smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

 **31 May 2000**

"Thank you for coming with me," Hermione said to Andromeda as they walked towards the Burke cottage. Hermione had owled Caroline yesterday to set up a meeting. Andromeda smiled.

"I want Caroline to know I have complete faith in her abilities." Hermione knocked and waited a few moments until the woman in question answered the door.

"Hello, Hermione," Caroline said. "Oh, Andromeda, I didn't realize you were coming." She looked a bit confused.

"Hello, Caroline," Andromeda said. "I hope you do not mind."

"Not at all," Caroline said, ushering them both inside. "Rebecca and Will are working on some schoolwork in the kitchen. We can talk in here." They stepped into the sitting room. Hermione and Andromeda sat down on the couch, Caroline taking the chair opposite.

"What is this about?" Caroline asked. "Your note didn't say."

"We still haven't found a brewer to make the Wolfsbane potion for the Sanctuary," Hermione said.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry," Caroline said. "Are you not going to be able to open in June?"

"Well, that depends on you," Hermione said. Caroline looked confused.

"Me? What does it have to do with me?"

"Andromeda suggested that you might be willing to take the job." Caroline's mouth dropped open in shock.

"But, I've never brewed Wolfsbane," she said.

"Nonsense," Andromeda said. "Last month you did nearly everything yourself. Except the stirring in the middle of the night and one section of ingredient additions."

"But, to do it all myself, I, I'm not sure about that, Hermione," Caroline said apologetically.

"Andromeda has offered to help you for as many months as you need to feel proficient." Caroline looked to Andromeda, who nodded.

"You are more than skilled enough," she said. "I have no doubt you will need only a month or two of my assistance."

"I, I don't know what to say," Caroline said.

"You don't have to give me an answer right now," Hermione said. "But I will need to know in the next few days, if we're to get the ingredients and get things started for June."

"Where would I be brewing?"

"For this month, at Andromeda's," Hermione said. "We intend to set up a lab in the manor house, but we were waiting until we found a brewer. Since the werewolves must come to the Sanctuary to get their daily doses, it makes the most sense. If you accept the position, the lab will be yours to design."

"What about the children?"

"Remus has volunteered to watch them as he has in the past months when you've been assisting me," Andromeda said.

"I, this is all so," Caroline shook her head. "How many werewolves?"

"So far, we have six that have expressed interest," Hermione said. "But we expect that number to go up the longer the sanctuary is open." Caroline nodded. Hermione handed her a piece of parchment.

"This is what we were thinking as far as salary," Hermione said. "But, it's negotiable." Caroline's eyes widened.

"Hermione, this is, this is too much."

"No, it isn't," Hermione said firmly. "This is going to be a lot of work, even if it's only for a week a month. You should see what some of the brewers we spoke to wanted to be paid. Of course, if the number of werewolves increases significantly, the salary will go up as well."

"But, I haven't even had any formal training, I," she shook her head again.

"Caroline," Hermione said, leaning forward and putting a hand on her arm. "If we don't have a brewer, we don't have a sanctuary. That was a firm stipulation by the Wizengamot. If you agree to do this, you are worth every knut. Trust me." Caroline looked up at Andromeda.

"You really believe I can do this on my own?" Andromeda smiled.

"I have every confidence. If I didn't, I would not have suggested you to Hermione." Caroline looked down at the parchment again.

"I have to admit that I'm a bit overwhelmed right now. I need some time to think about it."

"Of course," Hermione said with a smile. "You'll let me know by Friday?" Caroline nodded, looking again at the parchment Hermione had given her. "Is it all right if I say hello to Will and Rebecca before I go?"

"Go right ahead," Caroline said with a smile. As Hermione left the room, she heard Caroline ask Andromeda something about the potion. Hermione smiled and made her way to the kitchen.

* * *

 **3 June 2000**

"Mm," Hermione said as Remus kissed her shoulder. "Morning."

"Good morning." She turned to face him and he kissed her properly.

"What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"Just after eight," he said, brushing a curl out of her face. She snuggled into him, closing her eyes again. Remus chuckled.

"Aren't you supposed to meet Ginny this morning?"

"Later," Hermione said.

"How much later?" Remus asked, propping himself up on one elbow and looking down at her. She smirked at him.

"Plenty of time later." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, pulling her flush against him. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and hooked a leg over his. Remus pushed his hand under her top, running it up her bare back. Hermione shivered and pulled herself tighter against him. Her lips moved to his neck as his hand travelled around to cup a breast.

He released her long enough to pull her shirt over her head, then went back to kissing her, both sets of hands continuing their exploration of one another. When they were finally naked, he rolled her to her back and pushed into her with a groan. Her breath hitched when he began to move and then she was meeting his movements.

"Hermione," he gasped out as he went over the edge and she cried out as she followed. He rested his head on her chest as he recovered and she ran her fingers idly through his hair.

When he had his breath back, he propped himself up on both elbows and leaned down to kiss her. She sighed in contentment when they parted and smiled lazily at him. Rolling to the side, he pulled her to him.

"What are you and Ginny doing today?" Remus asked. Hermione propped her chin on his chest.

"We're tasting cakes," she said.

"Molly is letting someone else make the cake?" he asked in surprise.

"Ginny doesn't want Molly making anything," Hermione said. "She insisted that Molly just enjoy the wedding."

"And Molly agreed?"

"Of course not," Hermione said. "She thinks that we'll taste cakes and not find anything as good as what she can make and Ginny will change her mind." Remus chuckled. Hermione smiled and then kissed him again.

"I should shower," she said. She kissed him one more time, then threw the sheets back and got out of bed. She ignored her dressing gown and walked to the doorway of the bedroom, then turned around, looking at him coyly. "Care to join me?"

Remus stared at her for a moment, before he nearly flew out of bed. He grabbed her around the waist and she shrieked with laughter as he hurried them into the bathroom.

* * *

Hermione walked into the kitchen, her hair still damp from the shower, and wrapped her arms around Remus' waist. She placed a kiss between his shoulder blades and he squeezed her hand where it rested on his stomach.

"Eggs?" he asked as he cracked another into the bowl.

"Yes, please," she said. "Somehow I worked up quite the appetite." He smirked at her over his shoulder. She shook her head as she released him, but the smile never left her face. It was good to see her this happy.

Caroline had agreed to brew for the Sanctuary. She was still a bit nervous about it, but Andromeda had full confidence in her. Hermione had been ecstatic, Gwendolyn just as excited. They had gone out to the Leaky to celebrate and Hermione and Remus had continued their celebration privately when they had gotten back to Hermione's. Rather enjoyably, too.

The attention about Andromeda and Kingsley had also died down. Witch Weekly was still angling for an interview, they had contacted both of them nearly every day since the press conference, but most everyone else had left them alone. And Rita Skeeter hadn't had anything else to say either. Which was a bit strange, but Remus wasn't complaining.

There was a tapping on the window and Hermione walked over to let in the owl that had just arrived with the _Daily Prophet_.

"I don't know why I keep paying for this, honestly," Hermione said as she paid the owl and it flew off. She carried the newspaper over to the table and unrolled it.

"Oh my god," she whispered a few seconds later. Remus turned around, his brow furrowed in concern.

"What is it?" he asked. Hermione shook her head and held up the paper so he could read the headline.

 **Rita Skeeter Missing!**

 **Reporter Has Not Been Seen in Almost a Week!**


	79. Mystery

**A/N - Hello all! First, I want to announce that this story has been nominated for the 2018 Marauder Medals! The Winding Road was nominated in two categories - Best WIP and Best Pairing - Remione. I am so flattered and humbled by this, so thank you so much to whoever nominated my story! If you would like to vote, remove the stars from the link below. Voting is open until October 22 and there are tons of great stories nominated!**

 **https:*/*/*docs*.google*.com*/forms*/*d/1Hq1pLmIfsbF1Pfyp5o5E6dgp065ARWrRU90xFZ3fqq0/viewform?edit_requested=true**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter, you will get some resolution on Rita, the rest of it will come later. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 79**

 **Mystery**

 **3 June 2000**

Hermione and Remus read through the article. The editor, Barnabas Cuffe, had written it. The last time he had seen Skeeter was the day the article about Kingsley and Andromeda came out. She and Cuffe had a meeting that morning. Skeeter hadn't shown up for a scheduled meeting on Monday about a possible follow-up story and repeated attempts to Floo-call were unsuccessful. All owls returned with their letters unopened. Worried, Cuffe had gone to Skeeter's house to check on her. There had been no sign of her. Instead of notifying Magical Law Enforcement, something Hermione and Remus suspected was to cast suspicion on the DMLE or the Ministry as a whole, Cuffe had published the article about her supposed disappearance.

"I need to get home," Remus said when he had finished reading.

"I'll come with you," Hermione said. They were both worried about Andromeda. "Let me just clean this up." A wave of her wand and the food was disposed of.

"The wards will be on the Floo," he said. "I'm going to Apparate."

"Remus," Hermione said. He ignored her and opened the back door. "Remus, wait."

"Hermione, I don't have time for this," he said shortly.

"You're upset," she said. "I don't want you to splinch."

"I'm perfectly capable of Apparating," he snapped. Hermione put a hand on his arm.

"She didn't do this, Remus." He deflated.

"I know she didn't," he said. He raked a hand through his hair. "But the timing Hermione, people are going to suspect."

"I know," Hermione said with a sigh. "Let me Apparate us." He looked down and her and nodded. They wrapped their arms around each other and disappeared.

* * *

Andromeda was sitting on the couch reading to Teddy when they arrived. She looked up with a smile at their entrance.

"Good morning," she said. Teddy looked up and then climbed off his grandmother's lap.

"Daddy, My-nee!" He ran toward them and Remus swung him up into his arms, hugging his son. Teddy then reached out for Hermione and Remus passed him off to her.

"Andromeda?" Remus said. "Are you all right?"

"I am perfectly fine," she said, brow furrowed in confusion. "Why are you asking?"

"You haven't seen the paper this morning?"

"It arrived, but I have not had a chance to read it," she said. "Teddy has been busy this morning."

"I pill," Teddy said by way of explanation.

"Yes, more than once," Andromeda replied, looking at her grandson. Teddy grinned at her. She shook her head, but there was a fondness in her eyes. "What has happened?"

"I'll take Teddy up and get him dressed," Hermione offered. Remus nodded and the two left the room. He turned back to Andromeda, moving across the room to sit down beside her.

"Rita Skeeter is missing," he said. Andromeda stared at him for a moment, then summoned the paper from the kitchen table. She quickly read through the article.

"Well, it could not have happened to a more deserving person," she said when she had finished.

"Andromeda," Remus said, a bit of admonishment in his voice. She snorted.

"You cannot tell me that this is any great loss." Remus groaned.

"You can't say things like that," he said.

"I do not plan to say them outside the privacy of my own home," she said dryly.

"You know that you'll likely be a suspect then?"

"Of course, I will," she replied. "If Magical Law Enforcement knows how to do their jobs."

"And you're not worried about that?"

"I had nothing to do with her disappearance," Andromeda said. Her eyes narrowed. "Do _you_ think I had something to do with it?"

"Of course not!" Remus said. She stared at him for a moment before she gave a nod.

"I am sure that there will be no shortage of suspects," Andromeda said.

"I don't doubt that," Remus agreed.

"Do you think they will question Kingsley?" she asked, more concerned for him than she had been for herself.

"Likely," Remus replied. "But, he didn't have anything to do with it either, I'm sure."

"Of course, he didn't," Andromeda said, giving Remus a slight glare for even suggesting it. Remus hid a smile. Before they could continue their discussion, Hermione came down the stairs with Teddy. She looked from Remus to Andromeda.

"Everything all right?" she asked, setting Teddy down. He ran to Remus and Remus pulled him into his lap.

"Just fine," Andromeda replied. "Thank you, Hermione." The Floo flared and Remus glanced at Andromeda. It was a call; the wards kept anyone from coming through unless they were lowered. Hermione stepped up next to Remus, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Andromeda," Kingsley said as his head came into view.

"Ting!" Teddy cried, but Remus hushed him. Kingsley smiled at the little boy.

"Kingsley," Andromeda said and Remus could hear the relief in her voice.

"You've seen?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I've been called into the Ministry. Robards isn't sharing all his plans with me, given the circumstances. I know that they've sent a team to Skeeter's house to investigate. I expect that Aurors will come to question you at some point today."

"I assumed," she said.

"I know that you didn't have anything to do with this," he said. "I'm sorry."

"It is hardly your fault," she said. "I hope you know that I never thought you had anything to do with it either." He smiled.

"I'll come by as soon as I can." She nodded and Kingsley disappeared. Andromeda sighed and sat back down on the couch. Remus looked up at Hermione, then motioned with his head to Teddy. Hermione nodded.

"I'll call Ginny and see if she can take him, since Harry's working today," Hermione said. "I have to cancel our plans anyway."

"I hope that you are not doing that on my account," Andromeda said. Hermione looked at her, a bit surprised. "I assume this has something to do with the wedding."

"Yes, but-" Hermione began, but Andromeda shook her head. She took Hermione's hand.

"I appreciate you wanting to support me. But, I will not have you changing your plans just because of a silly misunderstanding."

"We need someone to take Teddy," Remus reminded his mother-in-law. Teddy looked up at his name and Remus realized his son was playing closer attention that Remus realized. "Teddy, why don't you go and play for a few minutes."

"No," Teddy said, pout on his face.

"I'll play with you," Hermione said. Teddy seemed to think about it for a moment, then finally climbed off his father's lap and ran towards his toys. Remus waited until Hermione had him occupied, then cast a Muffliato around Andromeda and himself.

"I don't want Teddy here when Aurors show up," Remus said.

"You could take him to Hermione's for the day," Andromeda suggested.

"I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Remus, I can take care of myself."

"And if they take you to the Ministry?"

"Well, you can hardly sit in while they question me," she said dryly.

"Andromeda, I am not leaving," Remus said firmly. "You are my family, I am going to be there for you." He saw a slight crack in the mask she had been wearing all morning. For as much as she tried to pretend otherwise, he knew she was worried. She would be their top suspect if anything had happened to Skeeter. Remus leaned forward and took her hand. She squeezed it and nodded.

"But, Hermione should still go ahead with whatever she and Ginny were planning on doing," Andromeda said.

"She's not going to want to do that," Remus said. "You're her family too." Andromeda pressed her lips together and Remus could tell that she was trying to keep her emotions under control. She finally pulled in a breath through her nose and gave him a shaky smile.

"Their time is limited given Ginny's training schedule and Hermione's work. The wedding is only a few months away. Help me convince her."

"What about Teddy?" Remus asked, doubtful that Andromeda was going to be able to convince Hermione of anything of the sort.

"I'm sure Molly would be more than willing to mind him today," Andromeda said. Remus glanced at the corner where Hermione and Teddy were playing. In truth, he wanted to keep Hermione as far away from all of this as possible. He had no idea what the Aurors would find in their investigation of Rita's house and he had no way of knowing what kind of records, if any, she kept about her sources. He nodded at Andromeda and dropped the Muffliato.

"I'll just call Ginny then," Hermione said when she realized the spell had been dropped.

"I think you should go," Remus said.

"Sorry?"

"We think you should still go with Ginny." Hermione looked between the two of them.

"I am very grateful that you want to stay," Andromeda said. "But any questioning is just going to be a formality. I had nothing to do with Skeeter's disappearance and the Aurors will soon know that. I do not want to ruin your plans."

"You're not ruining anything," Hermione said. "And you still need someone to watch Teddy."

"We were thinking of asking Molly," Remus said. Hermione's eyes narrowed at him.

"Can I speak to you in private?" She didn't wait for an answer, just stalked into the kitchen. Remus sighed and followed her. Hermione threw up a Muffliato as soon as he reached her side.

"What are you trying to do?" she demanded.

"Only what Andromeda asked of me," he said.

"She doesn't want me here?" Hermione asked, looking a little hurt.

"No, that isn't it," Remus insisted, taking her hand to reassure her. "She just doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. She didn't even want me to stay." Hermione moved towards him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't want you to have to deal with this on your own."

"We'll be fine," he assured her. "Like Andromeda said, it's a formality. She didn't do anything."

"I'm sure the Aurors aren't thinking of it that way."

"Likely not," Remus agreed. "But once they talk to her, I'm sure they'll realize she is innocent." Hermione sighed. "Go with Ginny. Taste your cakes and don't worry about this." Hermione snorted.

"Like that's possible," she said.

"Andromeda will probably be more upset if you don't go," he said.

"All right," she said. He kissed her forehead and she dropped the spell. They walked back into the living room so Remus could Floo Molly.

* * *

"They're not letting Harry have anything to do with it," Ginny said as they sat in the bakery. They'd made it through five different cake flavors so far and Hermione was glad there were only two left. Despite what Andromeda had said, she wanted to get back to Remus'.

"I'm not surprised," Hermione said. "Conflict of interest and all that." The baker came out and set down two more slices in front of them. Hermione barely listened to her explanation as to what the cake was, her thoughts consumed with what was happening with Skeeter.

"Hermione?" Ginny said and Hermione realized her friend had been trying to get her attention for some time.

"Sorry, Gin," Hermione said.

"I just asked if you wanted to go."

"No, no, I want to help you with this," Hermione said, forcing her attention back to the slice of cake in front of her. Ginny shook her head.

"Who are we kidding?" Ginny said. "None of these are as good as Mum's." Hermione smiled.

"You're going to let her make it, aren't you?" Ginny groaned.

"Yes," she said. "And I'm not even going to say anything when she gives me that knowing little smile of hers." Hermione laughed as they stood from the table. Ginny assured the baker she would let her know when they made a decision and they walked out of the bakery. The made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron where they had planned on having lunch. Hermione turned to Ginny as they walked into the pub.

"I know we said we'd have lunch, but," Hermione paused, biting her lip.

"Of course, we're not going to have lunch," Ginny said. "Go, I promised Teddy a fly anyway."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said, hugging the other woman. "I'll Floo as soon as I know anything." She hurried to the fireplace in the corner and stepped in to Floo to Remus'.

* * *

When she stepped out, she heard voices in the kitchen. Hermione paused to listen. She heard Andromeda's voice, but there was another that she didn't recognize. The Aurors were here then. Before Hermione could take more than a few steps, Remus appeared in the living room. He hurried to her side.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered.

"Ginny and I finished," Hermione said just as quietly.

"I thought you were going to have lunch."

"I wanted to check on you." Remus sighed and Hermione looked up at him uncertainly.

"Remus, what's the matter?"

"I didn't want you here," he said. She took a step back from him, shocked and hurt.

"Not like that, love," he said quickly, pulling her into his arms. "I just, I wanted to keep you away from all this. I don't know what they'll find at Skeeter's house and I don't want you implicated in anything." She relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"If she kept records about me, they're going to find them whether I'm here or not." Remus sighed again.

"I know." Hermione looked up at him.

"It's going to be fine," she said. He nodded.

"Will you go to the Burrow?" he asked. "Take care of Teddy for me?"

"Molly and Ginny are there," Hermione said.

"Please, Hermione." She looked up at him. She knew he was worried about Andromeda. She didn't want to add to that by making him worry about her too.

"All right," she agreed. She saw him relax. "But, you'll let us know as soon as there's news?"

"I promise." He leaned down and kissed her, then watched her step into the fireplace.

* * *

Remus hurried back into the kitchen when Hermione had gone. Andromeda and the two Aurors looked up at him.

"Everything all right?" Proudfoot asked.

"Yes, just checking in about my son," he said. Proudfoot nodded and went back to his notes.

"We've covered your whereabouts through Thursday," he said, reminding them what he had been asking before Remus left to check the Floo. Remus hadn't told Hermione that he was being questioned as well. She never would have left if he had. "What about yesterday?"

"We were home most of the day," Andromeda said. She looked up at Remus. "You left around half-six?"

"Yes," Remus said. "I gave Teddy his dinner, then left when you took him up for his bath."

"And you went where?" Proudfoot asked.

"I went to the Leaky Cauldron," he said. "I had dinner and drinks with Hermione Granger and a couple of her co-workers."

"And after that?" Remus paused. Proudfoot looked at him expectantly.

"I went to Hermione's," Remus said.

"And returned when?"

"This morning after I saw the article in the _Prophet_."

"The two of you were at her place all night?"

"Yes," Remus said. He knew why he was being questioned, his relationship with Andromeda immediately made him a suspect. But, that didn't mean he liked being asked about his private life.

"Miss Granger will corroborate this?" Remus swore in his head. Of course, Hermione was going to be involved whether he liked it or not.

"Yes." Proudfoot nodded and made a note. Remus glanced at Williamson, who was leaning against the wall. He smirked and Remus glared, then turned his attention back to Proudfoot.

"And you, Mrs. Tonks?"

"As Remus said, I gave my grandson a bath after Remus left, then read him a story and put him to bed."

"And you were here alone the rest of the night?"

"No, Teddy was here as well."

"Besides your two-year-old grandson," Williamson said. "Who, obviously, cannot give you an alibi." Andromeda turned her glare on him. To his credit, the man didn't flinch. Although the smile did slide off his face.

"Are you insinuating that I would leave my grandson alone while I went off to do whatever it is you think I did to Rita Skeeter?" Remus had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at the look on Williamson's face.

"Of course, he isn't," Proudfoot said, glaring at the man himself. Apparently, Harry and Ron weren't the only ones who had issue with Williamson. "But, _is_ there anyone else who can confirm you were here all night?"

"Is the Minister enough corroboration for you?"

"Minister Shacklebolt was here?"

"Yes, from around eight until just after eleven," Andromeda said, her voice clipped. "After he left, I went to bed. No, no one can verify that." She glared at Williamson again, as if daring him to say anything. The man wisely kept quiet.

"What were your feelings about the article that Ms. Skeeter wrote about you and the Minister?" Proudfoot asked.

"I was angry that our privacy was violated, of course," Andromeda replied.

"Angry enough to make Ms. Skeeter disappear?" Williamson asked. Drawing herself up to her full height, she turned to face him, her 'Black' mask in place.

"I have no idea as to Ms. Skeeter's whereabouts," Andromeda said. "I have never spoken to the woman, nor would I. She is a poor excuse for a journalist, relying on sensationalism, innuendo and flat out lies instead of facts. She is not worth my time." Remus faked a cough to cover his face with his hand and hide a grin. The way Proudfoot was pursing his lips and clearing his throat around made Remus think he was doing the same.

"And you, Lupin?" Williamson asked. Proudfoot glared at him for his rudeness. Remus ignored it.

"I was upset about the article because I was concerned about my mother-in-law," Remus said. "But, she and the Minister handled it with the press conference. I have no idea where Ms. Skeeter is." Proudfoot made a few more notes.

"I think that covers everything," he said as he stood. "We may have more questions for you in the future."

"We understand," Remus said as he rose as well. "You can Disapparate from the back garden. I'll show you out." The Aurors had arrived at the front door, obviously having Apparated in somewhere else and walking to the house.

"Mrs. Tonks," Proudfoot. "Thank you for your cooperation." She nodded once. "Let's go, Williamson." The other Auror sneered at them both before he followed Proudfoot to the door. Remus ushered them across the garden to the oak tree.

"Don't leave town, Lupin," Williamson said. "Your mother-in-law either." Proudfoot yanked on his arm, giving Remus an apologetic look as both men disappeared. Remus scrubbed a hand down his face. While things had gone smoothly today, he wasn't so naïve as to think this was over.

* * *

Hermione, Remus and Andromeda were sitting in the living room talking quietly. Hermione had come back after lunch to put Teddy down for a nap. Remus and Andromeda had relayed the events of their interviews with Proudfoot and Williamson. Hermione, deciding she would rather get the questioning over with, had gone home to find Proudfoot outside her front door. She had answered his questions to verify Remus' alibi for the night before and Andromeda's for the night they visited Caroline. It only took a few minutes and she had gone back to Remus' after.

None of them had heard anything for the rest of the day, not even from Kingsley. They assumed that he was still at the Ministry and didn't want to be accused of leaking information to Andromeda by Flooing her from his office. He would stop in when he could.

They'd had a quiet dinner and Teddy had just been put to bed. Hermione was contemplating going home when the Floo activated. Remus released the wards and Harry stepped out.

"They've finished searching Skeeter's house," he said without preamble.

"I didn't think you were on the case," Hermione said.

"Neville's been keeping me informed," Harry said.

"And, what did they find?" Remus asked.

"Nothing to indicate where she's gone," Harry said. "But, they did find something." Hermione glanced at Remus.

"Just tell us, Harry," Hermione said.

"They know she's an Animagus," Harry said.

"How?" Remus asked.

"There was a book on Animagi in her study," Harry said. "They found a picture of her in beetle form inside it." Hermione frowned. Why would Rita be so stupid as to leave something like that lying around?

"How do they know it's her?" Remus asked.

"Obviously, without her being registered they can't be certain, but the markings make it rather apparent."

"What does this mean for the investigation?" Andromeda asked.

"They've called Cuffe in to be questioned again," Harry said. "They want to find out if he knew."

"What if he did?" Hermione asked.

"If he employed her, knowing she was using her form to spy on people, he'll probably be charged," Harry said.

"Do you think she would have told him who else knew?" Remus asked.

"I don't know," Harry said. "If she did, I'm sure he'll spill it to try and get himself a better deal." Remus blew out a breath and raked a hand through his hair.

"I don't think she would have done that," Hermione said, biting her lip in thought.

"Why not?" Remus asked.

"Because it was leverage for her to use as she saw fit," Hermione said. "She wouldn't have shared that with someone else."

"Hermione is right," Andromeda agreed. "Remember, Skeeter was a Slytherin. We do not generally volunteer information like that unless it benefits us in some way. If she were arrested, then yes. But I do not think she would have told Cuffe."

"We can only hope," Remus muttered. Hermione slid her hand into his.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked.

"The investigation is still ongoing," Harry said. "Just because she's an Animagus doesn't mean she isn't still missing. They're still running down the list of people that might have had a grudge against her."

"That sounds like it will be quite a list," Andromeda quipped. Harry nodded.

"They're going to question us, aren't they?" Hermione asked. "Because of the articles during the Tournament."

"If they don't get any information as to where she might be, yes, it's likely," Harry said. "They're working their way backward though, so it will be a little while yet. She's pissed off plenty of people."

"And now that they suspect that she's an Animagus," Hermione trailed off. Remus' hand tightened around hers. Harry nodded.

"Well, there's nothing for it, I suppose," Hermione said.

"They could find something before it comes to that," Remus said. She gave him a small smile.

"There are no leads as to what might have happened to her?" Andromeda asked. "Is it possible she went after a story and is just out of communication with everyone?"

"It's entirely possible," Harry said. "But there's been no indication of that. Neville did tell me that they found a proof of her next book. It's about me."

"Where is it now?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Still at the house, I assume," Harry said. "Why?"

"Because if it was a proof that means it's nearly ready for publication," Hermione said. "That's likely the final copy to be edited."

"Don't worry, Hermione," Harry said. "They've set wards so no one will get in without the DMLE knowing. Plus, they've posted someone to watch the house in case she comes back."

"What about a beetle getting in?" Hermione asked.

"There are Animagus wards too," Harry said. Hermione relaxed slightly. "You don't seem surprised that she wrote a book about me." Hermione shrugged.

"I'm not." Harry's eyes narrowed. "Come on, Harry. She wrote about Dumbledore and Snape. Did you think that you were going to be very far behind?"

"I guess not," Harry said with a sigh.

"What's going to happen to her things if she doesn't come back?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, it's a little early for that, don't you think?"

"You have to get that book, Harry."

"That's the least of my worries right now, Hermione."

"They suspect me, don't they?" Andromeda asked. Harry looked at her for a moment before he sighed again.

"You're the frontrunner right now, yes." Remus swore.

"She's got an alibi for the entire week!" Remus said.

"Williamson thinks that either you're covering for her or that she snuck out during the night."

"Fucking Williamson," Remus growled. "Sorry, Andromeda." She waved off his apology.

"I have to admit, I do not hold that man's opinion in very high regard," Andromeda said.

"Neither do I," Harry said. "But he's being very vocal about it."

"What does everyone else think?" Hermione asked.

"Proudfoot is inclined to believe you, but Williamson thinks that's because Kingsley believes you. Proudfoot has never made it a secret that he supports Kingsley completely as Minister," Harry said. "Everyone else is somewhere between the two opinions. Except Neville, he thinks this is just as much a farce as I do."

"He hasn't made that opinion known, has he?" Hermione asked.

"Of course not," Harry said. "He'd be pulled from the case immediately." They all fell silent for a few minutes. "Listen, I didn't come over here to worry you, I just wanted you to know what was happening."

"We know that, Harry," Andromeda said.

"I'm not going to let them blame you for this, Andromeda," Harry said. She smiled and took his hand, giving it a squeeze.

"I appreciate that, but please do not lose your job over this." They were interrupted by a tapping at the window. Andromeda rose before anyone else could. "I will get it." They all watched her leave the room.

"How's she doing really?" Harry asked quietly.

"She's been like this all day," Remus said with a sigh. "She's saying it's all ridiculous and acting as if nothing is going to happen, but I think she's worried. She just won't admit it."

"This is so infuriating," Hermione said. "Andromeda had nothing to do with this."

"We'll figure this out, Hermione."

"If you were investigating, Harry, I'd agree," Hermione said. "But, I feel like everyone has already made up their minds."

"Not everyone has," Harry said. They fell silent as Andromeda walked back into the room.

"Everything all right?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Andromeda said. "I need to go out for a bit." Remus' eyes narrowed.

"Where?"

"Nowhere in particular," she said. "I am just feeling the need for a bit of a walk." They all stared at her, but Andromeda smiled reassuringly. "I will not be long." She turned on her heel and left the room. They heard the front door open and close seconds later.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry asked.

* * *

Andromeda quickened her pace and tightened her hand around the note in her pocket. She had suspected this since she had read the article this morning, but there had been no time to speak with her until now. While Andromeda did not think she was being followed by the DMLE just yet, she guessed it was only a matter of time. Still, she had cast a disillusionment charm on herself as soon as she had left the house. She knew that she could still be seen, especially as quickly as she was moving, but at least any Muggles would not know _what_ they were seeing. She doubted the Aurors would question her neighbors anyway. Andromeda was just glad she had gotten the note when she did. She needed answers.

Stepping into the park, she moved towards the small grove of trees just beyond the swings. Drawing her wand, she stopped to look around once more before she stepped around a large oak. She dropped the charm.

"Cissy," she whispered and Narcissa dropped her own charm, appearing just to Andromeda's left.

"Andi," Narcissa said calmly. Neither lit their wands, not wanting to attract attention. Andromeda could just make out her sister's outline.

"I assume I have you to thank for the scrutiny I am now under?" Andromeda said.

"That was not my intention," Narcissa said.

"And just what was your intention, Narcissa?" Andromeda demanded. "The woman in missing."

"I had nothing to do with that." Andromeda stared at her incredulously.

"Where is she then?"

"I do not know," Narcissa replied.

"Cissy, what did you do?"

"I simply wanted to give her a bit of incentive," Narcissa said with a sniff.

"What. Did. You. Do?" Andromeda repeated.

"I forced her into her Animagus form and cast a binding spell on her to keep her there," Narcissa said.

"And then what did you do with her?"

"Nothing," Narcissa replied. "I left her in her house and told her I would be back in a week to check on her." Andromeda blew out a breath and leaned her head back against the tree trunk behind her. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

"What was your plan, Cissy? Were you going to force her to remain a beetle forever?"

"Only if she did not agree to my terms," Narcissa said.

"Which were?"

"I wanted her word that she would not expose Draco or Miss Granger," Narcissa said. "And I wanted her to stop writing lies about my family."

"Wait, you did not want her to say anything about Hermione?" Andromeda asked in surprise. Of course, Narcissa would want to protect Draco, and Andromeda could even understand her being angry about writing things about Kingsley and Andromeda. But Hermione?

"She is part of your family, is she not?" Narcissa asked. Andromeda stared at her for a moment.

"Yes, yes she is," she finally said.

"Family is the only thing that matters," Narcissa said. Andromeda was quiet for a moment before she reached out and squeezed her sister's hand. "Besides, I owe Mr. Potter a debt for what he did for us during the trials. I did not think that he would want Miss Granger in Azkaban either."

"No," Andromeda agreed, glad that the darkness meant she did not have to hide her smile. "What was your plan?"

"I would have had Skeeter take an Unbreakable Vow," Narcissa said. "I thought a bit of time stuck as a bug would convince her."

"You have no idea where she is?"

"I do not," Narcissa said. "When I left, she was sitting on the table in her study, glaring at me."

"You know she could have easily flown away and found someone else who knew to help her," Andromeda said. "She could have implicated you." Narcissa waved off her sister's concerns.

"No one that would help her knows," she said.

"How do you know?"

"I had the Dark Lord living in my house for more than a year," Narcissa said. "I thought it prudent to learn Occlumency. Discovering I was a natural Legilimens was simply a plus."

"Her editor does not know then?" Narcissa made a derisive noise.

"The man is an imbecile." She looked up at Andromeda. "And I, dear sister, am not. There are many wands in the Malfoy vault. It was not difficult to find one that worked for me." Andromeda smirked.

"Now, what is this about you being under scrutiny?" Narcissa asked.

"I am the number one suspect," Andromeda said. "Of course, because of the article, I have motive. Although I have given the Aurors an alibi for every day this week, there are still some that think I managed to fool Remus or that he is covering for me. And they have discovered that Skeeter is an Animagus."

"They found the photograph?" Narcissa asked.

"You took it?"

"No, I found it," she said. "She took it during her little stand-off with Miss Granger. I suppose she toyed with the idea of registering after not working for such a long period of time."

"You 'found it'?" Andromeda asked doubtfully.

"Discovered is likely a better word," Narcissa said. "I knew just where to look after I took a trip through her mind."

"I assume the photograph was your insurance in case she _did_ find someone to help her?" Narcissa smiled evilly.

"Plans and counter-plans, dear sister." Andromeda shook her head.

"The fact remains that she is missing. If you did not do it, who did?"

"Another thing I learned, the woman has no shortage of enemies."

"But, if none of them knew she was an Animagus, how could they have gotten rid of her?" Andromeda said. "And before you suggest it, no, it was not Hermione."

"I did not suggest that," Narcissa said airily. Andromeda snorted. "They do not have any other leads?"

"They are questioning Cuffe again," Andromeda said.

"I told you, he does not know."

"She may not have told him, but it is possible that he suspects."

"And if he does not?"

"Then I expect that the Auror department will be paying me another visit."

"This was not my intention," Narcissa said again.

"I know that," Andromeda said. "And anyway, I am innocent. They will not be able to find any proof to arrest me."

"We both know that the Ministry has never needed proof." They fell silent.

"I need to get back," Andromeda said. "Remus and Hermione will be worried."

"I will find her," Narcissa said. Andromeda cocked her head in question. "I still have a few contacts that would do anything for a price."

"Cissy, do not get yourself mixed up in this further."

"I do not intend to do anything to the woman, just locate her."

"And how in Merlin's name are you going to find a beetle of all things?"

"Do not worry, Andi," Narcissa said. "There are always ways." Andromeda chose to ignore just what her sister meant by that. They had both grown up with the Black library. Andromeda was sure that the Malfoy library was no different.

"Stay away from that house," Andromeda warned. "The DMLE has put up wards and there is likely someone watching it." Narcissa inclined her head in agreement.

"I am sorry," Narcissa said. Andromeda smiled and squeezed her hand again.

"I know." Narcissa disappeared with a small pop. Andromeda sighed and leaned back against the tree for a moment. After Narcissa's comments about doing anything to protect Draco, Andromeda had not been surprised that she'd had something to do with Skeeter's disappearance. Not entirely, of course. But that begged the question. Just who had?

* * *

 **4 June 2000**

Andromeda sat tiredly at the kitchen table. She hadn't slept well, and from the looks of him, Remus hadn't either. When she had returned from her talk with Narcissa, Harry had been gone. Neither Remus nor Hermione questioned her about where she had been, but Andromeda knew they were concerned. Thankfully, Kingsley had come through the Floo before they could ask her too many questions.

Kingsley was as frustrated as Harry had been. Robards was keeping him mostly in the dark about what was happening with the investigation. The Head of the DMLE claimed that the Minister was too close the entire thing. Which, while true, still irritated the man. Kingsley, of course, had his sources just like Harry did, and had managed to get most of the same information that Harry had given them.

" _They're watching me," Kingsley said._

" _Watching you?" Andromeda repeated._

" _They want to make sure you and I aren't in some grand conspiracy, I suppose," he said with a sigh._

" _If you were just going to make her disappear, why the bloody hell would you have done the press conference?" Remus demanded, incensed._

" _Cover, I suppose," Kingsley said. "Honestly, I'm not sure what they're all thinking."_

Kingsley had only stayed for a short while, not wanting to draw more suspicion to the two of them. Hermione had still been there when Andromeda had gone up to bed, although she had been gone this morning when Andromeda rose.

Teddy was the only one who was in a good mood this morning, but even his enthusiasm had been subdued by the reactions of his father and grandmother.

"What do you suppose Cuffe had to say?" Remus asked as he took a sip of the coffee he'd resorted to.

"He didn't know," Andromeda said with certainty. Remus didn't ask her how she knew, nor did she offer the information. She trusted him implicitly, but the less people that knew what Narcissa had done, the better.

They sat in relative silence as Teddy finished his breakfast. Neither adult had much of an appetite. Remus reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. She smiled at him gratefully.

There was a crack in the back garden. Andromeda sighed and Remus scowled as he looked at the clock.

"They couldn't have waited another hour?" Squeezing his hand once more, Andromeda let go of it and turned to Teddy.

"Are you finished, darling?" Teddy nodded his head and reached up his hands to her. She smiled, casting a gentle cleansing spell, before she picked up the little boy, cuddling him to her. If the Aurors were back to question her at this hour, they could bloody well wait until she tended to her grandson.

There was a knock at the door and Andromeda glanced at Remus. He nodded and walked to the door, expecting a couple of Aurors to be on the other side. They were both shocked when Kingsley appeared.

"Kingsley?" she questioned in surprise. He smiled at her.

"Ting!" Teddy said with a grin.

"Good morning, Teddy," he said. Andromeda and Remus stared at him.

"What on earth are you doing here?" she asked. After he had told her he was being watched, Andromeda hadn't expected him to return so soon.

"I am here to tell you that you don't have anything to worry about," he said.

"What?" Remus said.

"You're not going to believe this." He said, trying to hide a smile.

"Did they find her?"

"No," Kingsley replied.

"Then why are you smiling?"

"We have strong reason to believe that Rita Skeeter was an illegal Animagus," Kingsley said. Andromeda managed to cover the disappointment on her face. She was extremely glad Kingsley was focused on her because Remus was not as successful.

"All right," Andromeda said hesitantly, not sure how, exactly, this was good news.

"What kind of Animagus?" Remus asked, having got himself under control and playing along.

"She's a beetle," Kingsley said.

"Well, that explains quite a lot," Andromeda said.

"Yes, but that's not the point," Kingsley said.

"Then what is?" Andromeda asked, trying not to let her exasperation bleed into her voice.

"Last night, when they questioned Cuffe, he swore that he didn't know she was an Animagus. When he was shown a picture that was discovered at Skeeter's house, he nearly passed out."

"Why?" Remus asked in confusion. "Did _he_ have something to do with it?"

"Not purposely," Kingsley said. "But, when he went to look for her, he apparently was in her study. A beetle was crawling on the table towards him. Cuffe, who is apparently deathly afraid of bugs, picked up the nearest thing he could find. Which, by the way, happened to be a copy of Skeeter's new book about Harry."

"Kingsley," Andromeda said, her voice tight. "This is all very entertaining, but might you get to the point?"

"Of course, of course," he said. He glanced at Teddy. "Teddy, how about finding me that dragon again?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically and Andromeda set him down. The little boy ran off into the living room. Kingsley continued.

"The beetle, who we are very sure was Skeeter, tried to fly away, but Cuffe swung the book at her and actually hit her with it. She flew into the window and he, thinking the beetle was dead, opened the window and pushed her out into the garden."

"She's dead?" Andromeda said breathlessly.

"Well, we don't know for sure," Kingsley said sobering. "If she was killed in her Animagus form, she would have transformed back after she died. Her body isn't anywhere on her property or near it. The Aurors are still searching. The point is, we've both been cleared. Her disappearance has been ruled an accident."

Andromeda dropped down into her chair, letting out a breath. Was it really that simple? Her editor had accidentally hit her with a book and left her for dead?

"I don't understand why she didn't just transform if she thought he was going to hit her," Remus said. "Why risk getting hurt or worse, just to protect her secret?"

"I don't think she expected that to happen," Kingsley said. "She likely thought she could just fly out of his reach and still protect her secret at the same time." Andromeda said nothing. There was no way that the woman _could_ have transformed, even if she'd wanted to.

"She could still be out there," Remus said.

"It's possible," Kingsley said. "If she is and she's either dead or hurt badly enough that she transformed back, she likely would have been found by someone by now. It's been two days."

"So, you think she's still a beetle?"

"Maybe," Kingsley said. "She might have been eaten by something. I'm not sure how that would affect an Animagus." He looked thoughtful.

"What about the meeting she missed? And the returned owls?" Andromeda asked, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Likely after a story and she just forgot to cancel the meeting," Kingsley said with a shrug.

"You don't look overly concerned," Remus said.

"I know it sounds callous," Kingsley said. "But this woman was a thorn in more than one person's side. The list of people who might have wished her harm is longer than my arm. Publishing speculation and gossip is one thing. Using illegal means to get it is quite another."

"I have no idea what happened to her," Kingsley continued. "She's not in St. Mungo's or any other magical hospital in Britain. They're checking Muggle hospitals now. Maybe she's still flying around as a beetle, disoriented and not knowing how to transform back. For all we know, she could have been caught by some Muggle child and is living in a jar right now." Remus choked, covering it with a cough. Kingsley gave him an odd look but continued talking. "The point is, we may never know. But, no one is going to be arrested."

"Ting!" Teddy called running back into the room. Instead of the one dragon, he had four. "You pay?" Kingsley chuckled.

"I think I can do that," he said. He glanced at Andromeda. "As long as your father and grandmother don't mind."

"Let's get dressed first," Remus said, picking up his son. He glanced between Andromeda and Kingsley and smiled. "I'm glad it's over." He left the room, taking Teddy upstairs. Kingsley walked toward Andromeda, pulling a chair next to her and sitting down.

"Remus is right," he said, covering her hand with his. "They'll keep looking for her, of course, but the investigation _is_ over. Our part in it, at least." She smiled.

"I suppose it is."

"If she comes back, we'll arrest her for being an illegal Animagus." Andromeda nodded, knowing that even if Skeeter _did_ return, Cissy would have to release her from the binding spell. Although, spending an indeterminate amount of time as a beetle, not to mention all the trauma she had already gone through, would likely make Skeeter amenable to whatever Narcissa wanted her to agree to.

"What are you thinking?" Kingsley asked. Andromeda smiled, realizing she had gotten lost in her thoughts.

"How happy I am that you are here and no one is following you," she said. He grinned and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. Andromeda let herself relax into the kiss. Yes, Skeeter could spend the rest of her life as a beetle for all Andromeda cared. It was fitting punishment for hurting her family.


	80. Grateful

**A/N - I'm so glad everyone seemed to like the Rita situation! You will get a more definitive resolution, but that will be in a later chapter. I am beginning to wrap this story up. I'm not sure how many more chapters for sure, no more than ten, I don't think, and likely less. Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 80**

 **Grateful**

 **4 June 2000**

"Remus, how is Andromeda?" Molly asked in concern when they arrived at the Weasley family dinner that night. Andromeda had decided to stay home, citing the need for a little quiet after the last few days. Hermione suspected that she really wanted some time alone with Kingsley. Hermione couldn't blame her.

"She's fine, Molly," Remus assured the Weasley matriarch. "Just needed a bit of quiet time tonight."

"Well, I can certainly understand that," Molly said. "Perhaps I will stop by tomorrow?"

"I'm sure she'd like that," Remus said. "And thank you again for watching Teddy yesterday."

"Of course, dear," Molly said as she patted his arm. "He's no trouble." Molly moved back into the kitchen. Remus took Hermione's hand and they walked into the living room. Teddy had insisted on being put down the moment they stepped into the house and had immediately run into the other room to find his godfather. When Hermione and Remus walked in, Teddy had already convinced Harry to play with him. They were sitting on the floor near the basket of toys Molly kept for him.

Hermione and Remus greeted the various Weasley family members before Hermione joined Ginny and Fleur on the couch. Ginny was holding Victoire and making faces at her.

"What on earth are you doing?" Hermione said with a laugh as Victoire stared blankly back at her aunt.

"Trying to get her to smile," Ginny said.

"I 'ave told 'er eet is too soon," Fleur said. "Eet will be a few weeks yet."

"Either that or she doesn't think you're very funny," Hermione said. Ginny turned and stuck her tongue out at Hermione as Fleur laughed.

"How's Andromeda?" Ginny asked.

"She's fine, now that everything seems to be over," Hermione said.

"Zat 'orrid woman," Fleur said. "I never liked 'er during ze tournament eizer."

"You weren't alone," Hermione said.

"What do you think happened to her?" Ginny asked. Hermione shrugged.

"If they didn't find her anywhere around the house, I doubt she's dead. Maybe she is flying around somewhere, disoriented."

"Harry said they've been searching Muggle hospitals, but they haven't found her," Ginny said.

"He's back on the case now, is he?" Hermione asked dryly.

"Of course, now that Andromeda and Kingsley have been cleared, there's no reason to keep him off it." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Per'aps she was eaten by a dog," Fleur said with a scowl. Hermione and Ginny burst out laughing, startling Victoire. Fleur took her from Ginny's arms to soothe her.

"If she was, I feel sorry for the dog," Ginny said. Hermione snorted and Fleur smirked.

"You feel sorry for what dog?" Remus asked, perching on the arm of the couch next to Hermione.

"Fleur suggested that Skeeter might have been eaten by a dog," Hermione explained. Remus chuckled.

"Oh, I heard from Luna," Ginny said. "She'll be home on the twentieth. She said she has a surprise for us."

"What kind of surprise?" Hermione asked warily.

"No idea," Ginny said. "Maybe she finally found a Crumple-Horned Snorkack." Hermione smiled. She missed Luna. "Anyway, I thought we'd try and get everyone together that Friday. At the Leaky? I bet Hannah would let us use that back room."

"Sounds good to me," Hermione said. She looked up at Remus. He looked…troubled for lack of a better word. Hermione's brow furrowed, but before she could ask him about it, there was a squeal from the other side of the room. Teddy raced towards them, scrambling into Hermione's lap.

"Ha-wy get me!" Teddy said as Harry came into view. Teddy squealed again and snuggled into Hermione. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I'll save you from Harry," Hermione promised. Remus reached down and put a hand on his son's head, smiling at Hermione. She leaned into his arm for a moment, then looked up at Harry who was watching Teddy with amusement.

"Not fair, hiding behind Hermione," Harry said. Teddy just grinned up at him. Victoire made a small noise and Teddy's head popped up.

"Baby here?" he asked.

"Yes, Victoire is here," Ginny said. Teddy crawled from Hermione's lap to Ginny's to get a better look at Victoire. Fleur smiled at him as she moved closer to Ginny. Teddy reached out a hand.

"Remember, gentle," Remus said. Teddy petted Victoire's arm. She made a small noise and squirmed. Teddy looked at Ginny, who smiled and nodded at him.

"It's all right," Ginny said. Teddy continued to watch Victoire whose arms were flailing a bit. After a few moments, she started to fuss.

"Baby tyin?" Teddy asked.

"I think she might be hungry."

"She has bikkit?" Teddy asked. Harry chuckled and Ginny smiled down at Teddy.

"No, she can't have a biscuit," Ginny said. "Babies have to eat special food. Victoire doesn't have any teeth yet." Fleur, who had been crooning to Victoire in French, trying to soothe her, stood from the couch.

"We will be back later," Fleur said, smiling down at Teddy before she left the room.

"Where goin?"

"Fleur is going to feed her," Remus said.

"Me eat, Daddy?" Teddy said, swiveling his head around to look at his father.

"In a little while," Remus said with a smile. "Why don't you go play while you're waiting?" Teddy pushed himself off Ginny's lap and then turned back to look at her.

"Gin, you pay?"

"Okay, but only if I get to be the dragon." Teddy grinned and tugged on her hand, pulling her with him towards his toys. Harry took Ginny's vacated seat on the couch.

"I heard you're back on the case," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"They've checked all the local hospitals and medical centers around Skeeter's house and nothing. We'll still follow up with those further away, but I don't think we'll find her."

"What do you think happened, Harry?"

"No idea," Harry said. "It's unlikely that she's dead. She would have transformed back by now. But Cuffe said she hit the window pretty hard. Concussion at least, would be my guess."

"Wouldn't that have caused her to transform back?" Remus asked.

"Maybe," Harry said. "I talked to McGonagall, but there isn't a lot of research on things like this. Mostly because who is going to volunteer to be seriously injured while in Animagus form just to see what would happen?"

"There were injuries when your father and Sirius were with me," Remus said. Harry looked up at him, always eager to hear about his parents and Sirius. "Never anything serious, just cuts and scratches mostly, a few bruises here and there. They were always mirrored on their bodies the next morning when they transformed back though. Sirius kept bruise paste in his trunk and they all got rather proficient at simple healing charms. They couldn't risk Poppy finding out." Remus smiled wistfully and Hermione took his hand. She smiled at her and continued.

"If Skeeter had any kind of head injury as a beetle, it's likely she would have had one as a witch as well."

"Robards was talking about checking with the Muggle police about any missing persons."

"How long do you think this case is going to be a priority?" Hermione asked.

"Honestly, not long," Harry said. "Once we've checked all the hospitals and with the police there's not much else we can do. Either she'll come back or she won't. Personally, I'm hoping for won't." Both Hermione and Remus nodded in agreement.

"One good thing though," Harry said. Hermione and Remus looked at him expectantly. "I got the book."

"Skeeter's book about you?" Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"Well, _I_ don't have it, but it's in evidence," Harry said. "It is the possible murder weapon after all."

"I thought they ruled it an accident?" Remus said.

"They did," Harry replied. "But, they're still keeping the book."

"For how long?"

"Until Rita comes back to claim it," Harry said. "Indefinitely if she doesn't. That's the nice thing about magic. You can just keep adding more storage space." Harry grinned.

"So, Rita is gone, probably, and her latest book won't see the light of day," Hermione said with a smirk. "Sounds like the perfect ending to a _wonderful_ woman." Harry and Remus laughed and Hermione smiled at them. She did not plan to waste one more second thinking about Rita Skeeter.

* * *

 **10 June 2000**

Hermione looked up from the story she was reading to Rebecca as Andromeda and Caroline came into the room. Remus was teaching Will the finer points of wizard chess, while Teddy napped. Rebecca had looked a bit sleepy herself after the morning spent outside, but the little girl had insisted she was too big for a nap. Hermione had talked her into a story instead.

"Well?" Hermione asked in anticipation.

"It's perfect," Andromeda said with a smile. "And Caroline did the entire thing herself." Hermione's grin widened.

"Good job, Mum," Will said with a smile. There was a faint blush on Caroline's cheeks.

"Yes, well, I would have ruined the entire thing if Andromeda hadn't been there to stop me adding the Fluxweed at the wrong time."

"Something you likely will not forget again," Andromeda said.

"No, I suppose not," Caroline agreed. "Still, I'd feel better if you were there to observe again next month."

"Of course," Andromeda agreed. "I told you I would stay as long as you need me." She turned to Remus. "You and Will might as well take your own doses now," she said. Will made a face and Remus clapped the boy on the shoulder.

"I know," he said. "But it's better than the alternative, yes?" Will nodded, then looked at his mother.

"Maybe you can make it taste better, Mum." Caroline laughed.

"I would love to do that, but I'm not a researcher, sweetheart." She gave him a one-armed hug and he sighed, nodding in defeat. Remus and Will made their way to the cellar to take the potion. Caroline looked at her daughter, who was nearly asleep at Hermione's side.

"She insisted she didn't need a nap," Hermione said. Caroline chuckled, then sat down on Hermione's other side, gently shifting her daughter toward her. She leaned down and kissed the top of the little girl's head. Rebecca sighed and closed her eyes fully, relaxing into her mother. Hermione watched them fondly.

"What time do we need to leave for the Sanctuary?" Caroline asked.

"In about an hour, I think," Hermione said. "That will give us a bit of time to have everything ready before they start arriving. Plus, then you can look at the lab space and see what you'd like to do with it."

"I think I will let the two of you handle this, if that is all right?" Andromeda said. "I can stay here with Remus and the children."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked. Andromeda nodded.

"This is your work," she said with a smile. "You do not need me there."

"Gwendolyn and Declan will be there as well," Hermione said. "We won't be short-handed." Caroline finally nodded, looking a little overwhelmed. Remus and Will returned from the cellar. Caroline looked at them expectantly.

"Still tastes vile," Will said, making a face. Caroline laughed quietly so as not to disturb Rebecca.

"I suppose I got it right then."

"Come on, Will," Remus said. "Let's get something to wash this down with." He led the boy into the kitchen.

"I want to thank you," Caroline said quietly. "All of you, for everything you've done for my children and for me."

"You don't have to thank us," Hermione said.

"No," Caroline said. "I do. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have Will. Remus has been so wonderful with him, not just the tutoring, but everything else he's helped him with. And Andromeda, without you I would have never been offered this job. I just, thank you." There were tears in her eyes when she finished. Hermione reached over and took her hand.

"You didn't deserve any of what happened to you. None of you did," she said. "If we helped ease the pain of that, then you're welcome. But thanks aren't necessary."

"Hermione is right," Andromeda said. "But you are welcome, all the same." Caroline gave them both a watery smile. Andromeda passed her a handkerchief and she dabbed at her eyes as Remus and Will came back into the room.

"Mum?" Will said, immediately going to his mother.

"I'm fine, sweetheart." He looked at her doubtfully. "Honest." Hermione rose from the couch as Will sat down on his mother's other side. Caroline put her free arm around him and began to ask him about his morning.

Hermione walked towards Remus. He looked at her in concern, but she shook her head as he slid an arm around her waist. Andromeda moved to stand next to him on his other side.

"Is everything all right?" he asked quietly.

"It's fine," Hermione said. She leaned into him, looking back at the small family on the couch. He glanced at Andromeda and she nodded in agreement. Hermione felt him relax and she smiled, glad that one more thing seemed to have worked out as best it could.

* * *

 **13 June 2000**

Remus walked up the lawns toward the castle. Hagrid had met him at the gates but had only been able to walk with Remus as far as his cabin, as he had a class to teach shortly. Remus didn't mind. There were a few students scattered around the grounds, but Remus knew that most would be revising for exams or O.W.L.S. or N.E.W.T.S. All were starting in a week.

As he reached the steps of the castle, Remus wondered again just why Minerva had asked to meet with him. He assumed it had something to do with the werewolf seminar he would be teaching next fall, but thought she would have waited until school was out to talk to him about it. She was undoubtedly busy right now. The end of the year always was. Not to mention that the full moon was in three days. Remus wasn't as agitated as he would be in a day or two, but he was still a bit on edge.

It didn't help that he and Hermione hadn't had much time alone together recently. Since Skeeter's case had been closed, Kingsley and Andromeda had been spending a lot more time together, something Remus and Hermione were both very happy about. Hermione had also been busy with the opening of the Sanctuary. While their department wasn't normally so hands-on with the laws they passed, Margaret had known how much this project had meant to Hermione. Given they hadn't had any pressing research that Margaret wanted Hermione to work on, she had basically loaned Hermione to the Werewolf Support Services office until the Sanctuary was up and running. Between that and Andromeda not being at home as often, Remus hadn't spent an uninterrupted evening with Hermione in nearly a week. And given the approaching full moon, well, Remus had taken to spending a bit more time in the shower every morning.

He shook off his randy thoughts as he approached the gargoyle. The last thing he needed was to be thinking about shagging Hermione when he spoke to Minerva. Remus gave the password and rode up the staircase to the Headmistress' office. He knocked on the door and was bade entry.

"Ah, Remus, thank you for coming," Minerva said, ushering him into the room. Remus took a seat in front of her desk. "I am sorry for the short notice."

"Not a problem," Remus said with a smile. "I'm guessing you want to talk about the seminar I'll be teaching next year?"

"Actually, no," Minerva said. "I do need to speak with you about that, but that isn't why I asked you here today." Remus' brow furrowed in confusion. "As you know, Angus Higgins has been teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts for the last two years." Remus nodded. He still remembered the reaction Hermione had had to Higgins' dueling tournament when she had come back to finish her seventh-year. As far as he knew, the man hadn't done it again.

"Angus told me last week that he does not intend to return next year," Minerva continued. "So, I will be in need of a new Defense teacher."

"Were you looking for a recommendation?" Remus asked. Minerva chuckled.

"No, Remus, I would like to offer you the job." Remus stared at her in shock. "You are an excellent teacher and you already know the curriculum. There have been a few additions, of course, with Hermione's magical creatures initiative, but you are welcome to shape the class as you see fit."

"Minerva, I," Remus began, at a loss for words. "The Board is all right with this?"

"I have complete control of who I hire," she said.

"Yes, normally, but-" Minerva held up a hand to interrupt him.

"Remus, you are forgetting the new legislation. Shouldn't Hogwarts set an example in that regard?" He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head.

"You may lose students over this."

"It's possible," she said as if it didn't even matter. "Then again, we may gain a few." He looked up at her quizzically.

"You do not think that Greyback and his ilk were busy during the war? I do not believe for a moment that Will Burke was the only child that was bitten. You being here may encourage parents who might otherwise feel they needed to hide their child away." Remus couldn't argue with her logic.

"I don't know what to say."

"How about yes?" she said with a smile.

"I don't, I don't know. I have Teddy now."

"There haven't been staff with children for quite some time, but it used to be much more common. There are family quarters available," Minerva said. Remus frowned.

"I'm not sure I want to raise Teddy in the castle," he said. Beyond that, there was Hermione. Remus very much doubted Minerva would permit Hermione to stay the night. He didn't think that she would be all that keen on Hermione visiting on a regular basis, come to that. Not that she didn't approve of the two of them, but the school had an image to maintain and they weren't married.

Remus couldn't just sneak her in through the Floo. Except for the Floo in Minerva's office, the fireplaces in the castle were only connected internally. Calls could be made outside, but travel was restricted. There were exceptions made at times, like during the war, but Remus would not be able to keep an outside connection open all the time. Asking Hermione to come through Minerva's Floo was not an option either. Remus wouldn't presume to intrude on Minerva's space in that way.

Not to mention Andromeda. She and Teddy were so close, he couldn't just leave her. And he doubted she would want to live in the castle with him, especially now with Kingsley in the picture.

"There is another possibility," Minerva said. He looked up expectantly, hoping she would say he could live at home and commute.

"I still own a cottage in Hogsmeade," she continued. "Elphinstone and I bought it after we married. After he passed, I could not stay there and returned to my quarters in the castle. But, I kept it. Why, I'm not sure. But, I would like to offer it to you if you would prefer not to live in the castle. You would still have an office and a set of rooms here, I would require you to stay one or two nights a week when you are assigned patrol. The Floo at the cottage can be attached to the internal Floo network, so you could get to the castle quickly if needed. I would like to tell you that I could do the same for your home now, but it is a matter of distance, I'm afraid. Hogsmeade is still close enough that it can be connected." Remus nodded in understanding.

"I, Minerva that is very generous, but I-" he trailed off, his face turning red. He cleared his throat. "I can't afford it."

"I am not asking you to buy it," she said.

"I wouldn't be able to afford rent either."

"I am not asking for money."

"I can't possibly stay there for free," Remus said.

"Why not?" Minerva asked. "Teachers are not charged rent to stay in the castle. Why should this be any different?"

"Because the castle belongs to the school," he said. "This is _your_ house."

"A house that has sat empty for far too long," she replied. "And will continue to do so if you don't live in it." Remus shook his head, wry smile on his face. Minerva smirked at him.

"There's also Andromeda to consider," Remus said. "She and Teddy are extremely close. I couldn't just take him away from her like that."

"By all means, discuss it with Andromeda," Minerva said. "I am sure you will want to talk to Hermione as well. But know that I am not going to give up trying to convince you. This school needs you, Remus."

"I will think about it."

"You will let me know after the moon?" Remus nodded. She rose from her chair and came around her desk as he stood. "If you would like to see the cottage before you make your decision, just send me an owl."

"Thank you, Minerva." She smiled and squeezed his upper arm.

"You can thank me by accepting," she said.

"I promise I will think about it." They made their good-byes and Remus made his way out of the castle and across the grounds. A job offer was the last thing he had been expecting and he wasn't sure just what he was going to do.

* * *

"How was your meeting?" Andromeda asked when Remus arrived home. Remus glanced into the living room, but Teddy was thoroughly engrossed in his toys and didn't seem to be paying them any attention.

"Minerva offered me a job." Andromeda looked confused.

"I thought she had already offered you the position."

"Not that job," Remus said. "She wants me to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Andromeda stared at him in shock for a moment and then she smiled widely.

"Oh, Remus, that is wonderful!" Remus allowed himself to smile. If he were honest, he really wanted to accept. He had loved teaching and he missed it. But, he needed to make sure that everyone else in his life was all right with it first.

"I'm not sure if I am going to take it."

"Why in Merlin's name not?" Andromeda demanded.

"I would have to move, Andromeda." She looked taken aback for a moment, then sank down into one of the kitchen chairs.

"Of course," she said quietly. "Staff lives in the castle."

"When I expressed concern about raising Teddy in the castle, Minerva offered me an alternative," Remus said, sitting down as well. Andromeda looked up. "Minerva has a cottage that she hasn't lived in since her husband died. But, it's in Hogsmeade. She wants me to be connected to the internal Hogwarts Floo and our house is too far away." Andromeda nodded.

"I never expected the two of you would live with me forever," she said, trying to smile and failing miserably. "I knew that one day you would move on with your life, as you should."

"Andromeda," he said, reaching over and taking her hand. "I want everyone to be all right with this decision."

"Remus do not be ridiculous. Of course, you should take the job." She managed a smile this time, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Besides, you will still need someone to mind Teddy while you are teaching, so it is not as if I will not see him regularly." She patted his hand with her free one.

"I will have to spend a night or two every week in the castle when I am on patrol, as well," Remus said.

"Well, there you are then," Andromeda said. "We will see one another nearly as often as we do now." Her voice sounded just a little too bright, but he didn't call attention to it.

"You could come with us," he suggested. "I haven't seen the cottage yet, but, I'm sure we can make it work."

"Remus," she said, with a smile, this one a little wistful, but genuine all the same. "I am not going to do that. You deserve to have your own life, you and Teddy." He opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head. "Do you expect Hermione to eventually move in here with us? Or have me continue to live with you after the two of you are married?"

"We haven't discussed marriage," Remus muttered, his cheeks pinking.

"Perhaps not in so many words," she said with a smirk. "But, I can see where you are heading." He couldn't deny what she was saying. Remus knew that's what he wanted anyway.

"I think we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves," he said. "We've only been together for three months."

"Regardless," Andromeda said. "I think we both knew from the beginning that our situation was not going to be forever."

"There aren't enough words to thank you for all you've done for us," Remus said, gripping her hand tighter.

"The two of you did just as much for me," she said, eyes filling. "I think I would have been very lost after the war if it had not been for you and Teddy. I am not sure I would have survived it, to be honest." They fell silent, both thinking of those they had lost. Remus pulled in a breath a few minutes later and looked up at her.

"Thank you, Andromeda." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her. She smiled at him and dabbed at her eyes. She squeezed his hand again.

"You are going to be a wonderful teacher, Remus," she said.

* * *

Hermione stepped out of the Floo to find Crookshanks standing at the back door yowling at her.

"Just give me a minute, would you," Hermione muttered as she shrugged out of her outer robes and laid them over the armchair. The warming temperatures and more hours of sunshine meant Crookshanks spent most evenings outdoors, sunning himself or wandering through the neighborhood. She opened the back door to let him out and started when she saw someone sitting on the bench near the house.

"Remus," she said, hand on her chest. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry, love," he said with a smile.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Just thinking," he said. He smiled up at her and patted the spot on the bench next to him. Hermione's brow furrowed as she looked at him. He was acting strange.

"Thinking about what?" she asked as she sat down.

"The job Minerva offered me today." Hermione's mouth dropped open. He had told her he was meeting with Minerva, but they both assumed it was about his guest lectures.

"What?" she finally managed.

"Angus Higgins is leaving and Minerva wants me to be the new Defense teacher." Hermione grinned and threw her arms around his neck.

"Remus, that's brilliant!" He hugged her tightly for a moment before easing back from her.

"I haven't said yes yet." She looked at him in confusion.

"Why not?"

"It's a big change, Hermione. And it affects more than just me." She sat back. He was right. He would have to move into the castle. Hermione doubted whether Minerva would approve of Hermione staying the night, even if she wasn't seen by any of the students. Come to that, she wasn't sure how she _wouldn't_ be seen by any of the students. The Floos in the castle were only connected to one another. She couldn't travel in and out that way. She bit her lip.

Still, this was what Remus had always wanted to do, she knew that. And he was an amazing teacher. She couldn't be selfish about it.

"There are weekends," she said quietly. "And holidays. And you're off for an entire two months in the summer." He brought a hand to her cheek and smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her softly.

"I don't have to live in the castle." She looked at him in confusion.

"But…what?"

"Minerva has a cottage in Hogsmeade and she offered it to me after I told her that I wasn't sure I wanted to raise Teddy in the castle."

"Oh, well then, that's," Hermione paused. She wasn't sure why he was hesitating. "That's good, isn't it?"

"It is," Remus agreed. "We'll still be able to spend time together, even during the week. Teddy will have a normal house to grow up in and Andromeda can still mind him during the day." Hermione picked up on the way that Remus stressed 'the day'.

"Andromeda isn't going with you?" Hermione asked. Remus shook his head.

"She said that she knew I would move on with my life one day."

"Remus," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around him and leaning into his side. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm worried about Teddy," he said. "The two of them are so close." Hermione suspected that Remus was a bit worried about himself, as well. He and Andromeda had kept each other afloat after the war. Teddy had been their focus, of course, but the two adults had been there for one another just as much.

"And no matter what she says, I'm worried about Andromeda," he admitted. "By herself in that house."

"She won't be by herself," Hermione said. "Teddy will still be there during the day. And I have a feeling Kingsley might be there more often than you think." He pulled back slightly and looked down at her.

"I don't know that I want to think about that," he said and she laughed.

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"You've mentioned everyone else, but you haven't said anything about yourself."

"What is there to say?"

"Why you're still hesitating?" He sighed and looked at the ground. Hermione sat up and took one of his hands instead.

"I've spent so much time with Teddy these last two years, I'm not sure I'm ready to give that up," he admitted. Hermione squeezed his hand, thinking it had been something along those lines.

"But, I do need an income. The," he paused and cleared his throat. "The death benefits we received for Dora and what I earned from tutoring are about gone. I can't expect Andromeda to support us on what Ted left her." He sighed. "I feel selfish for wanting to take the job and selfish for not wanting to."

"You, Remus Lupin, are the very last person I would ever call selfish," Hermione said. He gave her a half-smile and then looked out over the garden.

"I never thought I'd be in this position."

"What position?"

"Having to decide whether to take a job or not. I never figured I'd get much choice in the matter." He squeezed her hand. "I have you to thank for that."

"Not just me," Hermione insisted. "And besides, I have a strong feeling that Minerva would have offered you the job whether my proposal had passed or not."

"Maybe," Remus said. "But, it helped."

"Maybe," Hermione echoed. Remus put an arm around her and she leaned into him, head resting on his shoulder. They sat quietly for a few moments, watching Crookshanks stalking something in the grass.

"When do you have to let Minerva know?" Hermione asked.

"After the moon," Remus replied. She nodded. He looked down at her and she smiled up at him. He lowered his head and kissed her, one hand coming up against the side of her neck. He pulled back to look at her, thumb rubbing lightly near her ear.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she said with a smile. Then she pulled him back to kiss him once more.

* * *

 **16 June 2000**

Hermione stood near the Floo in Sanctuary House, waiting with the final doses of Wolfsbane for those that were planning on transforming there that night. Caroline had stayed home with Will, of course, and Andromeda was with Remus. Teddy had been sent to Harry's for the night. Hermione intended to stay the night in one of the newly renovated rooms in Sanctuary House. Declan was staying as well.

There were also two teams from Magical Law Enforcement that had been specially trained to patrol during the full moon. One person would be stationed in the house and the others would patrol on brooms over the enclosed wooded area. The two teams would trade off every couple of hours so no one would get too tired to fly. There was a tall fence and layered wards, so the possibility of escaping was extremely slim. The patrol was more to be sure that the wolves didn't injure one another. Although they had all had a full course of Wolfsbane potion, they still were unsure how they would all react when in proximity to one another.

There was plenty of room for those that had chosen to transform here. In fact, if they didn't want to, they likely wouldn't encounter one another during the night. As of now, there were only men that intended to use the sanctuary. They were bitten in greater numbers than women, as a rule.

A touch on her shoulder caused her to jump. She turned to see Declan standing next to her.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he said.

"It's all right," Hermione replied. "I'm a bit jumpy."

"Everything is going to be fine, Hermione. They've just finished doing a final sweep of the grounds. All the wards are set and there's nothing amiss in the forest." She nodded. Declan studied her for a moment.

"Is there something else?"

"I just, if this doesn't work or something happens, I don't think I could forgive myself," she said. "All of this was my idea." Declan put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's going to work out and nothing is going to happen," he said. "We've gone over everything a dozen times. Everyone has taken their Wolfsbane. The wards are sound. Don't worry so much." She nodded and he squeezed her shoulders once before letting go.

The Floo flared seconds later and the first wizard stepped out. Hermione took a deep breath. Declan was right. Everything was going to be fine.

* * *

 **17 June 2000**

Almost everything was fine. Those that had decided to transform at the sanctuary had arrived on time to take their last dose of Wolfsbane and then made their way onto the grounds to find a spot to transform. According to those patrolling, the transformations had been uneventful, most of the wolves investigating their surroundings a bit before settling down for the night. They had all been up a few times in the night, but everyone had kept mostly to themselves. A couple of the younger men, both just eighteen, had run into one another during the night and ended up in a wrestling match, but it had been playful and neither had been hurt. Until that morning, however.

As the sun rose and the air was filled with the anguished howls of werewolves transforming back to men, one wizard had stepped in a hole and twisted his ankle as soon as his transformation was complete. Weak and already in pain, he had been unable to stand or summon help. When the rest of the werewolves made it to the house to check in, a team had been dispatched to find the missing man. He was currently sleeping in the room Hermione had slept in, his broken ankle propped on a pillow while he waited for the Skele-gro to work.

"Go on home, Hermione," Declan said. "I'll stay with him until his ankle is mended."

"Are you sure?" she said. "I can stay."

"No, go see your man," Declan said. "Merlin knows mine will still be sleeping off his night at the pub last night until at least noon." Hermione laughed and kissed the man's cheek.

"Thanks, Declan."

She hurried downstairs and to the Floo, calling out for her own house first. Remus would likely be sleeping and she really wanted a shower and some breakfast before she saw him.

* * *

Remus shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable. The moon had been uneventful, but his left hip was particularly sore this morning. He should probably put more salve on it, but he didn't have the inclination to sit up and do it.

The door creaked slightly and Remus looked up to see Hermione standing in the doorway.

"Oh, I didn't mean to wake you," she said.

"I wasn't asleep, love," he said. "Come in." She walked into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Why aren't you asleep?" she asked.

"My hip is bothering me." Hermione picked up the jar of salve from his bedside table.

"Which one?"

"The left." She drew the sheets back and rubbed more salve into his hip. He groaned in relief as the pain began to recede.

"Thank you," he said. She capped the jar and cleansed her hands with a spell before pulling the sheet and blanket back up over him. She sat down on the edge of his bed and brushed a lock of hair off his forehead.

"Anything else bothering you?" she asked. He shook his head.

"How did it go at the sanctuary?"

"Everything went smoothly until this morning." Remus looked at her questioningly. "One man stepped in a hole after his transformation and twisted his ankle. It's broken." Remus grimaced in sympathy. That was one of the hazards of transforming outside.

"Is he all right now?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded.

"The mediwitch was by this morning and gave him Skele-gro. He's sleeping in one of the bedrooms at Sanctuary House. Declan stayed with him." Remus tried not to bristle. Hermione had told him that Declan was staying last night. Remus had no reason to be jealous. The wolf paced in his head all the same. Hermione, noticing his reaction, smirked.

"You don't have anything to be worried about, you know," she said.

"I know," he replied apologetically.

"Besides, you're more Declan's type than I am." She laughed at the look on Remus' face, then leaned down and kissed him.

"I'm sorry, love."

"It's all right," she said with a smile.

"Everyone else was all right though?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded.

"I think they were all thankful to have a safe place to transform," she said. "One man told me this morning that he used to chain himself up in the woods because he didn't have anywhere else to go." Remus squeezed her hand.

"You should sleep now," she said, standing and swiping at her eyes, while she busied herself tucking him in.

"What are you up to today?"

"Nothing, really," she said with a shrug. "I thought I might go visit Harry and Teddy." She tried to stifle a yawn.

"Did you sleep last night?"

"A bit," she said.

"How much is a bit?"

"A couple of hours." Remus bit back the reprimand. He knew she would be up worrying most of the night.

"Why don't you take a nap instead of going to Harry's?" Before she could say no, he flipped back the covers. She looked at him, then smiled, taking off her shoes and socks and stripping out of her jeans, leaving her in her knickers and t-shirt. She climbed into the bed but was careful not to touch him.

"I hope you know, there is zero possibility of any kind of ravishing right now," Remus said dryly.

"I'm not worried about that," she said, rolling her eyes. "I just don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," he said. She moved to his side and laid down gingerly next to him. She rested a hand on his chest and he entwined his fingers with hers. She relaxed and burrowed a bit closer to him. He kissed the top of her head and relaxed back into his pillow, his residual pain seeming to melt away. He felt Hermione's breathing even out as his own eyes closed and he succumbed to sleep.

* * *

When he woke, she was gone. A glance at the clock showed that it was mid-afternoon. Remus shifted slightly in the bed. His hip was still a bit sore, but nothing like it had been earlier that morning. His stomach, however, was growling in protest. As was his bladder.

He pulled himself into a sitting position and catalogued his pain. He was sore, of course, but nothing terrible. Standing, he walked to the chair in the corner of his room and pulled on his trousers and a shirt, grimacing as the muscles in his back pulled.

When he opened the door to his bedroom, he could hear voices downstairs. Andromeda, Hermione and Harry it sounded like. He made his way to the loo and when he was finished started down the stairs. Hermione appeared at the bottom, obviously having heard him moving around. She smiled, but he could see the concern in her eyes.

Ignoring it, he began to walk down the stairs, not needing to lean too heavily on the railing. This had been one of his less painful transformations. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he reached out and pulled Hermione to him, kissing her quite soundly. When they parted, she looked up at him, lips slightly parted, her breath coming a bit faster than normal.

"You're feeling better," she said. He chuckled.

"I am," he said. "Did I hear Harry's voice?"

"Yes, we brought Teddy back for lunch," she said. "He's down for his nap now." Remus' brow furrowed in concern. If she had been at Harry's before lunch, she couldn't have napped for that long.

"How long did you sleep?" he asked, tucking a curl behind her ear. They walked into the kitchen.

"A few hours. I wasn't at Harry's for long before we came back here. Are you hungry?" He nodded. "Andromeda's kept some food warm for you. I'll get it." Remus sat down at the table and watched as Hermione cancelled the warming charm on the leftovers and then brought him a plate and silverware. She poured him a glass of water and then sat down in the chair opposite as he ate.

It was only a few minutes before Harry and Andromeda joined them in the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" Andromeda asked.

"Rather well, actually," Remus replied. Andromeda patted his shoulder as Harry slid into a chair next to Hermione.

"I was just about to give them an update about Skeeter," Harry said. Remus stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth.

"Bad news?" Remus asked.

"No news, actually," Harry said. "There's been no sign of her anywhere. She's not in any Muggle hospital, she hasn't turned up at any police station. It's like she just disappeared."

"Well, if she's still a beetle and she can't remember how to transform, she might as well have. It's not as if you could find her easily in that form," Hermione said. Remus noticed that Andromeda didn't say anything. He thought it a bit strange that she hadn't at least made some kind of 'good riddance' comment.

"So, will they close the case then?" Remus asked.

"It won't be officially closed unless we find her," Harry said. "But no one will be assigned to it. Proudfoot is the only one still working on it now, in any case. But, as of today, it's no longer a priority."

"Well, I cannot say I will miss thinking about Rita Skeeter," Andromeda finally said. "That woman has taken up too much time and energy from everyone." They all nodded in agreement. Remus studied her. There was something she wasn't saying, that much he could tell. What it was, he had no idea.


	81. Opinions

**A/N - Hi all! There are a few days left to vote in the Marauder Medals. Link is back in Chapter 79 if you're interested. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 81**

 **Opinions**

 **17 June 2000**

Harry had gone home and Teddy was in bed for the night. Remus and Hermione sat together on the couch, but given they had both been stifling yawns for the last half hour, Remus knew that they would be heading to their respective beds soon.

"Don't you think it's odd?" Hermione said, breaking the silence.

"What?"

"Skeeter," Hermione elaborated. "I mean, I understand not wanting to give away her secret in front of Cuffe, but if someone were coming after me with a book, I think I'd change my mind rather quickly."

"Maybe she froze," Remus said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"Well, if she was frightened enough, she might not have been able to change back." He paused, swallowing. "It happened to Peter once. James had to cast the spell to force him back into human form." Hermione squeezed his hand and Remus tightened his arm around her. He still didn't like talking about Peter.

"Maybe," she said. "But, even if that is what happened, why didn't she change back later? Why hasn't anyone found her yet?"

"She got hit with a book, Hermione," Remus reminded her. "Hard enough that Cuffe thought she was dead."

"That's the thing though," Hermione said. "If she _was_ dead, they'd have found her outside her house. If she was injured badly enough that she couldn't fly off or something, I can't imagine her magic would hold. She would have likely transformed back as well."

"If she was only stunned, when she woke up, why wouldn't she have changed back? It's been two weeks, Remus. It doesn't make sense."

"If she _did_ have a head injury, she might have forgotten how. She might have forgotten she was a witch at all," he said.

"I don't know," Hermione replied. "If she has some kind of amnesia, wouldn't her magic let go as well? She wouldn't be able to concentrate on staying in beetle form." Remus' lips pursed in thought.

"It's possible, I suppose, but she's been transforming for so long I think it's second nature to her. I don't think there's a lot of concentrating that you have to do to stay in that form. I know that Sirius didn't when he was in Azkaban."

"Maybe," Hermione acknowledged. "I just think it's strange."

"Well, maybe Fleur's suggestion is truer than we think," Remus said in amusement.

"But, as soon as she was dead, she would have transformed back." Hermione shuddered at the thought and Remus grimaced at the sight that would have been.

"Not necessarily." They both turned to see Andromeda standing in the doorway to the kitchen, holding a cup of tea in her hands. "Just as there are spells to force someone from their Animagus form, there are spells to force someone into it." Remus' brow furrowed as Andromeda walked into the room. She settled in one of the armchairs.

"If someone forced Skeeter into her beetle form and then cast a binding spell, she would not be able to transform back unless that person cancelled the binding." They both stared at her.

"Are you saying that someone did that?" Remus finally asked.

"I am not saying anything, Remus," Andromeda said. "I thought we were merely speculating as to Skeeter's possible fate." She looked at the two of them. "Perhaps Cuffe is lying."

"About what?" Remus asked, brow furrowed.

"About what really happened. Maybe he did kill her as a beetle, she transformed back and then he disposed of her body in a panic." She sipped her tea.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Kingsley said he was pretty upset when they showed him that picture of Skeeter as a beetle, thinking he might have killed her."

"Guilt, perhaps?" Andromeda said.

"Could have been," Remus agreed. He studied his mother-in-law. She was the picture of composure, sipping calmly at her tea. But, there was something beneath the surface.

"If someone did bind her in her beetle form, it would have to be someone that knew what she was," Hermione said. She didn't look accusatory, simply thoughtful.

"I am sure that list is longer than we realize," Andromeda said.

"What makes you say that?" Remus asked.

"Well, she trusted fourth-year students with her secret during the Triwizard Tournament," Andromeda said. "I find it hard to believe there were no other situations over the years where she would not need an 'inside man', so to speak."

"That's true," Hermione agreed. "There are probably a lot more people that know, than we're aware of." She looked at Andromeda and Remus thought he saw something pass between them, something like understanding, but he couldn't be certain. "And we all know that Skeeter would turn on _anyone_ , informant or not, as long as she benefitted from it."

"Just so," Andromeda said with a smile, nodding her head at Hermione. She took another sip of her tea. "Well, I am rather tired. I think I will go to bed. Good night."

"Good night, Andromeda," Hermione said, smiling at the older woman.

"Good night," Remus echoed. He waited until she had left the room, then turned to Hermione. She leaned back against him and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Your questions have been sufficiently answered, I take it?"

"Just so," Hermione said, repeating Andromeda's words. Remus shook his head fondly, then tightened his arm around her. He knew he could figure out their previous exchange if he tried, but the fate of Rita Skeeter really no longer interested him. Beetle or not, dead or not, as long as she left them alone, Remus couldn't care less what happened to her.

* * *

 **18 June 2000**

"Andromeda," Remus said the next morning as Teddy was busy with his newest toys. Harry spoiled the boy far too much.

"Yes?" she said. Remus cleared his throat, putting his hands in the pockets of his trousers.

"I've made a decision." Andromeda looked at him for a moment.

"You're taking the job at Hogwarts." Remus nodded, unable to answer out loud. There was a large lump in his throat. She smiled at him. "I knew you would." She stepped forward and hugged him. When she stepped back, her eyes were bright.

"Congratulations," she said. "I'm very happy for you."

"Andromeda," Remus began, but she shook her head, still smiling. He knew it was forced, the expression in her eyes far more telling than the look on her face. She reached for his hands, gripping them tightly.

"Have you spoken to Minerva yet?"

"No, I wanted to tell you first." Andromeda nodded, squeezing his hands. "I'm not planning on leaving until August. I don't have to be at the school until two weeks prior to term. I can do my lesson plans just as easily here." She nodded, still with that too bright smile on her face.

"Well, I am sure that you want to tell Hermione," she said. "And speak to Minerva."

"I don't need to do that immediately," Remus said, concerned about the fact that the smile seemed to have frozen on her face.

"Nonsense," she said. "We will be fine here."

"Andromeda, I-" he began but she shook her head.

"We will be fine," she repeated. Remus glanced at Teddy, then back at Andromeda.

"If you're sure."

"Of course, I am. We will see you later." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, then moved towards Teddy, asking him something about the toys Harry had given him. Remus looked at the two of them, the lump in his throat growing larger, then hurried to the back door.

* * *

Hermione looked up when she heard the crack outside. Brow furrowed, she walked into the living room and saw Remus walking quickly to her back door. She opened the door before he could knock.

"I wasn't expecting you this morning," she said with a smile. It faded when she saw the look on his face. "Remus?" He stepped into the house with a sigh, rubbing at his forehead with his fingertips.

"I've decided to take the Defense job," he said.

"Oh, Remus, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. She frowned. "Isn't it?"

"Yes," he said. She pulled back slightly.

"Then, what's the matter?"

"I told Andromeda just before I came over here."

"Oh," she said, understanding immediately. She hugged him to her again. She knew it would be a big adjustment for all three of them once Remus and Teddy moved to Hogsmeade, Andromeda especially.

Remus sighed as he released Hermione. He stepped further into the living room, running a hand through his hair. Hermione reached for his hand and then tugged him gently to the couch.

"Is she all right?"

"She's putting on a brave face," Remus said. "But, no, I don't think she is."

"And you're sure she won't move with you?"

"She says no," Remus replied. "And her reasons are good ones. It's just, it's going to be harder than I thought." Hermione rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand. He leaned his head back against the couch. "I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?"

"Do you want to take the job?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "I loved teaching."

"Then, yes, you're doing the right thing."

"Then why do I feel like I'm being selfish?"

"Because you're Remus," she said simply. He turned his head to look at her. "You always worry about everyone else before yourself." She scooted closer to him, propping one elbow on the back of the couch and looking down at him. He smiled up at her and she leaned down and kissed him.

"It won't be easy, at first," she said. "But everyone will adjust. And you'll still see Andromeda every day." He put a hand to her cheek and pulled her to him for another kiss.

"How did you get so wise?" he asked.

"Brightest witch of her age, I'll have you know," Hermione said cheekily. Remus chuckled before he kissed her again.

"Can I use your Floo?" he asked. "I need to call Minerva." Hermione nodded.

* * *

Hermione had come with him to look at the cottage. He had asked Andromeda as well, but she had declined and stayed home with Teddy. The cottage was well away from the High street tucked into a quiet little corner of the village. There was little chance of any Hogwarts students wandering past. Minerva had paused at the front gate, before taking a deliberate breath and walking up the path to the front door. A few whispered spells later and the door was open.

"I sent some of the Hogwarts elves to clean it, so all should be in order," said as she ushered them both inside.

Remus was surprised to see it was furnished, although it made sense if Minerva had left with just her personal belongings when she moved back to the castle. There was a sofa in deep blue in front of the fireplace, two matching armchairs flanking it. Colorful carpets dotted the hardwood floors and there were three bookshelves along the side wall. They were empty, but Remus knew they wouldn't be for long. The room was cozy and inviting with a large picture window that overlooked the street.

The kitchen, with a small dining area, and a small study made up the rest of the main floor. Upstairs there were three bedrooms. The master bedroom had an en suite and the other two bedrooms a shared bathroom.

"You may use the furniture or replace it as you'd like," Minerva said once they had finished the tour. "I expect that you will want to bring Teddy's bedroom furniture at the least."

"To start," Remus agreed. He had been thinking of moving Teddy from his cot to a regular bed but moving would be hard enough on his son. Having his own bed and other furniture would make it easier for the little boy to adjust.

"Anything you don't wish to keep can be moved into storage," Minerva said. "Let me show you the garden."

They walked out the back door into a quaint little garden. There was a patio with a table and chairs, along with a blooming flower garden. A large weeping willow tree took up most of the back property line, but there was still plenty of open space for Teddy to play.

"It's lovely, Minerva," Hermione said.

"We enjoyed it here very much," Minerva said, her voice a bit wistful. She shook herself out of her reverie a few seconds later. "I'm glad it will be in use once again."

"Thank you, Minerva," Remus said.

"I will have your employment contract drawn up, Remus," she said. "Will you stop by on Tuesday to sign it?"

"Of course," Remus said.

"Excellent. We can discuss you taking possession of the cottage at that time as well. The wards will need to be changed." Remus nodded and they walked back into the house and out the front door. Once the cottage was locked, Minerva made her good-byes and Disapparated. Hermione and Remus chose to walk through the village.

"What did you think?" Hermione asked as she took his hand.

"It's very nice," he said. "It will be perfect, I think."

"I think so too," she said with a smile. "And there's an extra bedroom, in case Andromeda changes her mind." Remus nodded, although he didn't think his mother-in-law was going to change her mind. He looked at Hermione who was admiring the other houses as they walked past. He had a sudden urge to ask her to move in with him. He squashed it down. Three months, that's all it had been. Although, with all they had been through in those three months, it seemed like far longer. Still, it was too soon.

"Sorry?" he said, realizing she had asked him something.

"I asked if you wanted to stop at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer," she said. She cocked her head, studying him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, love," he said, raising their clasped hands and kissing the back of hers. "A butterbeer sounds perfect." She smiled and they walked toward the High street, Remus banishing all thoughts of them moving in together.

* * *

Andromeda stepped out of the Floo into Kingsley's flat. She was not in the best frame of mind for dinner, but they had made the plans before the full moon. And truthfully, she could use a distraction from thinking about Remus and Teddy leaving.

She had meant everything she said to Remus the other day. She had never thought that he and Teddy would live with her permanently. She was so happy that Minerva had hired him to teach again. She knew how much he had enjoyed it the first time around. Speaking to Caroline about the progress Will had made, Andromeda knew that Remus was an excellent teacher.

Still, it was true that she would not have made it through the past two years without him and Teddy. They had given her a purpose, something to focus on, as she dealt with her grief over Ted and Nymphadora. And while Andromeda knew that they were not leaving her entirely, that she would still see them regularly, it would not be the same.

Kingsley stepped into the room, smiling as he greeted her. Andromeda forced her thoughts away from Remus and Teddy. She and Kingsley had not seen one another all week. He had been busy with the opening of the Sanctuary among a myriad of other things and had worked late nearly every evening. She did not want to ruin their time together with her melancholy.

After a soft kiss, he led her into the kitchen. He poured them each a glass of wine as she took a seat on one of the stools at the counter.

"How was the moon?" he asked.

"Uneventful," she said. "Remus had one of his better transformations."

"I've gotten the preliminary reports from the Sanctuary and it seems all went well there. Just one minor mishap," he said.

"That is what Hermione said." Andromeda took a sip of her wine. "I am so glad that it all went well." Kingsley turned and leaned against the counter next to the cooker, looking at her for a few moments. She tried not to tense under his scrutiny.

"As am I," he finally said. "I can only hope it helps a bit with some of the damage that Satterfield and Warrington did." She nodded.

"I hope so too."

"How was the rest of your week?" he asked, turning to the cooker to stir something in one of the pots on top. Andromeda contemplated for a moment before making sure her smile was firmly in place.

"Minerva offered Remus the Defense Against the Dark Arts position." Kingsley turned around to look at her. She continued to smile. "He accepted this afternoon."

"Well, that's amazing news." Andromeda nodded.

"Yes, he was rather happy about it. He enjoyed teaching very much and I know he misses it."

"He was very well-liked by the students I've heard."

"Yes, he was," she said, genuinely smiling now.

"I suppose this means that he will have to move to the castle," Kingsley said.

"No, actually. Minerva has a cottage in Hogsmeade that she offered him. Remus did not want to raise Teddy in the castle. He saw it this afternoon and says it is quite nice." Kingsley studied her again.

"You're not going with him." It wasn't a question.

"No, I am not." The fake smile was back in place and Andromeda hoped that Kingsley did not see through it.

"Did he offer?"

"Of course, he did," she replied. "But, I declined." She twisted the stem of her wine glass, watching the red liquid swirl inside. Kingsley pushed himself away from the counter and moved to sit on the stool next to her. He turned to face her and waited.

"I know they were never meant to live with me forever. And that is as it should be. And I will still be minding Teddy during the day, so I will see them regularly." Kingsley didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Well, that makes sense, at least," he finally said. She looked at him in confusion.

"What makes sense?"

"Why you've been wearing that fake smile and trying to pretend that everything is fine."

"I am not pretending," she said, trying not to marvel at how he could read her so well, after such a short time. He gave her a disbelieving look. "Everything _is_ fine, Kingsley."

"Andromeda," Kingsley said softly. Andromeda swallowed past the lump in her throat. She gripped her glass tightly in her hand, not looking at him. She had nothing to be upset about; this was a wonderful opportunity for Remus. Things were as they should be.

"You don't have to do this," Kingsley said.

"Do what?"

"Pretend you're not upset," he said.

"I am _not_ upset," she said, standing abruptly from her stool. She walked towards the window, looking out into the night, crossing her arms in front of her. Kingsley waited for a few moments before he stood and walked up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"You'll miss them," Kingsley said.

"I won't have time to miss them," she said with a laugh that sounded brittle, even to her ears. "I told you I would still be minding Teddy. I will see them every day."

"You'll miss them," Kingsley said again. She was quiet for a few moments.

"I should not be upset."

"Why not?"

"Because it is selfish," she snapped. "Remus is a grown man. He has his own life." Kingsley's hands moved to her upper arms and he squeezed gently. She closed her eyes and felt the sting of tears behind her eyelids. She was not going to break down. She was being ridiculous.

"It isn't selfish," he said. "They've lived with you since before Teddy was born. He's a living link to Ted and Tonks." She squeezed her eyes shut tighter. Kingsley's hands moved slowly up and down her arms. "It's all right to be sad."

"Not if it keeps Remus from leaving," she said.

"Did he give you any indication that it would?"

"This is Remus we are talking about," she said. Kingsley chuckled and took a step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Well, Remus isn't here," he said. "And I promise not to tell him." She leaned back against him. She could feel the tears beginning to leak from her eyes.

"I should not want them to stay," she whispered.

"You love them," Kingsley said. "We always want the ones we love to stay. That doesn't make you selfish. It just makes you human." Andromeda bowed her head and the tears ran faster. Kingsley gently turned her in his arms and gathered her into his chest. She made little noise, but the flow of tears did not slow. She knew that Kingsley was right, but it didn't make her feel any less guilty. Kingsley ran a hand up and down her back, whispering soothing words in her ear. When she had finally quieted, he kissed her temple, but didn't release her.

They stood that way for a few minutes before Andromeda took a step back and looked up at him. He smiled at her, wiping a few remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. Then he dipped his head and kissed her. She relaxed into the kiss, stepping closer to him again. She was not sure how long they would have stood there, but a small ping interrupted them.

"The chicken is done," Kingsley said, resting his forehead against hers and trying to catch his breath. She laughed lightly and kissed his cheek, then stepped back from him. He turned to move back to the cooker, but she grasped his hand before he could.

"Thank you," she said. He smiled and kissed her palm, then went to tend to the food.

* * *

 **20 June 2000**

Hermione was walking through the Atrium, heading for the Floos. She planned to stop at home to change before going to Remus' for dinner.

"Miss Granger?" a voice said. Hermione turned and looked around. A woman stepped out from behind the memorial fountain and Hermione immediately reached for her wand. Cressida Wilkes stood in front of her.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Cressida said quickly. "But I wondered if I could speak with you for a few moments." Hermione forced herself to calm. This was not Delia Wilkes under Polyjuice. This was Cressida who hadn't done anything to Hermione of her own free will. Delia was in Azkaban. Hermione took a breath but kept her hand on her wand.

She glanced around the Atrium. There were plenty of people there, but most were on their way home for the day, just as she had been. It would be nearly empty in a quarter of an hour. Hermione didn't think that Cressida Wilkes meant her any harm, she hadn't heard anything from the woman or anyone in her family since Delia's trial, but Hermione couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

"I have plans, actually," Hermione said.

"Please," Cressida said. At the look on her face, Hermione's resolve faltered. The woman looked completely defeated.

"I, all right," Hermione agreed. Cressida glanced around the Atrium as well.

"Can we speak in private?" Hermione might have agreed to talk to her, but she wasn't stupid enough to do it alone. She thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Follow me." Cressida fell into step beside her and Hermione led her out of the Ministry to the streets of Muggle London. They walked down the street until they came to the café that Hermione and Harry frequented for lunch. It was Muggle so no one would recognize them and there were booths where they would have privacy to talk, but still be in a public space.

"Tea?" Hermione asked once they walked in. Cressida nodded and Hermione ordered for both of them. She led Cressida to a booth in the back. The café was fairly empty. There were only two other tables that were occupied and they were well away from the booth Hermione had chosen.

"What can I do for you?" Hermione asked once they were seated.

"It's about my sister," Cressida said. Hermione stiffened but said nothing. "They finally allowed us to visit her in Azkaban last week." In the wake of the war, Kingsley had ordered improvements made to the formidable prison. The Dementors were gone and the Minister had ordered repairs be made so that it was not so horribly damp and drafty. It couldn't escape that completely, of course, given where it was located, but things were better. The prison was now staffed completely by wizards and witches.

Hermione knew that every prisoner was allowed some mail privileges, which varied depending on their crime and sentence. All were permitted at least two visits from family a year, some more. She had no idea what the specifics for Delia were, but given she had been in prison for almost two months and her family had just been allowed to see her, Hermione figured she didn't have many.

"She was," Cressida paused shaking her head. "I've never seen her like that. She doesn't understand why she's there. She begged my mother to let her come home. It was worse than it was at the trial." Hermione could see the tears shining in the other woman's eyes.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said. Cressida looked up at her, mouth quivering.

"I know that my sister did horrible things to you. And I have no right to ask you for anything. But, I am. I'm asking for your help."

"Ms. Wilkes, I," Hermione began, shaking her head.

"Please," Cressida said, putting her hand on Hermione's arm. "She's my little sister, I, I'm supposed to protect her. She's going to go mad in there, please." Hermione took a breath, staving off her own tears by the narrowest of margins.

"I want to help, believe me I do," Hermione said. "But there's nothing I can do."

"You can," Cressida insisted. "You could talk to them. You're a war hero, part of the Golden Trio, they'll listen to you!" Hermione sighed and rubbed at her forehead with her fingertips.

"Since your sister's trial, I've been looking into her case. I agree that she shouldn't be in Azkaban." Hope lit Cressida's face.

"Then you'll talk to them," she said, even as Hermione shook her head.

"They won't listen," she said. "Because the wizarding world doesn't have any kind of mental health treatment." Cressida looked confused and Hermione sighed again. "Are you familiar with Muggle healing at all?"

"Not really," Cressida said.

"In the Muggle world, there are special healers that help people like your sister." Hermione bit her lip trying to decide how to explain it exactly. "Sometimes when someone has experienced a traumatic event, like the war for example," Hermione paused again. She didn't want to get too technical in her explanation.

"It can cause problems with the way that the person thinks about things. They might act perfectly normal one minute and then think they are back in the event the next." Cressida's eyes widened in recognition. "They can have dreams or flashbacks about what they experienced. Muggles have healers that, well, try and heal their minds so that they can better deal with what happened to them. Unfortunately, we don't have anything like that in the wizarding world."

"So, if we had these mind Healers then my sister might have gotten help and never done this at all?"

"I can't say for sure," Hermione replied. "She seemed to fixate on Remus rather strongly. But, it's possible."

"Maybe we can take her to one of these Muggle Healers," Cressida said. "If they can fix her, I know my parents would be willing. You could talk to the Wizengamot, get them to understand," but Hermione was shaking her head. "Why not?"

"The whole basis of Muggle therapy, mind healing," Hermione corrected when she saw Cressida's blank expression, "is to get the person to talk about what happened so they can work through the feelings and emotions surrounding it and eventually come to terms with it. Delia could never talk to a Muggle Healer about the war without breaking the Statute of Secrecy. And even if she did, they'd likely think her completely insane and we wouldn't be any better off."

"So, it's just, talking?" Cressida said dubiously.

"Well, there's more to it than that, but that's a big part of it, yes," Hermione said. "I've been doing research and I've spoken to Healers at St. Mungo's, but we don't have anything like it. Calming draughts are about the extent of our dealing with mental health."

"So, there's nothing you can do?" Cressida asked sadly.

"I haven't given up," Hermione said. "But right now, it doesn't look very promising." She reached across the table and put a hand over the other woman's. "I'm truly sorry. If there was anything I could do, I would." Cressida nodded.

"Thank you for your time." She slid from the booth and walked out of the café, leaving Hermione feeling nearly as wretched as she had after the trial.

* * *

Remus studied Hermione as she read to Teddy. She had arrived later than she'd intended that evening and told him she would tell him about it later. He was concerned. She had been quieter than usual and had gotten lost in her thoughts more than once during the evening.

When they had finally gotten Teddy to bed, Remus took her hand as they stepped out into the corridor. She looked up at him and then stepped into his arms, sighing against his chest.

"What is it, love?" he asked, running a hand up and down her back.

"Let's go downstairs," she said. She stepped back and took his hand, leading him back to the living room. When they had settled on the couch, she turned towards him, one leg tucked underneath her.

"I saw Cressida Wilkes today." Whatever Remus had been thinking she might say, that had never even crossed his mind.

"Where?"

"At the Ministry when I was leaving. She wanted to speak to me." Remus felt his hands fist and his jaw clench.

"About what?" he growled out, although he was quite sure he knew the answer.

"Delia."

"I hope you told her no," he said, trying to keep his anger reigned in. The look on Hermione's face was enough of an answer. He sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"You should have seen her, Remus," Hermione said. "She looked…broken. I couldn't just ignore that."

"Yes, you bloody well could have," he snapped. "At least tell me you talked to her at the Ministry." Hermione looked at him defiantly.

"No."

"You went somewhere _alone_ with her?" he asked incredulously. "What were you _thinking_?"

"We went to that Muggle café where Harry and I have lunch," she said in exasperation. "We were hardly alone."

"Hermione," he began, but she cut him off with a scowl.

"I can take care of myself, Remus." He took a breath, forcing himself to calm before he said something stupid that he would regret. Because right now, he wanted to point out that she hadn't done a very good job of taking care of herself the day she got that letter. And that, he knew, would be incredibly stupid. It wasn't her fault. Instead, he took another breath and looked at her.

"What did she want?"

"She's seen Delia, they were finally able to visit her." Hermione hesitated. "She isn't doing well."

"She's not supposed to be doing well, she's in prison."

"Cressida wanted my help." Remus stared at her, already knowing what she was going to say. "She wants me to try and get Delia out."

"I certainly hope that you told her no."

"I told her that I couldn't get Delia released." Remus relaxed slightly. "But I said that I agreed with her." He sighed and shook his head. "I don't understand why you're upset." He stared at her.

"Delia tried to _kill_ you," he said.

"But, you agreed with me that she probably did that because of the war," Hermione protested. "If she'd gotten the help she needed, she wouldn't have."

"We don't know that," Remus said. "I agreed with you that we need some kind of mental health treatment, but I never said that Delia should be released from prison." Hermione huffed out a breath. Remus turned to her and took her hand in his.

"I know that this is important to you," he said. "But, Hermione, I don't think I'll ever agree that that woman should be released from prison. She tried to kill you." He held up a hand when Hermione went to interrupt. "Whether she would have followed through or not, or whether she wouldn't have done it if she'd had some kind of therapy doesn't really matter. She tried. And I don't know if I can ever forgive her for that, no matter what happens." He ran a thumb across Hermione's knuckles. "If it were me, how would you feel?" He could tell by the set of her jaw that she didn't want to answer.

"Probably the same way," she finally muttered. He tugged lightly on her hand and she moved towards him.

"I love you," he said, pulling her into his arms. "And I'm glad that you've decided to take this project on. I will support you in it however I can." He felt her relax against him. "But, please don't ask me to agree about Delia Wilkes. I almost lost you because of her."

"You didn't lose me," she said, putting a hand to his cheek. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her tight against him. They were both breathless when they separated. He rested his forehead against hers.

"And I would never advocate for her to be released unless I was sure that she wasn't going to hurt me or anyone else. I just want to help," Hermione said.

"I know you do, love," he said, then pulled back and smiled at her. He cupped her cheek and kissed her once more. "I'm sorry I got angry."

"It's all right," she said. "I understand." They shifted so they were both reclined on the couch, Hermione lying against his side. Flashes of her time at St. Mungo's were running through his mind. Hermione, as if sensing his distress, pulled herself closer to him and Remus tightened his arm around her. She nuzzled her nose into his neck and he kissed her forehead. They stayed that way until they both drifted off to sleep, only waking when Andromeda came home from Kingsley's.

* * *

 **21 June 2000**

Remus stepped out of the fireplace into Hermione's living room. He was glad that she had called and asked him to come by after Teddy was in bed. She had seemed fine when she left the night before, but Remus wanted to be sure that she wasn't still upset about their argument.

"Be right there," Hermione called from the kitchen. Remus was still standing in front of the fireplace, hands in his pockets, when she came into the room. She gave him a bright smile and crossed the room to kiss him. He relaxed when he realized she was perfectly fine and obviously not upset about the previous evening.

"How was your day?" he asked after she'd offered him something to drink. He joined her on the couch.

"Long," she said. "Meetings mostly and boring ones at that." She took a sip of her wine. "Yours?"

"I've started getting some things together for next year," he said. "I've got a meeting scheduled with Angus for tomorrow, to go over where all the years are in their studies. I want the transition to be as smooth as possible. I remember what it was like having a new Defense teacher every year." Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," she said. "Ginny has everything set for Luna's party. Eight o'clock on Friday." Remus frowned and Hermione's brow furrowed. "Andromeda doesn't have plans, does she?"

"Not that I know of," Remus said.

"Oh, good," she said. "It will be great to see Luna."

"I'm sure you will all have a wonderful time." He smiled thinly. Hermione looked at him quizzically.

"What do you mean 'you'? You're coming, aren't you?"

"I don't think so," he said.

"Why not?"

"I don't think that your friends want their former professor there."

"I'm sure they don't care," Hermione said. "Besides, _I_ want you there."

"I know that you do, but you have to admit, it would be awkward."

"Why?"

"Because I was their teacher," Remus said.

"But, everyone loved you."

"That may be, but I was still their teacher." Hermione stared at him.

"We've had dinner with Harry and Ginny and Ron and Susan before."

"That was different," Remus said.

"Why, because we stayed at Grimmauld Place?"

"No," he said, then shook his head. "Partly, I suppose. But, Harry is, well, he's more like a nephew than just your friend. He's Teddy's godfather. I don't feel like-" but Remus trailed off at the look on Hermione's face. She looked…hurt.

"Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" she asked.

"What? Of course, not!"

"Then why won't you come with me to Luna's party?"

"I've told you why," he said.

"Well, that's a ridiculous reason," she snapped. Remus bristled.

"I don't think it is."

"Everyone knows we're dating," she said. "It's been splashed all over the papers."

"It's not about that." He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe they were having their second row in as many days.

"Then what is it about?" Hermione demanded. "Because you're not making any sense."

"I know that everyone is aware that we're together," he said. "But, I'm sure that you haven't talked to all of them since they found out."

"No," she acknowledged.

"Then, I think it's better that I'm not there," he said.

"Even if you're not there, they still know," she said, sounding irritated. "You don't have to be there for them to pass judgement if that's what they're going to do."

"At least if I'm not there, we won't be smacking them in the face with it."

"Three days ago, we sat in The Three Broomsticks and had a drink," she said, clearly furious. "You didn't seem to be worried about 'smacking anyone in the face with it' then."

"That was a completely different situation," he said.

"How?"

"Because we didn't know anyone in The Three Broomsticks!" he snapped. She blinked, staring at him.

"Let me get this straight," she said, her voice low. "It's fine if we're seen together by people that don't know us, but you don't want to be seen with me around people we _do_ know?"

"No! That's not-" He scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration and stood from the couch. Crossing the room, he braced his hands against the mantel and took a breath. She was taking everything he said the wrong way, although he was doing a shite job of trying to explain, he had to admit. He needed to get his thoughts in order.

"Do you remember that night at the Leaky Cauldron? The night we had Bradley take the pictures?" he finally asked as he turned around. She nodded. "And you had the confrontation with those women in the bathroom?"

"Yes," she said, clearly confused as to what he was getting at.

"I remember how upset you were," he said. "Even if you pretended not to be. Imagine what it would have been like if those women had been people you knew. People that you considered friends."

"Well, I like to think that none of my friends would be so crass as to say something like that to my face," she replied dryly.

"Hermione-" but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Remus, I understand what you're getting at. But, the people that matter, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Susan, George, even Neville and Hannah, they all accept that we're together. To be perfectly honest, besides Luna and everyone else I just mentioned, I'm not close to anyone else that will be there. And somehow, I can't imagine Luna having any kind of problem with us." She gave him a faint smile, which Remus returned.

"No, I can't imagine she would."

"Then the rest of them really don't matter," Hermione said. "I would be disappointed if they couldn't accept it, but it wouldn't change my life."

"I want you to enjoy yourself," Remus said. "I don't want you to have to worry about what people are saying behind your back."

"Trust me, if I worried about that, I'd be worried all the time," she said wryly. Remus couldn't bring himself to return her humor. Hermione sighed and stood from the couch.

"I know you want to protect me. But, I promise you, I don't care what people think. Everyone I care about has given us their support. That's all that matters to me." She took her hands in his. "And like I said before, you not being there isn't going to be a guarantee that no one will say anything. It's not like it's a secret." She squeezed his hands and he looked up at her. He released one of her hands and tucked a curl behind her ear.

"So, will you come?" she asked. He stared at her for a moment.

"I don't know," he said honestly. He could see the annoyance in her eyes.

"Why on earth not?"

"I go back to my earlier statement about it being awkward."

"Remus," she said rolling her eyes.

"No, just listen," he said. "I'm not talking about us now. I _was_ their professor, Hermione. I'm far older than any of them, I'm a father."

"You're completely overthinking this," she said. "Go back to that same night at the Leaky you were talking about before. It _was_ a bit awkward with Neville at first, but when I came back from the loo, the two of you were talking easily." Remus couldn't argue that point. She stepped closer to him and his arms automatically went around her waist.

"If you come and it's uncomfortable, you can leave and I swear I won't be upset," Hermione said.

"I'll come if you promise me something."

"What?"

"If anyone says anything insulting to you, you'll tell me." She stared at him for a few moments.

"Only if you promise to do the same." He almost said 'no' by reflex. He was used to slurs and insults, given his condition. He didn't need Hermione being upset by them too. But, he knew that would not go over well and he truly didn't want to argue with her anymore.

"All right," he agreed. She smiled.

"Thank you." She stepped into him and he hugged her to him. She pulled back slightly after a few seconds but didn't let go of him completely.

"You know," she said conversationally. "I have heard that making up after an argument can be rather fun."

"Have you now?" he said with a smirk. She nodded. "Perhaps we should test that theory."

"I think it would be the wise thing to do," she said, trying to look serious while hiding a grin. Smiling himself, Remus leaned down and kissed her breathless, then took her hand and pulled her upstairs.


	82. Surprises

**A/N - Hello all! Next week's chapter will likely be delayed as I haven't started writing it yet and I have family at my house until Monday. But, I've made this one extra long for you. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 82**

 **Surprises**

 **23 June 2000**

Remus took a breath and followed Hermione through the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron. She was waiting for him when he stepped out. Smiling and taking his hand, she led him to the side room that Hannah had given them to use for the party. Because it was a Friday night, the pub was more crowded than usual. Hannah gave them a wave as they passed the bar.

"We'll see you later?" Hermione called out. Hannah nodded.

"As soon as it slows down a bit out here." When they reached the room, Hermione didn't even slow down, just towed him through the doorway.

They paused just inside, both looking around the room. Hermione was searching for Luna, but Remus was watching everyone else, wondering what they were all thinking. He had thought himself over this bit of anxiety and what he had told Hermione about the Three Broomsticks was true. He really didn't care what strangers thought. But, he realized, that they had spent so much time around friends and family that accepted their relationship, he had simply forgotten what it was like to worry about it. Now though, he was.

"There's Luna," Hermione said, pointing to the other side of the room. "Let's go say hello." Remus followed her, sensing the eyes on him as they passed. He managed to nod a greeting to a person or two, but mostly kept his eyes on Hermione's back.

"Luna!" Hermione said, dropping his hand and pulling the blonde into a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"You too," Luna said when Hermione had released her. She turned to Remus. "Hello, Professor."

"Remus, please, Luna," he said. "It's very nice to see you." He held a hand out to her, but she reached out and hugged him instead. Remus was so surprised, he froze, not returning the embrace.

"Remus?" Hermione said in concern at the look on his face when Luna stepped back from him.

"It's all right," Luna said. "I don't think he was expecting that."

"I'm sorry," he said, not sure what else to say. He _hadn't_ been expecting it, never having much interaction with the woman. She simply smiled at him in that way she had. He was never sure just what that smile meant.

"It's all right," she said again. "Rolf wasn't expecting it either."

"Who's Rolf?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, he's my fiancé," Luna said matter-of-factly. Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"Fiancé?" Hermione managed.

"Oh, yes," Luna said. "Here he is." A tall blond man walked up next to Luna and handed her a glass of wine, then kissed her temple. He looked to be a little older than her, maybe five or six years. Remus knew that he had never been one of his students when Remus was teaching.

"Hello," he said, holding out a hand to Remus. "Rolf Scamander."

"Remus Lupin," Remus said. "Scamander? Any relation to Newt?"

"He's my grandfather," Rolf said with a smile. He turned to Hermione who was still staring at him in shock. "You must be Hermione Granger. Pleased to meet you." Remus nudged Hermione and she finally recovered herself, shaking Rolf's hand.

"Yes, I, erm, how did you know?"

"Luna has photographs of all her friends," he said.

"Oh. How did you two, I mean, when did this, erm," she trailed off, clearly still shocked.

"We met in a forest in the Carpathian Mountains if you can believe that," Rolf said with a smile. Actually, Remus could believe it. His parents had met a Welsh forest after all. "I was doing some investigating for my grandfather, I'm helping with his newest book, and Luna was doing her own research. We decided to travel together through the mountains and we just sort of stayed together after that. And now, well, here we are." Luna nodded in agreement and they smiled at each other.

"Well, congratulations," Hermione said, finally seeming to have recovered. "When Ginny said you had a surprise, this wasn't what I was expecting." Rolf laughed and Luna just smiled serenely.

"No, I imagine not," Rolf said.

Someone clapped Remus on the back and he turned to see Harry and Ginny behind them. They were followed quickly by Ron and Susan and then Neville, Seamus and Dean. As introductions were made, Remus and Hermione moved to the side, along with Ginny who had seen Luna earlier in the week.

"Did you know?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Not until I saw her a couple of days ago," Ginny said. "I went over to her dad's house to visit and Rolf was there."

"How long have they been together?" Hermione asked.

"Not long, less than six months, I think. He just proposed a couple of weeks ago." They all looked at Luna as she kissed Neville's cheek in greeting.

"Six months," Hermione repeated. Ginny nodded.

"You know Luna. She just knows things sometimes, doesn't she?"

"She does," Hermione agreed. Remus was watching her from the corner of his eye. She was still watching Luna and Rolf as they greeted Luna's friends. Remus was having a hard time reading the expression on Hermione's face. He couldn't tell if she approved or thought that Luna's engagement after only a few months was a terrible idea.

Talk shifted from Luna to other topics as the group around them got larger and Remus soon found himself separated from Hermione, standing between Harry and Neville instead. Someone had pressed a bottle of ale into his hand and he sipped at it, glancing around the room. It was getting a bit more crowded and a bit louder as more people arrived.

"Hermione told me you got the Defense job," Harry said. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Remus said with a smile. "I'm looking forward to it."

"You're going back to Hogwarts?" Neville asked. Remus nodded.

"Higgins is retiring and Minerva offered me the job last week."

"Well, I suppose we'll be colleagues then," Neville said, grinning when Harry choked on his ale. Remus looked at the younger man in surprise. "Professor Sprout offered me an apprenticeship. I'll take over for her when she retires in a few years."

"Congratulations, Neville," Remus said with a smile. It would be nice not being the youngest staff member in the castle."

"You're quitting the Aurors?" Harry asked, finally having found his voice.

"Put in my notice today," Neville said. "I'm moving to Hogwarts at the end of July."

"Who's moving to Hogwarts?" Ron asked as he walked up. He looked at Remus. "I thought Hermione said you were living in Hogsmeade?"

"Hogsmeade?" Neville questioned.

"I told Minerva I didn't think I wanted to raise Teddy in the castle. She offered me the use of her cottage in Hogsmeade."

"Who's moving to Hogwarts, then?" Ron asked again as Susan joined him.

"I thought you were living in Hogsmeade?" Susan said to Remus. He couldn't help but laugh.

" _I'm_ moving to Hogwarts," Neville said, loud enough that Seamus and Dean, who were standing a bit behind them talking to Parvati and Padma heard him.

"What are you moving to Hogwarts for?" Seamus called.

"I'm apprenticing with Professor Sprout. I'll eventually take over teaching for her."

"Good on you, mate," Dean said. The crowd of people around them had expanded, everyone congratulating Neville on his new job. Remus started a bit when he felt Hermione slide her hand into his.

"Hello," she said. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. When he looked up, he caught Parvati staring at them. His first instinct was to let go of Hermione, but he resisted it. Hermione was right. While it would be nice to get approval from everyone they knew, it wasn't likely. Remus had to accept that Hermione was sure when she said it didn't matter to her.

"Remus is going to be teaching again too," he heard Neville say and nearly as one, those that hadn't already known turned towards him.

"Defense?" Padma asked.

"Yes," Remus said, trying not to squirm under the scrutiny he was now under.

"Always were the best Defense professor we had," Seamus said, raising his glass of Firewhiskey in salute. More congratulations were passed around and everyone seemed to settle back into their own conversations. Remus caught Parvati looking at them again and this time she gave him a sad smile before turning back to her sister.

"All right?" Hermione asked when they were alone again. Or as alone as they could be with clusters of people around them.

"I'm fine, love," he said with a smile.

"Not as bad as you thought it would be?" He chuckled.

"No, it hasn't been." He glanced toward Parvati again. "Although, Parvati didn't seem overly keen."

"I don't think that's about us," Hermione said.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't believe I'm going to tell you this," she said, shaking her head with a little laugh. "Are you aware that there were more than a few girls that had a crush on you when you were a professor?"

"I might have heard something about it," he said, clearing his throat and shifting a bit in embarrassment.

"Well, Parvati and Lavender used to talk about how fit you were." Remus felt his cheeks heat and he purposely did not look in Parvati's direction.

"Hearing about you taking the Defense job likely reminded her. And since Lavender," Hermione trailed off and he squeezed her hand in support. "I think Parvati is probably just thinking about Lavender and remembering. She's always a bit down at gatherings like this. It's why Padma sticks so close to her instead of being with her own friends." Remus had noticed that the Ravenclaw hadn't left her sister's side since they walked in. The sad little smile that Parvati had given him made more sense now.

Remus looked at her again and saw that Dean and Seamus both had their arms around her. Seamus said something that made her turn and smack his shoulder, rolling her eyes at the same time. Seamus laughed and Dean shook his head at whatever Seamus had said. Parvati leaned her head against Dean's shoulder and he kissed the top of her head before squeezing Seamus' arm where it rested on her back. Remus was glad she seemed to have plenty of people looking out for her.

Harry rejoined the two of them, Ginny having walked off to talk to someone else. The three of them chatted for a few minutes until Hermione excused herself to use the loo. Remus leaned back against the wall, a bit relaxed by the ale he'd been drinking, and let his eyes roam around the room as he and Harry continued to talk.

Remus saw Hermione walk back into the room a few minutes later. He smiled at her as she walked towards them but frowned when a hand shot out and stopped her. She turned her head, looking a bit startled. Remus stared hard across the crowd, trying to figure out who had grabbed her, but there were a few people in his way. There was finally enough of a shift in the crowd that the other person's face came into view. Remus swallowed back a growl when he realized it was Goldstein.

* * *

Hermione was walking back from the loo when a hand shot out of the crowd and grasped her arm. She jumped in surprise, then looked to her left to see Anthony smiling at her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi, Anthony," she replied. She'd seen him in passing a few times at the Ministry since they'd broken up last year, but they hadn't spoken. He was standing with Terry, Michael and Sally-Anne, who Hermione said hello to before turning her attention back to Anthony.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"All right," she replied. "Bit of a crazy spring."

"Yeah, I saw that," he said.

"You're all right, aren't you?" Sally-Anne asked in concern. Hermione smiled. She always had been sweet.

"I'm fine, thanks," she said. "No permanent damage."

"That's good to hear," Anthony said. He took a sip of his drink and an awkward silence fell. Hermione glanced around, ready to excuse herself to find Remus when Terry spoke up.

"What about you and Professor Lupin?"

"Terry," Michael said, looking uncomfortable. Hermione ignored it. She knew that people would be curious.

"He's not a professor anymore. Well, actually, I guess he is again now." They all looked at her in confusion. Hermione laughed. "He just got rehired as the Defense professor."

"Oh, well, that's…nice for him," Terry said. Hermione's brow furrowed. She wasn't sure what was going on.

"What about Remus and me?" Anthony glanced at Terry looking nervous. Sally-Anne tugged on Michael's hand and with a muttered excuse, they walked away.

"It's just that, I wanted to make sure that you were…all right," Anthony finished lamely.

"I just said that I was," she replied completely puzzled.

"I wasn't talking about the attack."

"I don't under-" but Terry interrupted.

"You can't deny that Lupin had inappropriate feelings for you back when you and Anthony were dating."

"Inappropriate?" Hermione repeated, looking at Terry angrily. Anthony shot him a glare.

"It's just, I suspected that's why he was so angry with me that time he caught us snogging during N.E.W.T.S. I want to be sure that you aren't, that he hasn't," Anthony broke off and sighed. She got the impression that if Terry hadn't pushed the topic, Anthony wouldn't have brought it up. Then, he took a breath and looked her in the eye. "That you haven't been pushed into this relationship." Hermione was so shocked, she didn't know what to say.

"He's much older than you, Hermione," Anthony continued.

"I'm aware of how old Remus is, thank you," she snapped, anger winning out over surprise. Anthony looked taken aback that she was upset.

"I'm just trying to-"

"I know what you're trying to do and you can just stop," Hermione said, keeping a lid on her anger by the slimmest of margins. " _No one_ has forced me to do _anything_. Do you honestly think I would let something like that happen? Or my friends? Not to mention that Remus would never do anything like that."

"It's just not right, Hermione," Anthony continued. "That big of an age difference?" He shook his head. "What could you possibly have in common?"

"I'm aware that you have rather rigid opinions on the right and wrong of a lot of things," Hermione said, hand itching to grab her wand and hex him. "It's the main reason things didn't work out between us. Fortunately, most people aren't as inflexible as you. As for what we have in common, a hell of a lot more than you and I ever did." Anthony stiffened in anger and she saw Terry take a step forward out of the corner of her eye.

"That's taking things a bit far, don't you think?" Terry said.

"But telling me who I should and shouldn't date based on some ridiculous idea of age isn't?" she retorted.

"I'm just trying to tell you what I think," Anthony said.

"I don't really care what you think," she said with a shrug. "Either of you." She turned to leave, but Anthony grabbed her arm as Terry snorted in disdain.

"Hermione wait." She turned back to Anthony, furious now.

"Let go of me."

"Just listen," he said.

"I think I've listened for quite long enough," she said. She itched to draw her wand, but she didn't want to make more of a scene than they already were. She glanced once around the room. Those closest to them were watching avidly, although most people were still involved in their own conversations. Looking up, she saw Remus heading towards them.

"Hermione, please, I-"

"Anthony, mate, let it go," Michael said, walking up behind his friend and putting a hand on his shoulder. Anthony dropped her arm. Michael gave Hermione an apologetic look. She nodded, said a quiet good-bye to Sally-Anne and turned to find Remus standing in front of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine," she said. "We were just talking."

"It didn't look like that to me," Remus said, glaring at Anthony. Terry took a step forward, but Sally-Anne stepped in front of him to stop him.

"Anthony was a little…overenthusiastic in trying to get me to listen to him. But, I'm fine." Remus looked back and forth between the two of them. "Unfortunately for him, I couldn't care less what he has to say." She saw the initial flare of irritation in Anthony's eyes, but it died out the minute he realized Remus was still staring at him. She glanced over Remus' shoulder and saw Harry and Ron starting to walk towards them. She shook her head and they stopped. They were garnering more attention now. More people had stopped their conversations to try and figure out what was going on.

"Let's go back to Harry and Ginny," Hermione said to Remus, turning her back on Anthony completely. Remus stared over her shoulder for a few more seconds then nodded and turned with her. She wrapped her hand around his arm and led him across the room.

"You all right?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded.

"Anthony was just being an idiot." Ron snorted.

"Normal state of being for him, isn't it?"

"Ron," Hermione chastised, but she couldn't help the twitch of her lips. She felt Remus relax slightly.

"What did he want?" Ginny asked. Hermione glanced at Remus from the corner for her eye. She almost didn't reply, then remembered her promise from the day before.

"He wanted to express his disapproval of my dating Remus." Remus turned to look at her.

"Let me guess, that's not how things are _supposed_ to be, right?" Ginny said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know how he likes his rules and order," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Tosser," Ron said. "I'm guessing the rest of them agreed with him?"

"Just Terry, I think," Hermione said. "Although, I'm sure that has more to do with getting back at me for the break-up with Anthony than anything. Michael and Sally-Anne were trying to diffuse the situation." Hermione looked at Remus again. He didn't seem angry anymore, but he wasn't himself either. She needed to talk to him. She gave Ginny a look and the younger woman nodded.

"Harry, Ron, let's go get another round of drinks." She grabbed the two men by their elbows and led them away, leaving Hermione and Remus alone for the moment. Hermione pulled Remus back towards one of the tables and sat down, casting a Muffliato around them.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I should be asking you that."

"I'm fine," she said.

"What did he say?"

"Just what I said. He doesn't approve."

"I want to know, Hermione." She sighed.

"He thinks you had feelings for me when I was dating him. And he thinks there's too much of an age difference," she said.

"Well, he's not wrong on one count at least."

"Remus," she said, a bit exasperated. "I'd thought we'd got over all of that."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Hermione stared at him in confusion for a moment. Then her eyes widened.

"You had feelings for me back then?" Remus looked a bit uncomfortable.

"Not that I admitted to myself at the time," he said. "But now that I look back on it." He glanced quickly at her, then away, as if he was worried about her reaction.

"Well, at least I know it wasn't one-sided," she said. Remus looked at her in surprise and she laughed. "I didn't admit it to myself either. Thought it was just a crush or something that I'd get over." She shrugged. He chuckled and took her hand in his.

"Did he say anything else?"

"No, that was his main sticking point." Remus shook his head.

"I'm sure he and Terry aren't the only people here that feel that way."

"You're probably right, but it doesn't really matter, does it?" Remus glanced around the room at the groups of people chatting with one another. Some of them sent surreptitious looks their way, but he was sure that had to do with being curious as to what the disagreement had been about. Those that Hermione was close to had accepted them already. Most of the rest hadn't seemed to mind one way or the other. Those that did, well, they weren't really friends of hers anyway. Not close friends at least.

He looked back at Hermione and while she smiled at him, he could see the worry in her eyes. He was sure that given the argument the other night, she was afraid he would tell her it _did_ matter. He took a breath and reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"No, it doesn't," he agreed. She smiled wider.

"Then let's forget about Anthony and just enjoy the rest of the night." He nodded, then kissed the back of her hand. Hermione smiled at him, dropping the privacy spell as Harry, Ron and Ginny returned with the drinks.

* * *

 **25 June 2000**

The Burrow had quieted down a bit after the weekly Weasley family dinner. Remus had already gone home to put Teddy to bed and Hermione sat talking with Ginny, Luna and Rolf.

"My grandfather was impressed with your House-Elf legislation," Rolf said.

"Oh, well, tell him thank you," Hermione replied, blushing slightly.

"He used to work in the House-Elf Relocation Office when he first graduated from Hogwarts."

"Really?" Rolf nodded.

"Hermione also wrote the new werewolf laws," Ginny said.

"Not by myself," Hermione said, blushing again.

"You wrote the initial proposal on your own," Ginny said.

"I don't remember your name being mentioned in the article I read about it," Rolf said in confusion.

"That's because I had my name taken off before the presentation was made," Hermione replied. "There was a conflict of interest."

"Remus is a werewolf," Luna said at Rolf's continued look of puzzlement. His eyes widened just slightly before he recovered himself.

"I'm surprised you didn't see the articles in the _Prophet_ about us," Hermione said.

"I haven't been keeping up with it, to be honest. My granddad usually saves articles that have to do with creatures or creature rights. He showed them to me when we visited last week. I haven't actually read the paper itself in months."

"You're not missing much," Ginny said with a snort.

"Are you still in the DRCMC?" Rolf asked. Hermione shook her head.

"No, I moved to the Wizengamot Administrative Services. That's where I drafted the initial werewolf proposal."

"Nasty business about your old department head," Rolf said, shaking his head in disgust.

"He didn't get near the punishment he deserved." They sat in silence for a few moments.

"What are you working on now, Hermione?" Luna asked.

"Well, Kingsley, I mean the Minister, has asked us to start looking into some of the old laws that are biased in favor of Purebloods. I don't expect much cooperation from certain members in the current Wizengamot, but we're looking into the laws anyway."

"I thought you were doing that mental project," Ginny said. Hermione shook her head at her friend's description.

"Mental _health_ , Gin. And I am, but it's a side project. Plus, it's pretty much stalled out." Hermione sighed. "What I really need is to find someone who's familiar with the magical world _and_ the Muggle one. Which would point to a Half-blood or Muggle-born. Problem is, very few witches and wizards return to the Muggle world once they've left Hogwarts. I was hoping that maybe there was a Squib somewhere who was a therapist, but I have no idea how to go about looking."

"Therapist?" Rolf questioned. "Isn't that like a Healer for your mind?"

"Essentially, yes," Hermione said.

"My cousin does that." Hermione stared at him in shock.

"You have cousin that's a therapist," she repeated. Rolf nodded.

"He's my second cousin actually, but yes."

"Is he a wizard?" Hermione asked, still astounded at what she'd heard.

"Oh, no," Rolf said. "My great aunt Queenie, my grandmother's sister, married a No-Maj."

"A No-Maj?" Ginny questioned.

"Sorry, a Muggle. They're from the States, that's what they call Muggles there. I heard it so much growing up, I just use it sometimes. Anyway, Great Uncle Jacob was a Muggle. They had two children, their son is a wizard but their daughter doesn't have magic. None of her children do either."

"So, your cousin lives in the States?" Hermione asked, excitement ebbing. She could still speak with him, but it was unlikely that she would be able to get him here to talk to Delia Wilkes.

"No, he lives in Manchester," Rolf said. "Uncle Jacob and Aunt Queenie weren't allowed to be together in the States, there was a law that forbade interaction between wizards and No-Maj's. After Granddad and Grandmother married and moved back to England, Aunt Queenie and Uncle Jacob followed so they could marry as well."

"So, does your cousin know about magic?"

"Of course," Rolf said. "In fact, one of his daughters is a witch." Hermione couldn't help the grin that formed on her face.

"Rolf, do you think he'd be willing to talk to me?"

"I don't see why not," Rolf said. "He's on holiday in France right now, but Luna and I are going there next week to visit. I can talk to him then."

"I'll be in Australia on my own holiday, but if he's willing to give me his phone number or even his address, I can speak with him as soon as I get back." Rolf nodded.

"And you're interested in speaking to him why exactly?"

"Right, sorry," Hermione said quickly giving him an overview of her Mind Healing project. She didn't mention Delia. Ginny was of a similar mind as Remus about the woman and Hermione didn't want to argue with the redhead right now.

"I'll let him know," Rolf said. "I'm sure he'd be interested in talking to you at least."

"Thank you so much, Rolf," Hermione said. She leaned forward impulsively and hugged him. He laughed when she released him.

"Sorry," she said. "It's just, for so long I thought sure I wouldn't be able to get this project off the ground. Having someone to talk to about it is a huge first step."

"Don't apologize," Rolf said. "I'm glad I could help." Hermione smiled at him again, nearly giddy with excitement. If Rolf's cousin was willing to help, this could be just what she needed to get the program started. The fact that his daughter was a witch would make it even easier to convince Margaret and Kingsley and whoever else she needed to that it was all right for him to be involved. Many at the Ministry would balk at a Muggle being involved in the magical world, but the father of a Muggle-born witch was a different story. Especially one that had the relatives he did. She couldn't wait to tell Remus.

* * *

Remus looked up, brow furrowed, as the Floo flared. He smiled when he saw Hermione's face appear, although he was a bit surprised that she was calling. When he'd left the Burrow, she hadn't said that she intended to leave anytime soon.

"I'm so glad you're still awake," she said, grin on her face. "I've got exciting news." Remus leaned forward on the couch, elbows propped on his knees.

"What's going on, love?"

"Can you come through?" she asked.

"Of course, let me just tell Andromeda and I'll be right over." Hermione nodded and disappeared from the fireplace.

"Was that the Floo?" Andromeda asked when Remus walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, Hermione apparently has some news. I'll just Apparate home if you want to reset the fireplace wards after I leave."

"Do not hurry back on my account," she said.

"I'll try to avoid the creaky stair like you did last night, or early this morning, rather," Remus replied dryly. Andromeda stared at him and Remus bit back a grin. This teasing could go both ways.

"How did you," she began, then trailed off shaking her head. "Werewolf hearing." Remus chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Her cheeks tinged pink. "I'll see you in the morning." Walking back into the living room, Remus dropped the wards from the fireplace and stepped through to Hermione's. He immediately found himself with an armful of witch.

"You'll never guess," she said, eyes shining in excitement, arms around his neck. He laughed, her enthusiasm infectious.

"You're probably right, so why don't you just tell me?" She dropped her arms and led him to the couch.

"Rolf has a cousin that's a therapist!" she blurted out, grin wide. Remus was stunned. Hermione had searched and never found a witch or a wizard that was a therapist or counselor. How had she missed it?

"I thought you'd looked everywhere to find a witch or wizard who was a therapist?"

"I did, he's not a wizard," she said, still grinning. "He's a Muggle." Remus' brow furrowed. He thought the Scamanders were Purebloods, albeit not Sacred Twenty-Eight, but Purebloods all the same. How did he have a Muggle cousin?

"Well, he's technically a Squib, I suppose," Hermione continued. "If a Squib marries a Muggle and they children don't have magic, are they Muggles or Squibs?

"Hermione, you've completely lost me," Remus said.

"Right, sorry," she said with a laugh. "Rolf's grandmother has a sister that married a Muggle." A look of understanding came over Remus' face as the pieces fell into place. "Their daughter is a Squib and none of her children has magic. So, it's Rolf's second cousin, actually. Anyway, he's a therapist and he lives in Manchester." She looked so thrilled that Remus didn't want to voice his doubt. If the man was a Muggle two generations removed from magic, he likely didn't know about it himself. Or shouldn't, at least, given the Statute of Secrecy.

"Hermione," he began, not wanting to be the one that disappointed her, although the fact that Rolf didn't tell her or that she hadn't figured it out herself confused him. Perhaps the Scamanders didn't adhere to law as closely as they should. Still, if Hermione wanted to bring this man into the Ministry to possibly help her start a mental health program, there would be repercussions that Remus was sure she didn't want to come down on Rolf's family. The Ministry likely wouldn't even allow it.

"And, we don't have to worry about the Statute of Secrecy because he has a daughter that's a witch," she said triumphantly.

"Hermione, that's," Remus trailed off unable to continue. She nodded vigorously.

"I know," she said. The grin hadn't left her face the entire time.

"I'm so happy for you, love," he said. She threw her arms around him again and kissed him rather thoroughly. When they parted, he smiled at her, tucking a curl behind her ear. "When are you going to speak to him?"

"He's on holiday right now, but Rolf and Luna are going to visit in a few days. There's a family vacation home in France somewhere. So, not until after we get back from Australia. And I don't know if he'll agree, of course, but if he does, Remus do you know what this means?"

"That you're once again going to single-handedly turn the Wizarding world on its ear?" he said with a smirk. Hermione slapped his chest and he laughed, gathering her to him again. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again, slowly this time. She was nearly gasping when he released her. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I have no doubt that you'll be able to convince him and the Ministry and St. Mungo's and whoever else you need to get this program off the ground. You are, without a doubt, _the_ most brilliant witch I have ever known." She stared at him for a moment before she threw herself back into his arms, pushing him onto his back. She straddled him and leaned down to kiss him again, her hair hanging in a curtain around their faces.

When she pulled back, she smiled down at him, then grasped the edge of her shirt and pulled it over her head. Remus' hands immediately went to her breasts and she leaned down to kiss him again. He somehow managed to roll them, not an easy feat on the couch without falling off, and they were both laughing as he hovered over her.

"I love you," he said. She smiled and reached up to pull him to her, hand on the back of his neck.

"I love you, too," she said before she kissed him again. Remus pulled his wand from his pocket and waved it over them, leaving them both bare, then cast the charm. Hermione's breath hitched as he began to kiss his way down her body.

Settling himself between her legs, he applied himself to his task until she was shrieking his name. He looked up at her and then made his way back up her body to kiss her. She rolled her eyes at his smug smile. They fluttered shut a moment later as he pushed into her.

He lavished her with kisses as he moved, picking up speed the closer he got to the edge. Hermione kissed him one more time as he shuddered against her, whispering her name into her neck. He collapsed against her, attempting to roll them to the side, but she held him tightly to her and he rested against her for a few minutes.

When he rolled them to the side, he kissed her temple and pulled her tightly to him, their legs still entangled. They laid there in silence, Remus' fingers tracing a path up and down her back, Hermione placing small kisses on his neck and chest every few moments. He closed his eyes, nuzzling his nose into her hair and thinking once again, how very, very lucky he was.

* * *

 **1 July 2000**

Remus stepped out of the Floo into an empty living room. Crookshanks looked at him indifferently from his place on the couch and went back to grooming himself.

"Hermione?" Remus called.

"Up here," she shouted. Remus climbed the stairs and walked down the corridor to her bedroom. An open case lay on her bed, but Hermione was nowhere to be seen. She looked as if she were almost done packing, the case was fairly full and there was a stack of books next to it.

There was a noise in the corridor and Remus turned. Hermione walked through the door, a bottle of shampoo and toothbrush and toothpaste in her hands.

"Hi," she said, setting everything down on the bed, then wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"Hello," he replied with a smile when they parted.

"All packed?" she asked.

"Just finished. Andromeda is helping Teddy with his toys. He, of course, wants to bring everything he owns. Thank Merlin for shrinking charms." Hermione laughed and released him, walking over to her wardrobe to pull a few more things from it. As she placed them in her case, she looked up at him, biting her lip.

"Andromeda isn't upset, is she?"

"Why would she be?" Remus asked in confusion. "She's known about this holiday for quite a while."

"It's just, now that you're moving," Hermione said with a shrug. Remus stepped towards her and gently pulled her lip from her teeth.

"She's fine, love," he said. "She's been in better spirits this week, actually. I think she might be looking forward to having some time alone with Kingsley."

"Mm, alone time sounds wonderful," Hermione said with a sigh. They'd had little of it lately. Hermione had worked late every evening this week, trying to finish up a project before their holiday. Remus had been busy as well, starting to gather together his lesson plans for next year. He had met with Angus and was happy to see that the curriculum had been steady the last two years, with minor adjustments based on each class's performance and knowledge. Knowing how difficult the task must have been given the fact that some students repeated the year after the war, while others moved ahead even if they weren't ready, Remus was impressed the Angus had managed as well as he had. Remus knew that he would have to be sure that those taking O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. had all the knowledge they needed but didn't think it would be as difficult a task as it had been the last time he'd taught. Following Quirrell and Lockhart, things had been much more disjointed.

Plus, he had also been spending more time with Will, wanting to make sure that the boy was completely ready to start Hogwarts in September. He had already gotten his letter and had applied himself even more vigorously to his lessons knowing that he'd be allowed to go to Hogwarts for certain.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why are you here anyway?" Hermione asked. "I thought we were going to meet at the Ministry."

"I wanted to double-check the time of our Portkey," he said.

"I told you that about five times," she said with a smirk, letting him know she didn't believe a word he said.

"Did you?" he replied innocently. "Must have slipped my mind." He leaned down to kiss her again. He hadn't been exaggerating about having time alone with her. He hadn't done more than quickly kiss her since last Sunday. And the more he thought about it, he wondered just how much alone time they would have in Australia with Teddy in tow. Not to mention that they were staying at her parents' house, which didn't bode well for more amorous activities. Even with silencing charms, Remus would feel strange about it.

Unfortunately, they didn't have the time now either. Their Portkey left in a little over a half hour and he still had to get home and pick up Teddy and their luggage. Given he had just seen the cat downstairs, Hermione still had to take Crookshanks to Grimmauld Place as well.

"Remus," she said, as he moved from her lips to her neck. "We don't have time." She sounded just as disappointed as he was. He sighed.

"I know, love. I've just missed you this week."

"I've missed you too, but you have me every day for the next five," she said, putting a hand on his cheek. "And did I mention my parents offered to mind Teddy one night so we could go out by ourselves?"

"You did not," he said with a smile. She returned it, then kissed him once more.

"All right," she said as she pulled away from him. He went to grab her arm, but she danced out of his reach, laughing. "You need to go home and get Teddy and I've got to finish this." She indicated the things on the bed. "And then take Crooks to Grimmauld. I'll meet you at the Ministry."

"All right," he agreed, not happy about it, but knowing they had no other choice. He managed to catch her long enough to kiss her one last time, smirking when she was nearly breathless after, and then left her to her packing.

When he reached the living room, he grabbed the Floo powder from the mantel. Before he threw it in, he glanced up the stairs, wishing again that they could be together all the time. Shaking his head, he threw in the powder and stepped into the Floo, whisked back to his house.

* * *

Hermione stumbled when they landed in Sydney, her breakfast threatening to make a reappearance. It was just as bad as it had been when she'd come here every other time. Remus grasped her arm in concern and led her to a chair along the wall. She sat down, resting her head against the wall behind her and closing her eyes.

"Why My-nee seepin', Daddy?" Teddy asked.

"She's not sleeping," Remus said, sitting down next to her. Hermione opened her eyes, suddenly concerned about Teddy. If she were feeling this badly, surely, he was ill as well. The little boy looked perfectly fine, however, no hint of nausea at all. None for Remus either, for that matter.

"Are you all right, love?" Remus asked.

"Peachy," she grumbled. Then, she huffed out a breath. "How is it that the two of you are perfectly fine and I'm afraid we're about to revisit my toast and eggs?" Remus chuckled.

"We Lupin men must just be made of stronger stuff," he teased. She rolled her eyes before she closed them again.

"Daddy, we go?" Teddy asked as the room began to empty of people.

"Let's just give Hermione a few more minutes, all right?" Remus said. Hermione opened her eyes to see him glance at his watch.

"It's only fifteen minutes until our Portkey to Melbourne," he said. "I can see when the next one is, if you don't think you'll be up to it." She shook her head.

"There's not another one until tomorrow morning," she said. "I checked when I made the reservation."

"We should have taken an airplane," she muttered under her breath. She'd strongly considered it when they first began discussing the trip. Knowing that Remus wouldn't likely be able to afford it, nor would he want her to pay for it, she hadn't even suggested it. But, now, she was wishing she had.

"Almost twenty-four hours on an airplane with this one," Remus said indicating Teddy, "does not sound pleasant." Hermione laughed.

"I suppose not." She sat up straighter, the rolling of her stomach finally stopping. "Although taking another Portkey doesn't sound very enticing either."

"It's a much shorter trip this time," Remus reminded her. "Did you have this much trouble when you went to the World Cup."

"No," Hermione admitted. "Nor when I went to France."

"You'll be fine, love," he said, kissing the top of her head. He stood and held out his free hand to her. Hermione grasped it and he pulled her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to quickly kiss her. Teddy ignored them in favor of watching a woman with a large bird on her hat.

"Dat's birdie, Daddy," Teddy said rather loudly, pointing to the woman's hat. The woman turned around and gave him an indulgent smile. Remus gently pushed Teddy's arm down.

"Yes, it is," he agreed. "But, it's not polite to point."

"You see, My-nee?"

"I do," Hermione said, smiling at the little boy.

"Me walk," Teddy said. Remus shook his head.

"Not right now. We have to take another Portkey."

"We'd better find our next station," Hermione said, slipping a hand through Remus' free arm. They walked out of the room into the Portkey office and she inquired at the counter about their Portkey to Melbourne.

"Ten minutes," the wizard behind the counter said. "Just wait right there." He indicated a row of seats on the opposite wall and the three of them walked over to sit down. Teddy immediately squirmed to be put down and Remus allowed him with the admonition to stay close to them.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Remus asked as Teddy began to flip through a magazine lying on one of the tables nearby. Hermione nodded.

"It's passed," she said. "It's been like this every time I've come to visit."

"Why didn't you tell me beforehand?" She shrugged.

"I suppose I'm always hoping that it will get better the more often I do it." He shook his head and put an arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. They sat quietly, watching Teddy until they were called for the next Portkey.

* * *

"Oh, we're so happy you're here," her mum said as she hugged her. Her dad was shaking Remus' hand and smiling at Teddy. The little boy laid his head on Remus' shoulder and looked up solemnly at Hermione's father. Hermione hugged her dad, as her mum moved to Remus. She gave him a quick hug, then stepped back and looked at Teddy.

"And this must be Teddy." Teddy gripped the front of Remus' shirt.

"Teddy, this is Hermione's mum and dad, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," Remus said. "Can you say hello?" Teddy gave them a little wave and Hermione could see her mother's heart melt.

"Hello, Teddy, it's very nice to meet you," her mum said. "My name is Jean and this is Richard."

"Hi, Teddy," her dad said. Teddy looked back and forth between the two new adults, but still said nothing.

"He's a little shy around people he doesn't know," Hermione said.

"Oh, that's quite all right," her mum said. "Hermione was the same way, you know."

"Mum," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you were sweetheart. I remember when you hid behind your father's legs the entire time we were at the Stewart's for the first time." The Stewarts were her parents' oldest friends and Hermione couldn't remember a time that she hadn't known them. Apparently, there had been. Remus chuckled.

"Now, I know it's still the middle of the morning for all of you, but I've got a few snacks if you're hungry," her mum said. Teddy perked up at the word snacks and Hermione smothered a laugh.

"That sounds great, Mum," Hermione said. "We'll just go put our things away first."

"All right," her mother said. "Oh, I borrowed one of those portable cots from our neighbor that has grandchildren. It's set up in the guest room for you, Remus." Hermione looked at her mother in confusion. She had assumed that Teddy would be in the den, not in the guest room with Hermione and Remus. "Hermione, you're in your father's den. We didn't pull out the sofa bed yet. I didn't know if you'd want to sleep on that or just change it to a regular bed with magic." Her mum smiled and then went into the kitchen. Hermione looked at her father, who was studiously avoiding her gaze.

"Dad?" she said. He sighed.

"This is between you and your mother, Hermione," he said. She opened her mouth to protest but closed it again at the look on his face.

"Can you at least show Remus where the guest room is?" she said, annoyed with both her parents.

"Of course," her dad said. Hermione caught Remus' eye. 'I'm sorry' she mouthed, but he just smiled at her and followed her dad down the corridor.

"Mum," Hermione said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Don't play innocent with me, Mum," Hermione said, irritated. "Why am I in the den instead of the guest room with Remus?"

"I would have thought that was rather obvious," her mum said, busying herself getting something out of the ice box.

"Enlighten me," Hermione said, crossing her arms in front of her. Her mother looked at her as she stood and set a bowl on the counter.

"Hermione, you're not married."

"So?"

"So, you won't be sharing a bed with Remus under my roof until you are." Hermione gaped at her mother.

"Are you having me on?"

"No, I'm not."

"This is ridiculous."

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," her mum said.

"Mum, I'm twenty years old!"

"I don't see what age has to do with it."

"You can't possibly think that we haven't slept together."

"What you do on your own time is your business," her mother said. "My house, my rules." Hermione ground her teeth together in frustration. That had been her mother's favorite saying when she was growing up whenever Hermione complained about not getting to do something other children her age were doing. "And don't grind your teeth." Hermione stared at her mother for a few more seconds, then stomped out of the kitchen. This was the most ludicrous thing she had ever heard.

"Daddy," she said as she met her father coming back from the bedrooms.

"Don't 'daddy' me, Hermione," he said with a sigh. "I'm not going to fight your mother on this."

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't worth it," he said. "Not to mention that my little girl sharing a bed with her boyfriend isn't something I want to think about." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm an adult, Dad."

"Really?" he said looking at her as she stood with her arms crossed and a defiant look on her face. "Because you aren't really acting like one right now." He smiled at her and patted her shoulder as he walked past. Hermione glared at his back and then stalked off towards the guest room.

When she stepped inside, Remus had already enlarged his luggage and was unpacking. Teddy's toys had been restored to their usual size and he was playing on the floor. He looked up at grinned at her when she stepped into the room. She smiled back at him and turned to Remus.

"Stop unpacking," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because we're going to a hotel." He looked at her for a moment before he sighed. He stepped away from the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"What did your mother say?"

"Some rubbish about us not sharing a bed until we're married."

"We're not going to a hotel."

"Why on earth not?" she asked. Remus glanced at Teddy and lowered his voice.

"Hermione, this is your parents' house. They have every right to set whatever rules they like. I'm not going to argue with them."

"Even if you don't agree?" He stared at her for a few moments.

"Even if I don't agree." She sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. "It's only five days, love."

"I know," she mumbled. "But, I feel like they're treating us like children." He tipped her chin up so she was looking at him.

"Listen to me," he said. "We're on holiday and I want us to enjoy it. I want to get to know your parents better. Don't let this one small thing ruin it." She stared at him for a few moments before she nodded. He leaned down and kissed her.

"Maybe it's better this way," he said. She looked at him quizzically when she saw the twin spots of color on his cheeks. He glanced at Teddy again and lowered his voice to a whisper. "I'm not sure I could shag you with your parents right next door." She laughed even as she blushed, then kissed him again.

"Maybe you're right," she said. "I was looking forward to just sleeping next to you though."

"Me too," he said. There was a peculiar look in his eye, but when she tried to figure out what it was, it disappeared.

"Daddy," Teddy said and they looked over to where the little boy sat. "Me has nack?" Hermione laughed and walked over to him, scooping him up off the floor.

"Let's go see what my mum has for you," she said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her suitcase. "We'll put this in my room and then we'll get something to eat, okay?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically and Hermione turned to smile at Remus before she left the room.


	83. Holiday

**A/N - Hi all! Sorry for the delay! I hope to have the next chapter out on Thursday as usual. This story is my NaNoWriMo project and I should have a decent amount of writing time next week. Hope you all enjoy the holiday chapter! As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 83**

 **Holiday**

 **3 July 2000**

It had taken a couple of days for all of them to adjust to the time difference and so they had mostly stayed at the house, venturing out to a nearby park when Teddy had too much energy, once at ten o'clock at night. He was back to some semblance of a schedule, so they had decided to spend some time at the beach. Although it was winter in Australia, the day was warmer than usual and sunny. It was still cooler than a normal beach day, but nothing a few well-placed warming charms couldn't cure.

Teddy had been fascinated by riding in the car, a child seat borrowed from the same neighbors that had lent Hermione's mother the portable cot. When they had arrived at the beach, he insisted on sitting in the front seat and 'driving', confused as to why the car wouldn't move. Richard had promised to let him help park the car in the drive when they returned home.

Digging in the sand had soon replaced his obsession with the car. When Hermione brought out the buckets and spades and began to build a sand castle, Teddy became thoroughly engrossed in scooping the sand into the buckets, squealing in delight when Hermione overturned one and a perfect mold of sand emerged.

Teddy was currently squatting down digging through the sand, hat askew on his head, trying to find shells and small pebbles to decorate the rather elaborate castle that Hermione had built. Remus was sure magic was involved, although Hermione had looked at him innocently when he suggested it.

Richard and Jean had gone to take a walk along the boardwalk, promising to be back soon to see the finished castle. Remus walked over to his son, straightening the hat on the little boy's head, then kneeling down next to him as Teddy began to show his father all the shells he had found.

"Me take My-nee," Teddy said, dropping one last shell into the bucket. He stood and ran across the sand, stumbling a bit on the uneven ground. Hermione looked up from where she was kneeling in the sand and admired the shells that Teddy showed her, helping him place them on the walls of the castle. Remus watched the two of them fondly as he wandered over.

"See, Daddy, see!" Teddy said, pointing to his rather haphazard decorations.

"It looks wonderful," Remus said, smiling down at his son. Teddy ran over to him, handing him a small pebble.

"Daddy do it." Remus knelt next to him.

"Where should I put it?" he asked. Teddy studied the castle, then pointed a chubby finger at a bare spot.

"Dere!" Remus placed the pebble in the indicated space. Teddy grinned at him, then gave Hermione a shell and instructed her in the same way. Remus looked over at her as she sat back on her heels. She had on a long-sleeve shirt over her swimsuit, but her legs were bare. Though he had seen her in all manner of undress, there was something about the simple bikini bottoms and t-shirt she wore. He shifted and stood, forcing his attention away from Hermione's legs and back to the sand castle. Teddy had emptied his bucket and toddled off to dig for more shells.

Hermione made to stand and Remus held a hand out to help her up. He pulled her to him when she was standing and kissed her softly. She smiled when he pulled away.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?"

"For the sand castle and this trip," he said, brushing a curl out of her face. "And for the way you love my son." She smiled again, twining her arms around his neck.

"He makes it very easy." They both looked over to where Teddy was once again squatting on the ground, digging through the sand. Remus chuckled as he lost his balance and ended up on his bum. Teddy simply pulled his bucket towards him and continued to dig. Remus felt Hermione playing with the hair at the nape of his neck and he looked back at her. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him again. When they pulled apart, Remus put an arm around her and she leaned into his side. They stood and watched Teddy gather up more shells and pebbles for his sand castle.

* * *

Jean and Richard returned after their walk and appropriately 'oohed' and 'aahed' over Teddy's decorating of the sand castle. They stayed with the chairs and towels as Hermione and Remus each took one of the little boy's hands and took him for a walk down the beach. They walked closer to the water's edge where the sand was packed down to make it easier for Teddy to maneuver. Every few feet, he would jump and they would swing him forward by his arms, Teddy giggling as he landed.

They stopped often, Teddy wanting to inspect one thing or another. When he was squatting down looking at a shell in the sand, the waves came up to lap around his feet. Teddy squealed and jumped up, stumbling backwards as Remus steadied him.

"Water get me!" Teddy said and Hermione laughed. Teddy skittered backwards as another wave broke upon the shore, the water almost reaching his toes, but not quite. The next time, Teddy waited and watched the ocean wash over the tops of his feet.

"Told, Daddy," Teddy said, giggling. Hermione slipped her wand down her sleeve and cast a warming charm on Teddy's feet. The water _was_ rather cold. Getting a little braver, Teddy took a few steps forward, although Remus kept close behind him. This time, the waves washed up a little further, covering his ankles. Teddy looked up at them.

"Get me 'gain," he said with a grin. They let him play on the edges of the waves until Remus saw that he was starting to shiver.

"That's enough water, I think," he said and Hermione cast another warming charm on the toddler. Remus picked up him and Teddy burrowed into his father's warmth. He yawned widely and rested his head on Remus' shoulder.

"Time to head home?" Hermione asked.

"Probably a good idea," Remus said. They made their way back up the beach towards Jean and Richard.

"Me pay sand," Teddy said when they reached Hermione's parents.

"I think you've had enough sand for today," Remus said as Hermione pulled out a towel to dry Teddy's feet and legs. Casting a warming charm on the towel, she wrapped Teddy in it and he snuggled back into Remus.

Hermione and her mother picked up all the sand toys, while her father folded up the chairs. Teddy began to struggle in Remus' arms when they started walking back to the car.

"Tasle, Daddy, get tasle."

"Teddy, we can't take the sand castle with us," Remus said. "The sand has to stay at the beach."

"Me want," Teddy whined.

"The castle won't stay together if you try and take it from the beach," Jean said. "It will fall apart."

"Me fix it," Teddy insisted. She shook her head.

"You won't be able to fix it, sweetheart. The sand can't be fixed if it's not at the beach." Teddy studied her for a few moments.

"No tasle?" he asked, bottom lip sticking out and beginning to quiver.

"How about if we build a new castle when we get home?" Hermione said. "We can use the blocks and I'll make your dragons fly. We can make it look just like the one you built here." Teddy sniffled a little but nodded his head.

"You pay me My-nee?"

"Of course, I will," she said with a smile. Teddy smiled back and then tucked his head back under Remus' chin. Remus continued walking to the car, Richard next to him.

"He is just precious," Jean said to Hermione as they followed the men.

"He is," Hermione agreed. Jean looked at her daughter for a moment before she smiled softly.

"You're very good with him." Hermione shrugged, but her cheeks tinged pink.

"He makes it easy." They walked in silence for a few moments before Jean put her arm around her daughter.

"I'm very glad you're happy." Hermione smiled at her mother.

"Thanks, Mum."

* * *

 **4 July 2000**

Hermione walked toward Remus' room where she could hear him talking to Teddy.

"Daddy and Hermione are going out to have supper and you're going to stay here with Jean and Richard," Remus said. Hermione reached the door and peeked around. Teddy was sitting on the bed and Remus was kneeling in front of him, holding his hands. Teddy stared at him solemnly.

"I want you to be a good boy, like you are for Harry, all right?"

"Ha-wy here?" Teddy asked.

"No, Harry isn't here," Remus said. "Jean is going to put you to bed tonight." Her parents had insisted from the beginning that Teddy call them by their first names. Mr. and Mrs. Granger was too difficult for a two-year old they said. Hermione waited for Teddy's response. After the first day, he had warmed up to her parents and in fact, yesterday after they got home from the beach Teddy and her dad had spent over an hour playing with the small toy cars her dad had bought before they arrived, driving them around the castle they had built from blocks. Given the fact that her mother had been indulging Teddy in sweets Hermione would have never even thought to ask for as a child, Teddy liked her just fine as well. Still, she wasn't sure what his reaction would be to being left alone with them for the evening.

"Me pay tars?" Teddy asked. Remus smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure Richard would love to play cars with you again."

"Me dwive?" Remus laughed.

"I'm sure you can drive the car again." Teddy had already helped 'drive' the car multiple times over the last two days.

"And I know that my mum is making spaghetti for supper," Hermione said as she walked into the room. "Your favorite." Teddy grinned at her. Remus got to his feet, picking Teddy up off the bed. Remus moved towards Hermione and put an arm around her waist, giving her a quick kiss.

"You look lovely," he said.

"Thank you." She smiled up at him.

"My-nee boo-ful," Teddy said. Hermione took the little boy from Remus' arms and rubbed noses with him, then kissed his cheek.

"Well, thank you," she said. "Should we go see if your supper is ready?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

A few hours later, Remus and Hermione were walking hand-in-hand along the waterfront. Teddy had looked a bit concerned when they'd left and Remus had been worried that he was about to cry. Hermione had called to check on him when they reached the restaurant and her mother reported that he was perfectly fine and just finishing his dinner.

Remus had relaxed after that and they'd had a wonderful supper. They'd had a drink at a nearby pub afterwards and then decided to take a walk. Hermione wrapped the coat she had borrowed from her mother more tightly around her. It had gotten chillier the longer the sun had been down and Remus wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her more tightly to him.

"We can go back," he said, "if you're cold."

"Not just yet," Hermione said. "I'm rather enjoying having you to myself." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself tightly against him. Remus swallowed down a groan. They were in public, he told himself before he got too carried away. Ending the kiss, he pulled back from her slightly. The look in her eyes didn't help matters any.

"Two more days," he whispered and she nodded, resting her forehead against his chest for a few seconds. When she had recovered, she stepped back from him and he wrapped an arm around her waist. The continued to stroll, stopping at a bench facing the water.

Remus sat down and Hermione snuggled in close to him. They sat in comfortable silence for a bit, staring out at the lights of the harbor.

"I can see why my parents like it here so much," she said.

"Do you wish they hadn't stayed?" Remus asked. They hadn't really talked about it.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "I do miss them, but even if they'd come back to England, I would probably have my own flat by now. So, I wouldn't see them all the time anyway. And Portkeys don't take much longer than Apparition." Remus nodded.

"Although, I don't think I just want to pop down to Australia for dinner every few weeks."

"Actually, that would make the time difference easier to deal with."

"While that's true, eating supper when it was ten o'clock in the morning at home would be a bit odd." Hermione laughed.

"I suppose so." She looked up at him. "Next time we'll have to come back for a longer visit."

"Next summer," he agreed. He wouldn't have a significant amount of time off, except at Christmas, now that he was going to be a professor again. She smiled.

"Sounds perfect." Remus leaned down and kissed her again. Hermione wrapped one arm around his neck, the other went around his back. He tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her closer to him. It wasn't until he realized that she was nearly in his lap that he pulled away.

"Bloody hell," he breathed, shifting her so she was back on the bench. She rested her cheek against his chest, both of them breathing heavily. A part of him didn't want to return to the house, knowing they would have to go to their separate bedrooms. The other part was thinking that a well-cast Notice-Me-Not and a Muggle-repelling charm might make it possible to shag her right on this bench. Hermione seemed to have the same realization because she moved away from him slightly and blew out a breath.

"We should probably go home," she said. Remus nodded and stood, holding out a hand to her. She took it and rose as well, linking her arm with his instead of letting him wrap an arm around her. She didn't lean against him as she had been before. He supposed it was better to keep a bit of distance between them, all things considered.

They wandered back to a taxi stand, waiting in silence until the car pulled up. Remus opened the door and Hermione slid inside, giving the driver her parents' address as Remus climbed in after her. He left a good foot of distance between them, but he did take her hand when she laid it on the seat. She smiled up at him and shifted a bit closer. Remus rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as they made their way home in silence. While he was enjoying their holiday, he would be very happy to get home in two days.

* * *

 **5 July 2000**

"Your father and I have some news," Hermione's mum said that night after they had put Teddy to bed. They had taken him to the zoo that day and he'd missed his nap. He was so tired at dinner that he nearly fell asleep in his plate. It was their last night in Melbourne, although they wouldn't be leaving the next day until the late afternoon so as not to arrive back in England in the middle of the night.

"What's that, Mum?" Hermione asked. She was sitting next to Remus on the couch, feet tucked up under her, sipping her wine. He had an arm along the back of the couch and a finger grazed her back every so often. She had to force herself not to shiver.

"We were waiting to tell you until we had finalized a few things," her mother said, wide smile on her face. "We're moving back to England." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.

"But I thought you loved it here," she said.

"We're not moving back full-time," her dad said. "After a few years here, I don't fancy winters in England anymore. Thankfully, Australia and England have opposite seasons, so we'll spend summers and fall in England and then come back here for spring and another summer. Rather nice arrangement, avoiding winter all together."

"What about your jobs?" Hermione asked.

"The nursery has already told me they're happy to have me back whenever I'm in town," her mother said. "And your father has finally decided to retire."

"I'll still fill in if they need me," her dad said. "When people are on holiday and such. Maybe I'll pick up a part-time job at a shop or something, like your mother has." Her mum's brow furrowed as she looked at Hermione.

"You don't look very excited about this."

"No, it's not that," Hermione said quickly. "I'm just surprised is all. You seem so happy here, I never thought you'd move back."

"We are happy here," her mum said. "But we miss you, Hermione. Being able to spend part of the year in England and the rest here will be the best of both worlds." Hermione smiled.

"It will be nice to see you more often," she said.

"Well, I should think it will be more than 'more often'," her mum said with a laugh. "It's not as if we're kicking you out of the house when we move back." Hermione laughed as well, but she was sure it sounded a bit off.

Of course, her parents would move back into the house when they returned. It only made sense. Hermione glanced at Remus from the corner of her eye. He smiled and squeezed her shoulder.

It would be fine, Hermione thought. Remus had the cottage now and they could still have time alone there. Although, given how adamant her mum had been about them not sleeping together while they were here, Hermione was sure that her mum would have something to say if Hermione chose to spend nights with Remus.

Not to mention Hermione had gotten quite used to living on her own. While she knew her dad would likely treat her as the adult she was, her mum would have a tougher time of it. She still thought of Hermione as the teenager she'd last seen before Hermione had modified their memories. Living with them would probably be a bit difficult now. It was likely time for Hermione to find her own flat.

"So, when are you coming back?" Hermione asked.

"We still have some things to wrap up here, your father still has a few patients he wants to see one more time, so probably in a month or so," her mum said. Hermione choked on her wine. A month! She was expecting them to tell her they wouldn't be back until next spring.

"Are you all right?" her mother asked in concern.

"Fine," Hermione wheezed out. "Just swallowed wrong." Remus rubbed her back soothingly. Hermione caught her father's eye who gave her a knowing look.

"We'll probably only stay through October," her dad said. "Come back here before it gets too cold there." Hermione nodded, still clearing her throat.

"I know it might be a bit strange at first, having us back home," her mum said. "But we don't intend to intrude on your life, Hermione. It's your house too, you know."

"I know, Mum," Hermione said forcing a smile. Her mother couldn't honestly think that Hermione would just carry on as she had been if her parents were living with her.

Talk turned to other things, but Remus kept his hand on her shoulder or at the nape of her neck. Small touches meant to soothe, Hermione was grateful for them. She wanted to discuss this with him and was waiting a bit anxiously for her parents to go to bed.

Finally, her mum stood. Hermione rose and well and hugged her mother.

"I'm glad you're coming home."

"Me too, sweetheart." Her mum patted her cheek when Hermione released her and said good night to all of them. Hermione was a bit confused when her father didn't follow. She sat down next to Remus again and the three of them continued talking.

After a half hour, her dad still hadn't made any move to leave the room. Remus finally looked at her apologetically.

"I should get some sleep," he said. "With as early as Teddy went to bed, he'll be up that much earlier in the morning." Hermione nodded and kissed his cheek. They would have to talk tomorrow. Remus squeezed her hand and said good night to her dad before leaving the room.

"I suppose I should head to bed too," Hermione said making to rise from the couch.

"Wait a minute, Hermione," her father said. She looked at him quizzically as she settled back into the couch. "I know that we blind-sided you with this."

"No, Dad, I," Hermione began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"We did," he said. "I wanted to tell you that we were considering it a few weeks ago, but your mother insisted on it being a surprise."

"Well, it was that," she said wryly. He chuckled.

"I just want you to know that we've been thinking about this for some time. We do miss you, Princess." She smiled.

"I miss you both too," she said sincerely.

"I'm going to try to keep your mother reined in where you and Remus are concerned," her dad said. "As much as it pains me to admit, you are an adult and you're entitled to your privacy and your own life. Your mum sometimes forgets that."

"Thanks, Dad." He stared at her for a few moments.

"I was worried at first," he said, "with the age difference and the fact that Remus had a child." Hermione waited nervously. "But I can tell that he makes you happy." She smiled, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"He makes me extremely happy." Her dad nodded.

"That's all I've ever wanted for you." Hermione stood and crossed to her father's chair. She took his hand and pulled him to his feet, wrapping her arms around him. Her dad hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Princess." After a few minutes, she stepped back slightly and looked up at him.

"You know this means I'm going to get my own flat, right?" Her dad laughed.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

* * *

Hermione tossed and turned in her bed. She knew she needed to sleep, the time change would mess with her sleeping patterns enough when they went home, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking about the conversation with her parents.

She _was_ glad that they were moving back to England, at least for part of the year. She did miss them and it would be wonderful to be able to spend more time with them than just a few visits a year. She just wasn't sure that she could live with them again.

A month wasn't all that long to find a flat, especially if she wanted to move into a wizarding area. There weren't as many choices and Hermione would have a budget. Not a meager one, but a budget all the same.

Living in a Muggle flat was always a possibility, but there were issues with that as well, given that she'd be in close proximity to her neighbors. Hiding magic at the house was easier, given the size of the lot and the house itself. Things like connecting the Floo and setting Apparition wards with only certain people keyed into them were more work than it would be in magical flat. Not to mention finding one that had a working fireplace at all.

Although, she felt a bit guilty about moving out before, or as soon as, her parents came home. She knew her father would understand, but her mum would have a harder time with it. The last thing Hermione wanted was to start their reunion on a bad note.

And then there was Remus. If he hadn't gotten the job at Hogwarts, Hermione would have considered asking him to move in with her. But they had only been dating for four months. Well, almost four, she supposed. Still, they'd never talked about it. She wasn't sure if he even _wanted_ to live with her, or if he did, if he wanted to live with her already. That was all a moot point though, as he had gotten the job at Hogwarts and would be moving to Hogsmeade in a month.

Hermione sighed and flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to relax. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on keeping her breaths deep and even, trying to turn off her thoughts and sleep.

Unfortunately, her traitorous brain had other ideas. Instead of letting her concentrate on relaxing images like the beach or a flower-filled meadow, it kept inserting Remus in various states of undress into said scenes. Twenty minutes later, Hermione was no closer to sleep and hot and bothered besides. She _could_ take matters into her own hands, but instead, she got out of bed and slipped into the corridor, making her way silently towards the guest room.

* * *

Remus lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, listening to Teddy's quiet breaths as he slept. Remus _should_ be sleeping, Teddy would undoubtedly be up early and with them travelling home tomorrow, their sleep schedules would be a mess for the next few days. But he couldn't stop thinking about Hermione.

He knew she had been shocked by her parents' announcement. He had been surprised himself, although less so knowing how he would feel living so far away from Teddy. He wondered if she would stay living with her parents or find her own flat.

The selfish part of him was glad that he was moving to the cottage in Hogsmeade. At least he knew they would still have a place to be alone. Teddy would be there, yes, but the little boy went to bed by eight o'clock every night and silencing charms were easy enough to cast.

If Remus were being completely honest with himself, he would admit that his first thought on hearing Hermione's parents' news was to ask her to move in with him. But he couldn't do that. He didn't want her parents to resent him for taking their daughter away from them the moment they returned to England. Remus knew that was an exaggeration. It wasn't as if Hermione wouldn't visit or spend time with them, but it was the timing of it all. And there was still the fact that they had barely been dating for four months.

Remus sighed. He was going to drive himself barmy if he continued thinking about this tonight. He need to talk to Hermione, but that would have to wait until tomorrow or maybe even until they got back to England. Despite what she'd said the night before, for all he knew, she would continue living happily with her parents, at least for a while.

He shifted to his side and closed his eyes, trying to will himself to relax. Merlin knew he should be tired enough to sleep with as busy as Teddy had been at the zoo today. Remus found his thoughts drifting to Hermione as they usually did at night when she wasn't with him.

Things were getting a bit out of control in his mind when there was a soft knock on his door.

"Remus," Hermione whispered. Remus immediately sat up in bed and hurried to the door. She stared at him for a moment, then glanced at Teddy before grabbing Remus' hand and pulling him down the corridor to her room. She shut the door behind them, then turned to look at him.

"What's the matter, love?" he asked in concern. She didn't look like she'd slept either. Instead of answering, she cast a locking and silencing charm on the door, then pulled him to her and kissed him. Given where his thoughts had been just moments ago, it took Remus only seconds to respond.

He cupped the back of her head in one hand, the other grabbing her hip and pulling her flush against him. She answered by wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, one hand snaking up into his hair.

"Hermione," he said a few minutes later, pulling away from her with a gasp. "Stop, we have to stop."

"Silencing charm, Remus," she said. "We don't." She moved to kiss him again, but he stopped her with the last shred of strength he possessed.

"Hermione," he said, but she shook her head.

"I don't care." He stared at her kiss-swollen lips for a moment and this time when she stood on tiptoe and kissed him again, he didn't stop her. He should, he knew that. The Grangers had invited him into their home and the least he could do was respect the rules they had laid down. He gave one more half-hearted protest before he gave in completely.

Hermione walked him backwards until the bed hit the back of his legs. She gave him a push, then crawled on top of him, waving her wand to rid them of their clothes and cast the charm on herself. As she sank down on him, Remus groaned. Hermione let out a pleased little sigh and began to move, Remus' hand slipping between them.

When she collapsed against him, he brought an arm around her back and held her to him as they slowly regained their breath. Remus ghosted his lips over her forehead.

"Move in with me," he murmured against her skin. Her head shot up and she looked at him. Remus swore in his head. He hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"What?" she whispered. He looked up into her eyes, prepared to see shock or perhaps remorse for having to turn him down or even pity that he'd asked so soon. He was prepared to take it back, to tell her he hadn't meant it, that he'd just been caught up in the moment. What he wasn't prepared for was to see hope and want and even anticipation. He reached up and put a hand to her cheek, pulling her to him for a slow, sweet kiss.

"Move in with me," he repeated, his voice sure and steady. Hermione looked down at him and slowly smiled.

"Yes," she said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Yes," she said again, nodding her head. He sat up abruptly, pulling a small squeal of surprise from her at the change in position. He grasped her head in his hands and kissed her, even as he grinned. She laughed when he released her.

"I love you," he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," she replied, same wide grin on her face. He moved and lay her back on the bed, covering her body with his and then kissed her again.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" he asked. They were lying on their sides facing one another. Remus was running his fingers up and down Hermione's arm and she had a hand on his hip.

"Quite a few things," she said. "But, mostly, how happy I am." He smiled and leaned over to kiss her, tucking a curl behind her ear. His fingers resumed their path until he reached her hand, where he entwined their fingers.

"I'm happy too, love." She hooked her ankle around his.

"You looked a little shocked that you'd asked, at first." His cheeks colored slightly.

"I wasn't planning on asking tonight," he admitted. At the uncertain look on her face, he quickly continued. "I just thought that maybe it was too soon. But then I looked at you and I knew that it wasn't." Her face relaxed into a smile.

"I was thinking about it tonight, before I came to your room. But I didn't know if you wanted to."

"For weeks now," he said. She looked up in surprise.

"Really?" He nodded.

"I almost asked you the day we looked at the cottage."

"I would have said yes then, too." He smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

 **6 July 2000**

"I want to wait to tell them," Hermione said the next morning after breakfast. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. Remus had stayed in Hermione's room for quite some time, retreating to his own only as the sky began to change from inky black to dark grey. He had slept for a couple of hours before Teddy woke. Hermione had slept a bit longer than he had, but they both drank plenty of coffee at breakfast that morning. If her mother wondered about it, she didn't say anything.

Now, they were outside sitting on the patio while Teddy played with the toy cars Richard had bought for him. Richard had had to run into the office for a bit and Jean was on the telephone.

"Your parents?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded. "Why?" She bit her lip and shrugged a shoulder. Remus' brow furrowed in concern. He shifted his chair closer to hers and took her hand. "Love?" Hermione sighed.

"I don't know what they're going to say about it and I don't want to leave with anyone upset." Remus understood that. "I know I'm being a coward, but I can't help it." She bit her lip again.

"You're not being a coward," he said, gently pulling her lip from her teeth. "Do you think they won't approve?"

"I wouldn't have thought that before, but I didn't think my mum would make us sleep in separate rooms either."

"And if they don't accept it?" Remus asked, wondering what her response would be.

"Then they don't," she said. "I'm not going to change my mind." She smiled then and slid forward in her chair until her lips captured his. Remus startled and pulled away from her when he felt a hand on his leg.

"Daddy, no tiss My-nee. You pay," Teddy said. Hermione covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Remus cleared his throat, lips twitching up into a smile. He picked up his son and began to tickle him. Teddy shrieked in delight.

"No, Daddy, we pay," he laughed.

"I _am_ playing," Remus said, still tickling him.

"No," Teddy giggled. "We pay tars."

"Cars?" Remus said, letting Teddy catch his breath. Teddy nodded. "What if I want to tickle you again?" Remus wiggled his fingers and moved toward Teddy's side. Teddy squealed and practically threw himself from Remus' lap into Hermione's.

"My-nee save me," he said. Hermione scooped the little boy up and held him close to her.

"Don't worry," she said. "I won't let your Daddy get you." Remus held up both hands and made to move towards Teddy, but Hermione turned to the side to shield him with her body.

"Well, if I can't tickle you, then I guess I'll just have to," Remus trailed off and Hermione shrieked when his hands found her ribs.

"Remus, stop," she said, laughing as he tickled her.

"Daddy no get My-nee!" Teddy insisted.

"Should I get you instead?" Remus asked.

"No!" Teddy said, laughing as Remus brought his hands closer to him. Hermione stood from the chair and moved back a few feet. Teddy giggled, enjoying the game, as his father stood as well. Remus stalked toward them and Teddy hid his face in Hermione's shoulder. Remus caught her eye and he winked as he got closer.

"Now, I've got you," Remus said. Teddy looked up, but instead of tickling him again, Remus wrapped his arms around them both and kissed Hermione's cheek. He moved to Teddy and kissed his cheek and his forehead and his nose, sending Teddy into another fit of giggles.

"Dad-dy," Teddy said. Remus grinned at him and then hugged them both as Teddy caught his breath. His son let go of Hermione and wrapped his arms around Remus' neck. Remus kept one arm around Hermione the other cradling Teddy to him. He smiled before he leaned down to kiss her.

* * *

"You're sure you won't come home with us to eat?" Remus asked as they left the Portkey office.

"No," Hermione said with a smile. "Andromeda hasn't seen you for nearly a week. You need some time alone with her. Besides, I'm going to stop by my office before I go home and check in with Margaret. I have to stop at Grimmauld Place later to pick up Crookshanks, but first I'm going to go home and take a nap."

"Thank Merlin for Andromeda," Remus said. "Because I think a nap is where I'm headed myself." Hermione considered inviting him to her place and suggesting they nap together. But she refrained. She wasn't sure how long it would take her in her office and besides, she doubted that there would be much napping going on if Remus was with her.

"We'll talk later?" she said. Remus nodded and kissed her quickly before they walked to the lifts.

"Say good-bye to Hermione," Remus said to Teddy as they waited. Hermione reached for him and Remus passed him over.

"I had so much fun with you on our holiday," she said.

"My-nee, you eat wif me?"

"Not today," Hermione said. Teddy pouted and wrapped his arms around her neck. Hermione hugged him to her. "You're excited to see your nanna, aren't you?" Teddy pulled back and nodded, smile now on his face. Hermione kissed his cheek and handed him back to Remus. "I'll see you soon." A lift arrived to take Hermione down to level two. She stepped on and waved to them, smiling as the door shut and they disappeared from view.

* * *

"Nanna, we home!" Teddy called as soon as they stepped out of the Floo. Andromeda stood from the couch, smile on her face. She reached for Teddy immediately.

"Oh, I missed you," she said kissing his cheeks. Teddy giggled. "Hello, Remus." Remus leaned down to hug her. She looked back at Teddy. "Did you have a nice time?"

"I maked tasle, Nanna!" Teddy said.

"You made a castle?" Teddy nodded.

"Wif sand."

"Was it a very big castle?"

"Dis big," Teddy said, stretching his arms out as wide as he could. Then he frowned. "No take it wif me."

"No, sand has to stay at the beach," Andromeda said. Teddy nodded sagely.

"I drived the tar!" Teddy said. Andromeda glanced at Remus.

"Teddy helped Richard park the car a few times," he said.

"It sounds like you had a wonderful time," Andromeda said. Teddy began to chatter about all the other things they'd done while in Australia. Andromeda gave him her full attention, making the appropriate comments and reactions of surprise. Remus watched them with a smile on his face.

When Teddy had finally tired himself of talking about the trip, he squirmed to be put down and ran to his toy basket. Digging through it, his little brow furrowed in confusion.

"Daddy, where tars?" Teddy asked. Remus chuckled and pulled Teddy's bag from his pocket. Just before they'd left, Richard had given Remus the small toy cars he'd purchased for Teddy. Richard had insisted Remus take them home as Teddy had enjoyed them so much. Richard said they could always buy more for the next time they visited.

"They're here in your bag," Remus said enlarging it and pulling out the bag of small cars.

"See, Nanna, see," Teddy said excitedly as he pulled them out of the bag and handing them to her one by one.

"His new favorites," Remus said.

"You mean something has replaced the dragons?" Andromeda said.

"Astonishingly, yes," Remus said. "He couldn't get enough of them while we were there." She continued exclaiming over the cars until Teddy collected them from her, sat down on the floor and began to drive them around. Andromeda watched him for a few minutes with a smile on her face, then stood and faced Remus.

"You look a bit tired," she said.

"That's putting it mildly," he said. At her quizzical look, he sighed. "W-, _I,_ didn't get much sleep last night."

"We?" Andromeda said with a smirk. Remus tried to hold back the color from his cheeks but knew he had been unsuccessful when Andromeda's smirk grew wider.

"Hermione and I," he began, then stopped. He wanted to tell her, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Although, he _had_ asked Andromeda to live with them as well, and she had turned him down. And it's not as if she wouldn't find out. He cleared his throat. "I asked Hermione to live with us when we move to Hogsmeade." Andromeda smiled.

"I assume she said yes."

"She did," Remus confirmed. Andromeda moved forward and hugged him.

"I am very happy for both of you." Remus returned the embrace.

"Are you sure you're all right with this?" he asked when he pulled back from her.

"Of course, I am," she said. "You know that I adore Hermione."

"But," Remus prompted. He knew there was something else and he suspected he knew what it was. As happy as he was, he couldn't say that he hadn't thought the same thing.

"But, nothing," she replied. Remus stared at her but she said nothing else, although he didn't miss the brightness in her eyes. He pulled her back into his arms.

"It's all right," he said quietly. "I've been thinking about her too." Andromeda squeezed him tightly for a moment before she stepped back again.

"Nymphadora would be very happy for both of you," she said, putting a hand to his cheek. Remus nodded.

"I know," he said. He thought that she would, hoped that she would anyway. Andromeda patted his cheek and dropped her arm to her side, turning to look at Teddy.

As Teddy drove a turquoise blue car around on the carpet, making engine noises, his hair slowly morphed into the same blue as the car. Andromeda gasped and Remus took her hand, gripping it tightly. Although she had favored bubble-gum pink above the rest, Dora had preferred bright colors in general for her hair and Remus had seen her wearing that exact shade of blue a time or two.

"I told you she'd approve," Andromeda whispered. Remus wrapped an arm around her shoulders and continued to watch his son. Whether it was actually a sign from his wife or just a happy accident really didn't matter.


	84. Introductions

**A/N - Hello everyone! Thanks for all your reviews last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one as well. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 84**

 **Introductions**

 **6 July 2000**

"Harry?" Hermione called as she came through the Floo. There was movement on the stairs and Harry stepped into the kitchen.

"Hermione," he said with a smile. "How was your trip?" He crossed the kitchen to hug her.

"It was really good," she said, hugging him back. Ginny walked into the kitchen a few moments later. "Hi, Ginny. I thought you'd be back in Wales by now."

"As I can see," Ginny replied, trying for stern. "Trying to steal my man, Granger?" Hermione laughed and released Harry, hugging Ginny instead.

"I've got one of my own, thank you," she said.

"How was the holiday?" Ginny asked.

"Good," Hermione said soft smile on her face. Ginny studied her for a moment.

"Spill."

"Spill what?" Hermione asked innocently.

"I know that look, Hermione," Ginny said. "You've got a secret." Hermione bit her cheek trying not to smile, but she wasn't very successful.

"Remus asked me to move into the Hogsmeade cottage with him." Ginny squealed and hugged her again as Hermione laughed.

"Whoa," Harry said, looking at her in surprise. "That's, I mean, that's a big deal, Hermione. Are you sure?"

"Harry," Ginny admonished.

"No, it's all right. I know it's soon, but," Hermione paused, biting her lip and looking at Harry. "It's what I want." He studied her for a few moments before he nodded.

"Then, I'm happy for you," he said. She smiled and he took her hand, squeezing it.

"All right," Ginny said. "Tell me _everything_."

"Excuse me," Harry said. "Tell _you_ everything?" Ginny flapped a hand at him.

"Fine, tell _us_ everything." Hermione immediately blushed and Ginny got a knowing look in her eye. She smirked. "All right, maybe not _everything_."

"Oh, gods," Harry said with a groan. "I did not need to hear that."

"Blame Hermione," Ginny said. "She can't hide a blush to save her life." Hermione tried to huff in indignation, but she was far too happy for it to be very successful.

"Is there any way this conversation is going to end without me having more information than I ever wanted to know?" Harry asked.

"Yes, it _is_ ," Hermione said, staring at Ginny. "I'm not giving you _all_ the details." Ginny pouted.

"Fine then," she said with a dramatic sigh. "Just tell us about the trip." Hermione recounted their holiday, leaving out the initial argument with her mother over sleeping arrangements and the details of her and Remus' last night together.

"The last night we were there, my parents had gone to bed and Remus and I were alone. That's when he asked me. I'm moving some time in August." Both Harry and Ginny smiled.

"What did your parents say about it?" Ginny asked. Hermione bit her lip and looked at her lap. "You didn't tell them?"

"I will," Hermione said. "I just don't know how they're going to take it and I didn't want to leave on an argument."

"I thought they liked Remus," Harry said.

"They do, but," she sighed. "I'm sure they're going to think it's too soon."

"Sounds like my mum," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes. "At least they'll be all the way in Australia so you won't have to deal with it much."

"That's the thing," Hermione said. "They're moving back."

"You're joking." Hermione shook her head. "I thought they loved it there."

"They're only moving back for part of the year," Hermione said, explaining their plans. "But they're coming home next month, staying through October."

"When are you going to tell them?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said with a sigh. "I think my dad already knows. Or suspects, anyway. I mean I did tell him that I was going to get my own flat once they came home. I'll tell them soon. I just want to enjoy it a bit first." Ginny nodded.

"Just don't wait too long," Harry warned. "You don't want them showing up and finding the house empty of all of your things."

"I won't," Hermione replied with a smile. Ginny was studying Hermione with that look in her eye that said she knew there was more to the story. Harry glanced between the two of them.

"I'll just got get Crookshanks' things together, shall I?" Harry said.

"That sounds like a perfect idea," Ginny said. "Thank you." Harry rolled his eyes and looked at Hermione.

"Congratulations again," he said. "Now please, if you ever loved me at all, let me get upstairs before you give Gin the long version." Hermione laughed and hugged him again.

"Thanks for taking care of Crooks for me."

"Anytime," Harry said, kissing her cheek. He kissed Ginny on his way out of the kitchen. The two women waited a few moments before Ginny turned to Hermione in anticipation.

"I don't know what else you think you're getting out of me," Hermione said with a sniff. "There's nothing else to tell."

"Bollocks," Ginny said. When Hermione didn't say anything, Ginny shrugged. "That's all right, I'll just draw my own conclusions."

"You're incorrigible," Hermione said. "Well, first of all, my parents put us in separate bedrooms." Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Also sounds like my mum."

"Yes, well, you know how busy I was before we left. Remus was too and we hadn't seen much of each other."

"Then five more days of no shagging once you got to Australia," Ginny continued matter-of-factly. Hermione ignored that statement.

"So, when I said that my parents had gone to bed and we were alone when Remus asked me, that was true. But I had sort of, snuck him into my bedroom and," she trailed off. Ginny knew what she was getting at. "Anyway, that's when he asked me."

"When, exactly?" Ginny asked.

"I told you, I'm not giving you details," Hermione said.

"Before, during, after?" Ginny pressed.

"I am _not_ telling you that," Hermione insisted.

"Drawing my own conclusions, right," Ginny said, looking across the kitchen and smiling wickedly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"After, all right?" she huffed. "He sort of whispered it. He told me later he hadn't meant to say it out loud." Ginny's brow furrowed.

"So, he didn't _want_ to ask you?"

"No, he did, he just thought that I might think it was too soon. Anyway, I looked at him, shocked, and then he asked me again." Hermione smiled at the memory. "I'd been thinking about it too that night. So, I said yes." Ginny grinned.

"I'm really happy for you, Hermione."

"Thanks, Gin."

"Oh, look, I found Crookshanks," Harry's voice said very loudly from the stairs, obviously warning them of his presence so they would stop their conversation. "I'm sure that Hermione will be very happy to see you."

"It's fine, Harry," Hermione called. "We're done talking."

"Thank Merlin," Harry said as he opened the kitchen door and Crookshanks sauntered through. "I love you, Hermione, but I do _not_ want details of your private life."

"Unlike your nosy girlfriend," Hermione said. Ginny simply smiled sweetly. Hermione turned her attention to her cat. She picked him up and snuggled him to her. "Did you miss me, Crooks?"

Crookshanks looked at her indifferently but didn't struggle to be put down. It was as much of an acknowledgement as Hermione was likely to get. She chuckled and kissed the top of his head.

"I'd better get going," she said, stifling a yawn. "Still trying to get used to the time change. If I don't get some sleep, I'll be worthless at work tomorrow." She put Crookshanks into the basket Harry held out for her.

"You're going in?" Harry asked. "I figured you'd take the whole week off."

"I was going to," Hermione replied. "But I want to finish up a few things so I can concentrate on my mind healing project. I think Rolf's cousin is coming home from holiday this weekend, so I'm hoping to talk to him early next week."

"I still can't believe how that all happened," Ginny said.

"Me either," Hermione replied. "Although, if anyone was going to meet their future husband in the middle of the wilderness, it was going to be Luna."

"You're not wrong about that," Harry said with a laugh.

"Anyway, I'm hoping that he'll also agree to see Delia Wilkes," Hermione said without thinking. She swore in her head. She knew how Harry and Ginny felt about the woman. The smile slid from Harry's face and Ginny tensed.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because she needs help, Harry," Hermione said.

"That may be true, but Hermione," Harry sighed and shook his head.

"You're not trying to get her out of prison, are you?" Ginny asked flatly, her arms crossed in front of her.

"Not right away, no," Hermione replied.

"Not right away," Ginny repeated. "But you do want her out?"

"If Rolf's cousin agrees to see her and she recovers, then at some point, yes," Hermione said coolly.

"I can't _believe_ you, Hermione."

"Gin, listen to me," Hermione began, but the redhead shook her head.

"After what she did to you? What she did to her own sister?"

"She's ill, Ginny," Hermione snapped. "She went through a lot."

"And the rest of us didn't?" Ginny demanded. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but we all went through a hell of a lot more than that girl ever did."

"Gin," Harry began, but she whirled on him.

"No, Harry. You know I'm right. For fuck's sake, you lost your parents and Sirius and had Voldemort chasing after you since you were _eleven_. You had to fight him and," Ginny trailed off shaking her head and Harry drew her into his arms.

"I know, Ginny, I know," Hermione said, trying to placate her friend. This wasn't how she wanted this visit to end. "I swear that I'm not trying to excuse what she did. But not everyone reacts to the situations in the same way. I'm not saying that she shouldn't be in prison. But they sent her there for life, Ginny. _Life_. She's _nineteen_." There was silence in the kitchen. Even Crookshanks, who had been protesting being put into his basket, was quiet.

Finally, Ginny sighed. She moved away from Harry and towards Hermione. Ginny stopped in front of her. Hermione bit her lip until Ginny took hold of her hand.

"It's not that I don't think what you're doing is a good idea," Ginny said. "Merlin knows I could have used some help like that after my first year _and_ after the war. Most of us could. But she _hurt_ you, Hermione. She wanted you _gone_."

"I know," Hermione said. "And I swear, Gin, if Rolf's cousin helps her and she still doesn't care about what she did or wishes she would have succeeded, then I will leave her in Azkaban and not look back. But I have to try."

"But _why_?" Ginny pressed.

"If it was one of your brothers or Harry or me, wouldn't _you_ want someone to help them?" Ginny sighed again.

"Yes," she finally said.

"Some people are beyond help," Hermione said. "But I have to be sure that Delia is one of them before I give up." Ginny nodded. Hermione looked at Harry who was watching them closely. "Harry?"

"I know, Hermione," he said. "Trust me, I do." Hermione nodded. If anyone would understand, it would be Harry. He'd always had a thing about saving people.

"So, we're okay?" she asked Ginny. Ginny looked up at her and gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, we're okay." Hermione hugged her tightly. Crookshanks meowed in irritation.

"I better go," she said as she stepped back. "When are you going back to Wales?"

"Tomorrow," Ginny said.

"I'll see you next weekend then, after the match."

"The kids are all coming," Harry reminded her.

"Good, I can't wait to see them." She looked at her two friends. "Thank you again, for watching Crooks."

"We love you, Hermione," Harry said, hugging her. "Don't forget."

"I won't," Hermione said, voice cracking a bit. "Thanks, Harry. Bye, Gin." Hermione picked up Crookshanks' basket and his bag of food and walked to the Floo. Harry threw in the powder for her and she stepped in, calling out for home.

* * *

Remus climbed the stairs with a yawn. It was early, only a little after eight, but he could barely keep his eyes open any longer. After staying up nearly the whole night the night before and the time change, he was completely knackered. It felt like six in the morning to him, after all.

He'd taken a nap this afternoon while Teddy napped, which had helped, for a while anyway. But even though Teddy had been ready to sleep for the night when they had put him down for his nap, they had woken him about three hours later. The little boy had been extremely tired and out of sorts the rest of the afternoon and evening. Not that Remus could blame him, his internal time clock was completely off. They'd had to put him back to bed around seven. Remus fully expected a middle of the night wakening. Andromeda insisted she would take care of her grandson so Remus could sleep and he could take over in the morning.

Remus had nearly reached the top of the stairs when he heard the noise of Apparition. He frowned. Andromeda hadn't mentioned that Kingsley was going to be stopping by. Deciding to check to be sure, he began making his way back down the stairs.

"It's Hermione," Andromeda said from where she stood at the window as he reached the back door.

"Hermione?" Remus repeated in confusion. He'd spoken to her after supper just before she was going to leave to pick up Crookshanks. She told him she was going to go home after and go to bed early as well. He opened the door before she reached it.

"I wasn't expecting to see you tonight," he said with a smile. She attempted to return it, but he could tell her smile was forced.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked as she came inside.

"Nothing," she said, but stepped into his arms all the same. Andromeda excused herself to the living room.

"It doesn't seem like nothing," he said.

"I wanted to say good night to you," she said. "I've gotten used to doing it this past week." Her smile this time was genuine and she rose up on tiptoe to kiss him.

"I'm glad you decided to come by," he said when they parted. "But I have a feeling there's something else going on." She sighed and rested her cheek against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.

"Ginny and I had a row." Remus stared at the top of her head in surprise. She and Ginny rarely even disagreed.

"About what?" he asked. Hermione sighed again.

"I don't want to tell you," she mumbled into his chest.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to argue with you too."

"Love, now you're worrying me." Hermione hesitated, then continued.

"It was about Delia." Remus tried not to tense, but he couldn't help it. Hermione stepped back from him.

"That's why I didn't want to tell you."

"I'm sorry," he said, reaching for her again. "You just surprised me. Why were you fighting about Delia?"

"I mentioned having Rolf's cousin speak to her and Ginny got angry."

"I can understand why," Remus said.

"I know, I understand too, it's just," she shook her head. "I'm tired of having to justify myself."

"It's only because she loves you, Hermione," Remus said.

"I know," she said with another sigh.

"How did you leave it?"

"We made up, I guess," Hermione said. "But she's leaving for Wales tomorrow and I won't see her for over a week."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Remus said. Hermione looked up at him in question. "It will give Ginny some time to think about what you said and you time to recover from our holiday. I'm sure it will be fine the next time you see her." Hermione nodded, but Remus saw the tears forming in her eyes. He pulled her to him again, rubbing a hand up and down her back trying to soothe her.

"I don't even know why I'm crying," she said.

"You're exhausted, love. We were up almost all night and with the time change," he said, "you just need some sleep." She clung to him for a few minutes, crying into his chest. When she quieted, Remus conjured a handkerchief and handed it to her.

"I'm sorry," she said as she stepped back.

"You don't have to apologize," he replied. "It's been a busy few days." He smiled. "Everything will look better in the morning, I promise." She wiped her face and nodded. He held his arms out to her again and she moved back into his embrace.

"Let me take you home," he said.

"No, I'm fine," she said. "You need to sleep too."

"I'll be fine for a bit longer," he said. "You, on the other hand, look like you might fall asleep standing here. Just let me tell Andromeda." Hermione nodded and Remus stepped into the living room.

"I'm going to make sure Hermione gets home all right," Remus said. "I don't think she should Apparate alone."

"Is she all right?" Andromeda asked in concern.

"Just overtired and emotionally drained," Remus said.

"Are _you_ all right to Apparate?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I'll be back soon."

"You do not have to come back if she needs you," Andromeda said. "I already told you I would get up with Teddy." Remus glanced towards the kitchen and then back at Andromeda.

"Are you sure?"

"Remus, we will be fine. One night of interrupted sleep is not going to hurt me."

"I'll be back early tomorrow," he said. "Hermione is going to work in the morning."

"All right," Andromeda said. "Sleep well."

"Thank you, Andromeda." She smiled and kissed his cheek, then sat down on the couch and picked up her book. Remus walked back into the kitchen. Hermione was sitting at the table, head in her hand, eyes closed.

"Hermione," he said quietly and she jumped, looking up at him. "Let's get you home." He took her hand and helped her up from the table. They walked into the back garden to the oak tree, Hermione yawning widely.

"Are you ready?" he asked when he'd wrapped his arms around her. She nodded and Remus turned and Disapparated.

The landed in her back garden and she unlocked the back door. Remus took her hand and led her upstairs. She stripped out of her clothes, pulling on her pajamas and slipping into her bed. When she saw Remus unbuttoning his shirt she sat up in bed.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to bed," he said. "Unless you'd rather I didn't stay."

"No," she said with a smile. "I just didn't realize that you wanted to."

"I _always_ want to," he said.

"But, Teddy," Hermione said.

"Andromeda insisted she would get up with him. Said I needed a good night's sleep." Hermione nodded and he finished undressing down his boxers, then climbed into bed beside her.

"Good night, love," he said as she scooted into his side.

"I love you," she mumbled, her eyes already closed.

"I love you too." He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arm around her. His eyes closed almost immediately and they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **7 July 2000**

Hermione woke before her alarm was set to go off. Remus was still sleeping beside her. She smiled and moved closer to him, putting an arm over his chest. He was right, she did feel much better this morning.

The argument with Ginny still bothered her a bit, mostly because they rarely ever fought. She did understand how Ginny felt, how Remus felt, likely how everyone that cared about her felt. If she were in their position, she would feel the same way. But she was still intent on doing what she could for Delia Wilkes.

Remus stirred under her arm and she propped her chin in his chest as he opened his eyes. He smiled at and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning." He tucked a curl behind her ear.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"Much better," Hermione said. "You were right."

"It's been known to happen," he said with a smirk. She laughed.

"I hope that Ginny feels better about it," she said, face turning serious.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Hermione said.

"I don't want to upset you again, but can you explain _why_ this thing with Delia is so important to you?" Hermione traced a finger over one of the scars on his chest.

"It's hard to explain," she said. Remus waited, not saying anything while Hermione gathered her thoughts.

"After," she began, then stopped. She blew out a breath and cleared her throat. "After what happened to me at Malfoy Manor, I, no one knew what to do. Harry and Ron, they tried to talk to me, but Harry just felt guilty and Ron, Ron was so angry. Not at me, but at himself and Bellatrix and the Malfoys." Remus turned over her arm where it lay across his stomach and began to rub his fingers lightly over her scar. Hermione stared at it for a moment before she continued.

"We were busy, of course, plotting with Griphook, and that kept my mind off things. But when I was alone," she paused and shook her head. "It would have been so easy, I can see exactly how it could have happened."

"What, love?" he asked quietly.

"I could have fallen into myself, into my own mind," she said. "If the house hadn't been so crowded and if we hadn't been planning the break-in at Gringotts, I would have." She shifted to lay her head on the pillow and Remus rolled to his side facing her.

"If I had, I don't know what would have happened," she said. "Bill was always kind to me, talked to me about his scars to try and help me feel better about mine. Maybe I would have become obsessed with him like Delia did with you. Maybe I would have wanted Fleur out of the picture." Remus shook his head.

"You never would have done something like that," he said.

"No, because I had people around me to help," she said. "And I knew I had a job to finish, a purpose, something to keep me from dwelling on what happened to me. But what if I hadn't?"

"But Delia wasn't tortured, she was barely even hurt in the battle," Remus argued.

"She wasn't hurt physically," Hermione said. "But her best friend was killed in front of her while she hid. She saw so many people die that day. And before you say it, I know that we all did, but she obviously handled it differently. She went through a different kind of torture." They both fell silent, Remus resuming the tracing of her scar.

"I want to help her because I see myself in her," Hermione said quietly. "What could have happened to me if I hadn't had all of you. Do you see?" She looked at him and he stared at her for a few moments before he nodded. He pulled her to him and Hermione rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

When he pulled back, she looked up. He smiled and cupped her cheek, then lowered his head to kiss her. Hermione made a noise of contentment. The buzzing of her alarm clock interrupted them a few minutes later.

"Work," she said with a sigh. He kissed her forehead.

"I told Andromeda I'd be home early. I'm sure Teddy has probably been up for hours." Hermione nodded, then kissed him again.

"Will you come for dinner tonight?" he asked when they parted.

"Yes," she said with a smile. He gave her one last quick kiss and they both rose to get ready for the day.

* * *

 **11 July 2000**

Hermione followed the secretary down the corridor to a small office. The woman knocked on the door and at the invitation to enter, opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hermione Granger for you," she said. The man at the desk looked up and smiled. Standing, he walked out from behind his desk, holding out a hand to her.

"Aaron Chadwick," he said as Hermione shook his hand.

"Hermione Granger," she replied. He ushered her towards a chair in front of his desk.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Hermione replied. He nodded to his secretary who left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me, Dr. Chadwick," Hermione said.

"Aaron, please, Miss Granger."

"Then, please call me Hermione," she replied. He nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm not sure how much Rolf told you about my project."

"He told me you'd like to start a mental health program in the Wizarding world," Aaron said. "And that you'd like me to help."

"Yes, that's the gist of it," she said with a smile.

"It's an admirable goal," he said. "But, unfortunately, I'm not a teacher. I've never had any experience training anyone."

"I understand that," Hermione said. "But you have been trained yourself. You went to school and followed a program."

"Well, yes."

"I'm simply looking to work within that framework. My biggest obstacle so far has been finding someone who has been trained as you have, but also knows about the Wizarding World. I'm sure you're familiar with the Statue of Secrecy."

"I am," he said. "Although my family has never followed it as a hard and fast rule." He smiled and Hermione laughed.

"I got that impression from Rolf. As it is, I still wouldn't have approached you had he not told me that your daughter was a witch. I don't want to get anyone in your family into trouble with the Ministry."

"I appreciate that," he said.

"How old is your daughter if you don't mind me asking."

"She's nine," he replied. "Been showing signs of magic since she was two." Hermione bit her lip in thought. Technically, Aaron shouldn't know about magic until someone visited to explain about his daughter's acceptance into Hogwarts. But, given who his family was, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to think that one of them would have explained to him much sooner. It was a grey area where Squibs and Half-bloods were concerned. She would need to speak to Margaret about it. She explained as much to Aaron.

"I'm not going to use your name until I've spoken to my boss," she said. "But would you be interested in helping me?"

"What, exactly, would you want me to do?" Hermione began her explanation as to how she hoped that Aaron would be able to help with her project. Truthfully, she hadn't entirely worked it out herself. She had no experience with the schooling to become a counselor or psychiatrist. Given they would have to adapt everything to the wizarding world, she wasn't entirely sure just how things would go. She wanted to form a committee of Healers to help with the process, something she hadn't done yet, as she'd had nowhere to start from before she'd found out about Aaron.

They discussed possible ideas for over an hour before Aaron apologetically looked at his watch.

"I've got a patient coming in about fifteen minutes," he said. "We'll have to table this for now." Hermione nodded.

"There is just one other thing I'd like to ask you," she said.

"Go ahead."

"Would you be willing to take on any wizards or witches as patients?" He sat back in his chair, looking at her thoughtfully.

"They're aware of what Muggle therapy entails? That it isn't a magical fix. There are no spells or potions."

"Yes," she said. "And truthfully, I only have one person in mind right now."

"Then I would be willing to give it a try. You can have them call my office."

"That's the problem," she said.

"No telephones, right," he said.

"No, it's not that," Hermione said. "The witch is question is in prison right now." His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "There's no possibility that she could come to you. If I can get permission from the Ministry, would you be willing to go to her?"

"I'll admit that you've piqued my interest, Hermione," he said. "But I would need more information before I would agree."

"I understand," she said. "I need to speak to the Ministry anyway, I'm not sure they would even allow it. Plus, I'd like to discuss it with her family."

"Of course," Aaron said. "Would you like to meet next week at the same time? That will give me time to get some information together for your program."

"That would be perfect, thank you." He stood from his desk and Hermione rose as well. Aaron walked her to the door.

"It was very nice to meet you," he said, shaking her hand. "I look forward to working with you." Hermione smiled.

"Me as well." She thanked him one last time and then left the office. The grin refused to leave her face.

* * *

 **15 July 2000**

Remus and Hermione landed at the stadium, Paul and Will in tow. Rachel landed shortly after they did, able to Apparate on her own. Harry, Ron and Susan were bringing David, Claire and Annie, although Hermione suspected they were already here. Harry liked to get to the matches in time to watch the warm-ups.

"Thank you again, Hermione, for letting us come with Will," Rachel said. "We haven't been to a professional match since the last one Mr. Potter invited us to."

"Don't let Harry hear you call him that," Hermione said with a laugh. "He's not that much older than you are, you know." The girl smiled.

"How is your job going?" Remus asked.

"I really like it so far," Rachel said as they walked towards the stairs to the box Harry always reserved. Rachel had recently started her job at the Ministry, in the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

"Are you getting excited for Hogwarts?" Hermione asked Will as they climbed the stairs.

"Kind of," he said.

"Just kind of?" Will shrugged.

"I want to go but," he trailed off. Hermione stopped and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's going to be all right, Will."

"Everyone is going to know," he said quietly.

"Not if you don't want them to."

"They'll figure it out," he said.

"Maybe," she replied. "But Remus is going to be a professor, remember? He'll help you if you need it." Will relaxed slightly and nodded. "And I'm going to introduce you to Annie, David and Claire today, so you'll know someone. Plus, Paul will be there."

Hermione suspected that Will would go to Gryffindor and it would be good for him to have the third years looking out for him. If he followed his older siblings to Ravenclaw instead, his brother could watch out for him. With Remus there as well, Hermione was certain that the boy would be all right.

"And I'll be living in Hogsmeade so if you need anything, you just send me an owl, all right?" Will smiled at her and they continued climbing to the box.

When they stepped inside, it was more crowded that it had ever been. The entire Weasley family was there, plus Luna and Rolf, the three Muggle-borns and Will and his siblings. Paul and Rachel were already standing by the front rail and Remus was talking to Arthur. Hermione felt Will move closer to her when he saw the number of people that were there. He was much better in crowds that he had been, but he still sometimes got a bit nervous. It didn't help that the full moon was tomorrow and he was a bit jumpy because of it. She squeezed his shoulder in support, then looked around the box.

"Hermione!" Claire called, hurrying towards her and throwing her arms around Hermione.

"Hey, Claire." Annie and David made their way over as well. After Hermione had hugged them all, she turned to Will.

"Will, this is Claire, Annie and David."

"Hi, Will," Claire said with a smile. David shook his hand and Annie said hello as well.

"Hermione said you'll be a first year next year," David said.

"Yeah," Will replied.

"What house do you want?"

"My sister and brother were in Ravenclaw, my mum too, so she says I'll probably go there," Will said. "But Gryffindor would be good."

"That's where we are," David said with a smile. "Do you play Quidditch?" Will's eyes lit up. The boys were soon discussing the game. David had been on the reserve team this year and was hoping to move up to the regular team in the fall.

"How were exams?" Hermione asked. Annie groaned.

"Do we _have_ to talk about exams?" she said. "We just got _out_ of school." Hermione laughed.

"I didn't think they were that hard," Claire said.

"You never do, Claire," Annie replied. Hermione grinned at the two of them.

"Hey, Will," Paul said, stepping up beside his brother. "They're about to announce the teams." Paul glanced at the other three teenagers standing with his brother. Hermione quickly introduced them.

"Gryffindor, right?" Paul said and the three nodded. He looked at Claire. "I've seen you in the library." Hermione hid a smile when she saw the slight blush on Claire's cheeks. The boys didn't seem to notice, but Annie did. She nudged her friend when the boys started walking towards the front of the box. Claire slapped Annie's arm and shook her head. Well, this was interesting.

Hermione grabbed a bottle of Butterbeer from the table before walking towards the seats. She moved in next to Ron and Susan. Harry was standing with the kids at the front waiting for Ginny. The redhead always flew past the box after she was introduced.

"Hi, Hermione," Susan said.

"'Mione," Ron said. Hermione rolled her eyes and Susan smacked his arm.

"Thanks for helping Harry with the kids," Hermione said.

"No problem," Susan said. "It looks like they're all getting along." Hermione glanced up at the rail where the six of them stood. Rachel was talking to Harry, but the other five were all laughing at something. Hermione smiled. Will had no friends outside of his siblings. If he could make a few before school started, it would be good for him.

Hermione also didn't miss how Claire kept glancing at Paul, looking away quickly when he caught her eye. Although only going into her third year, she was already fourteen because of missing her first year when Voldemort was in power. Hermione smiled when Paul looked at Claire again.

Hermione looked up as Remus slid into the seat next to her. He smiled and took her hand after greeting Ron and Susan.

"Everything go all right?" Remus asked indicating the five students.

"Just fine," Hermione said with a smile. "In fact, I think there might be a bit of a budding romance."

"Really?" Remus said, looking at the kids again. He watched as Claire tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled tentatively at Paul. Remus chuckled. "I think you might be right." He put an arm around Hermione.

The introductions began and Ginny flew past the box, blowing Harry a kiss and waving to the kids. She caught Hermione's eye and winked and Hermione blew out a breath in relief. Remus squeezed her shoulder and kissed her temple. Remus had been right. Ginny was obviously over their row.

* * *

The match had been going on for quite some time when Remus and Hermione got up to get something to eat. Annie and Claire were standing near the food table, whispering to one another. When Claire saw Hermione, she nudged Annie and they fell silent. Hermione hid a smile, quite sure she knew what, or rather, who, they had been talking about.

"Hi, Mr. Lupin," Claire said.

"Hello, Claire, Annie," Remus said. They all busied themselves filling their plates.

"Are you going to do more tutoring this year?" Claire asked.

"Actually, no," Remus said. "But I am going to be up at the school."

"Doing what?" Annie said.

"Teaching Defense," he said.

"Professor Higgins is leaving?"

"He is," Remus said. "He's decided to retire, so I'm the new professor."

"Brilliant," Annie said.

"What's brilliant?" David asked, as he and Will walked up to get something to eat as well.

"Mr. Lupin is going to be our Defense professor."

"Really?" David said with a smile. Remus nodded.

"Mr. Lupin has been tutoring me for a while now," Will said. "He's a good teacher."

"How come he was tutoring you?" Claire asked. Annie elbowed her.

"Claire," she hissed.

"What?"

"That's none of your business."

"I was just asking," Claire said with a huff. "He's not at school yet." Will looked nervously at Hermione. She smiled encouragingly. He seemed to be getting along rather well with David, the two had been talking for nearly the entire match. Hermione knew that none of the three would judge him, but she wasn't going to force Will into anything.

"It's up to you," she said very quietly, turning her head so Annie, David and Claire wouldn't see her speak. She knew Will would be able to hear her given it was so close to the moon. None of the others would though, save Remus.

"I was supposed to start school last year," Will said. "But, I, erm, I was, somewhere else."

"We're supposed to be going into fourth year," David said, indicated the girls and himself. "But we're Muggle-born. We were in Azkaban our first year." Will stared at them in shock. Hermione was a bit surprised he had brought it up as well. Claire and Annie nodded solemnly.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell us, though," Annie said, correctly reading Will's hesitation.

"No, I, erm," he looked up at Hermione again. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Death Eaters took me from my parents and I was living with, with a werewolf pack." He whispered the last part and immediately looked at the floor. Hermione squeezed his shoulder.

"So, you're a werewolf then?" David asked. Will nodded, still not looking at anyone.

"Wow," Claire said. Hermione felt Will flinch. "How old were you when it happened?"

"Seven," Will mumbled.

"You must have been really scared," Claire said. Will's head whipped up in surprise. All three Muggle-borns were looking at him sadly, but it wasn't pity in their eyes. It was understanding.

"How did you get back to your parents?" Annie asked.

"Hermione found me and took me to the Ministry. Harry found my mum and my brother and sisters."

"What about your dad?" Claire asked.

"He was in Azkaban," Will said. "He died."

"Mine too," Annie said. "And my mum. Death Eaters. I live with my sister."

"My mum too," David added. "I live with Claire's family now." Hermione could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. Remus' hand slipped into hers and she tightened her hold on Will's shoulder.

"Is it okay if we ask you about being a werewolf?" Claire said. Paul walked up just as Claire asked the question. He glared at the girl, then looked accusingly at Hermione and Remus.

"You don't have to answer that, Will," Paul said. "Maybe we should ask Harry to take us home."

"No, Paul, it's all right," Will said.

"How do they know?" Paul demanded, still glaring at Claire. She looked like she was about to cry. Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Remus gripped her hand, shaking his head.

"I told them," Will said. Paul looked at his brother incredulously.

"What? Why?" Will shrugged.

"I wanted to," he said.

"But you told me you didn't want anyone to know," Paul said. He glanced at Hermione and Remus, then lowered his voice. "Did someone make you tell?"

"No!" Will said, getting angry. "Mr. Lupin or Hermione would never do that."

"Then, I don't understand."

"We were talking about Mr. Lupin being our new Defense professor and I said that he'd been tutoring me. Claire asked why." Paul glared at Claire again and she moved closer to Annie and David. Annie took her hand and David put an arm around her. They both glared back at Paul. "I didn't have to answer, but I wanted to."

"We're not going to tell anyone," Claire said quietly.

"Of course, we won't," David said. He stared at the older boy defiantly.

"It's okay, Paul," Will said. "They…understand." Paul's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean they understand? Are they-" he trailed off, looking worried that he'd just put his foot in it somehow.

"No," Will said. "But they've been through…stuff." Will glanced at David. David looked to the girls then gave a quick nod. "They're all Muggle-born. They were in Azkaban for a year." Paul looked horrified.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "I didn't know, I, I'm sorry." They were all silent for a moment until Claire spoke up.

"It's all right," Claire said. "He's your brother."

"But I shouldn't have assumed." He turned to Hermione and Remus. "I practically accused you, I'm sorry, I," he shook his head, his face turning red.

"It's all right, Paul," Hermione said. "You were just trying to protect Will. We understand."

"You've been so nice to us, helped Will so much, I should have known you wouldn't." Paul shook his head again.

"We accept your apology," Remus said putting a hand on the boy's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Will is lucky to have someone looking out for him like that." Paul finally nodded and then looked at Claire, Annie and David. Although, Hermione noticed, his gaze lingered on Claire.

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did without knowing," he said with a sigh. "I'm sorry." David and Annie nodded in acknowledgement, but Claire gave him a small smile. Paul returned it tentatively.

"And they've seen the Snitch!" the announcer yelled. The children all rushed towards the front of the box, food and argument clearly forgotten. Remus and Hermione stepped forward, standing behind the last row of seats and turning their attention to the pitch. They watched as the Harpies' Seeker just outraced the Tornados' to capture the Snitch and end the match.

A wave of cheers erupted in the box. Paul and Will high-fived each other and then Paul turned to David and held out his hand. David stared at it for a moment before shaking it. The tension between the boys seemed to disappear. Hermione shook her head as Remus chuckled.

"Honestly," Hermione said. "They were practically shooting daggers from their eyes two minutes ago and now everything is fine thanks to Quidditch." They watched as Paul moved next to Claire. Claire smiled shyly at him. Hermione couldn't help but smile herself.

Ginny was suddenly at the box, giving Harry his usual after-game snog. Molly tutted at the two of them, also per usual. Ginny greeted the kids before promising to be up to the box shortly and then flew off to join her team. Remus wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and she smiled as David, Will and Annie began dissecting the game, Paul and Claire still in their own world, talking quietly to one another. Rachel was watching both her brothers with a soft smile on her face, as she chatted with Luna and Rolf. Hermione looked up at Remus.

"It's been a rather good day, hasn't it?"

"It has," he agreed. "I'm hoping it's a rather good night, as well."

"Why Mr. Lupin, are you propositioning me?"

"Perhaps," he said with a smile. Hermione grinned and kissed him.


	85. Maneuvering

**A/N - Hello all! I had hoped to get the move in this chapter, but things ran a bit long. It will be in the next one though. I am not sure when the next chapter will be posted. I will be on vacation over Thanksgiving, so if I get the next chapter written before I leave, I will still post it then, otherwise, it won't go up until the following week. Thanks for reading and reviewing and to my US readers, enjoy the holiday!**

 **Chapter 85**

 **Maneuvering**

 **17 July 2000**

Hermione walked nervously to Kingsley's office. She hadn't gone to Remus' this morning after the full moon at his insistence. He wanted her to be well-rested for her meeting with Kingsley. Hermione had still Flooed and been assured by Andromeda that Remus had come through the moon just fine. She'd spoken to Gwendolyn as soon as she'd gotten here this morning and knew that the second month at the Sanctuary had gone smoothly. They'd had two new werewolves transform and there had been no injuries. Caroline had made the Wolfsbane completely on her own this month, although Andromeda had still supervised. Caroline had asked Andromeda to observe for one more month, but Hermione was confident Caroline wouldn't need any more assistance after that.

Hermione blew out a breath as she reached the Minister's office. Truthfully, she had no idea how Kingsley would react to her request. He'd kept his feelings about Delia's conviction to himself.

"Good morning," Hermione said to Nicola Stebbins, Kingsley's secretary.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. Go right in." Hermione nodded and walked past her desk, knocking lightly on Kingsley's door before she opened it.

"Hermione," Kingsley greeted with a smile, standing from his desk and indicating a chair for her. Hermione sat down. "What can I do for you?"

"I've got a bit of an unorthodox request," she said. Kingsley looked at her in interest as he retook his seat. "You're aware of my newest project?"

"You're trying to start a Mind-Healing program, Margaret said." Hermione nodded. Margaret met regularly with Kingsley to keep him apprised of what her department was working on.

"I've met with a second cousin of Rolf Scamander's, Aaron Chadwick," Hermione said. "He's a Muggle psychiatrist." Kingsley frowned. "And there is no breach of the Statute. Dr. Chadwick's daughter is a witch."

"She's at Hogwarts?"

"No, she's only nine," Hermione said. "But you and I both know that he's known about magic his entire life. His uncle is a wizard, as is his grandmother. Not to mention all of the Scamanders."

"Grey area, Hermione."

"I'm aware," she replied. "But let's set that aside for the moment."

"That's not what your request is about," Kingsley guessed.

"No," Hermione said. She took a deep breath. "I would like to get permission for Dr. Chadwick to treat Delia Wilkes." Kingsley sat back in his chair and stared at her.

"You want a Muggle doctor to treat the woman who tried to kill you," Kingsley said.

"Yes," Hermione said.

"The woman who is in Azkaban for life for using the Imperius curse on her own sister."

"Yes." Kingsley sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.

"Hermione, you've always been someone who pushes the envelope, but this," Kingsley shook his head, making a noise of disbelief. "This is something else."

"I know it's asking a lot."

"A lot?" Kingsley repeated. "You're asking the impossible."

"I don't think I am," Hermione said coolly.

"Do you honestly think that the Wizengamot will allow someone convicted of an Unforgiveable out of prison to attend therapy? Something that doesn't even exist in the wizarding world that the majority of them will dismiss out of hand?"

"I'm not asking you to let her out of prison," Hermione said. "Dr. Chadwick is willing to go to her." Kingsley let out an incredulous laugh.

"Letting a Muggle go to Azkaban? Are you mad?"

"He's not a Muggle," Hermione said. "Technically, he's a Squib."

"His mother was a Squib. He's a Muggle."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "Because the magic skipped a couple of generations? How can you call his daughter a Muggle-born when she has a great-uncle and a great-grandmother that are magical?"

"I'm not going to argue labels with you, Hermione. One generation makes you a Squib. Two and you're a Muggle, especially if your Squib parent married a Muggle."

"That's ridiculous."

"That's the way the Wizengamot views it," Kingsley said.

"Then we'll have to change their minds," Hermione said firmly. Kingsley sighed.

"Hermione," he said. "You know that I support your want to change things. The bills that you've gotten passed so far were long overdue and sorely needed. But there is such a thing as too much, too fast. Especially with all the laws biased towards Purebloods that we've currently been working on. There have been more and more rumblings in the Wizengamot as of late. If I take something like this to them, they'll laugh me out of the chamber."

"We don't have to go through the Wizengamot," Hermione said. "You could approve it yourself."

"I can't do that," Kingsley said immediately.

"Why not?"

"If you'll recall, there's an election in a few weeks."

"Kingsley," Hermione began to protest, but he held up a hand.

"Hermione, I cannot help you if I'm not in office." She sighed. She knew he was right. He studied her for a few minutes.

"Why do you want to do this, Hermione? The woman did try to kill you." Hermione bit back another sigh. She was tired of having this conversation.

"Because no one deserves to rot in Azkaban for something that they might not have done had they not been damaged by the war when they were a _child_." Kingsley stared at her.

"I don't deny that the war should have been left to the adults."

"It should have," Hermione agreed. "But it wasn't." They sat in silence for a few moments until he nodded once in agreement.

"I can't promise anything," he said.

"I know," Hermione said.

"Let me look into it and I'll get back to you." Hermione smiled.

"Thank you, Kingsley." She stood from her chair and Kingsley fixed her with a knowing look.

"In the meantime, don't make any promises that you can't keep." Hermione opened her mouth to object, then closed it again. She _had_ been intending to speak to Cressida Wilkes.

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "Have a good day, Kingsley."

"You too, Hermione."

* * *

 **21 July 2000**

Remus stepped out of the Floo to see Hermione slumped on the couch, Crookshanks in her lap. One elbow was propped on the arm of the couch, Hermione's head in her hand. She was clearly asleep and deeply so if she hadn't even heard the Floo. Crookshanks gave Remus a look before jumping off the couch and padding into the kitchen. Remus chuckled as the cat clearly relinquished responsibility of his mistress to Remus.

Remus moved quietly to the couch and sat down carefully next to her. He studied her for a moment, not wanting to wake her. She'd been working incredibly long hours this week, meeting multiple times with Aaron Chadwick and the St. Mungo's committee she had put together, as well as trying to keep up with her regular work in her department. It was no wonder she was asleep.

Remus gently brushed a curl off her forehead and her eyes fluttered, then snapped open as she reached for her wand. He moved back and held up his hands.

"It's me, love." Hermione stared at him for a moment before she came to full consciousness.

"Remus," she said, lowering her wand and blowing out a breath. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he replied. "It took me longer than I expected to get here."

"I can't believe I fell asleep."

"I can," Remus said. "You've been working a lot of hours this week." Hermione reached for his hand.

"I'm sorry I haven't seen much of you."

"Don't apologize," he said. "What you're doing is important." She smiled and he brought her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. She moved towards him and he kissed her properly for the first time in days. He had to force himself to pull back after a few minutes.

"How is the project going, anyway?" he asked. She sighed and rested her head against the back of the couch, looking at the ceiling.

"Slowly," she said. "I knew it was going to be a lot of work to get this off the ground, but I guess I underestimated just how much. The training is going to take the longest, of course. But I think we've come up with an idea that might work."

"What's that?" Remus asked, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"Two of the Healers that are on the committee are Half-bloods and one is Muggle-born," Hermione said, turning to look at him. "All three are familiar with the Muggle world, so it's been decided that they'll take classes at Muggle university." Remus' eyebrows rose in surprise at this.

"That's a long program, isn't it?"

"Yes, but after discussing it with Aaron, they won't have to go through the entire program," Hermione said. "They're Healers already so that covers some things. Plus, they're all going to take different classes and then teach them to everyone else. Pensieve-learning mostly." Remus nodded.

"We've already gotten permission from the Ministry to create the documents they'll need to get into uni. A few of the others are going to attend some professional seminars and lectures. Once we can be sure they're able to blend in, of course. It's going to be a bit piecemeal at first, but I'm fairly confident we'll be able to get a workable program out of it."

"In the meantime, Aaron has agreed to take on a few patients from the wizarding world. Someone from the committee will be present to observe his techniques as well as attempt to integrate a few things from our world."

"Such as?"

"There's been a rather lengthy discussion about Legilimency," Hermione said. Remus frowned. Hermione, seeing his expression, nodded. "It's been controversial, to say the least. There will be strict guidelines around it and explicit permission must be given by the patient. But I do think it could be useful, especially in cases like Delia's where the person can't, or won't, confront their memories."

"I can see where it might be helpful," Remus said. "But the thought of it makes me nervous."

"I know," Hermione said. "Especially as Voldemort used it as a weapon. That's why it's going to be strictly regulated."

"Regulations are all well and good, Hermione, but what's to stop someone once they're actually inside the patient's mind?"

"Professional integrity, I would hope," she said. "It's not perfect, I know, but few things are." Remus nodded. She was right and as long as the patient had given permission, he supposed it could help.

"Have you spoken to Kingsley again?" he asked. She'd told him about her conversation with the Minister when she'd stopped by the night after the moon.

"No," Hermione said with a sigh. "It's not that I don't understand his position, but I wish he would just authorize it himself."

"Thaddeus Blishwick is gaining more support," Remus reminded her. The Wizengamot member who had decided to run against Kingsley had the support of the old families. Remus wasn't sure just where he stood on some issues. He was a Pureblood and one of his ancestors had married into the Black family. But he hadn't been a Death Eater, nor had an investigation turned up any monetary support of Voldemort. He had no idea if he would push for a Pureblood agenda if he was elected or not. Thankfully, so far, he hadn't garnered enough support to challenge Kingsley all that much and the election was less than two weeks away.

"I know," she said. "I know Kingsley can't make waves right now. It's why none of the laws we're working on have been put on the Wizengamot schedule yet."

"Probably wise."

"What about you?" she asked. "How are the lesson plans coming?"

"Well," Remus said. "I met with Minerva yesterday and she's pleased with what I've decided so far." He twined their fingers together. "I've started packing as well." She smiled. "Well, mostly I've been going through things and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of."

"Something I need to do as well," Hermione said. "Hopefully my parents won't mind if I leave some things here and go through them later. With as much work as I've got to do, I'm not sure when I'd have the time."

"Have you spoken to them?" She glanced at him, then looked away.

"Not yet."

"Any particular reason why?" Hermione looked at him again and he attempted to smile.

"I'm not changing my mind," she said.

"If you are, I understand," Remus said. "It hasn't been that long and-" Hermione interrupted him by leaning forward and kissing him.

"I'm _not_ ," she insisted, hand on his cheek. He covered it with his own, turning her hand to kiss her palm.

"All right, then why haven't you told them?"

"I don't know," she said with a sigh and Remus suspected that she really _didn't_ know why she hadn't told them. "But, I will. I'll have to, they're going to be home soon."

"When are they coming back?"

"A few days after we're supposed to move into the cottage," she said.

"You know, you can wait a bit, if you like," Remus said. "You don't have to move in when Teddy and I do."

"But I want to," she said. "I'll talk to them the next time they call."

"Whatever you want, love," Remus said, leaning down to kiss her. When she climbed into his lap, he pulled back and looked at her.

"I thought you were tired."

"I'm not _that_ tired," she said. He grinned against her lips and kissed her again.

* * *

 **29 July 2000**

"Something is bothering you," Andromeda said. She and Kingsley were sitting on the couch in his flat with glasses of wine. They had gone out for dinner and come back afterwards.

"I'm sorry," Kingsley said. "I'm just…distracted."

"Is it the election?"

"Partly," he said. "Blishwick is garnering more support than I expected."

"Still not enough to beat you," Andromeda replied.

"Not yet, no." Andromeda took his free hand in hers.

"He only has a few more days. I doubt he can gather enough backing by then."

"It's unlikely," Kingsley agreed. "It's not just that."

"What else?"

"This project of Hermione's."

"The mind healing project?" Kingsley nodded. "You do not support it?"

"No, I support it completely," Kingsley said. "What she's doing is a bit remarkable, actually." Andromeda smiled. "It's the other request she made of me."

"Delia Wilkes," Andromeda said.

"She told you, did she?"

"No, Remus did."

"You haven't mentioned it to me," Kingsley said.

"It is not my place to question your decisions as Minister."

"But you do question it," he prodded.

"I did not say that." Kingsley sighed again.

"I understand what she's trying to do," Kingsley said. "And I can't say that I don't agree with her. But I've looked at this from every angle and there is no way I can see allowing a Muggle doctor to go to Azkaban. If the mind healing program was established, I could send a Healer there, but as it is." He shook his head.

"From what Hermione has said, it will be some time before that program is up and running."

"Yes," Kingsley agreed. "Far too long for Miss Wilkes to have to wait in Hermione's opinion. And she's probably right. I've asked for reports on Miss Wilkes' condition and she isn't doing well. She was obviously a bit mad before she was ever sent there and it's only getting worse, even without the Dementors. It may get to the point where she can't be helped at all." Andromeda squeezed his hand.

"This is not your fault, Kingsley," she said. "You have to work within the laws."

"The laws are wrong, damn it," he said, rising abruptly from the couch. He took a long drink of his wine.

"Many of them are," Andromeda agreed. "And you have been changing them."

"Not fast enough," Kingsley said. Andromeda set her glass on the end table and stood. She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around him. He blew out a breath, then leaned to the side to set his wine glass on the mantel. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling him to her.

"I'm sorry," he said into her hair. "I don't mean to ruin our night."

"You haven't," she said. They stood silently for a few minutes before Andromeda pulled back to look up at him.

"I am sure that Hermione is aware that you cannot do anything until after the election," she said.

"She is, but if Miss Wilkes is deteriorating as fast as I've been led to believe, I'm not sure how I am going to face Hermione if it is too late once the election is over."

"Kingsley, this is not your fault," Andromeda repeated. "No one forced Delia Wilkes to stay and fight."

"No, but we allowed it," Kingsley said.

"She was of age, Kingsley, what could you have done?"

"We could have refused to let _any_ of the students fight."

"And they could have easily returned from Hogsmeade after you had evacuated them," Andromeda said. "This was _not_ your fault. And I think you are forgetting the fact that there is no guarantee that Delia will regret her actions even if she _does_ get treatment."

"If she hadn't seen what she saw that night," Kingsley began, but Andromeda shook her head to cut him off.

"If, if, if," she said. "You cannot change the past, Kingsley. And you cannot be sure that things would have been different even if you could. She might have done the same thing to Hermione or someone else." He sighed again and nodded, pulling her close to him again.

"You're right," he said. "And I didn't mean to get so upset. I wanted us to enjoy tonight."

"Do not apologize," she said. "I have been enjoying tonight." He looked at her skeptically. "It is not often I get the chance to comfort you."

"Trust me, you have done more than your fair share of comforting me," he said, his smile a bit wicked. She slapped his chest.

"You are terrible," she said.

"Am I really?" he asked, dipping his head to kiss her. When they parted, he smiled at her again.

"Perhaps not so terrible," she replied, pulling him down for another kiss.

* * *

 **30 July 2000**

Hermione stepped from the Floo into the Burrow's living room. It was empty, surprisingly, although Hermione assumed that everyone was outside. They were celebrating Harry's birthday a day early at the weekly Weasley dinner.

Hermione walked into the kitchen, regretting that she hadn't been able to arrive early to help like she usually did. This project was taking up so much of her time, even her weekends. Still, it would be worth it once they got everything going. And, she suspected, it wouldn't be much longer. They had done most of what they could until the actual classes and training started. A few more days and her part in it should diminish somewhat.

"Hello, dear," Molly said with a smile as Hermione walked into the kitchen. Everyone else turned to greet Hermione as well.

"Did you finish?" Ginny asked.

"I'm beginning to think I'll never be finished," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Is it not going well?" Andromeda asked in concern.

"No, it's going fine, actually," Hermione said. "It's just more work than I expected." Truthfully, she hadn't expected to continue working on the structure of the program once she had formed the committee and involved Aaron Chadwick. But the Healers and Aaron seemed more comfortable having her as an intermediary. So, Hermione had continued to meet with them. They'd had another meeting this morning which had run longer than Hermione had intended. Then she'd had to write up a report to keep Margaret apprised of her progress. She'd dropped it off at the Ministry before coming to the Burrow.

Walking towards the table, Hermione smiled at Victoire. She was sitting in an infant seat while Fleur arranged fruit on a tray. Victoire grinned back, bringing a fist to her mouth to gnaw on it.

"What can I do?" Hermione asked. Molly looked around the kitchen.

"Start taking things outside, I think," she said. "Bill was in a few moments ago and said that the tables were set up."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help." Molly waved off her apology.

"Nonsense," Molly said. "I had plenty of help." Fleur finished with the fruit as Victoire began to fuss. Picking her up out of the seat, Fleur said something to the baby in French, then turned to Hermione.

"She ees hungry. Will you tell Bill we will be outside in a bit?"

"Of course," Hermione said, picking up the platter of fruit as Fleur carried Victoire upstairs. Hermione and the rest of the women in the kitchen began gathering up the platters and bowls, directing them outside. Ginny fell into step beside Hermione.

"I tried to Floo a few times this week but you weren't home," Ginny said.

"I've been working most evenings," Hermione admitted.

"You need a break, Hermione."

"I'm taking one right now, aren't I?"

"Yes, but I mean a real break. No more working late or on the weekends."

"Trust me, I know," Hermione said. "I just can't right now." They set their bowls and plates on the table and then Ginny pulled Hermione aside.

"Harry and I are worried about you, Hermione." Ginny said. "I'm pretty sure Remus is too."

"When did you talk to Remus?"

"When Harry and I had Teddy on Thursday."

"I saw him on Wednesday."

"Yes, for all of fifteen minutes," Ginny said. Hermione scowled. She wasn't sure why Remus felt the need to talk to Harry and Ginny about her.

"I'm fine, Ginny." Hermione was already scanning the garden for Remus. She saw him talking to Harry and Ron, Teddy clinging to Harry's back. Remus looked up and smiled when he saw her. Hermione tried to smile back, but she was still annoyed. Remus obviously noticed as his smile faltered a few seconds later.

"I need to talk to Remus," Hermione said, leaving Ginny at the food table and walking across the garden. Remus met her halfway.

"Hello, love," he said. He took her hand and kissed her cheek. Most of her irritation left her. She'd missed him and knew that he had missed her too. He was always worried that she wasn't taking proper care of herself, which, if Hermione was honest, was probably true. She didn't even know how many meals she'd skipped this week.

"Hi," she said leaning up to kiss him properly.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to make it," he said.

"I know," she said with a sigh. "I'm sorry that I've been so busy."

"You don't have to apologize. I'm just worried about you."

"I've heard," Hermione said. He looked at her quizzically. "I spoke to Ginny."

"Oh," he said.

"Yes, oh," she said.

"You can't blame me, love," he said. "Harry and Ginny either. None of us has seen you for more than a few minutes for days."

"I know," she said with a sigh. "But I'm fine. And I think that this project is winding down a bit." He looked at her skeptically. "We've got things as organized as they can be and until everyone can start training there's not all that much left to do. A few more days and I should be much less involved. And in a week, I'll see you every night." She smiled at him. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her temple.

"I can't wait," he said.

"Neither can I," she replied, grinning up at him. Molly called out for everyone to eat and Hermione and Remus made their way towards the table laden with food. Hermione found Bill and delivered Fleur's message, then moved to sit down, Teddy between her and Remus.

"My-nee," he said in excitement when he saw her. Hermione laughed as he practically threw himself from Harry's arms to her own.

"I missed you," she said.

"I miss My-nee," Teddy replied, wrapping his little arms around her neck and squeezing. "You no pay wif me."

"I know," Hermione said apologetically. "I've been really busy at work, but it won't last much longer, I promise. Pretty soon I'll see you every night, okay?" Teddy nodded. Remus had told him they were moving and that Hermione was going to live with them, but she didn't think the little boy really understood what was happening. Hermione knew that Remus hadn't started packing up anything in Teddy's room either, leaving it for last. Being able to shrink it all and pack it with a spell meant it only took a few minutes instead of hours.

They sat down to eat, everyone talking and laughing around the table. As Hermione looked around, she realized how much she had missed this. She'd missed the dinner last week and vowed not to miss another one if she could help it. Work was important, but these people, her family, were more important.

After they'd eaten, Molly brought out the cake. They sang Happy Birthday and Teddy helped Harry blow out the candles. Harry had told everyone not to bring gifts, but no one had listened, of course. After they'd all had cake and Harry had thanked everyone for the presents, he turned to Hermione. Ginny was playing with Victoire and talking to George and Angelina. Remus had taken Teddy in the house to clean him up after the cake.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Harry." They walked away from the table and stood under an oak tree.

"I went to Azkaban two days ago. I had to transfer a prisoner from the holding cells at the Ministry." Hermione waited when he paused. "While I was there, I saw Delia. The bloke I brought in was put in a cell a few down from hers."

"How was she?" Hermione asked immediately.

"She was curled up in a ball on her bed," Harry said. "She didn't look up when she heard us walking past and it's not like we were quiet. I asked the guard about her after we got the man into his cell. He said that she hardly ever talks." Harry hesitated.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Hermione could tell that he wasn't sure if he should tell her or not. "Harry, please."

"She doesn't talk, but she cries and screams a lot. She has nightmares."

"Oh, god," Hermione said.

"She does ask for her mother, the guard said. And she keeps saying she's sorry."

"Does Kingsley know?" Hermione asked.

"I talked to him when I got back," Harry said. "He's allowing another family visit this weekend and said that her mum can stay longer than the allotted hour. He also told the warden to keep a close eye on Delia and keep him informed." Hermione supposed that was something.

"We have to get her help, Harry."

"I know, Hermione," Harry said. Hermione looked up at him in surprise.

"You do?" Harry nodded. "I thought that you agreed with Ginny."

"I did," Harry said. "I still do, to an extent, but Delia needs help too." Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and hugged him.

"I'll keep talking to Kingsley," Harry said. "The election is in two days. After that, he'll be in a better position to do something."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Just get this project finished, yeah?" Harry said. "That's thanks enough." Hermione nodded as she pulled away, wiping a tear from her cheek.

"Don't cry," Harry said. "Remus will think I've done something horrible to you."

" _Have_ you done something horrible to her?" Remus asked. They both jumped and turned around to see the look of amusement in his eyes. He frowned seconds later when he took in Hermione's face and looked at Harry in question. Hermione moved to Remus' side and he wrapped his arms around her. Harry looked at Hermione, asking her silently if she wanted him to stay, but she shook her head.

"I'd better find Ginny," he said. He squeezed Hermione's shoulder as he left.

"What's going on?" Remus asked in concern. "Why are you crying?"

"Harry was at Azkaban on Friday," she said quietly. Remus' arms tightened around her.

"Delia?" he said. She nodded. She told him everything Harry had said. "It's going to be all right, love."

"Is it?" Hermione asked. "It's not like people are trained and we're ready to start sending them to Azkaban to do therapy."

"You and Kingsley will figure something out. He's obviously concerned as well, if he allowed her another visit and has asked the warden to keep an eye on her." Hermione buried her face in his chest.

"I just hope it's not too late," she whispered.

* * *

 **1 August 2000**

"Pacing is not going to make the results arrive any sooner," Andromeda said as she watched Kingsley make another pass across the room.

"Voting ended twenty minutes ago," Kingsley said. "The votes are recorded magically. How long can it take to verify them and let me know?" Instead of responding, Andromeda stepped into his path to stop him. When he scowled at her, she reached up and pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. It only took seconds for Kingsley wrap his arms around her and deepen the kiss. He pulled her closer to him and pushed a hand into her hair. When they finally parted, they were both breathing heavily.

"Was that sufficient distraction?" she asked. He laughed and she smiled.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just want this to be done with so I can move on with things."

"Is Delia Wilkes one of those things?"

"She's top of the list."

"Are you really going to allow a Muggle to go to Azkaban?" Kingsley sighed.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But we have to do something." Andromeda's brow furrowed in thought. She knew that parents of Muggle-borns had been allowed at St. Mungo's in the past. Hogwarts as well.

"What about transferring her?" Andromeda asked.

"I can't do that," Kingsley said. "I have no reason to transfer her to the holding cells in the DMLE. Not to mention that I'd have nearly as difficult a time allowing a Muggle into the Ministry as I would Azkaban."

"I wasn't talking about the Ministry," Andromeda said. Kingsley looked at her in confusion. "What if she was to fall ill?"

"All of the guards have basic training in healing. There are potions available, calming draughts, Skele-gro, Pepper-up and the like. But she isn't ill, as far as I know. At least not physically." Andromeda nodded.

"What if a prisoner has a more serious condition?"

"It's never happened, but we would have to summon a Healer from St. Mungo's," Kingsley said. A thoughtful look crossed his face.

"And what is that look for?" she asked.

"I was just thinking that it has been a while since I did an inspection at Azkaban." A smile slowly spread across Andromeda's face. Before they could discuss it further, the Floo flared. Kingsley turned and the face of the Head Election official appeared.

"The vote is in, Minister," the man said. Kingsley nodded once and the man's head disappeared. Kingsley turned to Andromeda.

"You'll come with me?"

"If you want me to," she said.

"Of course, I do," he said, kissing her one more time. He gripped her hand and squeezed it, then led her to the Floo.

* * *

"In closing, I would like to thank the public for their support and having confidence that I can continue to lead us toward a better society for everyone. Thank you." Kingsley stepped away from the podium even as reporters began to shout questions at him. It had been made clear before the press conference began that he was not going to answer any questions tonight, simply give a statement. He turned to Andromeda and she looped her arm through his as he led her from the dais. The flashes were nearly blinding as they walked towards the door that would lead them to Kingsley's office. Once safely inside, Kingsley grasped her around the waist and kissed her soundly. She laughed when he released her.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," she said with a smile. She brought a hand up to cup his cheek and kissed him softly.

"You know, there will be a new round of speculation about us in the papers tomorrow, now that you've come with me tonight."

"Let them speculate," she said. Kingsley smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

 **3 August 2000**

Hermione looked up as the memo flew into her office and landed on her desk. Opening it, she frowned. She had no idea why Kingsley would want to meet with her. Her eyes widened. Unless, Hermione shook her head. No, she wouldn't get her hopes up about that. Still, he'd said to come to his office at her earliest convenience. Gathering up her parchment into a neat stack on her desk, she left her office, closing and locking her door behind her.

"I'll be on Level One for a bit if Margaret is looking for me," Hermione told Cecily.

"All right, Miss Granger," Cecily replied, not looking up from the work on her desk. Instead of the lift, Hermione took the stairs and was standing in Kingsley's outer office a few minutes later.

"Go right in, Miss Granger," Miss Stebbins said. "He's expecting you." Hermione nodded in thanks and knocked on Kingsley's door.

"Enter," Kingsley called and Hermione stepped inside. He smiled when he saw her. "Why am I not surprised that you came straight here?"

"You note was a bit cryptic," Hermione said, moving to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I don't doubt you did it on purpose to get me here as soon as possible." Kingsley chuckled.

"Guilty," he said.

"Congratulations on the election," Hermione said. "I'm sorry I haven't told you already."

"You've been busy," Kingsley said. "And after our last conversation, I got the feeling you were a bit irritated with me."

"I was," Hermione admitted. "But I understood your position."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "The reason I asked you here today was to tell you that I am doing an inspection of Azkaban this afternoon." Hermione sat up straighter in her chair. "I intend to make sure that protocols are being followed, that all the prisoners are in good health, conditions are what I've mandated, that kind of thing."

"That sounds like a wise idea," Hermione said, her heart beating a bit faster.

"I am bringing a Healer with me," Kingsley continued. "If, for some reason, any prisoner needs more medical attention than the prison can provide, they will be transferred to St. Mungo's." Hermione held her breath.

"Given your interest in the welfare of our prisoners, I thought you would like to know." Hermione nodded. "I assume I will find that all is in order, but one can never be too careful."

"No, one can't," Hermione agreed, letting out the breath silently. Kingsley smiled and Hermione returned it.

"Good luck with your inspection," she said.

"Thank you, Hermione," he replied.

"I appreciate you letting me know." He nodded.

"You're welcome." Hermione rose from her chair and moved towards the door. Before she turned the doorknob, she looked over her shoulder.

"What time did you say that inspection was?"

"Three o'clock," he said. "I expect to be finished by five as I'm having dinner with Andromeda tonight. Of course, if there are any unexpected delays, I'll let her know."

"Enjoy your dinner," Hermione said, grinning as she left Kingsley's office.

* * *

Hermione and Aaron walked down the street towards St. Mungo's. Hermione had gotten word from Andromeda that Kingsley was going to be late to dinner, meaning, of course, that Delia had been transferred to St. Mungo's. She smiled again at the genius of the entire plan. Kingsley doing an inspection of Azkaban was a perfectly normal thing that the Minister did. Bringing a Healer along with him was not unusual, especially because of all the improvements he had ordered. She wasn't sure what ailment they had given Delia to force her transfer, but Hermione really didn't care.

After leaving Kingsley's office that morning, she had immediately left the Ministry, walked to a telephone box a few blocks away, and called Aaron. Thankfully, he had been in between patients and she had been able to speak to him directly. He had agreed to come with her to St. Mungo's after he finished seeing patients that evening. Hermione had Apparated to his office after work to pick him up, then taken him Side-along to the St. Mungo's Apparition point.

"This is your hospital?" he asked in surprise when he caught sight of the shuttered department store. Hermione laughed.

"I admit, it is rather unpleasant looking." Aaron looked at her incredulously. "You can give me your final judgement once we get inside." Hermione glanced around, but there were very few people on the street and the ones that were there weren't paying them any attention. She looked at Aaron for a moment before she drew her wand and transfigured his suit into wizard's robes. Then she stepped up to the dummy in the window.

"We're here to see Healer Spencer." Hermione had already decided not to mention Delia's name as the woman was surely not going to be allowed visitors. Healer Spencer was one of the Healers on Hermione's committee. She was sure the older witch wouldn't mind Hermione using her name. The dummy nodded and the window melted away. Hermione pulled a confused Aaron inside. His eyes widened when they stepped into the reception area.

"I take back my earlier assessment," he said and Hermione laughed again. She hesitated before the Welcome Witch's desk. She wasn't sure where they had taken Delia as she had no idea what reason the Healer had given to transfer her from Azkaban. She didn't want to draw any attention by asking, but they couldn't just wander from floor to floor looking for her.

"Hermione," a voice said and she turned to see Harry walking towards her.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked. Harry looked around then pulled Hermione to the side, Aaron following. He cast a Muffliato around the three of them.

"Kingsley sent me," Harry said. "He figured you'd come by after work." Harry looked at Aaron. "Harry Potter."

"Aaron Chadwick." The two men shook hands.

"Where's Delia?" Hermione asked.

"Fourth floor," Harry said. "There's another smaller locked ward next to the Janus Thickey ward. Come on." Harry dropped the spell and Hermione and Aaron followed him to the lift.

"Is Kingsley still here?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"No, he left once they got her admitted. Didn't really have a reason to stay and he didn't want to arouse suspicion."

"Why are they saying she's here?" Hermione asked, wondering how they could fake an illness even if the admitting Healer was doing Kingsley a favor.

"That's the thing," Harry said. "They didn't have to make anything up." Hermione looked at him in confusion. "She's dehydrated because she hasn't been eating or drinking much lately. The warden told Kingsley that straight away when he got to Azkaban. And she's got this cut on her leg. They're not sure how she got it, but she didn't tell anyone and it's infected now." Hermione shook her head.

"Is she coherent?" Aaron asked, speaking for the first time.

"Depends on how you define coherent," Harry said with a sigh. Hermione's head snapped to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she knows who she is and all that, but as for anything else," Harry shrugged. "She says she doesn't know why she was in Azkaban in the first place and just keeps asking for her mum." Hermione sighed as the lift stopped and the doors opened. Instead of leading them to the ward, Harry directed them to a small lounge across the corridor. There was only one other person in the room, an elderly witch who looked to be asleep, but Harry cast another privacy spell anyway.

"Proudfoot is guarding the door to the ward right now," Harry said. "I'm supposed to take over in about ten minutes. Stay here until you see Proudfoot leave. You can see the lift from here. Healer Jeffries will take Dr. Chadwick into Delia's room." Harry turned to the other man. "You'll only have about thirty minutes until the mediwitch comes back to give Delia more potions. Will that be enough time?"

"I'm only planning on doing an initial assessment," Aaron said. "I'll do what I can in the time I have." Harry nodded then turned back to Hermione.

"Hermione, you have to leave."

"What? No!"

"Yes, Hermione. You have no reason to be here. What if someone sees you and gets suspicious?"

"I'll just tell them I came to talk to someone on the committee," Hermione said.

"You can't come with me into Miss Wilkes' room anyway, Hermione," Aaron reminded her. "Doctor-patient confidentiality."

"But you're going to need someone to take you home," Hermione argued. "Harry won't be able to leave if he's on duty."

"Healer Jeffries will escort him back to reception," Harry said. "There's that coffee shop a couple doors down from St. Mungo's. You can wait for Dr. Chadwick there."

"Harry," Hermione began, but the expression on his face told her he wasn't going to argue with her. She huffed. "Fine." Even though he would be able to recognize him by his Auror robes, Harry told Aaron what Proudfoot looked like. Then, he turned back to Hermione.

"Please go to the coffee shop, Hermione," Harry said. "Don't get off on another floor and come back up here." Hermione scowled at him. "And don't give me that look either. I know you, Hermione."

Hermione didn't want to get anyone into trouble. Harry and Healer Jeffries were both taking a big risk, letting Aaron see Delia. Kingsley too, by extension. And Aaron was right, Hermione couldn't go into Delia's room with him. She might even make things worse.

"I won't, Harry," she said. "I promise." He glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I've got to go," he said. "We'll talk later, yeah?" She nodded. Harry dropped the spell and left the lounge.

"I'll be fine," Aaron assured her. "You had better leave before that other bloke gets here."

"Right," Hermione said. "I'll see you at the coffee shop." Aaron nodded and sat down in one of the chairs that faced the lift. Hermione glanced down the corridor and saw Harry disappear around the corner. Sighing, Hermione stepped onto the lift as it arrived, pushing the button for the ground floor and hoping nothing went wrong.


	86. Move

**A/N - Hi everyone! Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers and to everyone else, Happy Thursday! I'm glad was able to get this chapter written before I left on vacation. Not sure about the next one, it will depend on how long it takes me to recover from vacation, lol! As it is Thanksgiving today, I want to tell you how grateful I am to all of you who are reading and to those who review. You are all amazing and I appreciate you so much! Reading your reviews makes me happy. :)**

 **Chapter 86**

 **Move**

 **3 August 2000**

Hermione tapped her foot nervously as she sat in the coffee shop waiting for Aaron. Her tea had long gone cold, the biscuits sat forgotten on her plate. She glanced at her watch again. It had been almost forty-five minutes. Where was he?

When nearly an hour had passed and Aaron had still not arrived, Hermione stood, intent on going back to St. Mungo's, consequences be damned. As she took a step away from the table, Aaron walked in. Someone had thankfully transfigured the robes back to his suit.

"I was getting worried," she said as he joined her at the table.

"Sorry," Aaron replied. "Healer Jeffries wanted to speak with me after I saw Miss Wilkes."

"I know that you can't tell me anything specifically," Hermione said. "But, do you think you can help her?"

"I do," Aaron said and Hermione sighed in relief. "However, it is going to take some time. The problem is that Healer Jeffries doesn't think he can keep her at St. Mungo's for more than a week and even that is pushing things. The dehydration can be taken care of in a day, the infection in two or maybe three."

"I was afraid of that," Hermione said.

"I'm willing to work with her for as long as she's here," Aaron said. "But I'm afraid that any progress we might make will be nullified as soon as she is returned to prison."

"We're just going to have to find a way to keep her here," Hermione said.

"If you can, I am willing to see her for as long as she needs." Hermione smiled gratefully.

"I spoke with Mr. Potter," Aaron continued. "He is on duty again tomorrow at noon. If you can pick me up, I will use my lunch hour to see her again."

"Thank you, Aaron," Hermione said.

"Your project has intrigued me, Hermione. I'm happy to be a part of it." She smiled and thanked him again.

"Let's get you back to your office so you can go home," she said. He nodded in agreement and they left the coffee shop for the Apparition point.

* * *

Hermione landed in Remus' back garden and hurried toward the house. She knew that Kingsley was having dinner with Andromeda, but she wasn't sure where. Remus would likely know, though. Hermione didn't want to interrupt their date, but she wanted to discuss this with Kingsley right away.

The door opened before she reached it and she couldn't help but smile when Teddy ran towards her. She picked him up and kissed his face while he giggled. She smiled at Remus when she reached the house.

"This is a nice surprise," he said, after he kissed her in greeting. She smiled and stepped inside.

"My-nee, you pay?" Teddy asked.

"I will," she said. "You get everything ready and I'll be right there." She sat Teddy on the ground and he ran into the living room.

"How did it go?"

"Smoothly," she said. "Aaron thinks he can help her."

"That's good to hear," Remus said. Hermione studied his face for a moment. She still wasn't completely convinced that he thought helping Delia was a good idea. As if he knew what she was thinking, he took her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "I mean it." She smiled at him and then kissed him again.

"The problem is that Healer Jeffries doesn't think he can keep her in St. Mungo's more than a week. I need to talk to Kingsley."

"He and Andromeda are out to dinner."

"I know, do you know where they are?"

"You're going to interrupt their dinner?" Remus asked in surprise.

"I don't want to, but I need to talk to Kingsley," Hermione said. "This is important."

"I know that it is, love," he said. "But a couple of hours isn't going to make a difference."

"Remus," she began, but he held up a hand to interrupt her.

"You don't want to make a scene in the middle of Diagon Alley." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again. No, she didn't want to do that. And interrupting Kingsley's dinner where there were likely to be reporters watching wasn't the best idea. Ever since Kingsley had brought Andromeda to his acceptance speech, the press had been following him trying to get a glimpse of the couple. Hermione was surprised they had chosen Diagon Alley for dinner, actually. She told Remus as much.

"They decided to give the press something in the hopes that they would leave Andromeda alone," Remus said. "She was concerned that it was only a matter of time before they showed up here trying to ask her questions."

"What are they giving them?" Hermione asked.

"Let's just say that Andromeda is going to be sure to make plenty of gestures with her left hand while she's talking." Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.

"They're not," she said.

"No, they're not," Remus replied with a smirk. "Precisely why she's going to make sure that the reporters can see she is _not_ wearing a ring." Hermione smiled. Remus put his arms around her.

"Why don't you stay?" he said. "They're likely to come back here after. Kingsley likes to make sure that Andromeda gets home safely."

"All right," Hermione agreed. Remus leaned down to kiss her and she relaxed against him, twining her arms around his neck. It wasn't until she felt a tug on her robes that she pulled away from him and looked down.

"My-nee, you pay," Teddy insisted, his arm crossed over his chest, scowl on his face. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Remus kept one arm around her and kissed her temple as he chuckled at his son.

"All right, let's go," she said reaching for Teddy's hand. He pulled her into the living room where he had set up nearly every toy in his basket. She smiled at the cars mixed in with the dragons and Quidditch figures.

"Daddy, you pay," Teddy commanded and Remus sat down on the floor next to Hermione waiting for Teddy to give them further instructions.

* * *

Teddy had been put to bed and Remus and Hermione were sitting on the couch waiting for Andromeda and Kingsley to return. Hermione was leaned into his side while Remus idly ran a hand through her curls. She sighed in contentment and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

"I've missed this," she said. She tilted her head up to look at him. "I'm sorry we haven't seen much of one another lately."

"Like I told you at Harry's party, you don't have to apologize," Remus said. "Just wait until exam time. I'll be just as busy."

"Yes, but you'll still come to bed every night," she said. He smiled.

"Hm, so I will." He was very much looking forward to the move. Saturday was Andromeda's birthday so they had put it off until Sunday. He would definitely miss Andromeda and this house, and he was a bit concerned about how Teddy was going to adjust, but it was time for a new start. Just knowing that he was going to be able to sleep with Hermione in his arms every night made things much easier.

He moved his head and kissed her, cradling her head in his hand. She returned it enthusiastically and he soon found himself with a lap full of witch. It took everything in him to force his lips away from hers. Hermione, on the other hand, simply moved to his neck.

"Hermione," he groaned. "Andromeda will be home soon." She ignored him for a few moments before she too pulled away. The look in her eyes was almost his undoing. He certainly hoped that Andromeda got home very, _very_ soon. Hermione moved off his lap, straightening her shirt and smoothing her hair.

"Three days, right?" she said a bit breathlessly.

"Three days," he repeated, wanting nothing more than to pull her back into his lap.

Thankfully, the Floo turned green a few minutes later and Andromeda stepped out, followed by Kingsley. Neither looked surprised to see Hermione.

"You've been to Mungo's, I trust," Kingsley said. Hermione nodded.

"We have to talk, Kingsley."

"I figured as much."

"Shall Remus and I give you some privacy?" Andromeda asked.

"No," Hermione said. "Remus already knows and I'm sure Kingsley would fill you in anyway." She smirked at the Minister for Magic, who had a bit of color in his cheeks. Remus saw Andromeda hide a smile. She summoned the fire whiskey and four glasses. Kingsley and Andromeda settled into chairs after the drinks had been poured.

"You took Dr. Chadwick?" Kingsley asked, sipping his whiskey.

"Yes," Hermione said. "He thinks he can help her."

"I sense a 'but'," Kingsley said.

"He needs time," Hermione said. "Delia's Healer thinks that he can keep her at St. Mungo's for a week, but even that is stretching it. Aaron is willing to see her a few times while she's there, but it's not going to be anywhere near enough time. Plus, he's concerned that any progress they might make would disappear if she was sent back to Azkaban." Kingsley sighed.

"The Healer is certain he can't give her more than a week?"

"Not unless she comes down with something else," Hermione said. "The infection is the worst thing and that will take three days at most to heal. But even another week or two wouldn't be enough. I'm quite sure that Aaron is thinking months."

"Months?" Kingsley said incredulously.

"It's not a quick fix," Hermione said. "I told you that."

"Yes, but months?" Kingsley shook his head.

"I had an idea that might work," Hermione said. Kingsley looked at her expectantly. "A pilot program."

"Explain," Kingsley said.

"We're finished with the planning stages of the Mind Healing project," Hermione said. "The training still has to happen, of course, but Aaron is already going to start seeing patients next week with Healers observing. The witches and wizard that have agreed to see Aaron are not accused of any crimes, obviously, and are there of their own free will. But we could also start a pilot program with more severe cases. Cases that require more intense therapy which may or may not be voluntary. People that may be ordered into the program by Wizengamot panels in the future, instead of being sent to Azkaban. A pilot program with a patient like Delia could be used to determine if such a course of action was even feasible. A test run if you will.

Delia is already in a locked ward. We could easily post a guard or guards, whether it be someone from the prison or an Auror, whatever you decide. She's essentially still in prison, just not at Azkaban." Kingsley looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

"You wouldn't necessarily have to put it before the Wizengamot either," Hermione said. "As Minister you can approve programs like these before they become law."

"And how did you know that?" he asked.

"I haven't just been working on the project itself these last weeks," Hermione said.

"You certainly have done your homework," Kingsley said.

"Would you expect anything less?" Andromeda asked, taking a sip of her drink, raising an eyebrow at Kingsley over the rim of her glass. He simply chuckled.

"I have to discuss this with a few people," Kingsley said. Hermione looked at him questioningly. "People that I trust, Hermione. They will keep it in the strictest of confidences. As it is, we have a week, yes?"

"Yes," she replied.

"And Dr. Chadwick?"

"I'm taking him back tomorrow on his lunch hour," she said. "Harry's on duty again to let him in."

"You shouldn't be seen going in and out," Kingsley said with a frown.

"Aaron can't get in on his own."

"I can take him," Andromeda said. Kingsley shook his head.

"After the reception we got in Diagon Alley tonight, I don't think that's a good idea. The last thing we need is reporters following you."

"I'll do it," Remus said. Hermione looked at him in surprise. He knew she wasn't completely convinced that he wanted to help Delia. And, in truth, he wasn't. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to do his best to support Hermione. "It's important to you."

"Thank you," Hermione said, squeezing his hand.

"All right, so Dr. Chadwick will see Miss Wilkes again tomorrow and he can discuss further appointments with Harry. I will let you know in the next few days about your pilot program idea."

"Thank you, Kingsley."

"Don't thank me yet," Kingsley said. "You don't know what my answer is going to be."

"I'm sure you'll figure out a way to get things done." Hermione smiled sweetly at him and Remus had to smother a laugh. Kingsley snorted and shook his head, while Andromeda smirked at Hermione. Remus certainly hoped, for Kingsley's sake, that he found a way to make the program work.

* * *

 **5 August 2000**

Hermione looked around her room. She'd packed most of what she was taking with her to the cottage in Hogsmeade. She couldn't quite believe she was moving tomorrow. Not that she hadn't been looking forward to it since Remus had asked her, she'd thought about it nearly every day. But with as busy as she'd been over the last month, it had still sort of snuck up on her.

Which was exactly why she had yet to tell her parents about it. Their conversations over the last few weeks had been rushed with Hermione giving them the barest of details of what she was doing and them giving her updates on their move back. They were arriving the following Tuesday, only three days from now. Her dad had to see his last few patients on Monday. Even though Hermione had had opportunities to tell them, she hadn't. She knew that the conversation would take longer than she had time for at that particular moment. The time difference also made things difficult, of course. When Hermione got home from work it was the middle of the night in Australia and she'd had so little sleep as it was, she couldn't force herself to get up early to speak to them before she went into work.

Of course, that did not explain why she hadn't called them this morning and spoken to them. It was Saturday, Hermione had gotten home a reasonable hour last night and even though Remus had been here, she had gotten a full night's sleep. But instead of calling her parents when Remus left, she had started packing. She had even gone through all those boxes she had intended to leave here and sort through later.

She was being a bit stupid. It's not like she would be able to hide it once they got here. One look at her bedroom and they would know that she was no longer living here. All her books and photographs were gone.

Sighing, Hermione sat down on her bed. It was too late to call now, given it was three in the morning in Melbourne. Hermione had to shower soon anyway and get ready to go to Remus'. They were having a small celebration for Andromeda's birthday, just dinner at the house which Kingsley had insisted on making. Apparently, he was an amazing cook.

Tomorrow, Hermione would be too busy moving in to the cottage. She supposed she could call Monday before she went to work, but she didn't want to upset them right before they were set to leave. She would just have to wait until they got here on Tuesday and break it to them then. She wasn't looking forward to it, knowing they would be upset that she hadn't told them sooner. Still, she only had herself to blame for putting it off.

Sighing again, she stood from the bed and levitated the last box she had packed to join the stack in the corner. She would shrink everything tomorrow and take it through the Floo to the new cottage. Picking up her robe off the chair next to her bed, she made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the evening.

* * *

"All right?" Kingsley asked. They were sitting on the patio, enjoying the warmth of the night. The dinner had been wonderful, as Kingsley's cooking always was. Teddy had helped her blow out the candles on her cake and then presented her with a framed picture that he had obviously drawn himself. Scribbles and lines dominated the parchment, but Teddy had a story for what everything was. It was her favorite gift.

Teddy had been put to bed now and Hermione and Remus were in the living room, discussing plans for tomorrow. She had sighed, thinking about it, hence Kingsley's question.

"Just thinking," she said.

"About the move," he guessed. She nodded.

"Tomorrow I will be alone in this house for the first time in more than twenty-five years." Kingsley took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"You can stay with me tomorrow night," he said. She smiled at him.

"That will only delay the inevitable."

"Not necessarily," he replied. She looked at him, hoping that he was not about to ask her what she thought he was. She didn't think she was quite ready for that just yet.

"Kingsley," she began, but he shook his head to stop her.

"I am not going to ask you to move into my flat," he said. "As much as I would like to, I know that you're not ready for that." She opened her mouth to reply, but he continued. "I do have another gift for you, though."

"The bracelet was more than enough," she protested, glancing down at her wrist where the small row of diamonds winked up at her.

"This one didn't cost me anything," he said, pulling something from the pocket of his robes. He handed it to her and she realized it was a photograph. She looked at it curiously. It was a cottage. Confused, she looked back at him. He had just told her he knew she was not ready to move in with him, so why was he giving her a picture of a cottage? Perhaps he wanted to take her on holiday?

"I do not understand," she admitted.

"That cottage is located behind the one that Remus and Hermione are moving into. The back gardens are connected. And, I have on good authority, that it will soon be coming up for sale." She looked at the photograph and then back at him.

"You've been putting on a brave face, but I know that you're having a very hard time with the fact that Remus and Teddy are leaving. If you buy this cottage, you would both still have your privacy, but Teddy would only be a house away," Kingsley continued. Andromeda continued to stare at him, unable to speak.

"You have no mortgage on this house. If you sold it, you would have more than enough money to buy the cottage."

Sell the house? She wasn't sure she could do that. There were so many memories here from her marriage to Ted and Nymphadora's childhood. Teddy had been born in this house.

"I do not know if I could do that," she said quietly. Kingsley moved forward in his chair and took both her hands in his.

"I'm not trying to push you into anything," he said. "But you will always have the memories of a place, even if you're not physically there. All the joy and the laughter this house experienced, that will always be with you, even if you move halfway across the world." She looked at him, knowing he was right. Leaving this house would not mean leaving Ted and Nymphadora behind. They would always be with her, no matter where she went.

And, there was the future to think about. She knew she was in love with Kingsley, had known it for a few weeks now. She suspected that he felt the same about her, although neither of them had said it yet. This house was hers and Ted's. She could not imagine living in it with another man. Which meant, that at some point in the future, she would leave here anyway if she wanted a life with Kingsley. And she knew that she did.

She moved forward in her chair and put a hand to his cheek, then kissed him. She smiled when they parted, then looked down at the photograph again. She wouldn't need a house this big once Remus and Teddy were gone and the cottage looked as if it might be a perfect size. She would need to talk to Remus, of course. She did not want to intrude on his new life.

"I can talk to the owner if you would like to see it," Kingsley said. She nodded.

"I would." She looked up at him again. "Thank you."

"I want you to be happy."

"I am happy," she said with a smile. He leaned forward and captured her lips once again. Andromeda moved as close to him as she could while still being in her own chair. His arms tightened around her and it was some time before they parted once more. He cupped her cheek in one hand.

"I love you," he said. Andromeda's heart stuttered. Even though she had suspected, hearing it was something else altogether. She took a breath and met his gaze.

"I love you too." He smiled and kissed her again, the photograph falling forgotten to the ground as Andromeda wrapped her arms around him to return the kiss.

* * *

 **6 August 2000**

Hermione enlarged the last of the boxes of books and set it on top of the pile she'd made near the corner. Teddy had designated it as his 'castle' and was sitting behind the boxes playing with the toys that Remus had already unpacked.

Remus, Harry and Kingsley were upstairs arranging Teddy's bedroom. The furniture already in the cottage that they had decided not to use had been shrunk and was sitting in a box near the door waiting to be taken to Hogwarts. The furniture store in Diagon Alley had already delivered the new bedroom set Remus and Hermione had purchased and it was waiting in the master bedroom to be enlarged.

Andromeda and Ginny were in the kitchen unpacking boxes. Hermione and Remus had realized only recently that neither of them had anything to furnish the kitchen with. Hermione had taken a few things from her parents' kitchen that she knew they didn't use, Andromeda had given them an extra set of dishes and Molly had contributed some things as well. The rest they intended to shop for after they moved in, but Harry and Ginny had gotten a list from Molly and given then everything on it as a housewarming gift.

Hermione checked on Teddy one more time, putting another sticking and stabilizing charm on the boxes of books.

"Teddy do you want to come with me to the kitchen?" she asked the little boy.

"Payin', My-nee," he said. He was busy driving one of his cars around the line of dragons he had made. Hermione smiled.

"All right, but that's where I'll be if you need me." She watched him for a few more seconds before she walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you again for all of this," Hermione said to Ginny indicating all the boxes from the kitchen store. Her friend grinned.

"You're welcome," she said.

"And thanks for coming to help. I know you must be tired." Ginny's match yesterday hadn't ended until almost midnight. The Snitch had been very elusive. "Sorry we weren't there to watch." Ginny waved off her apology.

"I wasn't expecting you with the move and all," she said. "Plus, it was Andromeda's birthday." Andromeda smiled as she pulled another plate from the box.

"Hermione, where would you like these?" the older witch asked. Hermione spent a few minutes designating which cupboards and drawers should house what. Andromeda levitated the dishes into the indicated cupboard.

"Are you going to see the cottage today?" Hermione asked. She and Remus had been surprised but happy that Andromeda was considering purchasing the cottage behind them. Hermione knew how close Andromeda and Remus were and it would be good for Teddy to have his grandmother nearby.

"Yes, at three," Andromeda said.

"How did Kingsley find out about it anyway?" Ginny asked. She and Harry had been told about the cottage not long after they arrived.

"The man that owns it used to be a Hit Wizard," Andromeda said. "He retired not long after Kingsley graduated from the Auror training program. He was one of Kingsley's instructors."

"It looks lovely from what I can see of it," Hermione said. "The garden is a bit overgrown though."

"Yes, that is one of the reasons he is moving," Andromeda said. "It has gotten a bit much for him to take care of on his own."

"Where is he going?" Ginny questioned.

"To live with his daughter," Andromeda said. Hermione, having heard this the night before, continued to unpack boxes.

"Nanna," Teddy's voice said and all three women turned to see the little boy standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Want Pa'foot, Nanna." He was rubbing his eyes and Hermione realized how far past lunch it had gotten. She hoped that Remus was finished setting up Teddy's room. Asking for Padfoot was a sure sign that he was tired.

Andromeda bent down and picked up her grandson. He yawned and rested his head on her shoulder. She kissed his forehead.

"Shall we go see if your daddy is finished with your room?"

"Pa'foot, Nanna."

"Yes, we'll get Padfoot for you." She excused herself and walked out of the kitchen. Ginny turned to Hermione as soon as Andromeda was out of sight.

"Are you sure you're okay with her living right next door."

"Of course, I am," Hermione said. "Why?"

"It's just that I don't think that I'd want my mum living next door to Harry and I."

"Andromeda isn't my mother," Hermione said. "Remus' either for that matter."

"Still," Ginny said. "It won't be strange?"

"No," Hermione said. "We'll both have our own houses, our own privacy. It will be kind of nice to know that she's right next door if we need her. And it will be good for Teddy."

"I suppose you're right," Ginny said. Hermione opened her mouth, but Ginny glowered at her. "Don't say it, Granger." Hermione laughed and they continued to organize the kitchen.

* * *

"I think that's everything," Hermione said, hands on her hips as she stood in the living room and surveyed the book shelves. Ginny set aside the last of the boxes. Harry and Remus came down the stairs a few moments later. Andromeda and Kingsley had gone to see the other cottage.

"All finished?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded.

"You?"

"With everything except your clothes," Remus said. "I figured you would want to put those away yourself."

"Plus, I didn't fancy seeing your knickers," Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Thank Merlin for small favors," she said. Harry laughed and hugged her.

"This is a great place, Hermione," he said.

"Thanks, Harry," she said with a smile. There was a short knock on the back door. Remus crossed to the kitchen and opened it.

"How was it?" he asked as Kingsley and Andromeda stepped inside.

"It's lovely," she said. "A bit smaller than this one, only two bedrooms. But there is a large cellar which I could use to brew potions. There would be enough room for you as well, Remus, on the full moon." It was one thing that they didn't have space for as their cottage had no cellar. For now, Remus would go back to Andromeda's house on the full moon. They had talked about building a shed in the backyard, which would suffice, but if Andromeda bought the cottage, using her cellar would be even better, in Hermione's opinion.

"And have you made a decision?" Remus asked. Andromeda glanced at Kingsley, then nodded.

"I made an offer and Mr. Stewart accepted. I will move in next month."

"That's wonderful," Remus said, moving to hug her. Hermione congratulated her next.

"Are you sure you are all right with this?" Andromeda said quietly in her ear. Hermione pulled back and nodded.

"Of course, I am," she said. "Teddy needs his grandmother. And Remus and I will love having you nearby." She squeezed the older woman's hand and stepped back. Remus wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple.

"Thank you," he whispered. She smiled up at him. Of course, he'd heard their exchange.

"She's family," Hermione said simply.

"I think it is time for a toast," Kingsley said.

"Oh, but we haven't been to the shops yet," Hermione said. There was no food in the house, save a few snacks that Teddy liked, not to mention anything worthy of using for a toast. Andromeda had brought them lunch earlier from her house. Hermione and Remus had planned to have dinner at the Three Broomsticks and then do a bit of food shopping afterward.

"No need," Kingsley replied, stepping to the ice box and pulling out a bottle of champagne. "I hid this earlier, thinking we might have use of it." Glasses were summoned from the cupboard and Kingsley opened the bottle before pouring everyone a glass.

"To Hermione and Remus," he said. "We wish you every happiness in your new home." They all raised their glasses and drank. Remus kissed Hermione chastely and then raised his glass again.

"And to Andromeda and her new home," he said. "We hope to fill it with as many happy memories as the old." They all toasted again and Hermione could see the tears in Andromeda's eyes. Kingsley put an arm around her waist and she leaned into him. Hermione rested her head against Remus' shoulder and smiled. She couldn't have asked for a better welcome to her new life.

* * *

Andromeda stood in the doorway of Remus' old room, staring at the neatly made bed. The room was devoid of anything personal, anything that had made it Nymphadora's and then Remus'. Of course, he had taken his things to the cottage, but standing here looking at the empty room made it all the more real somehow.

Kingsley had come home with her and stayed for a bit after they had left Remus and Hermione's. He had asked her to come home with him, as he had offered on her birthday, but she had simply kissed him and sent him on his way. This was something she needed to do on her own.

Even though she would be living right behind Remus and Teddy in a month or so, she would still be by herself. Something that had never happened in her lifetime. She had gone straight from her parents' home to Hogwarts and then to Ted's after they had finished school. And then she had had Nymphadora and Remus and Teddy. She had never lived alone.

She wandered down the corridor to Teddy's room. It was completely empty now, although Andromeda had a new bed on order that would be delivered tomorrow. She would transfigure it to a cot the days Teddy was here, but she knew that Remus was planning on moving the little boy to a bed once he had gotten used to his new surroundings. Likely by the time she moved to Hogsmeade, Teddy would be ready for the bed.

She remembered when they had moved into this house. It had been Ted's grandmother's. When Andromeda had fallen pregnant at twenty, she and Ted had been living in his flat. But they really wanted a house with a garden that they hoped to fill with children. The problem was that they could not afford it.

Ted's grandmother had insisted they take this house, said it was much too large for just her and that it was meant for children. She had moved into a small flat near Ted's parents. Andromeda had been nervous to move into a Muggle neighborhood. Despite everything Ted had told her and meeting his family, she was still wary about Muggles in general. Her upbringing had seen to that. But the neighbors that they had met had been lovely and the rest kept to themselves. Andromeda had lived here longer than she had ever lived anywhere else.

Their hope of filling it with children had come to naught, of course. They had tried for quite some time after Nymphadora was born with no success. The Healers could not explain it, given her first pregnancy had been uneventful and Nymphadora had been born perfectly healthy. Eventually, Andromeda and Ted let go of the dream of giving their daughter a sibling, although Andromeda had always been hopeful, even once Nymphadora had left Hogwarts and moved out on her own. The third bedroom had become a guest room and stayed that way until Teddy had come along.

Now, another family would grace these rooms. Someone else's laughter would echo through the corridor and another parent would cook breakfast in the kitchen. Andromeda hoped that whoever purchased the house would be as happy here as they had been. There had been sadness, true, but the good memories far outweighed the bad.

She took one more look around Teddy's room and then stepped quietly into the corridor, closing the door behind her. Glancing down towards Nymphadora and Remus' room, she smiled and then walked into her own.

* * *

Everyone had gone home, Teddy was in bed for the night and Hermione and Remus sat cuddled on the couch, the wireless playing softly in the background. After they'd had dinner at the Three Broomsticks, they had done some shopping. The kitchen was now filled with food and Hermione had unpacked her clothes and the rest of her things. Remus hadn't been able to hide his smile when he saw her things hanging next to his in the wardrobe.

There were photographs on the mantel already, the one that Remus had kept on his bedside table of him, Dora and Teddy the day Teddy was born, plus another of Teddy and Andromeda. There was a picture of Hermione, Harry and Ron when they were just first years, arms around each other, Quidditch pitch in the background and another of Hermione and Ginny from Ginny's birthday last year. In the middle was a copy of the photograph that had been in the _Prophet_ the day they took their relationship public. Phillip Bradley had been more than happy to provide them with one.

Remus' arms tightened around Hermione as she trailed her fingers lightly over his forearm. She sighed in contentment and leaned further back into him. He couldn't quite believe that neither of them were going to have to leave to go home, that they were home, _their_ home.

"What are you thinking?" Hermione said. She shifted so she could see his face. He smiled at her.

"How happy I am that we're home." She looked around the room at their combined possessions, then returned his smile.

"We are, aren't we?" Instead of answering, he tipped his head down and kissed her. One of her arms snaked around his neck and she pulled herself closer to him. The angle was a bit awkward, but neither were particularly eager to move. The kiss was slow and lazy, both knowing that they had all the time they wanted now. When Remus finally pulled away from her, she smiled again.

"Let's go to bed." He stood and then helped her to her feet, kissing her again before warding the fireplace while Hermione took care of the doors. She flicked her wand to turn off the wireless. He held a hand out to her and she took it. They walked up the stairs together, Remus calling a quiet 'nox' over his shoulder to put out the lamps.

By unspoken agreement, they went to Teddy's room first. He was asleep on his side, Padfoot held tightly to his chest. Hermione straightened the blanket over him and then kissed his forehead lightly. Remus laid a hand on his son's head for a moment, before whispering a quiet 'I love you'. They pulled his door partway closed before moving on to their own bedroom.

Once inside, Remus cast the one-way silencing charm. They would be able to hear Teddy, but he wouldn't hear them. Remus turned to Hermione and pulled her into his arms, kissing her again as he had downstairs.

Their pace never increased as it normally did when they were together. They took their time undressing and exploring one another. They hardly spoke, not really needing to. When Remus had cast the charm and finally laid her back on the bed, hovering over her, Hermione put a hand to his cheek and smiled at him. He pushed into her slowly and she hummed in satisfaction when he began to move. He didn't think that they'd ever taken this much time or were content to move this slow, but it seemed like the perfect way to christen their new bed.

When they both fell over the edge, it was with quiet groans and shuddering sighs and whispered, 'I love yous'. Hermione kissed him fiercely afterward and he rested his forehead against hers as they both recovered. He rolled to the side and cast a cleansing charm, then pulled her into his arms. Her eyes were already fluttering shut and his closed as well, both of them drifting into a contented sleep.

They woke once in the night and came together again, this time just as languid as the first. They fell back to sleep with Remus spooned behind Hermione, their hands entwined. He kissed her shoulder as they drifted off.

* * *

 **7 August 2000**

Hermione's alarm woke them both. She muttered a spell to shut it off and moved further back into Remus' warmth. He groaned under his breath.

"Keep that up, love, and you'll be late for work," he said tightening his arm around her middle and nipping her shoulder. She shivered. She would not be opposed to round three and began to calculate how long they had until she really would be late.

Decision made, she turned in his arms and kissed him. He grabbed her bum, pulling her flush against him, growling a bit into her mouth. She wrapped a leg around his hip and tilted her pelvis towards him.

"Hermione," he said. "You'll be late."

"Not that late," she said and quickly rolled him to his back before climbing on top of him. Remus made no further protests as she sank down on him and began to move. Their leisurely pace from the night before was nonexistent as they both raced towards the end. Remus pulled her down for a kiss, moving his hand between them and she tensed minutes later, crying out his name. He followed after a quick few thrusts and she collapsed on top of him.

They were both still breathing heavily when a small voice calling out made them still.

"Daddy!" Teddy cried. "Nanna!" He sounded upset and Remus disentangled himself from Hermione, grabbing his trousers and slipping into them as he ran across the hall. Hermione was close behind, having picked up Remus shirt from the floor to throw on.

When they got into Teddy's room, tears were running down his cheeks and he was looking around wildly. His room at the cottage was orientated differently than his room at Andromeda's. The window was across from his cot instead of at the foot and there was an extra door to the loo that they hadn't closed the night before. The walls were a different color and there were curtains on the windows instead of blinds. It was clear that even though his things were in the room, Teddy didn't know where he was. He had been a bit disoriented when he woke from his nap the day before and hadn't seemed to notice the difference in his bedroom. This morning though, he was wide awake and clearly frightened.

"It's all right, Teddy," Remus said as he picked him up. "Daddy's here, it's all right." Hermione stepped closer to them and began to rub Teddy's back as Remus continued to murmur to him. When the little boy had quieted, he sniffled and looked at Hermione.

"My-nee here." She smiled at him.

"Yes, I'm here," she said. "Remember, I'm going to live with you now?" Teddy nodded, although Hermione was sure he really didn't understand what was happening yet.

"Nanna, Daddy?"

"Your nanna is at her house," Remus replied, looking pained. "Remember we moved to the cottage? This is your new room." Teddy looked around the room for a moment, then looked at Remus.

"Want Nanna."

"We'll see your nanna a bit later," Remus said. "After breakfast we can go visit her."

"Nanna eats wif me," Teddy said, his lip beginning to tremble.

"How about if we have breakfast with Hermione and then we have lunch with your nanna?" Remus said. Teddy looked at Hermione and seemed to contemplate this. He sniffled once then nodded. Hermione heard Remus sigh in relief. "Let's change your nappy and then you can come with me while I get dressed, all right?" Teddy nodded again.

"I've got to get in the shower," Hermione said.

"All right, love, we'll see you downstairs." Hermione kissed Teddy's forehead and Remus' cheek before leaving the room to get ready for work.

* * *

Teddy was looking no worse for wear and eating a piece of toast when Hermione joined them in the kitchen. He grinned at her, jam smeared around his mouth, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Everything all right?" she asked Remus as she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

"Seems to be," Remus said. "He asked for Andromeda again when we got down here but seemed happy enough once I reiterated that we'd see her for lunch." He watched his son for another minute before he turned and drew Hermione into his arms. He kissed her, then smiled when he pulled back.

"I'm sorry we were interrupted," he said. She smiled.

"Par for the course, isn't it," she said with a glance at Teddy. "Besides, I seem to remember being quite satisfied." She winked at him and he laughed.

"How much time do you have?" he asked. She gave him a strange look and he laughed again. "As much as I'd like to, I think I'm about spent as far as that goes." She blushed. "Not to mention that one over there." He nodded towards Teddy. "I just wondered if I had time for a quick shower."

"Oh, yes, of course," she said. "I don't have to leave for another fifteen minutes or so." He kissed her quickly.

"This new morning routine will take some getting used to," he said. He turned to Teddy. "Teddy, finish your breakfast with Hermione. I'm going to take a shower, all right?"

"Tay, Daddy." Teddy continue to happily munch away at his toast, putting pieces of fruit into his mouth in between bites. Hermione watched him fondly, then made herself a bit of porridge, topping it with a few raspberries before she sat down to eat.

Remus was back less than ten minutes later, his hair still damp. Teddy had finished eating and Hermione was washing his hands and his face. She took him into the living room when she was finished and Teddy ran towards his toys.

"What's your schedule today?" Hermione asked, as she grabbed her Ministry robes and her briefcase.

"We'll likely go to Andromeda's this morning. I have a meeting with Minerva this afternoon to go over my final lesson plans. Andromeda was planning on watching Teddy here anyway, so we'll probably come back here for lunch," he said as he helped her into her robes. "What about you?"

"I have to meet with Margaret this morning to go over some revisions we've done to those laws we've been working on," Hermione said as she pulled her hair from the collar of her robes while she turned around. "Harry is taking Aaron to St. Mungo's again today. And hopefully, Kingsley will have made his decision about the pilot program. I should be home on time though."

"All right, love, have a good day." He kissed her.

"You too," she replied. "Bye, Teddy."

"My-nee, you go?"

"I have to go to work, but I'll see you later for dinner." Teddy ran from his toys and held out his arms. Hermione squatted down and he wrapped his arms around her neck, giving her a smacking kiss on the cheek. Hermione hugged him to her for a moment. She smiled at Remus and kissed him one more time before dropping the wards on the fireplace. She threw in the Floo powder and stepped into the flames, whirling away to the Ministry.


	87. Telling

**A/N - Hello all! Sorry for the delay, but it took me a bit longer to get back in the swing of things after vacation. I had a really great time though.**

 **I have heard that some people did not get the notification for the previous chapter. I posted that one last Thursday (Nov. 22) so if you didn't read it, be sure to read that one first. There will only be a few more chapters, I don't have an exact number, but I'm going to say I'm pretty sure no more than five. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 87**

 **Telling**

 **7 August 2000**

Hermione made her way to Kingsley's office. She hadn't heard anything from him that morning and she had just enough time left on her lunch break to check and see if he was in. She hoped that he had decided to go ahead with her suggestion.

Kingsley's secretary was not as her desk, likely out for her own lunch. Hermione crossed the office to Kingsley's door and knocked quietly.

"Enter," he called. She opened the door and poked her head inside to find him busily scribbling away at a piece of parchment. He looked up at her a few seconds later.

"Do you have a few minutes?" she asked and he nodded, waving her in as he went back to the parchment in front of him. Hermione walked to the chair in front of his desk and sat down, waiting for him to finish. He signed his name, then set the parchment on a stack to the right of him.

"Hermione," he said. "All settled into the cottage?"

"Mostly," she said. "Teddy was a bit disconcerted this morning when he woke up, but he was fine when I left."

"Poor tyke," Kingsley said. "It's going to take a bit for him to get used to it I suppose."

"He's definitely missing Andromeda."

"And she him, I expect." Hermione nodded in agreement. "What can I do for you?"

"I think you know why I'm here, Kings," she said with a wry smile.

"I do," he agreed. He sat back in his chair. "I'm approving your program." Hermione grinned and she nearly jumped out of her chair and hugged him. He held up a hand and her enthusiasm faltered.

"You were right in that I can do this without approval of the Wizengamot," he said. "However, it is limited."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there is a time limit," he said. Hermione frowned. She didn't remember reading that in any of her research. "At the end of the designated period of time, if the program is to continue, it must have the approval of the Wizengamot, either a committee or the full body."

"What do you mean a committee?"

"We can form a committee of ten which can approve the continuation of the program." Before she could say anything, he held up a hand again. "However, the selection is random, you cannot stack the committee with those you know will support the program and the committee must approve it unanimously. If you bring the proposal before the full body, you only need a simple majority."

Hermione sighed. Going with the committee meant they had fewer people to convince, but it was entirely possible they could end up with a group of people that would never approve of Muggles being involved in the Wizarding world, even if they were technically Squibs and parent to a witch or wizard.

"What's the time limit?" she asked.

"A month."

"That's not enough time," she said immediately.

"It's all I can do, Hermione," Kingsley said regretfully. "And it is better than the week we thought we had."

"What are the chances we'll be able to convince a majority of the Wizengamot?" she asked, already giving up on the committee idea. Unanimous approval would never happen if they couldn't hand pick the members of the committee.

"Right now, I would say less than fifty percent. If Miss Wilkes shows improvement and we can get others who are seeing Dr. Chadwick voluntarily to speak in support, then that number would probably go up. How much, I am not sure." At her look of disappointment, he continued. "Don't forget you are asking them to approve something many of them have never even heard of before, not to mention you're trying to do it with a woman convicted of both attempted murder and using an Unforgiveable who is being treated by a Muggle."

"Squib," Hermione said automatically.

"The same thing for many, worse for some," Kingsley said. Hermione sighed again. Kingsley sat forward propping his elbows on his desk, folding his hands in front of him. "Do not be discouraged. You have worked too hard on this project to give up now. And we have a month. That can only help Miss Wilkes." Hermione nodded.

"I'll need to speak to Dr. Chadwick," Kingsley continued. "There is still paperwork I must fill out, even without needing outside approval. Perhaps you can set up a meeting in the evening, if he would be willing? I suspect it would be too difficult to get around both our schedules during the day."

"Absolutely," Hermione said. "I'll speak to him this afternoon. What about Delia's parents?"

"What about them?"

"Don't you think we should tell them what's going on?"

"They won't be able to visit her, Hermione."

"I know that, but wouldn't you feel better knowing your child was in the hospital getting help instead of being in prison?" Kingsley sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him, his index fingers pressing against his lips.

"My only concern is if the program is not approved by the Wizengamot and Miss Wilkes is sent back to Azkaban. Wouldn't that be harder on them than if they'd never known she was in St. Mungo's at all?"

"Isn't it unfair to keep it from them?" Hermione asked. She had learned her lesson with her own parents when she'd sent them to Australia. And, she suspected, she would get a repeat of that tomorrow when they found out she was living with Remus.

"Let me think about it," he said. Hermione glanced at her watch.

"I've got to get back," she said. "I have a meeting with Margaret in a few minutes." She stood from her chair. "Thank you, Kingsley."

"Hermione," he said when she'd nearly reached the door. She turned back to look at him. "Your work on this, it's been excellent. Building a program from the ground up is no easy task. I'm very proud of you." Hermione blushed, and couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you," she said again. He smiled at her and she left his office. A month. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lot better than what they'd had a few days ago. And she was determined to convince the Wizengamot to continue it once the month was up.

* * *

Remus was just finishing the book he was reading to Teddy when the Floo activated. He dropped the wards and turned to Teddy.

"Hermione is home." Teddy sat up in his lap, looking at the Floo expectantly. When Hermione stepped through, Remus set Teddy on the floor. He ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her legs. Remus replaced the wards on the Floo as Hermione picked Teddy up.

"How was your day?" she asked the little boy as Remus leaned in and kissed her temple.

"We see Nanna," Teddy said. Teddy began to chatter away about his afternoon, Hermione listening intently and making appropriate comments. Remus smiled at the two of them. Finally, Teddy had finished his commentary and Hermione set him down. He ran off to the bookcase, carrying his book to the shelf they had designated for his use. He put back the book that Remus had been reading to him and stood looking at the rest of them intently as he chose another. Remus chuckled and pulled Hermione into his arms and kissed her.

"How was your meeting?" she asked.

"Fine," he said. "Minerva has approved all of my curriculum and I'll be going up later this week to start setting up my office. Did you speak to Kingsley?"

"Yes, he approved the program," she said with a smile. Remus hugged her again but when he pulled back, she was frowning.

"What is it?"

"He can only authorize a pilot program for a month. After that, it has to have the approval of the Wizengamot to continue."

"And you don't think they'll vote in favor of it?"

"Kingsley isn't sure," she said. "If we took the vote now, he doesn't think it would pass. If we can get other testimony besides Aaron's and Delia improves, then it might. But there's no guarantee."

"My-nee, you read me?" Teddy asked as he ran back to them with a book in his hand. She smiled down at him.

"Let me change first and then I will, all right?" Teddy nodded and scrambled up on the couch, opening the book and beginning to 'read' it. Remus turned back to Hermione.

"It will all work out, love." She sighed and relaxed into him again.

"I hope so." Remus kissed the top of her head and then let her go. She hurried upstairs to change.

* * *

After they had put Teddy to bed, they came back downstairs and sat down to read. Hermione was leaning against the arm of the couch, her feet in Remus' lap. She kept glancing at him over the top of her book, looking away when his eyes shifted towards her. She still hadn't told him that her parents didn't know she'd moved out. After their conversation about it a few weeks ago, he hadn't brought it up again, obviously assuming that Hermione would talk to them as she said she would.

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you or are you going to just keep trying to pretend like you're not looking at me?" Remus said, not looking up from his book. Hermione's cheeks flushed and he squeezed one of her feet. She bit her lip as she lowered her book to her lap. He closed his book as well, shifting slightly so he was looking at her.

"I'm going over to my parent's house after work tomorrow," she finally said. His brow furrowed.

"I expected that you would," he said, sounding a bit confused.

"I might be there for a while," she said.

"All right," he replied, still puzzled. She sighed and swung her feet out of his lap, turning so she faced the fireplace. She propped her elbows on her knees and put her face in her hands. "Hermione, what is it?"

"I haven't told them yet," she mumbled from behind her hands. Remus stilled.

"Sorry?" he said, but she was positive that he'd heard her. She dropped her hands from her face.

"I haven't told them that I've moved out."

"Why not?"

"I've been so busy and all our conversations have been so short, I just," she shook her head. That was true, but she'd had plenty of opportunities to call them. "I just haven't told them." Remus was quiet and Hermione looked back at him tentatively. He was likely upset with her and he had every right to be. She should have told her parents weeks ago. She was surprised to see that he looked almost…sad.

"Hermione, if this isn't what you want," he began softly.

"No!" she insisted, scooting towards him immediately. She reached out for him, wrapping an arm around him and grasping his other hand. "This _is_ what I want, you have to believe that. This, us, has nothing to do with why I haven't told them."

"Then why _haven't_ you told them?" She sighed again and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"When I found them in Australia and restored their memories, they were so angry, so disappointed," she said. "I was afraid that they would never forgive me. That we would have some weird, stilted relationship from then on." Remus squeezed her hand and slid his other arm around her waist. She leaned further into him. "I've kind of been afraid to disappoint them ever since."

"Do you think they're going to be disappointed in your decision?"

"I don't know," she said honestly. "And I know that I shouldn't care. I'm nearly twenty-one years old, for Merlin's sake. I don't need my parents' approval."

"Just because you don't need it, doesn't mean you don't want it," Remus said, squeezing her hand again.

"I think I was afraid that if I told them before they got here, that they might change their minds about coming," she said in a small voice.

"Oh, love," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I don't think that would ever happen. They love you, anyone can see that."

"I know I'm being stupid," she mumbled into his chest.

"You're not," he assured her. She shook her head and sat up.

"I am," she said. "Some Gryffindor I turned out to be." He chuckled.

"I think you've built it up so much in your mind, that you're having a hard time thinking about it rationally."

"You're probably right," she said with a sigh.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked. "I know that Andromeda would be happy to stay with Teddy."

"No," she said. "I need to do this on my own. But thank you." He smiled and kissed her fingertips, then pulled her back into his arms.

"Don't worry so much," he said. "I don't think it's going to be half as bad as you think it will be." She didn't respond, simply snuggled into him further. "I can probably figure out a way to take your mind off it." She tilted her head up and smiled at him.

"Can you now?" He leaned down to kiss her.

"I think so," he said when they parted.

"Prove it," she challenged. He grinned and waved his wand to cover the living room in a silencing charm before he kissed her again.

* * *

 **8 August 2000**

Hermione hurried from the lift through the Atrium. She had wanted to be at her parents' house before they arrived, but she had gotten held up finishing a rewrite Margaret had given her this afternoon. Hermione glanced at her watch again. She would just make it as long as there wasn't a line waiting to Apparate. She'd left the wards on the Floo when she moved out so she couldn't get in that way.

Hermione was just passing the Floos on her way to the Apparition point when she heard someone calling her name. Biting back a groan of frustration, she turned to see Cressida Wilkes hurrying towards her.

"Miss Granger," the other woman said when she reached her. Hermione was surprised to see the wide smile on her face. "Thank you." Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion.

"For what?" she asked.

"For getting my sister out of Azkaban and into hospital," Cressida said. So, Kingsley had told the Wilkes' then.

"It wasn't my doing," Hermione said. "She was injured."

"Yes, but you're the one that got the Minister to keep her there." Cressida's eyes were shining with tears. "I know that we can't see her but knowing that she's not in that awful place anymore is enough." Hermione bit her lip. She certainly hoped that Kingsley had informed Delia's family that the transfer was only temporary.

"Miss Wilkes, you realize that this is only for a month."

"Yes, of course."

"And that there is no guarantee that the Wizengamot will agree to continue the program afterward?"

"Yes, the Minister explained it all to us," Cressida said.

"Did he also tell you that the doctor, er, the Healer that is seeing her doesn't think that she'll be cured in a month?"

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean she won't be."

"Even if she is, the Wizengamot would have to agree to release her," Hermione said gently. "And I don't know that they would do that." Cressida stared at her for a moment before her face fell.

"I thought," she began, then shook her head. Hermione put a hand on the other witch's arm.

"Dr. Chadwick is going to do everything he can to help Delia. And I am going to do everything I can to try and pass this initiative," Hermione said. "But you have to be prepared for the possibility that your sister will be sent back to prison once the month is up." Cressida nodded, then looked up at Hermione. The pain on her face nearly took Hermione's breath away. She grasped Hermione's hand in her own.

"I know that you'll do what you can," Cressida said. "Thank you for what you've done already." And then she turned and walked away. Hermione stared after her for a few moments, swallowing over the lump in her throat. The Wizengamot _had_ to pass this program.

* * *

Hermione landed in the back garden and took a breath. The conversation with Cressida had unsettled her and she needed a moment to prepare herself for what was to come. Before she was ready, the back door opened and her mother stood in the doorway, sad smile on her face.

"Hello, Hermione." Her mum pulled her into a hug and Hermione looked over her mum's shoulder to her dad. He was looking particularly grim.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked, pulling away from her mother. Her mum looked at her dad.

"Come inside, Princess," he said. Hermione followed them in, her dad closing the door behind them. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Dad just tell me what the problem is," Hermione insisted, worried now.

"We've been here for nearly an hour," he said. Hermione swore in her head. Their plane must have landed early. Even if she'd left work on time, she wouldn't have gotten here before they did. Their expressions made sense now.

"I can explain," Hermione said, at the same time that her father spoke.

"We're so sorry about Crookshanks." They both stared at one another for a moment.

"Wait, what?" Hermione said.

"What do you mean, you can explain?" her mum questioned. Hermione looked between her parents while they gazed back at her, both brows furrowed in confusion.

"Let's start over," her dad finally said. "After we'd been here for a bit, we realized we hadn't seen Crookshanks. When we went looking for him, we didn't find any of his things either."

"That's because he isn't here," Hermione said.

"We know, sweetheart," her mum said, that sorrowful look on her face again. "We're so sorry." Hermione looked at her in bewilderment before she realized that her parents thought Crookshanks had died.

"No, Mum, Crookshanks is fine." It was her mother's turn to look puzzled.

"Then where is he?" Hermione sighed and rubbed at her forehead with her fingertips.

"Let's sit down," she said, echoing her father's earlier words.

"Hermione what is going on?" her mum demanded.

"Just, sit down, Mum and I'll explain." Her parents glanced at each other, then walked to the couch and sat down. Hermione sat in one of the armchairs next to them.

"I have something to tell you," she said. They both looked at her expectantly.

"I should have told you weeks ago, but I was so busy with work and this isn't something you just slip into conversation and then the more time that passed and I still hadn't told you, I just, well," Hermione trailed off, biting her lip and looking down at her lap. "I'm sorry." She shook her head. It shouldn't be this hard to tell them.

When she looked up, her parents were exchanging concerned glances. Her dad shook his head slightly and Hermione saw his jaw clench. She frowned. She would have thought her dad would be more accepting that her mum. Of course, she hadn't really _said_ anything yet. Out with it, Hermione.

"I want you to know that this is what I want," she said. "I know it's soon, and I wasn't expecting it, but I'm really happy about it and I hope that you will be too." Her parents looked at each other again, having a silent conversation. Her dad crossed his arms over his chest, jaw clenched tighter and her mum closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, she looked up at Hermione and gave her a smile that Hermione could tell was forced. Not so happy then. They had obviously figured it out.

"Or at least, I hope that you'll understand," Hermione said. Her mother moved to the very end of the couch and reached for Hermione's hand, giving it a squeeze. Her dad was still staring straight ahead, not looking at her. Hermione sighed.

"It's all right, sweetheart," her mum said. "I think we know what you're going to say." Hermione nodded. Of course, they did. If they'd been looking for Crookshanks, they would have seen that her room was empty. Hermione opened her mouth to tell them, then closed it again, brow furrowing. That didn't make sense. If they knew Hermione had moved, then why did they think Crookshanks had died? Her mum continued talking.

"You know that your father and I will support you, whatever you decide to do, but, Hermione, you're so young."

"I know, Mum, but I love Remus. This is what I want." Her mum looked pained. Wait, whatever she _decided_ to do? Wasn't it obvious that she'd already decided? Not to mention, her dad didn't look very supportive right now. Her mum either, for that matter. She was trying, but Hermione could tell that she wished it wasn't happening.

"You know you can stay with your father and I for as long as you need. We can move back here permanently if you need our help." Hermione was completely confused. What on earth was her mum talking about?

"Stay with you?" Hermione repeated. Her mum nodded.

"We'll help you however we can," she said.

"Help with what?" Hermione asked. Her mum glanced at her dad looking a bit concerned now.

"Well, with the baby, of course."

"Baby?" Hermione said. "What baby?" Her mum looked completely perplexed and Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what her mum was getting at. "You think I'm _pregnant_?"

"Well, aren't you?" her mum said.

"No!"

"But you said that it wasn't something to just slip into conversation and that you knew it was soon but that you loved Remus and it's what you wanted," her mum said. Her dad finally looked at her.

"And you went straight to assuming I was pregnant?" Hermione asked in indignation.

"Well, what else could you possibly be talking about?" her mum retorted. "There's no ring on your finger so you obviously aren't engaged. I'm guessing that means you didn't run off and elope either."

"Oh my god, Mum," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"What _is_ going on then?" her dad asked.

"I moved in with Remus," Hermione said, throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation. Her parents were silent.

"Moved in," her mum repeated.

"Over the weekend," Hermione said. They both stared at her as if unable to process this information. She huffed in annoyance. "Remember, I told you that he was teaching again next year? He moved into a cottage in Hogsmeade and asked me to come with him." After a few more minutes silence, her dad spoke.

"Well, I can't say that I'm completely surprised." Hearing that seemed to shake her mother from her stupor.

"Hermione, are you sure about this?"

"I'm very sure," Hermione replied.

"It's only been a few months," her mum continued. "And you're so young."

"I'm old enough to know what I want, Mum."

"You're not engaged?" her mother asked, somewhat hopefully, Hermione thought. Not that her mum necessarily wanted her to be engaged, but it would make them living together more palatable for her, Hermione supposed.

"No, Mum." Her mum sighed. It was Hermione who reached for her hand this time. "I know this is a surprise, especially after thinking what you did." Her dad snorted. "But, I'm really, really happy." Her mother studied her for a moment, tucking a curl behind her daughter's ear.

"Sometimes I can't believe how quickly you've grown up." Hermione smiled.

"I want you and Dad to be okay with this," she said.

"You're going to have to give me some time to adjust," her mum said. "I expected to come home and have you with us."

"I know, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner." Her mum looked at her sadly.

"I feel like we've missed out on so much of your life. I suppose that having you living here with us was a way of trying to get some of that back." Hermione took her mother's hand again.

"Just because I'm not living here doesn't mean you're not a part of my life. Remus and I want you to come for dinner this weekend and see the cottage." Her mum squeezed her hand.

"We'd like that." Hermione leaned in and hugged her mother. Her mum clung to her a little longer than she usually did, but Hermione didn't complain. And when her dad hugged her, she was surprised to find herself tearing up a bit.

"We love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Remus stood from the couch when he heard Hermione Apparate outside. He hoped that the talk with her parents had gone well. She had been very worried about it, even if she hadn't admitted as much to him. He stepped around the couch and leaned back against it, waiting for her to come in.

When she walked through the door, she looked tired, but not overly upset. She smiled when she saw him standing there.

"How did it go?" he asked as she stepped towards him. Sighing, she tucked her face into his neck and wrapped her arms around him. Remus returned the embrace, kissing her temple. "That bad?"

"No, it was all right," she replied. "They were much more accepting than I thought they would be."

"Well, that's good then, isn't it?" Hermione nodded.

"Of course, it was likely because knowing I had moved in with you wasn't near as shocking as thinking I was pregnant." Remus went completely rigid and looked down at her in shock.

"Sorry?" he finally spluttered. Hermione laughed lightly.

"Apparently, the way I started telling them about moving in with you led them to believe I was pregnant." She looked up at him. "That was after they thought Crookshanks had died." The cat in question looked up from where he was lying in front of the fireplace and then went back to grooming himself. Remus stared at Hermione incredulously and she started to giggle. Clapping a hand over her mouth, her eyes danced in amusement as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's been a very strange evening."

"It sounds it," Remus said, still trying to figure out just how her parents had come to that conclusion. She took his hand and pulled him towards the couch, recounting exactly what had happened.

"They're coming for dinner on Saturday," she finished.

"And you're sure that they're all right with this?"

"Well, it's going to take them a bit of time to get used to it, my mum especially. She was more sad than anything. Not about my decision, just that I wasn't going to be living there with them." Remus nodded.

"Are _you_ all right?" She smiled at him.

"Yes," she said. "I don't have any doubts or regrets about moving in with you." He leaned forward and captured her lips in a searing kiss. When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

 **11 August 2000**

"Happy Birthday," Hermione said, hugging Ginny as they arrived at the restaurant. Remus kissed Ginny's cheek and they greeted everyone else. Ron and Susan, Luna and Rolf, and Neville and Hannah were also there. Harry had gotten a private room in the back so they weren't gawked at by the public, which seemed to happen every time they went somewhere together. Separately as well, but it was when they were all together that it was the worst. The photographers outside the restaurant had been bad enough. Hermione was sure the _Prophet_ would have a full-page story the next morning. She rolled her eyes. Honestly, didn't people have anything better to do with their time? They weren't _that_ interesting.

"Neville how are things going with Professor Sprout?" she asked as she and Remus claimed the empty chairs between Neville and Hannah and Harry and Ginny.

"Really great," Neville said with a smile. His last day at the Ministry had been near the end of July. He had been working with Professor Sprout ever since.

"Are you going to be teaching right away?" Susan asked.

"Not the first term," Neville replied. "After Christmas I might take a few first year classes."

"Do you miss the Ministry?" Hermione asked.

"I miss the people," Neville admitted.

"We miss you too, mate," Harry chimed in. Neville grinned.

"But the job, not really."

"Well, I think you'll be an excellent teacher," Remus said. Neville blushed.

"Thanks, Remus."

"What about you?" Ginny asked Remus. "Ready for classes?"

"Just about," Remus replied. "I have to finish organizing my classroom and my office, but my lessons are all planned."

"Those kids don't know how good they're going to have it," Ron said. "Your classes were brilliant."

"Thank you, Ron." Hermione squeezed Remus' hand under the table. They all broke off into smaller conversations as the drinks were delivered and they put in their dinner orders.

"How's the cottage?" Ginny asked Hermione while Remus continued talking to Neville about Hogwarts. Hermione smiled and Ginny smirked. "Well, that answers that question."

"Have you ever had an idea of how something is going to be in your mind and then when it actually happens, it's even better?" Hermione asked. Ginny smiled and looked at Harry.

"Yes," she said. As if he sensed her eyes on him, Harry turned and smiled softly at his fiancée. He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it, keeping hold of it when he went back to his conversation with Ron. Hermione gave them both a fond look.

"It's like that," she said.

"How did your parents take it?" Ginny asked. Hermione rolled her eyes and Ginny laughed. "That well, huh?"

"Merlin, Gin, it was just," Hermione shook her head and lowered her voice. "They thought I was pregnant."

"What?" Ginny shrieked. The entire table turned to look at them. Hermione's cheeks turned pink and she gave Ginny a look. "Sorry, everyone, just got a little carried away there. Carry on." Ginny smiled at everyone as they went back to their conversations.

"All right, love?" Remus asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Hermione said. "Just telling Ginny about my parents."

"Ah," Remus said, chuckling a little now that he understood the redhead's outburst.

"How in Merlin's name did that happen?" Ginny demanded in a whisper now that everyone was no longer looking at them.

"They misunderstood what I was trying to say," Hermione said. "And when I finally told them I'd moved out, they were so relieved that I wasn't pregnant, that they just sort of accepted it."

"Well, that's one way to do it," Ginny snorted.

"They're coming to dinner tomorrow night. I hope now that they've gotten over the shock, they're still all right with it."

Dinner came shortly afterward and they all continued to talk and laugh as they ate. While they waited for the cake that Harry had requested, Hermione moved around the table and sat down next to Rolf.

"I wanted to thank you again for introducing me to your cousin," she said. "He's been so amazing helping us get this program started."

"I'm just glad I could help," Rolf said. "Aaron's told us that he's really enjoying working with you. Even though he's known about magic his whole life, he hasn't spent much time in the magical world. With Leah starting Hogwarts soon, I think it's helped him to be more familiar with it."

"What are the two of you planning on doing now that you're back in England?" Hermione asked.

"We're taking another trip in a few weeks," Luna said.

"Really?" Hermione replied.

"Just a short one," Luna said. "We'll be back before the wedding."

"But after that, we're going to be gone for another year at least," Rolf said. Luna nodded.

"Doing what?"

"Researching creatures," Luna said. "There's a very interesting population in South America."

"We're planning on writing a book," Rolf said and Luna nodded. Hermione smiled. They really were perfect for one another.

"I look forward to reading it," Hermione said. The cake was brought in then and Harry asked them all to gather round while he made a toast to Ginny. Remus stepped up beside Hermione and put an arm around her waist. She leaned into him and he kissed her temple before they toasted their friend.

"How's the shop?" Hermione asked Ron when they'd all had their fill of cake and were mingling again.

"Really great," he said. "We've got a few new products coming out just in time for school to start." Hermione laughed.

"I'm sure Filch will love that." Ron grinned.

"How are things going with you?"

"Really well," Hermione said.

"Living with Remus is good?"

"It's perfect," Hermione said with another smile. Ron fidgeted a bit and looked away from her. Hermione's brow furrowed in concern.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking that maybe," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair as the tips of his ears turned red. "I might ask Susan to move in after the wedding." Hermione grinned.

"That's great, Ron."

"You don't think it's too soon?" he asked. Hermione laughed.

"I'm not really the person to be asking that," she said. Ron smiled sheepishly.

"Right," he said. Hermione put a hand on his arm.

"If you think it's the right time, then it is."

"Yeah," he said. He got such a sappy look on his face that Hermione couldn't help but smile fondly at him.

"I'm so glad you're happy, Ron." He smiled and then reached out and tugged on one of her curls.

"You too, Hermione." She hugged him and he held her to him tightly. For all that they had been through, Hermione was very glad that their friendship had survived. She wasn't sure what she would have done if it hadn't.

"What's all this then?" Harry asked as he wandered over to them. "Hermione?" She pulled back from Ron with a small laugh, wiping the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

"Nothing, just me being emotional." Harry looked between the two of them and smiled softly, seeming to understand. He put an arm around Hermione and clapped Ron on the shoulder. Hermione squeezed Ron's hand and glanced up to see Remus looking at her in concern. She gave him a reassuring smile. He watched her for a few more moments, then turned back to his conversation with Rolf.

She, Ron and Harry talked for a bit longer, then they all drifted back towards the other conversations that were going on around the room. Neville and Hannah left shortly after, Hannah needing to get back to check on the Leaky as they were always busy on Friday nights. Hermione finally found herself next to Remus again. She slipped her hand into his and he smiled at her as she leaned against him.

"Tired, love?" he asked.

"Mm, a bit," she said.

"You looked upset before," he said. She shook her head.

"Happy, actually," she said. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her instead, pulling her closer to his body.

"I'm glad," he said.

"Me too," she said, sighing happily as she relaxed into him, content to watch her friends talking and laughing.

* * *

 **12 August 2000**

Remus was more nervous for this dinner than he had been for the one when he'd first met Hermione's parents. Of course, knowing that just a few days ago her father had thought that Remus had gotten Hermione pregnant was a large part of it. It was one thing to suspect that your daughter was sleeping with her boyfriend, another if there was physical evidence of it. Not that there was, of course, but the suspicion was enough for Remus.

"It's going to be fine," Hermione said as she walked into the living and slid her arms around him from behind. She rested her cheek against his back. He covered her hand with his where it rested on his stomach and squeezed her fingers.

"Daddy, look!" Teddy called from the corner where his toys were. Remus turned his head and saw a wobbling tower of blocks. "Me do it!"

"That's excellent, Teddy," Remus said, glad for the distraction his son provided. The little boy had been trying to build a stack of blocks for days, but it had always fallen over before he'd finished. Remus had been tempted to use magic to stabilize the blocks, but he hadn't, wanting Teddy to have the satisfaction of doing it himself. Hermione let go of him and Remus walked over to where Teddy stood proudly in front of the block tower.

"It's tassle, Daddy," Teddy said and Remus noticed the other stacks of blocks around the tower.

"So it is," Remus said, ruffling his son's hair. Teddy grinned up at him. Just then the shaking tower began to lean a bit too far to the left. Before Remus could get his wand into his hand to keep it from falling over, Teddy's hand shot out, anger clear on his face.

"No!" he cried and the blocks steadied themselves, the tower evening out a bit. Remus stared at his son, then turned to Hermione who was watching equally slack-jawed.

"Did he just," she began, looking at Remus. Remus couldn't help but grin.

"He did." He had known that Teddy was magical, his metamorph ability proved that. But his son had never done any accidental magic. He reached down and picked Teddy up, throwing him up into the air and laughing. Teddy squealed in delight.

"Gain, gain, Daddy!" Remus did it again, then hugged Teddy to him as the boy continued to giggle. Hermione smiled at them both, a bit misty-eyed. Remus held out an arm and she stepped into his embrace, kissing Teddy's cheek and wrapping her arms around Remus' waist.

"It's time to get my parents," Hermione said. She was going to Apparate to the house and then bring them through the Floo to the cottage.

"All right, love," Remus said.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him. Remus' hand tightened on her waist as he returned the kiss.

"Goin' My-nee?" Teddy asked when they'd parted.

"I'm going to get my mum and dad to have dinner with us," Hermione said. "I'll be right back, all right?" Teddy nodded and Hermione waved before she stepped outside. Remus dropped the wards on the fireplace and then put Teddy down. The little boy ran back to his castle and Remus kept one eye on him to keep him away from the Floo. Remus looked up at the photograph of Dora on the mantel and smiled a bit wistfully. He hoped that wherever she was, she had seen what Teddy had just done.

The Floo flared a few minutes later and Remus put a hand on Teddy's shoulder to keep him from running towards it. Hermione stepped out with her mother a few seconds later. Hermione stepped back in and returned with her father by the time Remus had cleaned the ash from Jean's clothes.

"Remus," Richard said once Hermione had given him the same treatment.

"Hello, Richard," Remus said shaking the older man's hand. "It's good to see you again." Remus didn't comment on the fact that Richard's grip was a bit tighter than usual or that the handshake lasted a bit longer than necessary. Jean, however, seemed to notice as she gave her husband a look before stepping forward and hugging Remus in greeting.

"Hello, Teddy," Richard said and Teddy immediately began showing off his castle to both of Hermione's parents.

"Would you like a tour?" Hermione asked once they had admired Teddy's castle.

"That would be lovely, Hermione," her mother replied. Hermione glanced at Remus.

"I'll stay down here with Teddy," he said.

"Me go," Teddy said immediately. Hermione laughed.

"I'm just going upstairs for a few minutes."

"Me go," Teddy repeated, holding his arms up to her. Hermione smiled and picked him up.

"Do you want to show my mum and dad your room?"

"Yes," Teddy said excitedly. Remus saw the fond smile on Jean's face and relaxed a bit.

After a tour of the cottage, which lasted twice as long as it normally would have since Teddy had to point out every single thing in his bedroom, they returned to the living room and Remus offered everyone drinks. Teddy had returned to his toys and Remus was keeping a close watch on him, wondering if he would perform any more magic.

"Something wrong with Teddy?" Richard asked after a few moments. Remus looked up, realizing he had been mostly ignoring Hermione's parents.

"I'm sorry," he said. "No, there's nothing wrong. Teddy just did a bit of accidental magic before the two of you arrived."

"Ah," Richard said in understanding. "The first time, was it?"

"Except for the morphing, yes," Remus said with a proud smile. Richard nodded.

"I remember when Hermione first did magic," he said. "Of course, we had no idea it was magic at the time so were a bit more alarmed than proud." He chuckled.

"What did she do?" Remus asked curiously.

"She wasn't quite two," Jean said. "I'd baked a batch of biscuits for one of the women in our office that had just had surgery. Hermione wanted one but we weren't letting her have chocolate yet and we rarely let her have sweets at all. She threw a little tantrum when I said no, then turned around to clean up the kitchen. I heard a thud and then a giggle and I looked over to see the plate of biscuits overturned on the floor next to Hermione. She was sitting surrounded by chocolate chip biscuits happily eating one." Hermione's cheeks turned pink and Remus chuckled.

"I nearly had a heart attack. As Richard said, we had no idea what had happened. We finally convinced ourselves that she must have reached up to the counter and pulled them down, even though I knew there was no way she could have done without me noticing."

"You _were_ a bit strict with the sweets, Mum," Hermione said.

"We were dentists, Hermione, what did you expect?" her mum replied with a smile.

The tension broken by the talk of accidental magic, the rest of the evening went rather smoothly. Remus offered to help with the dishes after dinner, but Jean insisted she and Hermione would take care of it and shooed the men and Teddy from the kitchen.

Remus felt a bit of the nervousness from before return as he and Richard returned to the living room. They made small talk about Richard's retirement and Remus' job, their discussion punctuated by awkward silences. Remus was just waiting for the other man to say something about Hermione living with him. When Teddy climbed up on the couch next to Remus and snuggled into his side, yawning widely, Richard finally spoke.

"I have to say, Remus, I was a bit hesitant when Hermione told us she had moved in with you."

"I'm sorry that we didn't tell you sooner," Remus began, but Richard shook his head.

"That was Hermione's decision. I don't blame you for it." He looked up at Remus. "I suppose her mother and I are just worried that this is all going a bit fast." Remus nodded. Hadn't he thought the same thing himself? He took a breath and met Richard's eye.

"After my wife was killed, I never thought I would find someone else," Remus said. "I wasn't even looking. Hermione and I were friends, but I never thought we would be more. Then, one day, my feelings for her changed. I wasn't planning on pursuing her for a variety of reasons, most of which she told me were ridiculous once she'd told me she returned my feelings." Richard chuckled and Remus smiled.

"I realize that we haven't been together that long, but I love your daughter."

"That, I know," Richard said with a smile.

"She makes me happy and I hope I do the same for her. My son adores her and she loves him as if he were her own." Richard looked down at Teddy, who was nearly asleep at Remus' side. "I have no intention of leaving unless she asks me to go." Richard opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Teddy.

"Pa'foot, Daddy," Teddy mumbled, eyes drooping further. Remus smiled at his son, drew his wand and silently summoned the stuffed dog. He caught it when it came zooming into the room and tucked it into Teddy's arms. When Remus looked up, Richard was shaking his head.

"No matter how many times I see it, I don't think I'll ever get used to it." Remus chuckled.

"It does come in rather handy." Richard laughed as Hermione and her mother walked into the room. Hermione looked at Remus nervously, but he simply smiled. He saw the tension leave her shoulders and she walked over to him.

"Shall I take him up?" she asked.

"No, I'll do it," he said. He picked Teddy up and then kissed her cheek. "You visit with your parents. I'll be down in a bit." Hermione squeezed his hand and Remus walked towards the stairs. He looked back into the room and his eyes met Richard's. The man nodded once and Remus took it for the acceptance it was. He returned the nod, then began to climb the stairs, careful not to jostle his sleeping son.


	88. Adjusting

**A/N - So sorry for the delay everyone! Updates will be sporadic this month with the holidays coming up. I will post chapters as I get them written. Right now I'm thinking maybe 2 more chapters and an epilogue, but we'll see how it goes. Thank you for continuing to read and review!**

 **Chapter 88**

 **Adjusting**

 **15 August 2000**

"We'll be fine," Hermione said again as Remus hesitated at the Floo. The moon would rise in a little over an hour and Remus was heading to Andromeda's for his transformation. Hermione had elected to stay at the cottage with Teddy. She would bring him to his grandmother in the morning before she went to work.

"Are you sure?" Remus said. "You know how he can be at night." While Teddy seemed perfectly fine in the cottage during the day, they sometimes had trouble getting him down for the night. He also occasionally woke up crying in the middle of the night, not realizing where he was. Hermione glanced at the little boy who was standing in front of the bookshelves in his pajamas, choosing a book for Hermione to read to him.

"And he always calms down as soon as he sees one of us," Hermione reminded him. "We'll be all right."

"If you need to, you can always come to the house." Hermione stepped forward and put a hand on his arm.

"I know," she said. "Now, go. I don't want you to run out of time." He nodded and then leaned in and kissed her. She stepped closer to him, memories of the last few days flying to the forefront of her mind. Thanks to the impending full moon, they had christened nearly every room in the cottage in the last three days. Hermione shivered remembering last night in front of the fireplace. Remus, likely sensing where her mind had gone, broke the kiss and blew out a breath. He took a step back from her and looked at her with such want in his eyes, Hermione had to force herself not to throw her arms around him again.

Remus took another breath and she saw him forcibly calm. He took another step back and then cleared his throat.

"Teddy, I'm leaving."

"Bye, Daddy," Teddy said, not looking away from the books. Remus shook his head fondly at his son.

"Be a good boy for Hermione, all right?" Teddy finally turned to look at his father.

"Daddy, you go?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow." Teddy ran towards him and Remus crouched down to catch the little boy in his arms. "I love you."

"Love you, Daddy," Teddy said. Remus hugged his son and then handed him off to Hermione. He kissed her quickly one last time before resolutely grabbing the Floo powder and stepping into the fireplace.

"Did you find a book?" Hermione asked Teddy once Remus was gone. Teddy shook his head and she put him down. He ran back to the shelves while she replaced the wards on the Floo. When she was finished, Teddy was running towards her, book in hand. She smiled and picked him up, then settled on the couch and began to read.

* * *

Hermione extinguished the lamps, made sure the doors were locked and climbed the stairs to their bedroom. It was strange being here without Remus. Even though it had only been a little over a week since they'd moved in, the cottage already felt like theirs. Sleeping in their bed alone didn't seem right.

She would have to get used it to though. Remus would have to spend a couple of nights each month at Hogwarts, not to mention the full moon. Hermione stopped at Teddy's door, walking in to check on the sleeping toddler. He had gone to bed rather easily. She hoped that meant he was getting used to being here. He still asked for Andromeda at least once a day. Once Remus was recovered from the moon, he was planning on spending a part of each day at the castle. There were staff meetings and other preparations that needed to be made for the new school year. So, Teddy would see his grandmother regularly.

Hermione smoothed Teddy's hair back from his forehead and pulled the blanket up around him. He shifted in his sleep but didn't wake. She kissed his forehead lightly and then left the room.

Sighing, she walked into her bathroom to get ready for bed. She resolutely avoided looking at the shower where she had spent a rather pleasurable early morning this morning. Teddy had still been asleep when Remus had woken her pressed against her back. Their attempt to clean up afterwards had just turned into another round against the shower wall. Their plan to nap while Teddy did that afternoon had come to naught when Remus had trapped her against the kitchen counter while she attempted to clean up from lunch. Not that she was complaining. But she was rather tired and a bit sore if she were honest.

She finished cleaning her teeth and pulled on her pajamas. She crawled into bed, pulling Remus' pillow close to her and breathing in his scent. She waved her hand to turn out the lamp and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately as her exhaustion caught up with her.

* * *

A sharp cry had Hermione sitting bolt upright in bed. She glanced around the room trying to orient herself when she heard the cry again. She jumped out of bed and hurried to Teddy's room. He let out a third shriek when she stepped through the door.

"It's all right, Teddy," she said soothingly, reaching into his cot and picking him up. He clung to her, sniffling into her shoulder as she rubbed his back. "Shh, it's okay."

"Pa'foot," Teddy mumbled into her neck and Hermione grabbed the toy from his cot, handing it to him. He clutched it against his chest and burrowed his face back into her neck. Unconsciously, Hermione began to hum under her breath, continuing to rub Teddy's back until he quieted. She knew the moment he fell back to sleep. His body fully relaxed into hers and his mouth parted slightly. She could feel his even breaths against her neck. She waited a few minutes and then walked to his cot and began to lower him back in.

"No," he immediately protested, hand gripping the front of her t-shirt. "No bed."

"Okay," Hermione said, soothing him again as his eyes fluttered shut. She walked to the rocking chair and sat down in it, figuring she would rock him for a bit and make sure he was completely asleep this time. Settling into the chair, she shifted Teddy until she was comfortable and then began to rock, humming the same tune under her breath.

She tried twice more to put him back to bed, but each time he woke and began to cry again. She sighed and went back to the rocking chair, summoning her wand to cast a cushioning charm on it. She grabbed the blanket that was folded on the window seat and covered Teddy with it, hoping that the third time would be the charm.

* * *

 **16 August 2000**

Something was buzzing. Hermione swatted around her head but the noise didn't stop. She felt a weight on her chest and her brow furrowed in confusion as the buzzing went on. She should probably open her eyes, but she was so tired. The weight on her chest moved and she yawned. Seconds later, her eyes snapped open. She was in Teddy's room. Why was she in Teddy's room? And that was her alarm clock that was buzzing. Scrubbing at her eyes, she realized the weight on her chest was Teddy and she remembered the previous night. She must have fallen asleep in the rocking chair.

Yawning again, she fumbled for her wand and muttered a spell to turn off the alarm. She needed to take a shower, but she wasn't sure how Teddy would react to her putting him down again. She had set her alarm to go off before the little boy was typically awake, so she could shower while he slept. But she hadn't planned on sleeping in this chair in his room.

She looked down at him and smiled. He was still sweet, even if he had kept her up half the night. She wondered what it was that had kept him from wanting to sleep in his bed. Likely, Teddy wouldn't even know.

Hermione went to stand and realized that the arm that had been around Teddy all night was asleep. She carefully shifted him to the other arm and shook out her right one. She grimaced at the pins and needles as the feeling began to come back to it. Walking gingerly to Teddy's cot, Hermione gently laid him back down. Teddy's brow furrowed for a moment before it relaxed again. Releasing the breath she'd been holding, Hermione tucked him in and cast the monitoring spell. Her wand would alert her if he woke while she was in the shower.

She tiptoed back across the corridor and closed her bedroom door before walking into the loo to get ready for the day.

* * *

"Good morning," Hermione said as she and Teddy stepped from the Floo. Teddy held out his arms for his grandmother and she took him.

"How was your night?" Andromeda asked.

"A little rough," Hermione admitted. "I think Teddy will probably be ready for a nap earlier than usual."

"What happened?" Andromeda asked in concern.

"He went down fine," Hermione said. "But he woke up around one and didn't seem to want to sleep on his own. Every time I tried to put him down, he'd cry again. Eventually, I just fell asleep in his rocking chair while I was holding him." Andromeda hugged the little boy to her and looked at Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. Are you all right?" she asked.

"Tired," Hermione said. "But I'm fine. Just a bit worried about Teddy. He's been rather quiet this morning." Andromeda frowned and brought a hand to Teddy's forehead feeling for a fever.

"He doesn't feel warm. Did he eat breakfast?"

"Yes, seemed to have his normal appetite."

"Nanna, where Daddy?" Teddy asked, still clutching Padfoot.

"Your daddy is sleeping right now," Andromeda said. "We'll see him later."

"See Daddy," Teddy insisted.

"I wanted to peek in on him anyway," Hermione said. "I can take Teddy with me."

"All right," Andromeda said. She turned to her grandson. "But you have to be quiet." Teddy nodded solemnly and Andromeda passed him back to Hermione.

"We'll be right back." They climbed the stairs to Remus' old bedroom. Hermione reminded Teddy to be quiet and then pushed the door open. Remus was asleep, but his eyes fluttered when the door opened. Hermione swore in her head, she hadn't meant to wake him.

"Hermione?" he said sleepily.

"Hi," she said. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."

"Daddy!" Teddy said, leaning out of Hermione's arms toward the bed. She reached to grab him before she dropped him. "See Daddy!"

"It's all right," Remus said. Hermione set Teddy down on the bed and he immediately snuggled into Remus' side. Remus looked up at her in concern.

"We had a bit of a rough night," Hermione said. "He woke up around one and didn't want to sleep by himself." Remus ran a hand over Teddy's head and Hermione watched the little boy's hair change to match Remus' own.

"Where did he sleep?"

"I fell asleep in the rocking chair and we slept there."

"I'm sorry, love," Remus said, reaching out his free hand to her. Teddy's eyes had already closed and he seemed to be asleep.

"It's all right," she replied, squeezing his hand. "I didn't mind." They both looked at Teddy. "Do you want me to take him to his room?"

"No, he's fine," Remus said, running a hand over his son's head again. "Will you let Andromeda know he's in here?"

"Of course," Hermione said. She leaned down and kissed Remus softly, then kissed Teddy's forehead. "I'll see you after work." Remus nodded.

"I love you," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Love you, too."

* * *

Hermione landed in Andromeda's back garden and walked towards the house. She was, in a word, exhausted. She was very grateful that Andromeda had invited them to stay for dinner tonight. Hermione definitely had no energy to cook and Remus likely wouldn't be in any shape to do so either.

She hoped Teddy was all right. She wondered why he had been so upset the night before. He had spent the night at Harry's before and hadn't had any problems. Although, that was before the move. She supposed that the change to his routine had him a bit out of sorts.

The door was opened before she reached it and Hermione was glad to see Remus standing there. It meant he'd had an uneventful transformation. She smiled.

"Feeling all right?" she asked. He nodded.

"A bit sore as usual, but nothing out of the ordinary." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "How was work?"

"Tiring," Hermione said with a sigh, not leaving the circle of his arms. Remus kissed the top of her head and pulled her gently into the house, closing the door behind them.

"I'm sorry about last night."

"Don't be," she said, looking up at him. "I don't mind. And work would have been tiring regardless. Rewriting laws is not as exciting as it sounds." Remus chuckled. "How was Teddy today?"

"He seemed fine," Remus said. "He isn't coming down with anything, at least." They walked towards the living room.

"My-nee!" Teddy said excitedly. "You home?"

"Yes," Hermione said with a smile. Teddy jumped up and ran towards her. Hermione knelt down to hug him. She looked up at Remus who had a thoughtful look on his face. Before she could ask him about it, Teddy pulled her towards his toys and she was involved in a rather elaborate game involving dragons and toy cars.

* * *

"Are you ready to go home, love?" Remus asked, seeing the look of exhaustion on Hermione's face. She nodded. After dinner, Andromeda had taken Teddy up to give him a bath before they went home. Remus was still a bit too sore to do it and Hermione was practically asleep on her feet.

"You can go now if you like," Remus said. "I can bring Teddy back myself."

"No, I'll wait," Hermione replied. "It won't be much longer." Remus sincerely hoped that his son would sleep tonight.

A few minutes later, Teddy came down the stairs followed by his grandmother. Already in the pajamas that Andromeda kept for him at her house, he grinned at his father and scrambled into his lap.

"You read me, Daddy?"

"Yes, you can have a story when we get home," Remus said. Teddy looked up at him.

"I seep my bed?"

"Yes, you're going to sleep in your bed," Remus said, hoping this meant that Teddy wouldn't fight them tonight.

"Nanna, I seep my bed," Teddy said excitedly. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at Remus. Remus was confused as well. Teddy was never this excited to go to sleep.

"I suppose we had better get going then," Remus said. Hermione stood from the couch and picked up her Ministry robes and briefcase. Remus stood with Teddy and reached for the Floo powder.

"No, Daddy, I seep my bed!" Teddy exclaimed.

"We are going home to sleep in your bed," Remus said. "We're going to the cottage." Teddy shook his head.

"No, home!" Teddy insisted. "Nanna eats wif me!" He sniffled and looked at his grandmother. "Nanna, you eat wif me?"

"Oh, Teddy," Andromeda said, look of anguish on her face. Hermione looked equally upset.

"Remus, maybe," Andromeda began, but Remus cut her off with a shake of his head. Whatever they decided to do, they weren't going to discuss it in front of Teddy.

"Hermione," Remus said quietly and she glanced between Remus and Andromeda, then nodded.

"Teddy, come with me for a minute," Hermione said. At the toddler's distressed look, she explained. "We're just going into the kitchen." She took Teddy from Remus' arms and carried him into the kitchen.

"He can stay here tonight," Andromeda said.

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to work," Remus said with a sigh, rubbing his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. "I think Teddy's got it into his head that he's not home unless you and I are both there with him."

"That is what I was afraid of," Andromeda said. "Although, I suspect that Hermione is part of that equation now as well." Remus nodded. It was what he had thought when Teddy had asked Hermione if she was home earlier.

"As easy as it would be to stay here tonight, Teddy really needs to get used to the cottage," Remus said. "You aren't going to be living here much longer either." Andromeda nodded in agreement.

"What do you propose?"

"Would you be opposed to staying the night at the cottage tonight?" Remus asked. "I wouldn't ask, but I think we all need some sleep. The guest room is already made up." Andromeda smiled.

"I would not mind at all," she said. "I just need to get a few things together."

"Of course," Remus said. He put a hand on Andromeda's arm before she could turn to leave. "Thank you."

"I would do anything for Teddy," Andromeda said. "You as well." She patted his cheek and left the room. Remus sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. That solved their problems for tonight, but Andromeda couldn't stay at the cottage every night. They would have to figure something out, hopefully after everyone had gotten a good night's sleep.

* * *

 **17 August 2000**

Remus woke before Hermione's alarm, realizing they had all slept the entire night, Teddy included. Breathing a sigh of relief, he shifted on the bed, trying not to wake Hermione. She had fallen asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow the night before.

Remus contemplated the situation with Teddy. He wondered if Andromeda staying for a few nights would help or hinder their efforts. It might help Teddy get used to sleeping here, but Remus wasn't sure that was the problem, exactly. Teddy had been just as happy to come back to the cottage last night once they told him that Andromeda was coming with them, as he had been to stay at Andromeda's. It didn't seem like it was the physical place that made the difference, just the people in it.

Teddy had resisted going to sleep until Andromeda had promised him that she would still be there in the morning for breakfast. Remus was actually a bit surprised that his son hadn't woken in the night to be sure that his grandmother was still there.

He wondered if it would help if Andromeda was here in the evenings until Teddy went to bed and then again in the morning for breakfast. That was asking an awful lot of her, however. Remus didn't want to interfere in her time with Kingsley. Not to mention that it wasn't a long-term solution.

Hermione moved and he looked over at her. She put an arm over his chest and snuggled closer to him.

"You're thinking awfully loud," she said with a yawn. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Still worried about Teddy?" Remus nodded.

"I'm glad we all got to sleep last night, but we can't do this every night. I think it would just make things worse when Andromeda moves."

"I think you're right," Hermione said. "What are we going to do then?"

"Just keep going as we have been, I suppose," Remus said. "I don't want Teddy upset, but I don't think we have much of a choice."

"Change is hard sometimes," Hermione said. "Especially when you're too little to really understand." Remus' hand drew random patterns on her back.

"We'll just have to keep explaining to him," Remus said. Hermione propped her chin on his chest.

"He'll be all right." He smiled and kissed her just as her alarm began to buzz. She sighed and waved her wand to shut it off. Remus kissed her again before she could get out of bed.

"Work," she mumbled against his lips. "Shower." He laughed and released her. She got out of bed, then leaned over and kissed him one more time. "I'll be downstairs in a bit."

Remus watched her walk to the loo, then sat up in bed just as Teddy called out for him.

* * *

 **25 August 2000**

Glancing at the clock, Hermione began to gather up the parchment on her desk. She had a meeting with Aaron in less than thirty minutes and then she was home for an entire weekend, thank Merlin. She had stayed late every day this week working on her proposal on the mind healing program. Since the pilot program was set to end on the seventh of September, Hermione was presenting to the Wizengamot next Thursday the thirty-first of August. They would need time to consider the proposal and it was Hermione and Kingsley's hope that if it was approved, there would be no disruption for Delia.

St. Mungo's was completely on board with the program and had already begun to reconfigure the locked ward that Delia was being housed in. Half of it would remain a locked ward for any cases like Delia's and the other half was being converted into therapy and consultation rooms for those that were there voluntarily.

Of the three witches and wizards that had been seeing Aaron, two had agreed to speak in front of the Wizengamot, although one insisted on remaining anonymous. It was easy enough; a simple Disillusionment charm would be used and the woman's voice would be disguised. Hermione had met with both of them the day before to discuss what they would say as well as prepping them for any questions the Wizengamot would likely ask.

St. Mungo's was sending some of the Healers that were currently being trained, as well as the head of the hospital to give their backing to the program. Hermione was feeling better about it than she had a few weeks ago. Although St. Mungo's didn't need approval of the Wizengamot to implement the new training, it would be helpful to have their support. And, of course, Delia's therapy, as well as that of any other person convicted of a crime _did_ have to be approved by the Wizengamot. They needed a full explanation as to what was involved in both training and treatment.

As Hermione left her office and said good-bye to Cecily, her thoughts drifted to Teddy. Remus had started going up to the school every day almost two weeks ago and Teddy had been spending mornings, and sometimes the afternoon as well, with Andromeda. Some days Andromeda came to their house afterwards for dinner and stayed until Teddy went to bed. Other days, she was there when Teddy woke up, but she hadn't stayed the night since after the full moon and there were days that she wasn't there at all. Teddy was adjusting slowly, but his nighttime waking had decreased in the last few days. Remus was cautiously optimistic.

Last weekend, Hermione had gone to Diagon Alley with Claire, David and Annie. It seemed to have become a yearly tradition to shop with them for their school supplies which Hermione thoroughly enjoyed. She wasn't overly surprised when they ran into Will and his family. She knew Paul and Claire had been writing one another since the Quidditch match; Annie had let that slip as soon as Hermione had arrived. The two families and Hermione spent about an hour together, finishing their shopping. Hermione didn't fail to notice that Paul and Claire were walking rather closely to one another, their arms and hands brushing. Neither, it seemed, did Sarah, Claire's mother. It was Caroline, however, that put an end to things before they started. She sent Rebecca to walk between Paul and Claire, who held their hands and generally was a bit of an annoying little sister. Hermione had to stifle her laughter at the look Paul sent his mother.

There had been more excitement on Sunday at the Weasley family dinner when Percy and Audrey had announced their engagement. They planned on marrying the following spring. Molly was over the moon, of course, at the thought of another wedding. However, Percy had made it quite clear that the likelihood of them marrying at the Burrow was small. Audrey was a Muggle-born and wanted to get married in the church she'd grown up in. Molly suggested that they have the reception at the Burrow, to which Percy replied that they would see. Hermione suspected that Molly was going to be in for a bit of a disappointment.

Percy's news did cause Molly to give pointed looks to George and Angelina, as well as making a few comments which they both pointedly ignored. Ron seemed to escape his mother's scrutiny, although he looked terrified every time she turned his way. Hermione guessed it was only because Ron and Susan had been dating for less than a year that Molly left them alone. Hermione laughed as she remembered the look on Ron's face when Molly first glanced his way after saying something to George. Ron might be asking Susan to move in, but he obviously wasn't ready to entertain marriage yet.

Reaching the Atrium, Hermione walked purposefully toward the Apparition point. Given she was leaving early, there wasn't much of a line and a few minutes later she was Disapparating to Manchester.

* * *

"Hermione, it's good to see you," Aaron said after his secretary had shown Hermione to his office.

"You as well," Hermione said with a smile. Aaron gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and Hermione sat down. "Did you get the proposal?"

"I did," Aaron said. Hermione had sent it through regular post a couple of days ago, so Aaron would have time to go over it before they met.

"What did you think?"

"It's very thorough," Aaron said with a smile. Hermione blushed slightly. Too much information was still a weakness of hers.

"Yes, well, it's been revised a bit since I sent it to you," she said. "My boss felt the simpler I kept things, the better."

"Given the situation, I have to agree," he said. "Although there are some technical bits that should be left in."

"Yes, I've got the revised version here," she said pulling a packet from her briefcase. "Most of the changes were made in sections three and five." Aaron nodded, skimming a few pages before he set it aside.

"I'll take a look at it this weekend."

"I've met with your two patients that are willing to speak," she said. "They seem prepared." Aaron nodded.

"We've been discussing it at their sessions," he said. "They gave me permission to tell you that. You're sure that Cora will be protected?" He sounded concerned.

"Yes," Hermione said. "We'll disguise her voice and keep her Disillusioned." At his quizzical expression, she explained. "It keeps her virtually invisible. When she moves, they'll catch glimpses, enough to know someone is there, but they won't be able to see her." Aaron nodded. They spoke about the proposal for a bit, Aaron giving suggestions about certain passages. When they had finished, Hermione hesitated.

"I have an idea what you're going to ask," he said.

"How is she?"

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I really can't tell you anything," he said apologetically.

"I know," she replied. "Can you tell me if it's helping, at least?"

"I think so, yes," he said. She nodded.

"That's good to hear." Aaron met her gaze.

"There's something you need to know," he said. "When I speak to the Wizengamot about Delia, she doesn't want you there." Hermione stared at him in surprise. "It isn't just you. She requested that no one be there that doesn't have to be. She knows the Wizengamot and the Minister and likely a few support staff will need to stay, but otherwise she would like the room cleared. I am unsure if that's allowed, but it was her one request."

"Oh, I, erm, I'm sure that would be fine, I, I'll have to check with the Minister of course, but," Hermione trailed off.

"Hermione," Aaron said softly. "This isn't about you personally. It's about Delia trying to exert some control over her life." He hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more."

"Of course, I understand."

"Do you?" Aaron asked.

"Yes," Hermione said, although she really didn't. "She has every right to make that request." Aaron studied her for a few moments and Hermione knew he wasn't convinced. He didn't press the issue, however.

"Well, I suppose that's it," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll let you know what the Minister says, but it really shouldn't be a problem."

"And I'll be sure to read through the revised proposal," he said. "We can meet sometime early next week?" She nodded.

"I'll give you a call." He walked her to the door and they made their good-byes. Hermione hurried to the alley a few blocks away and Disapparated.

* * *

Remus had been home for less than a half hour when he heard a pop outside. Hermione's meeting must have ended sooner than she'd expected.

"Hermione's home," he said to Teddy. Teddy jumped up and ran towards the front door.

"My-nee, you home!" Teddy said as Hermione opened the door and came through. She smiled at him and set her briefcase down before picking him up and hugging him to her. Remus frowned when she looked over Teddy's shoulder at him. She looked upset.

"Did you have a good day?" Hermione asked Teddy. He nodded.

"Me see tassle!" he said.

"You saw the castle?" Hermione said questioningly, looking at Remus.

"We took a tour of my office this afternoon after his nap," Remus explained.

"My-nee, me see dost," Teddy whispered. Remus chuckled.

"Sir Nicholas wanted to introduce himself," he said.

"I hope he didn't give him the full introduction," Hermione said with a grimace, remembering her first year when Nick had shown her just _why_ he was nearly headless.

"No, thankfully," Remus said. He stepped towards her and kissed her. Teddy squirmed to be put down and Hermione obliged. "How was your meeting?"

"Oh, it was fine," she said. Her smile disappeared. "Aaron is going to look over the revised proposal and we'll speak early next week." She busied herself shedding her Ministry robes and hanging them on the coat rack by the door.

"Love, what's the matter?" Remus asked, putting a hand on her arm.

"Nothing," she said. He looked at her doubtfully. "Nothing important, anyway."

"If it's upset you, then it's important." She shook her head and he pulled her into his arms. "Is it Delia?" Hermione's sigh was all the answer he needed. Remus glanced at Teddy, but he was engrossed in his toys again.

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"It's silly," Hermione said.

"Tell me anyway."

"When Aaron is speaking to the Wizengamot about Delia, she asked that anyone nonessential be cleared from the room."

"Which means you," Remus guessed. Hermione nodded.

"I know I shouldn't be upset about it. She has every right to her privacy and it's none of my business what Aaron has to say about her. I'm not the one making the decision on the proposal after all. But," Hermione paused, biting her lip.

"But what?" Remus prompted, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"I wanted, I don't know, I wanted to know if it was helping, if the therapy is making a difference. If she's," Hermione shook her head trailing off again.

"If she's sorry?" Remus said.

"I want to know if I was right to help her," Hermione said quietly. Remus pulled her closer to him and she sighed again. "It's stupid."

"It's not stupid," Remus said, rubbing a hand up her back.

"I'm just afraid," she whispered.

"Of what, love?"

"That the reason she doesn't want me there is because she's not sorry and she still hates me. That everything I've tried to do hasn't mattered. That I was wrong about her all along." Remus held her tighter.

"What does Aaron say?" Remus asked.

"He can't tell me anything specific, but he did say that he thinks the therapy is helping. And he told me not to take it personally. He said that it's her way of trying to exert some control over her life." Remus nodded.

"Maybe it's not that she still hates you," he said. "Maybe it's that she's embarrassed." Hermione pulled back and looked at him in question. "If the therapy is helping then maybe she is ashamed of what she's done." Hermione thought about it for a moment.

"I suppose you could be right."

"And even if that isn't it," Remus continued. "What Aaron said makes sense. She was in Azkaban, now she's locked up in St. Mungo's having every decision about every bit of her life made for her. If this is something she can control, maybe it's just as simple as that." Hermione nodded. He kissed her forehead. "Try not to worry so much." She sighed again and he pulled her close once more.

"My-nee, My-nee, look!" Teddy called. Remus gave her one last squeeze and she stepped back from him, looking over at Teddy. He was standing in front of another tower of blocks with a grin on his face. Hermione smiled widely and walked towards him, praising his building skills. Remus watched the last of her worry melt away as she sat down to play with Teddy.

* * *

 **31 August 2000**

Hermione took a deep breath and walked into the Wizengamot chamber. The members were still filing in and she took the time to arrange her notes and try to calm her quickly beating heart. She felt more ready for this presentation than any other she had ever given, but she was more nervous than she ever had been before as well. If she had a better idea of what Aaron was going to say about Delia specifically, she might have been calmer. As it was, she was just going to have to trust that his input would only help things.

Kingsley entered the room and sat down, giving her a quick wink as he did so. Hermione covered a smile, feeling better already. Kingsley would do whatever he could to help this proposal pass. She knew that he had been meeting with various members of the Wizengamot over the past few weeks.

Once everyone was seated, the Chief Warlock called the session to order. He turned to Hermione with a nod.

"Miss Granger, you may begin."

* * *

There were a few rumblings as Aaron was escorted into the chamber. There were still those in the Wizengamot that were appalled that a Muggle had not only been allowed into the Ministry but had also been allowed to speak in front of them. Kingsley had classified Aaron as a Squib, which, as far as Hermione was concerned, he was. Given that Mrs. Figg had been allowed to speak at Harry's trial about the Dementors, there was no rule against it. However, since Aaron was two generations removed, some thought Kingsley had manipulated the rules for his own benefit. Hermione was certain that it was only because Aaron's daughter was a witch that he was allowed here at all.

Hermione relinquished the podium to Aaron, shaking his hand as she stepped back. She seated herself behind him and to his left so she could observe the chamber as he spoke. He started with an overview of how he conducted therapy, making sure to keep things from getting too technical, as Hermione had requested. Most everyone seemed to be paying attention at least, although she was sure that there were some that had already made up their minds. Nothing Aaron had to say would change that.

Things ran smoothly for a while. The wizard and witch that Aaron had been seeing spoke and Hermione could see that more than a few people were affected by what they said. Most of the Wizengamot members had relatives or friends or at least knew of someone that had been affected by the war. When his patients had finished and Aaron took the podium once again, he explained that he had been working with Delia Wilkes in a pilot program approved by the Minister. Even though the entire Wizengamot was aware of what had been happening, there was still a wave of protest.

"I renew my objection to this program," one wizard said as he stood. "This woman was convicted of an Unforgiveable. There should be no exceptions made to her sentence and we certainly should not be entertaining the idea of releasing her."

"No one is suggesting that," Kingsley said.

"Not yet," the man retorted. "But you parade this Muggle here and expect us to swallow his explanations about something that, quite frankly, sounds like a load of dragon dung. And you want us to approve of the fact that a convicted criminal escapes Azkaban for a comfortable bed and weeks of coddling at St. Mungo's?" Hermione bit her cheek to keep from responding. She couldn't speak to any members of the council unless they asked her a direct question no matter how much she wanted to.

"We are not here to debate the merits of the program," Kingsley said. "That is for your deliberations once the presentation is complete. Right now, we are simply here to listen to what Dr. Chadwick and others have to say." Kingsley stared unblinking at the other wizard until the man sat down with a huff.

"Minister, I would ask that the chamber be cleared of all non-essential witnesses before I present the information about Miss Wilkes," Aaron said. A wave of muttering rose among the Wizengamot once more as Kingsley stood. Not only would the chamber be cleared, but the Wizengamot would be asked to take a privacy vow so as to not discuss any of the details about Delia with anyone except their colleagues. Some were opposed to this, of course.

"Good luck," Hermione whispered to Aaron as she walked past. He gave her a smile and looked back at his notes. As Hermione left the chamber, she glanced back at Kingsley. He nodded once and she returned it as she walked out the door.

* * *

It was nearly an hour later when the doors to the Wizengamot chamber were finally reopened. Hermione stood from the bench she had been sitting on and walked quickly back into the room. She was followed by the Healer that was the head of the training committee at St. Mungo's. She would be the last to speak. Aaron had an unreadable expression on his face as he gathered up his notes.

"All right?" Hermione asked under her breath as she reached him. He glanced at her and gave her a faint smile.

"Didn't realize it would be such an interrogation," he whispered. He glanced up at the seats where some of the members were watching them. "We'll talk later." She nodded as a security wizard arrived to escort Aaron back to one of the witness rooms. Hermione watched him go, then glanced at Kingsley. The Minister looked irritated and didn't meet her gaze. She sighed and settled back into her seat as the Healer stepped up the podium.

Instead of listening to the presentation, which she had heard already, Hermione spent the time observing the members of the Wizengamot. There were a few that she could tell thought the entire thing was a farce, as well as those that she thought were definitely going to vote in favor of it. The majority though, she couldn't read. Most of them looked interested in what the Healer had to say, but Hermione had no way of knowing which way they would vote.

When the Healer finished, Hermione stepped up to the podium for any final questions. There were only a few and most were requests for clarification of certain points. When she had answered the last one, Kingsley nodded to the Chief Warlock.

"This session is officially closed," he said. "We will begin our deliberations and notify the Minister when we have come to a decision. Thank you, Miss Granger."

"Thank you for your time," Hermione said as she picked up her notes. She quickly left the chamber to find Aaron. She was anxious to hear what had happened.

* * *

They left the Ministry and walked to the Muggle café down the street, having decided not to discuss it until they were seated at their table.

"What happened?" Hermione asked once they had ordered lunch.

"A few people seemed more concerned with my background and what qualified me to be treating a witch at all, than what I was actually doing." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure I can guess who," she said.

"Yes, the one that raised the initial objection was one of them. He seems to have a little following. They were all less than complimentary in their questions."

"No wonder Kingsley looked so irritated." Aaron nodded.

"He had to redirect the questioning quite a few times."

"I'm sorry they treated you that way," she said. He shrugged.

"It's not as if you didn't warn me," he said. "A few insults aren't going to drive me away from this, trust me." Hermione smiled.

"How did it go otherwise?"

"As well as it could have," he said. He hesitated. "Hermione, I don't want you to get your hopes up." She looked at him questioningly. "I got the feeling that this spell Delia used is carrying more weight right now than anything I had to say." She sighed.

"I was afraid of that."

"You've explained it to me and I understand why they classify it as unforgiveable, but there were some very strong reactions when we were discussing it in there." Hermione glanced around before she spoke. There was no one sitting near them, but she lowered her voice anyway. They'd discussed the war quite a bit when Aaron had agreed to see patients from the Wizarding world, so he had a basic knowledge of what had happened.

"There were some Death Eaters that claimed they were under that particular curse during the first war and therefore, anything they did was against their will. There was no way to prove it one way or the other and most of them were set free. Once the second war began, it turned out that very few of them had really been under it at all. They hurt and killed a lot of people." She paused.

"Not to mention those that actually _were_ put under the curse did horrible things on someone else's orders. It's, the war hasn't been over for that long and it's still fresh for a lot of people. If Delia hadn't put the curse on her sister, if she'd used Polyjuice potion or a glamour or something and done everything herself, it might be different. Not that it would make it any better, what she tried to do, but, well, she wouldn't have involved an innocent person."

"Polyjuice potion?" Aaron questioned.

"It turns you into someone else," she said. "An exact replica." Aaron stared at her for a moment before he shook his head.

"I should be used to hearing about things like this by now, but," he trailed off and shook his head again. Hermione smiled. "It seems to me using something like that would be just as punishable, if not more so. Turning into someone else to commit a crime?"

"There are plenty of spells and potions that I think should be classified differently than they are. I suppose the difference with Polyjuice is that even if you look like someone else, it's still you doing whatever you're doing. And it only lasts an hour, so without drinking it again, you turn back into yourself. With the Imperius, you're using someone else against their will, sometimes for months or even years."

"Well, yes, but what if the person you pretended to be gets arrested for your crime?" Aaron argued. "That's still using someone against their will, even if you are the one that did it."

"Trust me, I agree with you," Hermione said. "Polyjuice is regulated by the Ministry, but only in that apothecaries can't sell it to the public. It's difficult to brew and also time-consuming, so not everyone can do it. There are books with the instructions for someone that wants to use it and has the ability to make it, but that number is small. On the other hand, most people can cast and control the Imperius curse. And it's directly using another person, instead of indirectly like Polyjuice."

"Semantics," Aaron said. Hermione nodded in agreement.

"The wizarding government isn't any more perfect than the Muggle one, I'm afraid." She paused, trying to decide how to frame her next question so that Aaron would answer it.

"I know you can't give me specifics," Hermione said. "And I'm not asking for any. But if this proposal fails will she…will she be all right?" Aaron sighed and pursed his lips in thought for a few moments.

"She understands why she's been convicted," he finally said. "It's my understanding that she didn't when the trial was going on."

"It didn't seem so," Hermione said remembering Delia's reaction when the Aurors took her from the courtroom after the verdict had been read. Aaron nodded

"That, in and of itself, will help. She's healthy physically, which will also work in her favor. She's responded well so far, but," he stopped and shook his head. "I just don't know, Hermione." Hermione was prevented from saying anything as their server arrived with their food. Her appetite had completely vanished and the salad that was set before her looked anything but appetizing.

"If I could keep seeing her, then maybe," Aaron said.

"What do mean?" she said. "If they don't approve the program, they'll take her back to Azkaban."

"I'm aware," he said. "If I could continue to see her there, it would help." Hermione sat back in her chair and stared at him. Of course! She had been so focused on keeping Delia in St. Mungo's, she had completely forgotten about Azkaban and her initial plan.

"Aaron, do you mind if we take this food to go?" she said.

"Oh, no, not at all." He looked at Hermione strangely, but she didn't reply, simply looked for their server and motioned her over.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said to the other woman. "But something has come up and we have to leave. Can we get our lunches boxed up?"

"Of course," the server said and took both their plates, walking back to the kitchen.

"Hermione, has something happened?"

"I just thought of something I should have put in the proposal in the first place," she said. "I just hope it's not too late to add it." Their server retuned with their boxes and the check. Hermione paid it quickly, ignoring Aaron's protests.

"I'll take you back to your office." They left the café and began walking quickly to the Ministry's Apparition point.

"Hermione, please tell me what's going on." She turned to him and smiled.

"Aaron, you don't get seasick, do you?"


	89. Beginnings

**A/N - Hello all! Sorry for the delay. I am dealing with some health issues along with all the usual Christmas craziness. I am unsure if I will update again before Christmas, so if I don't, I hope all of you that celebrate have a wonderful holiday. Thank you again for all the reviews, follows and favorites!**

 **Chapter 89**

 **Beginnings**

 **31 August 2000**

"The session is closed," Kingsley said. "They've already started the deliberation process."

"I know," Hermione said. "If you tell me you don't think this would matter, I won't bother. But Kingsley, I think it's an alternative they might agree to." Kingsley sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Are you abandoning the St. Mungo's plan, then?"

"No," Hermione said. "But if they can't accept that right now or if it's just Delia they don't want to keep there, then this is the next best thing. I still want the committee to go ahead with the ward at St. Mungo's. My hope is that as the mind healing program is implemented and gains more recognition, the Wizengamot might still approve the program."

"I told you before that the Wizengamot would never approve of a Muggle going to Azkaban," Kingsley reminded her. "I believe I told you it was impossible."

"That was before the same Muggle worked at St. Mungo's and spoke in front of the Wizengamot. Besides, he's a Squib, remember?" Hermione smirked at him and Kingsley shook his head but couldn't hide his smile. "What about logistics?"

"What about them?" Kingsley asked.

"I jokingly asked Aaron if he got seasick, but is the boat the only way he can get in?"

"There is an Apparition point at the dock," Kingsley said. "But only if your magical signature is keyed into the wards."

"So, no side-along," Hermione said.

"No," Kingsley replied. "And he doesn't have a magical signature, Hermione." Hermione nodded. After explaining it to Aaron he had agreed to go by boat, but it was a long trip and not at all enjoyable as she'd heard from Harry and Ron.

"There's a possibility that we could open the Floo in the warden's office for him." Hermione looked up at that.

"The Floo is connected?"

"Yes, but it's warded all the time. It's only an emergency escape if it's ever needed."

"What are the odds of that getting approved?"

"I have no idea," Kingsley said. He tapped his fingers on his desk for a few moments. "We might be able to add an addendum onto the original proposal, but only if the Chief Warlock agrees to call an emergency session to hear it." Hermione bit her lip.

"And the chances?"

"Fifty-fifty," Kingsley replied. They weren't great odds, but it was better than nothing. "Are you ready to present?"

"As soon as you need me," she said. There wasn't much to what she was going to say.

"Let me contact Wallace," Kingsley said. "I'll send you a memo as soon as I know anything."

"Thank you, Kingsley," Hermione said. He nodded and she left his office, hurrying to her office to talk to Margaret.

* * *

"This is highly irregular, Wallace." The same wizard who had objected to Delia's treatment spoke to the Chief Warlock.

"Irregular, yes, but not unprecedented."

"Just because things did not go Miss Granger's way this morning doesn't mean she can add onto her proposal whenever she likes," another witch said.

"As far as I am aware, you haven't voted yet," Kingsley said. "How do we know which way things are going to go?" The witch scowled at the Minister. Hermione forced herself not to smile.

"All right, let us get started," the Chief Warlock said and the Wizengamot settled into their seats. "Miss Granger."

"Thank you, sir. I apologize for the last-minute addition, but I would like to propose an alternative to my pilot program. I would hope that the Wizengamot would still debate both and approve my original proposal, but I thought this might be a compromise that everyone would feel more comfortable with." Hermione proceeded to explain her idea to have Aaron continue to see Delia once she was sent back to Azkaban.

"You want a Muggle to go to Azkaban?" someone snorted. "Preposterous."

"Dr. Chadwick is a Squib," Hermione said. "He has a daughter that's a witch."

"Could he even get onto the island?" a witch asked. "I thought your magical signature had to be keyed into the wards."

"For Apparition," Hermione said. "He can go by boat, however."

"We are also looking into other alternatives that will not compromise the security of the prison," Kingsley said. "I have a meeting with the warden later today." Hermione was surprised to hear that, but grateful that Kingsley was working quickly.

There were a few more questions and by looking around the room, Hermione could tell there were those that had already made up their minds not to approve either proposal. She wasn't surprised by who they were. They hadn't voted for her House-elf or Werewolf proposals either. Still, it was a small faction, so she wasn't completely discouraged.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," the Chief Warlock said after the last question had been asked. "We will let you know when we have reached a decision."

"Thank you, sir. And I appreciate all of you taking time out of your schedule to hear this addition." She smiled warmly at the group and was encouraged by the number of people that returned her smile. Gathering up her notes, Hermione left the chamber. Now all she could do was wait.

* * *

Hermione landed in the front garden and went up the walk to the front door. She was very glad the day was over, it had been a bit of a whirlwind. She opened the door of the cottage and stepped inside, the smell of dinner wafting towards the door. Her stomach growled and she realized she had never eaten the salad she had taken with her from the café.

"My-nee," Teddy called as he ran into the room.

"Hey, you," she said, picking him up and kissing his cheek. Teddy grinned and her, his hair turning to brown curls. Hermione grinned at him.

"Hello, love," Remus said as he walked into the room from the kitchen. She smiled and set Teddy down when he squirmed. Walking towards Remus, she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. She sighed in contentment against his chest.

"Long day?" he asked, running a hand through her curls.

"You could say that," she said. She looked up at him and he kissed her softly. "It smells wonderful in here."

"Thank Andromeda," he said. "I'm just finishing cooking it." He led her into the kitchen and handed her a glass of wine. She smiled gratefully and took a sip. "Tell me about the proposal."

"Which one?" she asked with a smirk and he quirked a brow. Hermione explained all that had happened over the course of the day. Teddy ran in and out of the kitchen, chasing the dragons Remus had charmed for him with his Quidditch players and once, a car. Hermione watched him fondly as she continued her conversation with Remus.

"I just hope they approve it," she finished.

"Which one?" he asked.

"Well, of course I'd like the initial proposal, but I'll take either one at this point. Although, there was a lot of grumbling about Aaron going to Azkaban. And I will feel badly if he has to go in by boat every time. Harry and Ron said it's not the most pleasant experience."

"No, I don't imagine it is," Remus said. "It's possible that your second proposal may help the first pass."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"Those that may have thought the idea had merit but were on the fence about keeping Delia at St. Mungo's, may decide that it's a better alternative than sending Aaron to Azkaban."

"Hm, I didn't think about that," she said. "I'd guess that would be a small number though."

"You might be surprised," Remus said. "Most everyone at least knows of someone who was affected by the war."

"I hope you're right," she said. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"As much as I can be," he replied. "I spoke to Minerva this morning." He paused looking at Hermione.

"What is it?"

"She would like me to stay at the school tomorrow night."

"Oh, well, that makes sense. It is the first night and there are always homesick first years. Second and third years too, sometimes."

"Andromeda offered to keep Teddy if you like."

"Because of what happened at the moon?" Hermione asked. Remus nodded. "He's been much better since then. And I'm sure Andromeda is trying to finish up her packing." She was moving to Hogsmeade that weekend. "Besides, tomorrow is Friday. I don't have to be up for work the next day."

"Are you sure?" Remus asked, tucking a curl behind her ear.

"Of course, I am," she said. "We'll be fine. Maybe we'll have Harry and Ginny over for dinner. That should distract him from you not being here." He leaned down and kissed her.

"Andromeda is going to watch him here tomorrow, since most everything is packed up at her house." Hermione nodded. She leaned into him, putting a hand to the back of his neck and curling her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. He grasped her hip and pulled her to him, kissing her again, this time with a bit more force. Teddy running into the kitchen a few moments later separated them. Hermione rested her forehead against Remus' chest for a second before she stepped back. The look in his eyes was a promise for later. She squeezed his hand and turned her attention to Teddy.

* * *

 **1 September 2000**

Remus sat at the staff table watching as the students filed into the Great Hall. He had been noticed first by a Hufflepuff that he'd tutored last year and the boy immediately turned to his friends and pointed Remus out. Word spread quickly throughout the Hall and it wasn't long before almost every student that entered was looking at him curiously. Neville, a few seats down from Remus, received the same treatment.

Remus ignored the looks and began scanning the crowd for Paul, Claire, David and Annie. The last two came in together and Annie waved to him. Remus returned the wave as he looked over their heads for Claire. She walked in a few moments later talking with Paul. They both seemed reluctant to part and when Paul finally left to sit at the Ravenclaw table, he made sure to position himself so he could still look at Claire. Remus hid a smile. He would have to keep an eye on that budding romance.

Minerva walked into the Hall and took her seat as Filius opened the door from the antechamber and led in the new first years. The rest of the students quieted as the younger students came in looking nervous. Remus immediately saw Will, taller and broader than all of the other boys, not surprising given he was a year older. He still looked just as nervous, however, glancing towards his brother for reassurance. Paul gave him an encouraging smile and then Will looked up at the staff table and saw Remus. Remus could see his shoulders relax as he winked at the boy.

The sorting began and Remus clapped politely as each student was sent to their respective houses. Will was the fourth child sorted. The hat hesitated for a few minutes, but in the end, Hermione's suspicions were confirmed and Will was sent to Gryffindor. Remus saw the disappointed look on Paul's face, but he brightened a bit when he saw David motion for Will to sit next to him. Will would be fine.

When the sorting was finished, Minerva made her announcements and then introduced Remus and Neville as the new teachers. The students clapped for both of them and Remus was glad to see the smiles and grins for both he and Neville. There weren't any students still in school that Remus had had when he first taught here, but he did know a fair few from tutoring. And many of them seemed to be in awe that Neville was going to be assisting Pomona. Of course, the story of Neville killing Nagini had been told and retold for the last two years. He wondered how many questions Neville would get about that very topic during the first week of classes.

Finally, the feast began. The food was wonderful, of course, but Remus found his thoughts drifting to Teddy and Hermione. She had invited Harry and Ginny to dinner, Andromeda as well, although his mother-in-law had declined. She did have a bit of packing to finish up and Remus suspected that Kingsley was coming to help her with it.

Remus had been to the house this week to assist Andromeda when he could. It had been odd walking into the room that had been his and seeing it empty. It was silly, as all of his personal possessions had gone to his cottage when he and Hermione moved, but seeing the room completely devoid of anything had been more difficult that he'd imagined. Memories had flooded him the moment he stepped across the threshold and he had stood there for quite some time lost in them. He was glad that he was going to have work to distract him. As much as he was happy that they were all getting a new start, not going back to the house he had spent almost the last three years in was going to be strange.

Minerva made a few more announcements after they had finished eating and then dismissed the students to their houses. Remus watched as the Prefects gathered up the first years to show them how to get to the common rooms. The teachers began to rise in order to retire to their own quarters. Remus glanced down the table and saw that although Neville had stood, he was still behind his chair watching the students leave.

"Feel a bit strange?" Remus asked as he walked up next to the younger man.

"Just a bit," Neville said with a wry smile. Remus clapped him on the shoulder. "Probably only going to get stranger."

"How so?" Remus asked.

"Minerva's asked me to be co-head of Gryffindor with Professor Blanchard," Neville said. "Wants me to take over the position completely in a year or two." Colette Blanchard was the current Transfiguration professor. She wasn't a Gryffindor, however, having attended Beauxbatons. Angus Higgins had been the Head the last two years, but with his retirement, Minerva had to appoint someone else. Professor Blanchard had agreed with the understanding that it was only temporary and Minerva would replace her as soon as possible.

"Congratulations, Neville," Remus said. Though young, Remus thought Neville would make an excellent Head of House.

"Oh, but," Neville's cheeks turned pink. "She should have asked you. I mean you've got more experience than I do." But Remus shook his head.

"I'm not living in the castle, remember? There's no way I could do it unless I was."

"Right," Neville said. Remus gave him a reassuring smile and Neville seemed to relax. "Well, I suppose I'd better go. Colette wants us to introduce ourselves to the Gryffindors tonight." Remus nodded and the two began to walk from the Hall. "It's going to be odd, though. I was in school with some of the older students."

"That could be something that works in your favor," Remus said. "They might be more inclined to confide in you, thinking you would understand better than an older adult would."

"I suppose," Neville said.

"Just make sure they understand that you're still a teacher," Remus said. "You don't want them thinking they can take advantage of your age." Neville nodded.

"If you need anything, let me know," Remus said when they reached the Entrance Hall. "I'll be in staying tonight."

"Thanks, Remus." Remus watched him go and then made his way to his own quarters near his office.

* * *

Andromeda stood in the doorway of Teddy's empty room, the room that had been Nymphadora's when she was small. When she had come back from Hogwarts after her first year, she had insisted on moving to the guest room which she said was bigger and more grown-up. Ted had indulged her, of course, even though the rooms were almost exactly the same size. They had dutifully swapped the furniture and let Dora decorate her new bedroom as she liked. Her old room had been the guest room until she fell pregnant with Teddy.

"All right?" Kingsley asked, slipping his arms around Andromeda from behind. She leaned back against his chest and he kissed her temple.

"Just remembering," she said.

"Good memories, I hope." Andromeda smiled softly.

"Yes," she said. Kingsley tightened his arms around her. They stood in silence for a few minutes before she turned in his arms. "Thank you for being here tonight." He smiled down at her, kissing her softly.

"I finished in the kitchen," he said. "What do you have left?"

"Just my bedroom," she replied. She had packed up most things in the past week. It had been difficult going through Ted's, but Remus had helped. She had decided to replace the bedroom furniture. Her current set she was donating to a second-hand store. All she had left to pack were her clothes and some photographs and mementos.

"Are you sure you want to stay here tonight? We can still go back to my flat." Kingsley ran a hand up and down her back. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"I need to say one last good-bye," she said. He nodded and hugged her to him.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked in her ear. "I can easily enlarge the couch and sleep there." She pulled back slightly and put a hand to his cheek. He grasped it in his own and kissed her palm. She didn't know what she had done to deserve this man.

"That is a wonderful offer, but this is something I need to do on my own." He studied her for a moment before he nodded. She leaned up to kiss him.

"I love you," he said when they'd parted.

"And I love you," she replied before he kissed her once more.

"I'll be back in the morning." She nodded and they walked down the stairs to the Floo. Before he picked up the powder, he turned back to her. "If you need anything or you change your mind, Floo."

"I will," she said. Kingsley kissed her one last time, a searing kiss that nearly _did_ make her change her mind. And then he quickly threw in the Floo powder and stepped in, as if he wouldn't be able to leave if he lingered. Andromeda understood. She almost called him back herself.

When he had gone, she looked around the empty living room. The entire main floor was devoid of anything that had made this house hers and Ted's. She supposed it was better that way. It would make it easier to leave tomorrow. At least, that's what she told herself. In reality, the memories flooded her regardless of the contents of the room.

Their first Christmas in the house Andromeda had felt so huge and cumbersome being nearly eight months pregnant, she hadn't even wanted to think about a tree or decorating. She had come downstairs after taking a nap to find that Ted had done everything on his own. She had burst into tears and he had been afraid she was upset with him for doing it without talking to her. When he finally realized they were tears of happiness, he had led her to the couch and they had sat snuggled together admiring the fairy lights on the tree while they drank hot chocolate.

There were so many memories like that, so much joy and laughter that they had shared together. Her last night with Ted had been in this room as well. She should have known what he was planning by the strange way he was acting. They had sat on the couch in front of the fireplace and reminisced about so many different things. And when they had finally retired to their bedroom, he had made love to her almost desperately. She should have suspected that he would be gone the next morning. He had left a letter, one that she had read and reread a hundred times since, apologizing and explaining his reasons. She had understood, of course she had, but that had not made it any easier.

Andromeda took one last look around and left the living room. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, the same onslaught of memories assaulting her as she stepped inside. She walked to the framed photographs that sat on the side table and picked up the one of Ted and Nymphadora, just after she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter. Ted had an arm around their daughter as she held up her letter. He smiled and then kissed the top of Dora's head, turning to wink at the camera. Andromeda drew a finger down the side of his face and smiled, tears gathering in her eyes. They'd had an amazing life together. Despite being disowned, Andromeda would not have done anything differently. She set the photograph back in its place before kissing her fingertips and pressing them to the edge of the frame. Casting one last glance around the room, she went into the loo to ready herself for bed and the last night in this chapter of her life.

* * *

 **2 September 2000**

Remus stepped from the Floo, glad that Hermione had remembered to take the wards down this morning. He could hear sounds coming from the kitchen and stepped around the corner to see Hermione and Teddy sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Daddy!" Teddy called. Hermione turned and smiled at him, rising from the table to kiss him.

"Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he replied. "Hello, Teddy." Teddy grinned at him and took another bite of his eggs.

"Are you hungry?" Hermione asked. "I could make you something."

"I ate at the castle," Remus said putting an arm around her waist and kissing her temple. They both looked rested, so Remus hoped that Teddy hadn't put up too much of a fuss.

"How was the sorting?" she asked, clearly wondering about Will.

"Gryffindor, just as you thought. Paul looked a bit disappointed, but David, Annie and Claire welcomed Will right away."

"I'm so glad," she said. "How was the rest of your night?"

"Two seventh-years out after curfew and a few crying first-years," he said. "They've got the weekend to acclimate though, with no classes."

"My fifth-year was like that," Hermione said. "It was nice." Remus released her and she sat back down to finish her breakfast.

"And how were things here?" he asked.

"Harry was a wonderful distraction."

"Me pay Ha-wy, Daddy," Teddy said with a grin. Hermione laughed at the jam smeared across his face. Remus chuckled.

"He asked for you and Andromeda a couple of times, but he was all right when we put him to bed," Hermione said quietly.

"Did he wake in the night?"

"Once, but he went right back to sleep when I came in," she said. "I didn't even have to take him out of his cot." Hermione reached over and squeezed Remus' hand. "We were fine." He smiled at her and picked up her hand, kissing her fingertips.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Remus," she said. "I love you both." He squeezed her fingers again and she smiled. "What time do we need to be at Andromeda's?"

"Me see Nanna, Daddy?" Teddy asked.

"Yes, we're seeing your nanna today. She's moving right next door." Teddy clearly had no idea what Remus was talking about, but happily went back to his breakfast knowing he was going to see his grandmother. Remus turned to Hermione.

"Around nine, she said."

"I'd better go take a shower then," Hermione said. Remus had already showered and shaved at the castle. He'd been up early, eager to get back home and make sure things had gone all right. Before Hermione could leave the room, he tugged on her hand and she bent down to kiss him. She gave him a brilliant smile before she left the room. Remus watched her go and then turned back to his son.

"I done," Teddy said. Remus laughed, wondering how his son had gotten jam on his eyebrow. Teddy grinned as his father cast a cleansing charm on his face and hands, then picked him up out of his high chair.

"Let's go get you dressed for Nanna's."

* * *

They stepped from the Floo into Andromeda's empty living room. Teddy looked around in confusion at the missing furniture.

"Where cowts go?" Teddy asked.

"Remember when we moved into the cottage?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded. "Nanna is moving too." Hermione stepped out of the fireplace.

"Where cowts go, My-nee?" Teddy asked, pointing to the room in front of him.

"Your nanna is moving," Hermione said. She glanced at Remus. He was regretting not taking Molly up on her offer to watch Teddy while they helped move Andromeda. Kingsley walked into the room from the kitchen.

"Ting!" Teddy said.

"Hello, Teddy," Kingsley said with a smile. Teddy reached for him and Remus passed the boy over.

"Where go, Ting?" Teddy asked again. Kingsley glanced at Remus who mouthed 'furniture' to him.

"Shall I show you?" Kingsley asked. Teddy nodded. He took the little boy to the corner of the room where there were a stack of boxes. He opened the top one and took out a shrunken arm chair, showing it to Teddy.

"Make big!" Teddy said throwing his arms up. Kingsley chuckled.

"We will make it big again, when we get to your nanna's new house." Teddy's brow furrowed in confusion as Andromeda walked into the room, drying her hands on a towel.

"I have packed up the breakfast dishes," she said, taking her grandson from Kingsley's arms. "That is the last of it." She kissed Teddy's cheek.

"Nanna?" Teddy said.

"Yes, darling?"

"My room, Nanna?" Andromeda saw Kingsley putting the chair back into the box and glanced at Remus.

"Your room is in that box right there," Andromeda said, pointing to one in the stack. "And we are going to take it to Nanna's new house."

"No," Teddy said with a pout. "No new house."

"Nanna is going to live right behind you," she said. "You can see my new house from your bedroom window." Teddy crossed his arms in front of him and shook his head again, still pouting.

"You can run from your back garden to mine," Andromeda coaxed. "Shall I show you?"

"No," Teddy said stubbornly. He wrapped his arms around his grandmother's neck. "No new house." She rubbed his back and began to sway back and forth, looking at Remus in concern. Remus sighed. There wasn't really going to be any way to explain things to Teddy. He was only two after all. The best they could do was show him.

"Why don't you and I go back to our house," Remus said to Andromeda. "We can show him from there." He looked at Kingsley and Hermione. "Do you mind?"

"Of course, not," Hermione said. "We'll start bringing the boxes through the Floo." Kingsley nodded in agreement. Hermione kissed Remus' cheek and moved across the room to the stack of boxes. Kingsley did the same to Andromeda, then patted Teddy's back.

"Come on, darling," Andromeda said to her grandson. "Nanna wants to show you something." She stepped into the Floo and Remus followed closely behind.

They stepped out into the cottage. Teddy squirmed to get down to play with his toys, but Andromeda reminded him that she wanted to show him something. They climbed the stairs to Teddy's bedroom and Andromeda walked to the window.

"Do you see that house right over there?" she asked. Teddy nodded. "That is where Nanna is going to live now."

"Me too?" Teddy asked.

"No, you are going to stay here with your daddy and Hermione," Andromeda said. "But you can come to my house every day while they are at work."

"My room, Nanna?"

"Yes, darling, you will have your room at my new house just as you did at the old one." Teddy looked back to the new house and then at his grandmother.

"Me see." She smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Of course, you can see. Shall we walk there?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Andromeda carried him back downstairs and they went to the back door. She set him down and then opened the door, taking his hand as they walked into the garden. Remus took his hand on the other side and together, the three of them walked to the edge of Remus' garden and into Andromeda's, pointing out things to Teddy along the way.

"There it is," Andromeda said. They walked to the back door and Andromeda unlocked it with her wand. When they stepped inside, they could hear movement upstairs and Remus guessed that Hermione and Kingsley were already here, setting up Teddy's bedroom. He hoped they had gotten the furniture enlarged at least. It would make it much more real for Teddy that way.

"Let's go upstairs," Andromeda said and they walked through the empty living room to the stairs. Teddy was looking around but didn't say anything as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. They passed the master bedroom and Teddy looked inside.

"Dis my room, Nanna?"

"No, love, that's Nanna's room. Your room is just down here." The walked to the end of the corridor, passing the loo to a closed door.

"Are you ready?" Remus asked in a louder voice than necessary, hoping that Kingsley and Hermione would hear him. They must have as there was a scrape and a shuffling and then silence.

"Yes!" Teddy said, grin on his face. Remus slowly turned the knob and then opened the door. Hermione and Kingsley stood near the window with smiles on their faces.

"Look, it's your room," Remus said and Teddy stepped inside. The room was set up just as it had been at Andromeda's. Teddy ran to the toy basket in the corner where Andromeda kept an identical set of his dragons and Quidditch players, as well as more Muggle toy cars.

"My room," Teddy said excitedly.

"And look at this," Hermione said as she picked him up and moved to the window. "What's that over there?"

"My house!" Teddy said. Hermione smiled.

"That's right, that's our house." Remus stepped up next to them.

"Do you like your nanna's new house?" he asked. Teddy nodded. He looked over Hermione's shoulder to where Andromeda stood. Kingsley stood next to her, with his arm around her shoulders.

"Like you new house, Nanna," Teddy said with a grin. She laughed.

"I am glad you approve." Teddy squirmed to be set down and he ran to his toys. Kingsley squeezed Andromeda's shoulder and kissed her temple. Hermione wrapped her arms around Remus' waist as they all watched Teddy play contentedly.

* * *

Andromeda finished emptying the last box. Hermione and Remus had gone home after the five of them had dinner at the Three Broomsticks. Kingsley had come back with her to help finish unpacking. She had just placed the last of her books on the bookshelves in the small study when Kingsley walked into the room, two glasses of wine in his hands.

"All finished then?" he asked as he handed her a glass. She smiled at him gratefully, then took a sip.

"Yes, just," she said. "Thank you for staying to help me."

"You don't have to thank me, love." He took her hand and led her to the couch. She leaned into his side and they sat in companionable silence, sipping their wine.

"How do you feel?" he asked after a few minutes. She contemplated his question.

"Tired," she said and he chuckled. "A bit sad, but excited about a new start too." She tilted her head to look up at him and he leaned down to kiss her.

"To new beginnings," he said, raising his glass. She clinked her glass against his and then kissed him again. She rested her head against his shoulder when they parted.

"I hope Teddy is all right," Andromeda said. "They have been having a bit of hard time with his sleeping. I hope that my move does not set him back."

"He seemed all right when they left the pub," Kingsley said, fingers drawing random patterns on her shoulder and upper arm. Andromeda tried not to shiver.

"He will adjust," she said. "I just hope it doesn't take too long."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Kingsley said. "It will probably be even easier now that he can see your house from his." Andromeda made a noise of agreement. They lapsed into silence again, Kingsley still tracing his fingers idly over her arm. She relaxed further into his side, sighing in contentment.

"You're tired," he said a while later and she realized that she had nearly fallen asleep. "Do you want me to go?" She looked up at him.

"No," she said. "I don't." Kingsley stared at her for a few moments.

"Is that you wishing I didn't have to leave or an invitation?"

"What if I said it was an invitation?" she asked. Kingsley had never stayed the night at her house before, although she had spent a few nights at his flat. This, though, was a different house and a completely different bed.

"I would say that you and I had exactly the same idea," Kingsley replied with a grin as he leaned down to kiss her. She laughed against his lips and then kissed him back, standing from the couch a few minutes later and holding out a hand to him. He took it and rose, following her up the stairs as she waved her wand to lock the doors and the Floo.

* * *

 **6 September 2000**

"Miss Granger?" Hermione looked up to see Cecily standing her doorway.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Fawcett would like to see you in her office."

"Thank you, Cecily." The other woman went back to her desk as Hermione stood. She wondered if the Wizengamot had come back with a decision about Delia. Tomorrow was the last day of the pilot program and Delia would be sent back to Azkaban unless Hermione's proposal was approved. She had spoken to Aaron two days ago and he was preparing Delia for the move back to prison.

"You wanted to see me," Hermione said as she stepped into Margaret's office.

"The Chief Warlock would like to see us in thirty minutes." Hermione's heart began to pound.

"They've made a decision?"

"He didn't say exactly, but that is what I suspect, yes." Hermione blew out a breath. Margaret stood and came around her desk to stand in front of Hermione.

"No matter the decision is, your mind healing program is still going to be implemented. I don't want you to forget that if the pilot program doesn't go the way you wish." Hermione nodded. "The work you have done on this has been outstanding. There are few people who could build a program from the ground up like this, especially one that wasn't in their background of study." Hermione felt her cheeks heat.

"Thank you," she said quietly, a bit embarrassed by the praise. Margaret squeezed her arm and then sat down at her desk again.

"Since we have a few minutes, why don't we go over the research you've been doing the last few days."

"My notes are in my office," Hermione said.

"I'm sure you can give me an overview without the notes," Margaret said. Hermione sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk, knowing that her boss was trying to distract her. She was grateful for it.

* * *

"It's time to go," Margaret said about twenty minutes later. "We're meeting in the Minister's office." Hermione's nerves immediately returned.

"I should get my notes," she said, but Margaret shook her head.

"You know this proposal inside and out, Hermione. If he has any questions, I have no doubt you will be able to answer." Hermione nodded.

"All right," she said. Cecily handed something to Margaret as they left the department, but Hermione was too distracted to notice what it was. As they waited for the lift, Hermione wished she had something to occupy her hands. She might not have _needed_ her notes, but they would have been something to stop her fidgeting at least. Wordlessly, Margaret passed Hermione the folder that she held.

"I think you need to hold this more than I do," Margaret said. Hermione looked at her sheepishly and Margaret gave her a wink. The folder held a synopsis of the proposal as well as the paperwork that Margaret would have to fill out once they knew the proposal's fate.

They made their way to Kingsley's office, Hermione getting more nervous with each step she took. Margaret was right, St. Mungo's was going to continue to implement the mind healing program regardless of the Wizengamot's decision and that's what she should be focusing on. But she couldn't help wanting things to work for Delia as well.

"Go right in," Miss Stebbins said as they arrived in the office. "They're waiting for you." Hermione took one more deep breath and followed Margaret into Kingsley's office.

Both men rose at their entrance, Kingsley ushering everyone into the small seating area near the fireplace. Once they had settled themselves, Hermione looked up at the Chief Warlock expectantly. She couldn't tell by the look on his face which way the Wizengamot had decided.

"Miss Granger, I would like to thank you for your very thorough proposal and explanations to us last week. Your presentation was very well put together and I commend you for the work you have been doing with St. Mungo's to get this mind healing project started."

"Thank you, sir." Hermione's stomach began to twist in knots. Wasn't there some saying about being sure to compliment someone before letting them know all the ways they'd failed?

"The debate about your pilot program was likely one of the most, shall we say, spirited, that we have had in quite some time." Hermione didn't think that was necessarily a good thing. "Very strong opinions on both sides." He cleared his throat and looked up at her. Hermione held her breath. "Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot approve extending the pilot program the Minister authorized." Hermione's heart sunk. She knew that it hadn't been likely, but she had still hoped.

"As to the matter of your addendum to the proposal," the Chief Warlock continued. "The Wizengamot is hesitant to allow a Muggle to travel to Azkaban. Especially to administer healing that many on our panel either do not understand, or do not feel has any authenticity." Hermione bristled. She was not going to allow her last hope to go without a fight.

"With all due respect, sir, he is not a Muggle. Nor is the therapy that he practices not authentic."

"I know that the Minister classified him as a Squib so he could participate in the hearing, however, there is disagreement amongst our members. He is the second generation not to carry magic in his family, which classifies him as a Muggle."

"He has a daughter that is a witch," Hermione argued.

"Yes, a daughter that is not yet Hogwarts age, meaning her father should not have been informed about magic yet."

"Dr. Chadwick's grandmother is a witch," Hermione said. "Surely, you can't expect that if his daughter began showing signs of magic, his grandmother wouldn't have explained it to him." The Chief Warlock looked uncomfortable. Hermione wondered how _he_ would label Aaron.

"Wallace," Kingsley said. "You and I both know that this is a unique situation. The magic skipped only two generations and the magical ancestor is still alive and well, not to mention the uncles and cousins that also have magic. It is a bit far-fetched to think that Queenie Kowalski wouldn't have informed her grandson of his daughter's status as soon as she knew of it. You are also aware that you, as Chief Warlock, have the ability to determine Dr. Chadwick's status as Muggle or Squib in this situation." Hermione's eyes widened. She hadn't known that and wondered just where the Chief Warlock stood on her proposal.

"Yes, well, that doesn't preclude the skepticism about his profession," the Chief Warlock said. "And there was quite a bit of skepticism."

"I'm sorry, sir, but just because someone isn't familiar with something doesn't mean that is doesn't exist or that it doesn't work," Hermione said. "How many members of the Wizengamot are familiar with how airplanes work? Or guns? Or bombs?" The Chief Warlock remained silent. "Not knowing how or why things work doesn't mean that they don't."

"This therapy you are proposing is hardly a Muggle vehicle or gun," The Chief Warlock said.

"I realize it isn't tangible in the way those other things are, but there are many things in the Muggle world that wizards and witches don't understand. Not all of them should be ignored or discounted," Hermione said. There was silence in the room for a few moments. "May I ask what the vote on my addition was, sir?"

"As it stands now, your addendum has failed by one vote." Hermione's heart clenched in her chest. One vote. She would have only had to have convinced one more person and there would have been a tie. Then Kingsley could have cast the deciding vote. Wait. The vote as it stands now? What did that mean? Margaret seemed to catch it as well because she asked the question before Hermione could.

"What do you mean 'as it stands now'?"

"I have not cast my vote," the Chief Warlock said. Hermione sat up straighter in her seat. Surely, then, he had called this meeting because he wasn't sure how he wanted to vote.

"How can I convince you to vote yes, sir?" Hermione asked. The Chief Warlock studied her.

"I do wonder, Miss Granger, why you are so concerned with this particular prisoner. By all accounts, _you_ should be the one insisting Miss Wilkes remain in Azkaban." Hermione met his gaze.

"This war was fought by children," Hermione said. "You can argue that all of us that stayed to fight were of age, and you would be right, but many of us had been dealing with Voldemort and his Death Eaters in some capacity for _years_ before that. There were plenty of opportunities for the Ministry to step in, for the adults of our society to take over and fight in our place. But they didn't. We all went through things, we all suffered, we all have scars, both visible and not. Some of us dealt with these things better than others. Whether that was because we had a better support system or were mentally stronger or found ways to cope, I don't know. Delia Wilkes, for whatever reason, did not recover well from the trauma of the war. And instead of trying to figure out why she did the things she did, instead of trying to _help_ her, we've locked her away for the rest of her life. A _child_ who fought in a war she didn't ask for, simply because she thought that it was the right thing to do. And this is how we've repaid her for that decision. She could have been any of us." Hermione stopped a took a breath. Kingsley was looking at her with pride and she colored slightly. Before the Chief Warlock could say anything, Hermione continued.

"I'm not saying that Delia Wilkes should be absolved of her crimes. She did hurt people, she broke laws, and she deserves punishment for that. But she doesn't deserve to be thrown into Azkaban to never again see the light of day. She is nineteen years old, sir." The Chief Warlock was still staring at her.

"That was quite an impassioned speech, Miss Granger."

"I'm very passionate about this project, sir." A hint of a smile played across his lips. Hermione refused to read anything into it, although the temptation to do so was strong.

"I hope that I am not going to regret this, but I am going to vote yes on your addendum," the Chief Warlock said. Hermione was too shocked to speak.

"I believe that means we are tied," Kingsley said, trying to hide the smile that Hermione could see forming on his lips.

"It does," the Chief Warlock replied.

"Then I vote yes as well," Kingsley said. Hermione felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Congratulations, Miss Granger," the Chief Warlock said.

"Thank you, sir," she managed. The man turned to Kingsley.

"We will have to reconvene the Wizengamot for an official vote. This afternoon at two o'clock?"

"Absolutely," Kingsley said.

"I will see you then." The Chief Warlock stood and at a nudge from Margaret, Hermione did as well. Margaret shook the man's hand and Hermione followed suit.

"Thank you again, sir." He nodded once and left the office. Hermione sunk back down the couch after he'd left. Her hands were shaking, she noticed.

"Hermione?" Margaret said in concern.

"I can't believe it," Hermione mumbled. She looked up at Kingsley. He was smiling at her. "I, it's, really?"

"Really," he said, grinning wider. Margaret smiled as well and patted her arm.

"What if someone changes their vote before this afternoon?"

"They're not going to do that," Kingsley said.

"How do you know?" Hermione said. "What if-"

"Hermione," Kingsley said, not seeming to care that he was addressing her informally in front of Margaret. He put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. "That's not going to happen. Trust me." She stared at him for a few moments before she nodded.

"It's going to pass," she whispered, as a smile formed on her face. She'd done it.


	90. Content

**A/N - Hi everyone! I hope all of you that celebrated Christmas had a good holiday! There will be one more chapter after this and then an epilogue. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, it's more difficult to write when my kids are home, but I'll get it done as soon as I can. Since it is highly unlikely I'll be posting before the end of the year, I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years! Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter 90**

 **Content**

 **6 September 2000**

After the Wizengamot met for the formal vote, Kingsley sent word that things had gone as expected and the addition to Hermione's proposal had passed with the Minister casting the tie-breaking vote. Hermione knew that there would be plenty of Wizengamot members that would not be happy with it, but Aaron _was_ helping Delia and hopefully, the results would show that.

They had a small celebration in their department, as they always did when someone's proposal passed. As everyone went back to work, Margaret pulled Hermione aside and told her to go and tell Aaron the good news.

"As it will be so near the end of the work day once you finish that, I will see you in the morning." Hermione looked at Margaret in surprise. Even if it took her longer than she expected at Aaron's, there would still be nearly two hours left in the workday. Margaret chuckled at her expression. "Can you honestly tell me that your mind will be on Pureblood laws this afternoon?"

"Probably not," Hermione replied sheepishly.

"Then go," Margaret said. "You've earned it with all of the late nights you have put in on this."

"Thank you, Margaret." Her boss waved her off and Hermione hurried to her office to collect her things. Remus' last class of the day ended at four. If she hurried, she could get home before he did and surprise him.

* * *

"Dr. Chadwick can see you now," Aaron's secretary said politely.

"Thank you," Hermione replied and hurried down the corridor. Aaron had been with a patient when she arrived and she'd had to wait for him to finish. She still had time to get home before Remus did. It took him a bit of time to tidy up his classroom and gather his things together before he left.

"Hermione, I wasn't expecting to see you today," Aaron said as she walked into his office.

"I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced, but I wanted to give you the news in person."

"I assume the Wizengamot has made a decision," Aaron said.

"Yes, unfortunately, they rejected my initial proposal." Aaron sighed.

"Well, you told me that it wasn't likely it would pass. Delia will go back to Azkaban tomorrow then?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "But they did approve you still treating her once she goes back."

"Did they?" Aaron asked in surprise.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "And the Minister is working with the warden on opening the Floo for you so that you don't have to take the boat every time."

"Well, that's relieving news," he said with a laugh. Hermione smiled. While he had assured her that he didn't get sea sick, she knew that the trip wasn't overly pleasant.

"And how will I be getting to either the boat or the Floo?"

"You'll still have an escort from Magical Law Enforcement as you have to St. Mungo's," Hermione said. "It just probably won't be Harry every time." Aaron nodded. "They'll want a schedule from you, of course."

"Of course," he agreed.

"I want to thank you again, for agreeing to this," Hermione said. "You don't know how much you've helped. And not just with Delia. With the program as a whole. I never would have gotten things started without you." Aaron smiled.

"I was happy to do it," he said. "My daughter is going to part of this world and I want her to have everything that she needs. The rest of my family too, for that matter."

Hermione wanted to ask him if he thought Delia would be all right with the transfer back, if the therapy would be as successful once she was returned to prison. But she knew he couldn't answer those questions.

"Can I ask if there is any future plan for Delia?" he said.

"What do you mean?"

"If she improves, will she be allowed out of prison?" Hermione sighed.

"I don't know," she said. "One of the main reasons why the initial proposal didn't pass was because she _was_ going to be out of prison. Still locked up, yes, but I think that many of the Wizengamot members didn't think that was enough punishment. My hope is, as the program begins and more Healers are trained, that the Wizengamot will come to appreciate its value. If that happens, my goal is to revisit her sentence and get it reduced. But I can't make any promises. One of the spells she used does carry a life sentence. It will be difficult to get them to change their minds about that."

"I understand," Aaron said.

"Does Delia?" Hermione asked, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I know that you can't tell me." He leaned forward and put a hand on her arm.

"I'll make sure that she does," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Aaron."

* * *

Remus landed in front of the cottage with a small pop. He wondered if Hermione had heard anything about the vote on her proposal. He knew that Delia was scheduled to be returned to Azkaban tomorrow. Hermione had been on edge all week, things getting worse every day that she didn't hear anything.

He waved his wand to open the front door and walked in greeted by silence. His brow furrowed. While Andromeda normally minded Teddy at her house, they usually walked over to the cottage after Teddy's nap and were waiting for Remus when he got home. Remus _was_ supposed to stay overnight at the school tomorrow. Perhaps she had gotten the days confused.

"Remus!" He turned sharply towards the stairs. What was Hermione doing home? He was reassured by the wide smile on her face, but still confused. She reached the bottom of the stairs and rushed across the room, throwing herself into his arms.

"What's going on?" She pulled back, grinning.

"I had a meeting with the Chief Warlock this morning."

"I take it you have good news?" She nodded. "It passed?" She nodded again and hugged him once more. "Congratulations, love."

Remus held her tightly. He was a bit surprised, if he were honest. He hadn't thought the Wizengamot that progressive, at least when it came to Muggle ideas. And he wasn't sure how he felt about Delia being out of Azkaban. He understood Hermione's position, but he still hadn't forgiven the woman. He wasn't sure if he ever would.

"The whole thing didn't pass," Hermione said as she pulled back from him once again. "Delia is going back to Azkaban tomorrow." Remus couldn't deny feeling relief. "But they've agreed to allow Aaron to continue seeing her."

"I'm happy for you," he said genuinely. As far as he was concerned, it was the best solution. Hermione got something of what she wanted and Delia was still locked up where she couldn't hurt anyone. He knew, intellectually, that she would have still been on a locked ward, but the petty part of him was glad that she wouldn't be living in a comfortable room in St. Mungo's.

"I was disappointed that they didn't agree to extend the pilot program, but that was a long shot. At least she'll still get the help she needs." He nodded.

"So, Margaret let you leave to tell me?" he asked with a smirk, then leaned down and kissed her. She smiled at him when they parted.

"No, Margaret sent me home early," she said. "Said she knew I wouldn't get any more work done today." Remus chuckled. "And, I spoke to Andromeda. She's going to keep Teddy at her house for dinner tonight."

"Is she?" Remus asked, cocking an eyebrow. Hermione looked unsure all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. You won't be here tomorrow, I should have thought about that. You probably want to have dinner with him tonight." She stopped babbling and bit her lip. Remus gently pulled it from her teeth and smiled.

"How could I possibly complain about a few hours of uninterrupted time with you?"

"You're sure?" Instead of answering, he leaned in and kissed her rather thoroughly. He smirked at the dazed look on her face when they parted.

"I'm sure." In response, she kissed him again, going to work on the buttons on the front of his teaching robes. When her hand moved to the buttons on his trousers, he used the last bit of his clear thinking to wave his wand at the window to close the curtains and then cast the charm on Hermione. His wand fell to the floor along with his robes, just as Hermione's hand snaked into his trousers. He groaned and yanked her blouse off her shoulders, palming a breast and kissing and nipping her neck. Remus walked them towards the couch and they finished undressing one another before falling down onto it.

"Wait," Hermione said as they tried to maneuver on the couch. He looked at her in confusion. She flung out a hand and summoned her wand, then waved it at the couch to make it wider. He made an appreciative noise as he no longer had to concentrate to keep his right leg from falling to the floor. She dropped her wand and leaned up to kiss him again.

Hands roaming, Remus slowed their frantic pace somewhat. They had plenty of time with Teddy still at Andromeda's. He kissed and nipped his way down her body, teasing until she was practically pleading with him.

"Please, Remus," she said as her back arched again.

"What do you want, love?" he asked, looking down at her as he propped himself up on his hands on either side of her.

"I want you," she said, pulling him down towards her to kiss him. He shifted and pushed into her in one thrust. She moaned and kissed him harder. After all of his previous attention, it didn't take her long to fall over the edge. She lazily smiled up at him as he continued to move, her hands roaming over his chest. She reached up to kiss him again, nipping at the hollow of his throat. He hissed, calling out her name and then collapsing on top of her.

"Gods, I love you," he said, trying to catch his breath. He felt the pleased hum in her chest as she ran her fingers into his hair.

"I love you, too." He shifted his body to the side, but left his head on her shoulder, kissing her neck. He was enjoying her toying with his hair too much to move. Not to mention he was completely spent.

When they had finally recovered, Hermione shifted to her side so they were facing one another. Remus summoned a throw from the chair and pulled it over them.

"I should send Margaret an owl," he said. "Thanking her." Hermione laughed and kissed him. They had time to themselves, of course, after Teddy went to bed. And there were silencing charms so they needn't worry about that, but it was different when Teddy was in the house. There was the concern that he would wake and need them, or Merlin forbid, finally figure out how to get out of his cot and walk in on them. There was always a bit of an urgency involved because of it.

He propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her, idly running his fingertips up and down her arm. She smiled at him, shivering a bit when his fingers left her arm to rest on her hip. Leaning down he kissed her languidly, his hand sliding from her hip around to squeeze her arse. She pulled herself closer to him in response. When they finally parted, they were pressed together from chest to hip and Hermione entwined their legs. She sighed and kissed his shoulder, then rested her cheek against it. Remus relaxed into the back of the couch and closed his eyes. The moon was in a week, he wouldn't need much time to recover for another round.

* * *

 **8 September 2000**

"So, how was the first week of classes?" Hermione asked. They were sitting on the couch, already having put Teddy to bed. Hermione was leaning against the arm of the couch and her feet were in his lap. Remus was rubbing them. They had spoken about his day every evening, of course, but he knew that she was asking for an overall impression.

"It was mostly positive," he said. "There are some students who are upset about being taught by a werewolf. I've overheard a few comments that I'm sure they weren't trying all that hard to hide." Hermione scowled at that and he smiled, squeezing her foot.

"It's going to take time, love. You know that." She sighed.

"I do, it's just," she shook her head.

"They're children, Hermione. They are likely spouting back what they've heard at home from their parents. My hope is that the further into the school year we get, once a few moons pass, their opinions will change."

"How is Will doing?" she asked in concern.

"He does well in my class," Remus said. "As far as I know, no one is aware of his status outside of those that already know. Or if they are, they've accepted it. I don't know if he's spoken to his dorm mates or not."

"What are they like?"

"I've only seen them a few times," he reminded her. "One is a bit on the obnoxious side, although no worse than James and Sirius were our first year." Hermione snorted and Remus chuckled. "Yes, I realize that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. But we were relatively harmless at eleven."

"If you say so," Hermione replied, but there was amusement in her eyes.

"The other two, it's hard to say. They're well-behaved in class. One is a Muggle-born, so he is a bit in awe of things yet. I doubt he even knows that werewolves actually exist. The other performs well in class, seems friendly enough, but as I said, I've only seen them a few times."

"Does Will seem to be friends with them at all?"

"They all came to class together the first day. Since then he's mostly been with Christopher, the Muggle-born. I can't say if that means they're mates or not, but I've seen them eat together and they partnered in Defense yesterday." Hermione nodded and Remus squeezed her foot again.

"It's only the first week, give him some time."

"I know, it's just, the full moon is next week."

"Caroline has begun delivering his Wolfsbane, along with a dose for Gemma Chambers." She was the seventh-year that had also been bitten during the war. "Minerva has set aside two rooms in one of the unused staff wings for them to transform in. He'll be fine."

"What is he going to tell his dorm mates?" she asked in concern.

"I don't know, but that is Will's decision," Remus said. "We talked about possibilities the last time I saw him before school started. He'll tell them what he thinks makes the most sense." She nodded.

"I know I'm being silly." Remus smiled. He thought it rather sweet that she was worried.

"You're not being silly," he assured her. He shifted and slid closer to her on the couch. A gentle tug on her hand pulled her to his side. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "You care about him, of course you're concerned. Just remember that he has his brother. And he has Annie, David and Claire. He and Christopher have been eating most lunches with them. And Will knows he can come to me if he needs anything." He kissed her forehead and she sighed into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I'm glad he's gotten to see his mother this week."

"She's just as glad, I'd wager," Remus said. "I know that my mum was very upset my first transformation away from her."

"How did you deal with that?" Hermione asked.

"It was difficult," he said quietly. "I was in the Shack all alone, terrified that someone was going to figure out my secret. I didn't have any friends yet. Peter and I spoke sometimes, but only James and Sirius were close at that point. And I missed my mum." Hermione tightened her arms around him.

"I remember waking up in the hospital wing the next morning. Minerva was there, sitting on the side of my bed. She came across as so stern and imposing, I was shocked when she hugged me. But I wanted my mum so badly that I started to cry. I clung to her and she comforted me." A small smile formed on his face. "When I had composed myself, I was so embarrassed, I didn't think I'd ever be able to look her in the eye again. She just patted my shoulder and we never said another word about it. But she was always there, after every moon." Hermione squeezed him lightly.

"It will be different for Will and Gemma though," Remus said. "With the Wolfsbane, they won't injure themselves much, if at all. They'll simply need some rest the day after. And now that your reforms have passed and the seminars will be starting soon, hopefully they won't have to worry about the prejudice as much as I did."

"There will always be some."

"There will," Remus agreed. No matter what reforms and changes were made, prejudice would probably never go away completely. "But I'm sure that Minerva will be there in the hospital wing when Will wakes up, even if she isn't the Gryffindor head anymore." Hermione smiled up at him. He leaned down and kissed her. When they parted, she snuggled further into his side. Remus wrapped his arms more tightly around her, kissing the top of her head. They stayed that way until they were both too tired to keep their eyes open any longer. Remus rose from the couch and held a hand out to her and they walked up to their bedroom together.

* * *

 **10 September 2000**

Hermione opened the window wider to let the owl inside. She took the letter from its leg and offered it an owl treat before it flew off. She didn't recognize the handwriting on the letter and so set it on the counter and ran the scans Remus had taught her. It was a habit now, whenever they got unknown post. The scans came back clean and Hermione opened the letter.

 _Dear Miss Granger,_

 _My wife and I wish to thank you for your work on your recent mind healing proposal and your attempt to help our daughter. Her mother and I were both extremely grateful and humbled by your compassion for her struggles. You had every reason to want to see her punished to the full extent that the law allows and yet you were able to set that aside and try and do what was best for her._

 _Although she has been returned to Azkaban, she is more like the young woman I knew before she made the choices that she did. I must admit that I was skeptical of Dr. Chadwick in the beginning, however, he has done more for our daughter in these past weeks than I ever thought possible._

 _The Minister has allowed us more frequent visits to see her and if this was at all your doing, again we thank you. We owe you a debt, Miss Granger._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Malcolm and Evangeline Wilkes_

She felt arms come around her waist and Remus kissed her neck.

"Who's the letter from?" he asked.

"Delia's parents," she said, still a bit in shock that they had written her. She handed it to him over her shoulder and he let go of her to read it.

"Well," Remus said when he'd finished. She nodded. They had told her they owed her a debt. Not a life-debt, but a debt all the same. It was a point of honor for wizards, Pureblood wizards especially.

"I'm not sure what to say," she said.

"You don't have to say anything, love. They aren't expecting an answer."

"But this debt, I don't want that."

"Then don't ask them to fulfill it," Remus said. "It's not a life-debt."

"I wish I could tell them it isn't necessary," she said.

"You can't do that," Remus said.

"I know," she replied with a sigh. Refusing the debt would be extremely insulting, something she wouldn't do. Remus dropped the letter on the table and wrapped his arms around her.

"Like I said, you don't have to ask them to satisfy it." She sighed again and he kissed her forehead. She pulled herself closer to him and rested her cheek against his chest.

"Teddy is asleep," Remus said a few minutes later, his hand drawing lazy circles on her back. Hermione smirked.

"Is he?" she asked as she looked up at him. He dipped his head and kissed her, pulling her tighter to him, making his meaning completely clear. Hermione grinned into his mouth as he backed her against the wall of the kitchen.

* * *

 **19 September 2000**

Hermione woke to soft kisses on the back of her neck. She made a noise of appreciation and felt Remus' arms tighten around her.

"Happy birthday," he said. She smiled and turned to face him. He brushed a lock of hair off her face and then kissed her properly. She sighed in contentment and snuggled into him. The moon was almost a week past. Will had done fine and as far as Remus knew, no one had questioned his absence. Although Hermione knew it was the first moon and the more there were, the more suspicions it would raise, she felt better knowing that he had made it through the first one.

"I wish we didn't have to work today," she said.

"Me too, love," he replied, kissing her temple. "But don't forget we've got the entire evening to ourselves." Andromeda was keeping Teddy for the night.

"Mm, I can't wait." She kissed him again, one hand traveling down his side to squeeze his arse. He thrust his hips towards her and then broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers.

"Gods, you're making it very difficult to get out of this bed." She grinned at him and he kissed her once more. Then he resolutely pulled away from her and sat up. She sighed and did the same. As much as she would have liked to linger in bed, she had a meeting with Margaret right away this morning and Remus had the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw fifth years first thing. Not to mention that Teddy would be up soon.

As if he'd heard her, Teddy called out for his father. Hermione leaned over and kissed Remus one last time.

"I'm going to get in the shower."

"All right," Remus said as he stood. As he walked to the door, Teddy called out again. Hermione paused and her brow furrowed. The little boy sounded much closer. Remus glanced at her in confusion just as there was a banging on their bedroom door.

"Daddy, My-nee," Teddy said, from directly outside their door. Remus pulled the door open and Teddy grinned up at him. "Me get up." Remus glanced at Hermione who covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"I see that," Remus said as he picked up his son. "And just _how_ did you get up?"

"I cime!" Teddy said.

"You climbed?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded enthusiastically. He looked extremely proud of himself.

"You're supposed to wait for Daddy or Hermione to come and get you," Remus admonished, but Hermione could see the corners of his mouth twitching.

"No, Daddy, I cime," Teddy repeated. "Me eat."

"Hungry, are you?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded and grinned again. Remus snorted and Hermione completely lost the battle with her laughter. Teddy looked from his father to Hermione and started to giggle. She was quite sure he had no idea why he was laughing.

Hermione crossed the room to them and Remus whispered something in Teddy's ear. When she reached them, Remus put an arm around her, then nodded to Teddy.

"Hap bir'day, My-nee!" Teddy said. Hermione laughed and took Teddy from Remus' arms.

"Thank you," she said, rubbing her nose against his and then kissing his cheek.

"Daddy, you say hap bir'day," Teddy directed. Remus chuckled and leaned down to kiss Hermione.

"Happy birthday, love."

* * *

Hermione looked up at the knock on her open door. Harry stood in the doorway.

"Happy birthday," he said. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Can I steal you for lunch?" Hermione glanced at the work on her desk. She was revising a few things after her meeting with Margaret, but none of them were pressing.

"I'd love that," she said, gathering up her parchment into a neat stack. She grabbed her handbag from the drawer of her desk and followed Harry out of her office.

"How are things in the Auror Department?" Hermione asked.

"Relatively quiet," Harry said. "I've been on escort duty more than anything."

"With Aaron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Harry said. Hermione bit her lip but asked her next question anyway.

"Do you see her, Harry?" The lift doors open and they both fell silent as they stepped inside. The lift was crowded given it was the lunch hour. They didn't start speaking again until they left the Ministry, transfiguring their robes as they stepped outside.

"I've seen her, yeah," Harry said.

"And?" Hermione questioned. Harry sighed.

"She seems better than she was before she was sent to St. Mungo's," Harry said. "But I don't talk to her, Hermione. That's Aaron's job."

"I know," she said with a sigh. Harry looked at her for a few moments.

"She's talking at least," Harry said. "That's all I know, honestly." Hermione nodded.

"Thanks, Harry." She finally started paying attention to where they were.

"Where are we going?" She had assumed they would go to the Muggle café that they both liked, but they'd already passed that.

"I thought we'd go to that Italian place," Harry said, not looking at her. Hermione's brow furrowed. He was acting a bit strange. "That's okay, right?"

"I suppose," she said, wondering what was going on. They typically didn't go to the Italian restaurant, as the service was a bit slow. It was difficult to be out of there in only an hour.

They stepped inside and Harry gave his name to the hostess. She smiled and directed them to follow her, although Hermione saw that she hadn't picked up any menus. She led them through the restaurant, not leading them to any of the empty tables. They stopped in front of a door and the woman nodded to Harry before she left.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked. Instead of answering, Harry opened the door and ushered Hermione through.

"Surprise!" multiple voices shouted. Hermione startled and looked around. Arthur and Molly, Ron and Susan, Ginny, Andromeda and Teddy and Hermione's parents smiled back at her. Hermione looked at Harry in shock and he grinned at her.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," Harry said, kissing her cheek.

"I can't believe you did this," she said. He smiled.

"Remus told me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't come," Harry said.

"I know, he's got a class right after lunch," Hermione said. It would have been nice for him to be here, but she understood. Besides, she had him all to herself tonight. She made her way through the room greeting everyone.

"George told me to wish you a happy birthday and give you this," Ron said passing Hermione a gift. "He wanted to come but it's Verity's day off today."

"Thanks, Ron," Hermione said with a smile.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," her mum said and Hermione hugged her and then her dad.

"I'm glad you're both here." They had celebrated her birthday with her parents over the weekend, but it was nice to see them on the actual day as well.

"Miss our little girl's birthday?" her father said in mock horror. Hermione rolled her eyes, as she laughed.

"My-nee!" Teddy called. Hermione turned as the little boy ran across the room towards her. He had a wrapped box in his hand. Hermione squatted down when he reached her. He thrust the box at her. "Dis for you."

"Is it from you?" Hermione asked. Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Andromeda walked up behind him.

"He insisted on giving it to you right away," she said. Hermione smiled as she pulled off the wrapping paper. Inside the box was a framed drawing, similar to the one that he had given Andromeda for her birthday.

"Did you draw this?" Hermione asked. Teddy nodded again, looking very proud of himself. It was a series of circles and blobs that Hermione was quite sure meant something to the little boy, although she couldn't have distinguished what they were. "Can you tell me about it?"

"Dis you," Teddy said, pointing to a series of circles. "And dis Daddy and me." Two more blobs were near Hermione. "Dat Nanna and Ting." There were two more circles and blobs a little way away from the other three.

"You did an amazing job," Hermione said. "I love it, thank you." Teddy grinned and her and threw his little arms around her neck.

"Hap bir'day, My-nee," he said. She squeezed him tightly. He pulled back to look at her seriously. "We has take?" She and most everyone around them laughed.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask Harry." Teddy turned to his godfather.

"Ha-wy, we has take?" Harry picked him up and tickled his sides. Teddy giggled.

"Yes, we're going to have cake," Harry said. " _After_ you eat your lunch."

"We eat?" Teddy asked immediately. Harry laughed.

"They're bringing the food in a few minutes." Harry looked at Hermione. "I hope you don't mind that we ordered already. Figured it would save time." She waved off his concern.

"You know what I like."

Hermione spent the next few minutes opening gifts with Teddy's help and then their lunch was served. When they had finished and the cake was brought in, Teddy climbed into her lap to help her blow out the candles. Hermione gave him the first piece and he continued to sit happily in her lap as he ate it. Hermione looked at her mum and saw the fond look on her face. Since her parents had been back in England, her mother had been very much enjoying spending time with Teddy. Her dad too, for that matter. Hermione knew they didn't want to overstep any kind of boundaries, but they treated Teddy as they would a grandson. It made her smile.

When Teddy had finished his cake and Hermione had cleaned his hands and face, he snuggled into her. It was a bit later than usual for lunch for him and she knew he was tired. Andromeda, noticing as well, came to collect him so she could take him home and put him down for a nap. Hermione hugged him and kissed the top of his head.

"Thank you for my drawing," she said. "I'm going to hang it up in my office."

"Tay, My-nee," Teddy said sleepily. Hermione passed him off to Andromeda. She made her good-byes and Harry walked them out. There was an alley a block over where they would Disapparate from. Seeing that her lunch hour was over, in fact, she'd gone over it by a few minutes, Hermione thanked everyone and began saying good-bye.

"Luna will be back this weekend," Ginny said. "You've got your fitting for your dresses on Sunday."

"I remember," Hermione said. "Thanks for coming, Gin."

"Of course," she said. "Have fun with Remus tonight." Ginny winked and the gleam in her eye did not go unnoticed by Hermione. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Harry returned just as Hermione had finished thanking everyone. She, Harry and Arthur walked back to the Ministry together.

"Don't worry about being late," Harry said as Hermione tried to quicken their pace. "I talked to Margaret beforehand. She knew you might take a few extra minutes." Hermione looked at Harry in surprise.

"What, don't think I know how to plan a proper party?" he asked. She laughed and bumped her shoulder with his. Arthur chuckled at the two of them. When they reached the Ministry, Arthur left them in the Atruim.

"Happy birthday, Hermione," he said.

"Thank you, Arthur." He smiled and gave them a wave as he walked off. Harry and Hermione took the lift to back to the DMLE.

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said as they reached the Auror offices. He smiled.

"You're welcome." He kissed her cheek and then disappeared into the Auror department as Hermione walked back to her office.

* * *

Remus stood in their bedroom, with the two wrapped boxes in his hands. He had left Hogwarts after his last class and gone straight to the jeweler in Diagon Alley. Both of his purchases had been ready. The question was, which one was he going to give Hermione tonight? He stared down at the boxes in his hands, one slightly larger than the other. He had intended to give her one for her birthday and the other, well, he wasn't sure about the other. Christmas, perhaps, or maybe Valentine's Day.

Remus hadn't expected to have to make this decision today because he hadn't expected that the one would be ready today. The jeweler had told him proudly that he had worked late the night before so that both pieces would be finished. Remus almost wished that he hadn't, although Remus had been appropriately thankful.

The front door opened and Remus knew that Hermione was home. He looked at the boxes one last time before putting a concealment charm on one and hiding it on the top shelf of his wardrobe. The other, he slipped into the pocket of his trousers and then went downstairs to greet Hermione.

* * *

Hermione sighed in contentment and pressed herself against Remus, naked except for the necklace he had given her; two entwined hearts with a small diamond set in the middle where the hearts joined. It was beautiful and she loved it.

They'd had a lovely dinner at a small romantic restaurant in Muggle London, then come back to the cottage. Remus had presented her with the necklace and then proceeded to slowly peel off her clothes and do nothing short of worshipping her for well, she wasn't even sure how long it had lasted, but she was completely sated by the end. She'd fallen asleep, she was quite sure of that, but it had been just a short nap. She had woken to him staring at her intently, with a look in his eye that she couldn't quite read. She'd looked at him quizzically, but he'd kissed her until her toes curled and all concerns about his expression had been driven from her head.

Now, he trailed his fingertips up and down her back, making her shiver whenever he reached a particularly sensitive spot. She kissed his neck and tried to burrow closer to him, entwining their legs and pressing her breasts against his chest.

"I think you're about as close to me as you can get, love," he murmured in her ear, but his arm tightened around her all the same. She breathed in the scent of him and made another noise of contentment.

"Did you have a good birthday?" he asked a few minutes later. She pulled back from him slightly and he traced the hearts on the necklace where it sat just beneath the hollow of her throat. It was rather distracting.

"I think this was quite possibly the best birthday I've ever had," she said smiling up at him. He returned it, but his smile seemed off somehow. Her brow furrowed.

"Remus?" she said. "Is something wrong?"

"Of course not," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, it's just," she studied him again for a few moments, then shook her head. "It's nothing." He kissed her again, making her wonder if she had misinterpreted his look.

"I promise you, everything is fine," he said, smiling again and this time it looked like all his other smiles. She decided that she must have imagined it. When Remus rolled her to her back and kissed her again, all worry about anything flew from her head. She kissed him back, pulling him closer to her, forgetting about everything besides the two of them.

* * *

Remus stared at the necklace as it rose and fell in time with Hermione's breathing. He reached out a finger and traced around it softly, not wanting to wake her. It was late, he'd be tired tomorrow for his classes, but he couldn't drift off to sleep. The wonder if he'd made the right choice of gift wouldn't leave his head.

It wasn't that Hermione hadn't liked the necklace, she had loved it. And it had been what he'd intended to give her all along. Still, he couldn't forget about that other box in the back of his wardrobe. She had told him that this had been the best birthday she had ever had. Would it have been even better if he had presented her with the other box? Or would she have thought him mad for giving it to her? That was the question he had wrestled with since he'd left the jewelers.

Sighing, Remus rolled to his back and threw an arm over his eyes. He _was_ mad, wasn't he? It hadn't been nearly long enough yet. He shouldn't have even bought the thing. Hermione moved towards him in her sleep until her hand rested on his stomach. He smiled in spite of his inner turmoil. Gods he loved her. She smiled faintly in her sleep and he chuckled. Deciding that he was being ridiculous, he turned back to his side and gathered her into his arms. She let out a happy sigh and fell even deeper into sleep. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. He would worry about this tomorrow. Or, maybe, he would stop worrying about it all together.

* * *

 **20 September 2000**

Hermione walked into an empty house after work. She was running late, having gotten waylaid on her way out of her department by one of her colleagues with a question. Brow furrowing, she walked into the kitchen. Perhaps Remus was still at Andromeda's getting Teddy, although he was normally home a little early on Wednesdays. Given that Teddy had stayed the night at Andromeda's yesterday and they hadn't seen him this morning, she thought that Remus would have brought him home right away. Hermione caught sight of a note propped up on the kitchen table, her name written in Remus' familiar looping scrawl.

 _Hermione,_

 _I'll be late tonight. We've been having some ongoing troubles with one of the Gryffindors (none of your quartet) and Minerva has called a meeting after dinner. I'll just eat here at the castle. Andromeda is keeping Teddy for supper and has invited you to join them. I'm sorry, love. I'll be home as soon as I can._

 _Love, Remus_

Hermione smiled at Remus' reference to the three Muggle-borns and Will. He often called them as such. Leaving the kitchen, Hermione shrugged out of her Ministry robes and hung them near the door. She decided she would change and then take Andromeda up on her offer.

Hermione had made it halfway up the stairs when there was a tapping on the kitchen window. Sighing, she walked back down and returned to the kitchen. She let the owl in and took the round tube from its leg. The owl flew to one of the chairs at the table and perched on the back, looking tired. Hermione wondered how long it had been flying and glanced at her name on the tube as she filled a small dish with water. It was Luna's handwriting, which explained the owl's fatigue. She wasn't sure exactly where Luna was right now, but they were somewhere on the continent.

The owl drank the water gratefully and ate the treats Hermione had set out. It hooted at her and flew back out the window, settling itself into a tree in the back garden and promptly closing its eyes. Hermione smiled and turned back to the package in her hand.

She tore off the paper and found a tightly rolled magazine inside. Unrolling it, she frowned as she looked at the title. It was an entomology journal, a Muggle one from the looks of it. Why on earth was Luna sending her a scientific journal on insects? Hermione opened the cover and a small piece of parchment fluttered out.

 _Hermione,_

 _We ran across this in our travels. I thought you might find the article on page seventeen interesting._

 _Luna_

Flipping to the aforementioned page, Hermione's mouth dropped open. She stared at the photograph in front of her for a few minutes before finally moving to the article.

 _ **New Species of Beetle Discovered outside London!**_

 _Nine year-old Benjamin Phillips had no idea just what contribution he was about to make to science when he caught a beetle in a jar outside of London in early June. In his back garden, Mr. Phillips saw the strange creature flying a bit erratically. It landed on a bench near his back door and Mr. Phillips, a budding entomologist, picked up a jar and trapped the insect inside._

 _After it was inspected by Mr. Phillips and his parents, all three realized they had never seen anything like it. A visit to their local library and an inspection of a few reference books gave them no further indication as to what this beetle was. After a referral from the librarian, the beetle came into this department's possession. Numerous inquiries to research facilities around the world showed that Mr. Phillips had indeed discovered something completely new._

The article went on to describe the beetle's appearance and all of the observations made of its behavior so far, as well as speculation about where it might have come from. Hermione skimmed the information and then went back to the accompanying photograph. There, staring back at her, was Rita Skeeter.

* * *

 **A/N - You thought I'd forgotten about her, didn't you? ;)**


	91. Wedding

**A/N - Here it is the final chapter! It's a long one too! I'm so sorry this took so long, I've been dealing with some health issues since the beginning of December. I am actually having surgery tomorrow which should resolve everything. So there will be an epilogue, but I'm not sure when I will get it written. It will just depend on how my recovery goes.**

 **For the epilogue I am planning on writing a series of scenes from Hermione and Remus' future, so if there is anything you'd like to see, let me know in a review or PM. I can't promise I will include every request, I have a few ideas already, but I will try and take as many into account as I can. Thank you to all who have been reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. I appreciate all of you!**

 **Chapter 91**

 **Wedding**

 **20 September 2000**

Hermione hurried across the back garden to Andromeda's, the journal clutched tightly in her hand. The conversation they'd had a few months ago kept running through her mind. They had speculated as to why Rita hadn't been found yet and Andromeda had mentioned forcing someone into their Animagus form and binding her to keep her there. Hermione had read between the lines and had a relatively good idea of what Andromeda had been insinuating.

She knocked perfunctorily on the back door and then stepped inside. Andromeda looked up from the dinner she was preparing in the kitchen.

"Hermione," she said. "Did you get Remus' note?"

"I did," Hermione said. "I'd love to stay for dinner."

"My-nee!" Teddy said, racing into the kitchen. She caught him before he barreled into her legs.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked. Teddy nodded. The magazine in her hand caught his attention.

"What dis?" Teddy asked, pulling on it.

"That's something I brought to show your nanna," Hermione said. Andromeda looked up as Hermione passed the journal to her. The older woman's brow furrowed in confusion. "Page seventeen." Andromeda flipped to the indicated page and froze. She glanced up at Hermione who nodded.

"Where did you get this?" Andromeda asked.

"Luna sent it to me. She said that she and Rolf had come across it. It wouldn't surprise me if both Rolf and his grandfather regularly read Muggle zoological journals, just in case."

"My-nee, you pay?" Teddy asked, clearly bored of the adults' conversation.

"Of course, I can," she said. She looked at Andromeda again. The older woman nodded. Hermione took Teddy into the living room where his toys were scattered. She sat down on the floor with him and listened to his chatter with half an ear. Her mind was full of the implications of Skeeter's predicament.

There was a part of her, a large part, if she were honest, that didn't really care about the woman's situation. In fact, Hermione thought it was rather fitting punishment. However, Skeeter wasn't a new species of beetle, she was a transformed witch. If the binding spell ever failed, it could cause a much bigger problem.

The easiest solution would be to show Kingsley the magazine and let the Aurors and the Obliviators handle it. Skeeter would be taken to Azkaban for being unregistered. However, that wouldn't solve the problem of the information she carried with her. In addition to the entire issue with Satterfield, the fact that Skeeter likely knew who had bound her gave Hermione pause. She wasn't sure why she was trying to protect Narcissa Malfoy of all people. Andromeda hadn't said it was her in so many words, but it was the only thing that made sense.

"My-nee," Teddy whined and Hermione realized she had stopped paying attention to the little boy.

"Sorry," she said, forcing thoughts of Rita Skeeter from her mind and turning back to Teddy. She would think about this later, after she'd talked to Remus and Andromeda about it. Right now, there was an adorable, pouting two-year-old that needed her attention.

* * *

By unspoken agreement, neither Hermione nor Andromeda discussed the situation in front of Teddy. When supper was over and Remus still wasn't home, Andromeda offered to give Teddy his bath.

"I can put him down here as well," Andromeda said. Hermione suspected she was just as anxious to discuss the article in the journal. Hermione nodded and Andromeda picked up her grandson and took him upstairs.

Hermione stood from her chair and began to pace. The myriad of things that could go wrong no matter what decision they made were running through her mind. There was never going to be a perfect solution. And despite her initial feelings in the matter, Hermione wasn't sure she could just leave the reporter where she was.

Hermione walked into the kitchen and picked up the magazine where Andromeda had laid it on the counter. Flipping back to the article, Hermione studied the photograph once again. There wasn't much of an expression on the beetle's face which she thought was odd. She knew from experience, that even transformed, Rita was quite capable of expressing her displeasure in a look. It was her eyes more than anything. Now, they just looked, blank. And Hermione could not imagine that Rita wouldn't mind that she had been captured and was now being studied by Muggle scientists. Hermione wondered if the reporter _had_ suffered some kind of head injury with Cuffe had hit her with the book.

Teddy's voice caught Hermione's attention and she walked back into the living room.

"He insisted that you read him a story," Andromeda said. Teddy already held a book in his hands. Hermione smiled and took the little boy from his grandmother, settling the two of them into one of the armchairs. Andromeda smiled at them and went back into the kitchen. Hermione could hear the turning of pages and knew the older woman was looking at the article again as well.

When she finished reading to Teddy, his eyelids were drooping. Shifting him on her lap, he cuddled into her and yawned widely.

"Pa'foot, My-nee," he mumbled sleepily. Hermione summoned the dog and put it in Teddy's arms. She kissed the top of his head as he relaxed against her, eyes closing completely.

"Would you like to take him upstairs?" Andromeda asked, smiling as she walked back into the room.

"In a few minutes," Hermione said, snuggling the warm little body slightly closer to her. He had one arm around Padfoot, the other curled against her side.

"Any ideas?" Hermione finally asked. Andromeda sighed.

"I have to admit that I had hoped the woman had gotten herself eaten." Hermione snorted and tried to hold back her laughter so as not to disturb the sleeping toddler on her lap.

"I had visions of her flying into the windscreen of a car," Hermione said. Andromeda chuckled.

"If only we could have been so lucky." She smiled wryly at Hermione.

"There is something about that photograph that bothers me," Hermione said.

"Only one?" Andromeda quipped and Hermione laughed quietly.

"Something that stood out, I suppose I should say," Hermione amended. Andromeda looked at her expectantly. Hermione shifted Teddy slightly. "When I kept Rita in that jar, she was, as you would expect, extremely angry. Beetles don't have much for facial expressions, but I could see it in her eyes. Now, though, she looks…blank." Andromeda pursed her lips in thought. She rose and went back into the kitchen, returning with the journal. She stared at the photograph again.

"You are right," she finally said. She looked up at Hermione. "Head injury?"

"It's highly possible," Hermione said. "Cuffe did hit her with a book and she hit the window rather hard, according to him." The Floo pinged and both women looked up. Andromeda lowered the wards and Hermione expected Remus to step out. He had probably gotten back and not finding her in the cottage, assumed she was still at Andromeda's. She did wonder why he would take the Floo instead of walking over. Teddy stirred and Hermione looked down at him to be sure he hadn't woken.

"Andromeda, I have the most wonderful news," a woman's voice said and Hermione's head snapped up. Narcissa Malfoy wore an expression of equal shock when she realized Hermione was in the room. She schooled her features quickly, however. "Miss Granger."

"Cissy, this is not a good time," Andromeda said, glancing from her sister to Hermione. Hermione was frozen in her chair, arms tightening around Teddy. She forcefully pushed down her reaction and took a breath.

"I am sorry for interrupting," Narcissa said. "I will speak with you tomorrow, Andi." She had turned toward the Floo when Hermione finally found her voice.

"Wait!" Narcissa paused and looked over her shoulder at Hermione.

"Hermione, it's all right," Andromeda said. "We can visit tomorrow."

"No," Hermione said. "I think she should stay." Hermione glanced pointedly at the magazine still in Andromeda's hand. Andromeda glanced down at it, then up at her sister. Hermione stood carefully from her chair.

"I'll just put Teddy to bed," she said. "And let you two talk for a minute." Andromeda ran a hand over Teddy's head and then nodded. Hermione glanced behind her when she reached the stairs and saw Andromeda handing Narcissa the magazine.

* * *

Hermione closed Teddy's door and leaned back against it, blowing out a breath. Looking down, she slowly pushed up the sleeve of her top and cancelled the glamour on her left arm. ' _Mudblood'_ stood out in stark relief. It had faded only slightly over the last two years. Running her fingers over the slur, Hermione pulled in another breath. It was just a word and the woman that gave it to her was gone. No one that was in this house was going to hurt her. Hermione wouldn't allow it, nor would Andromeda. She was safe.

She replaced the glamour and rolled her sleeve down. Narcissa Malfoy was a part of Andromeda's life and by extension, Teddy's. Hermione was likely going to run into her from time to time. She refused to panic every time that happened. Squaring her shoulders, Hermione made her way back downstairs.

Andromeda and Narcissa were sitting on the couch, talking quietly. The open journal lay on the coffee table in front of them. They both looked up at Hermione's arrival. She crossed the room and settled into the armchair once again.

"You've read it," she said to Narcissa without preamble.

"Yes," Narcissa said.

"And?"

"I am not sure what you want me to say, Miss Granger."

"Let's drop the Slytherin double-speak, shall we?" Hermione said. "I'm aware that you forced Rita Skeeter into her Animagus form and then cast a binding spell to keep her there. I also know why you did it. Draco was one of Skeeter's informants during the Triwizard tournament and as such, knows she's an Animagus. I have no intention of that information leaving this room." Narcissa stared at her. "What I _would_ like is your opinion on what we should do now that the Muggles have discovered her." There was silence in the room for a few moments.

"My first thought was to give this to the Minister," Hermione continued, indicating the magazine. "However, I am sure that Skeeter is aware you are the one that bound her. Not to mention all the other information she has on a variety of people, myself included. That could turn into a headache that none of us want." Narcissa hadn't stopped staring at Hermione, her expression calculating. Hermione tried not to fidget under the other woman's gaze.

"Narcissa," Andromeda began, obviously growing a bit uncomfortable herself. Narcissa held up a hand to interrupt.

"Do I have your word that nothing leaves this room?" she asked.

"Unless we all agree to tell someone else, yes," Hermione said. "I'll take a vow if you like."

"That will not be necessary," Narcissa said. Her eyes finally left Hermione's. "Ms. Skeeter is not aware of much, anymore." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Andromeda asked.

"Do you not remember what I told you when her disappearance first came to light?" Narcissa asked.

"You said that you would find her," Andromeda replied.

"How?" Hermione asked. "She's a beetle." Narcissa studied her for a moment.

"Perhaps it is better that you do not know all of the particulars, Miss Granger." Hermione stared at her. "Suffice it to say that magic can be tracked, if one has the appropriate…materials." Narcissa was right, Hermione didn't want to know.

"I located Ms. Skeeter some time ago," Narcissa continued. "When the Muggle boy found her, it was not difficult to satisfy my curiosity."

"Curiosity about what?" Hermione asked, eyes narrowed. She was aware that there was a bit of accusation in her voice, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Despite their escape from most punishment, she doubted the Malfoys still had any use for Muggles.

"I assure you, Miss Granger, I have no intention of breaking the terms of my probation," Narcissa said tightly. She stared at Hermione for a minute before looked away. Narcissa cleared her throat and continued.

"The boy's mother, like many mothers everywhere, was not very enthusiastic about keeping an insect in the house, in a jar or not. As such, the jar remained outside the majority of the time. It did not take much to get into their garden once the family had gone to sleep for me to check the binding spell."

"It's obviously still intact," Andromeda said.

"Yes," Narcissa agreed. "Since I had her trapped, I decided to take a look inside Ms. Skeeter's mind."

"You can used Legilimency on an animal?" Hermione asked in interest.

"If the animal is an Animagus, yes," Narcissa said. "Transforming may change the body, but the mind is still the same." Hermione nodded in understanding. "Ms. Skeeter has little recollection of anything."

"She _did_ suffer from some kind of head injury," Hermione mused.

"It appears so," Narcissa said. "Her thoughts were completely disjointed, most of them focused on her basic survival needs. She retains some memories but few are complete and they do not seem to be ordered in any way. Her mind was, in a word, chaos."

"I'm not an expert on Animagi," Hermione said. "Or head injuries, for that matter. But if she remains a beetle will she eventually lose all of her human memories?"

"I do not know," Narcissa said.

"Neither do I," Andromeda said. The three sat in silence for a few moments.

"She needs medical help," Hermione said. Narcissa bristled.

"Are you saying that you _want_ her to get her memories back?" she asked.

"No," Hermione admitted. "But she's a person, Mrs. Malfoy. We can't allow her to continue to be studied as she is. It's cruel and not just to her. The Muggle scientists think they've discovered a new species."

"Hermione, it's not just a matter of Obliviating a few Muggles anymore," Andromeda reminded her. "They've published an article. Granted, I am sure that this journal doesn't have an overly large readership, but we cannot possibly find every single person who has seen this."

"No, but we can get her out of the lab," Hermione said.

"And do what with her?" Narcissa asked. "Turn her into the Ministry? Simply hope that her memory does not return or the Legilimency experts in the Ministry cannot piece together enough fragments to determine what happened to her?" Hermione eyes narrowed at Narcissa's tone.

"Might I remind you, Mrs. Malfoy, that we would not be in this mess if you hadn't decided to cast a binding charm on her." Narcissa bristled. "I understand that you thought you were protecting your family, but you went a bit far, don't you think?"

"And if I had not, you might very well be sitting in a cell in Azkaban right now," Narcissa snapped. Hermione looked at her in surprise.

"Let's all just calm down," Andromeda said. Hermione hadn't stopped staring at Narcissa.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. Narcissa sniffed and looked away for a moment.

"Surely you are aware that if Skeeter had been arrested, she would likely have revealed that you knew about her Animagus ability."

"Of course, I am," Hermione said. She didn't get the impression that's what Narcissa had meant, however. The older witch looked up at her and met Hermione's gaze. Narcissa stared at her for a moment before she spoke again.

"Family is all that matters, Miss Granger." Hermione said nothing, simply stared back at her in shock. Surely Narcissa couldn't be insinuating that she considered Hermione family.

"Andromeda is my sister and you are her family," Narcissa continued. Hermione opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again. She had no idea what to say. She felt that way about Andromeda, certainly, but she had no idea the other woman felt the same. When she glanced at Andromeda, she gave Hermione a small smile. Hermione turned back to Narcissa.

"I…don't know what to say." Narcissa looked away again for a few moments. When she faced Hermione once more, her back had straightened and there was a determined air about her.

"You were tortured in my home and my family did nothing to help you," Narcissa said. Hermione froze, her right hand involuntarily moving toward her left arm. She saw Andromeda's look of concern out of the corner of her eye.

"Narcissa, perhaps this isn't," Andromeda began, but Narcissa held up a hand to stop her.

"I know that nothing I say will change what happened, but I am sorry." Hermione gripped her left forearm and saw Narcissa's eyes flick downward towards it. "I do not expect absolution, or even forgiveness, but I do mean what I say. I am truly sorry." Hermione forced herself to keep breathing normally. Narcissa stood from the couch.

"There is something I must check on in regard to Skeeter. I will let you know what I find, Andi." She nodded to Hermione. "Miss Ganger." Seconds later, she disappeared in a flash of green flame.

Hermione stared at the now empty fireplace, keeping her grip on her arm. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as flashes of memory flew through her mind.

"Hermione?" Andromeda said quietly. Hermione jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Andromeda looking at her in concern. "Hermione, let go." Confused, Hermione simply stared at her. Andromeda moved her free hand to Hermione's right arm. Hermione looked down to see that she was gripping her left arm so hard, her knuckles were white.

"Let go, Hermione," Andromeda repeated. Hermione loosened her grip and saw the red finger marks on her arm. She flexed her hand and stared at her forearm. She moved to cover it again, but Andromeda stopped her. "It's all right, darling." The older woman tentatively put an arm around Hermione's shoulders. When Hermione didn't protest, Andromeda pulled her closer. Hermione took a shuddering breath and laid her head on Andromeda's shoulder.

"It's all right," the other woman said again, arm tightening around Hermione. They sat that way until they heard a quiet knock on the back door. It opened seconds later and Remus stepped into the kitchen. Hermione sat up, moving away from Andromeda as Remus walked into the living room.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," he said. "I figured you'd be home-" Remus trailed off as he caught sight of them. He moved immediately to Hermione's side. "What's happened?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said, trying to wave off his concern.

"It doesn't look like it," he said, sitting down next to her. Hermione shook her head again and Remus pulled her into his arms.

"Andromeda?" he said when Hermione didn't say anything.

"Take her home, Remus," Andromeda said. Hermione wanted to protest that she was fine; that neither of them needed to worry. But the words wouldn't come.

"Teddy?" Remus said.

"Teddy is fine. Leave him here tonight." Remus hesitated. "The Floo is open. Take Hermione home." Hermione couldn't see either of their faces, but she guessed that Andromeda must have convinced him because seconds later, he was pulling her to her feet.

"Come on, love," he said. "Let's go home."

* * *

Remus had led Hermione to the couch in their living room once they had come through the Floo. He'd pulled her back into his arms and began to rub her back and whisper soothing words to her.

"Please tell me, love," he said a few minutes later.

"I found Rita Skeeter," Hermione finally said.

"What?" Remus questioned. That was the last thing he had expected her to say. Hermione explained about the journal that Luna had sent and the fact the Skeeter was being studied in a Muggle lab as some new species of beetle. If Hermione hadn't been so upset, he would have laughed harder than he'd laughed in quite some time. As it was, he couldn't quite keep in the snort that escaped. He felt Hermione smile against his chest and a bit of his anxiety about what was going on lessened.

"I showed Andromeda the article and we were discussing it when the Floo chimed. We thought it was you, so Andromeda lowered the wards."

"Who was it?" Remus asked when Hermione didn't continue.

"Narcissa," Hermione said in a quiet voice. Remus' arms tightened around her.

"What did she want?"

"She said something about wonderful news, but she never got to that. We talked about Skeeter."

"What about Skeeter?"

"I can't tell you," she mumbled.

"Why not?"

"I promised I wouldn't," she said. "Unless we all agreed."

"Hermione, what in Merlin's name is going on?" She sighed.

"It's not about Skeeter anyway."

"Then what is it about?" Hermione began to play with the button on the front of his shirt.

"She apologized to me," she said in a small voice.

"Narcissa?" Remus asked. Hermione nodded and Remus saw her hand to move to her forearm. He tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"It's all right, love," he said. "You're safe now." He felt her shudder.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"What on earth for?" he asked.

"It's been more than two years. I shouldn't still get this upset."

"Hermione," he said. "You have every reason for this to still bother you. What you went through that day, I would be more concerned if it _didn't_ still upset you." She sniffed and gripped the front of his shirt. Remus' hand rubbed up and down her back and he kissed her temple.

"What did she say to you?" he asked, lips still in her hair.

"She said that she didn't expect absolution or even forgiveness, but that she was truly sorry that she didn't help me."

"Did you believe her?" he asked. Hermione pulled away and looked up at him. A single tear made its way down her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb.

"Yes," she said, then leaned up and kissed him. Remus pulled her tightly to him, trying to pour all his love and reassurance into the kiss. When they parted, she looked up at him. "Take me to bed." Remus shifted and picked her up in his arms, then stood from the couch. He carried her upstairs and laid her down on their bed. She pulled him down to her and kissed him fiercely.

He knew what she was doing; that she wanted to forget. She wanted things fast and hard so that she would be so caught up in the sensations she wouldn't have to think. But she couldn't forget, not forever anyway. He let her control the kiss for few moments before he gradually slowed it down. When she bit at his lip to try and make him move faster or lose a bit of his control, he simply soothed the cut with his tongue and kissed her again. He didn't react when she nipped at his neck or bucked underneath him to get him to move.

"Slow down, love," he finally said when she tried to flip them for the second time.

"I don't want to," she said with a scowl. He moved a hand to her left arm and pulled it from around his neck. His fingertips grazed the spot where he knew the slur to be. She flinched.

"Badge of honor, remember?" he said, referring back to their very first conversation about her scar. She hitched in a breath and bit her lip. Remus reached down and pulled it gently from her teeth then kissed her. When he pulled back, she nodded. He brushed away the tears that ran down her temples into her hair.

When she kissed him again, he finally felt her body relax. She sighed into the kiss and he smiled as he moved to her neck.

"Don't think that you," she began, but shivered when he kissed the spot behind her ear.

"Don't think what, love?" he mumbled from the hollow of her throat. His hand moved under her shirt to her breast.

"Ne-never mind," she said, hitching a breath. He hid a grin as he pulled her shirt over her head.

He took his time, worshipping her with his hands and his mouth, stripping her as he went. She managed to unbutton his shirt, but little else, not that he minded.

"Remus, please!" she finally begged. He looked down at her, flushed and panting. He quickly cast the charm, then rid himself of the rest of his clothes and hovered over her again. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and pushed at his arse with her heels. He kissed her again and then pushed into her. She made a noise of relief and he chuckled. She swatted his shoulder but didn't break the kiss. She met his thrusts as soon as he started to move.

"I love you," he said. She pulled him down for another kiss.

"I love you, too." It didn't take either of them very much longer, Hermione falling over first and Remus following shortly afterward. When he tried to roll to the side, she held him in place and he relaxed against her for a few minutes. When he tried to move again, she still resisted.

"Love, I'm crushing you."

"Don't care," she mumbled. He smiled again and managed to shift most of his weight off of her. He pulled her tightly to him and kissed her forehead. She kept their legs entwined and Remus cast a cleansing charm, then pulled the duvet up over them.

"I've got you," he whispered into her hair. She moved impossibly closer to him. Burying her face in his neck, she kissed his throat and then sighed. "And I won't let go." He felt her relax and they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 **25 September 2000**

Hermione made her way through the back garden to Andromeda's cottage. Remus was on patrol tonight and so staying at the castle and Hermione was her on way to pick up Teddy. She knew Remus was still a bit worried about her, although she hadn't had a nightmare since that first night. He'd caught her looking at her scar a few times, though. Hermione had been leaving the glamour off it more often than usual. She still put it on for work, of course, but at home, she was more apt to leave it. She wasn't sure why, exactly, it's not as if she enjoyed looking at it. And even though she kept hearing Remus' words in her head, she certainly wasn't proud of it. But it was part of her and always would be. And not only had she survived, but she'd _lived_ after Bellatrix had done her damnedest to prevent that. And that _was_ something to be proud of. She didn't want to talk about it though, not just yet, and that's likely what Remus was concerned about.

Hermione reached the back door and knocked.

"Come in!" Andromeda called. Hermione stepped inside and immediately had an armful of Teddy. She laughed as she picked him up.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"My-nee, lookit!" Teddy said, holding something up to her. It looked like a chocolate frog card. "It Ha-wy!" Hermione took the card from Teddy and saw Harry's face looking back at her. He was wearing his Auror robes. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Harry's got a chocolate frog card?"

"Apparently," Andromeda said in amusement. "We went to the high street today and there was a large display in the window at Honeyduke's." She glanced at Hermione and her mouth twitched. Hermione's brow furrowed. Andromeda turned back to her grandson. "Tell Hermione who else you saw."

"My-nee!" Teddy said.

"Yes?" Hermione said.

"See My-nee!" Teddy said. "And Won!" Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

"No," she said looking at Andromeda. Andromeda nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Your photographs were also on the promotional poster near the display."

"How can they do this without asking us?" she demanded.

"They used your official Ministry photographs," Andromeda said. Hermione groaned. Just what she needed. It wasn't like she didn't get recognized enough, now she was going to have people asking her to sign their chocolate frog cards. Harry was going to be horrified.

"Harry is just going to love this," she said.

"Indeed," Andromeda replied. Hermione could still see the amusement in the older woman's eyes. She supposed it wasn't the end of the world. Just highly embarrassing. She turned her attention back to Teddy.

"Are you ready to go home?" she asked.

"Actually, why don't you stay for dinner? I know that Remus is not home tonight."

"All right," Hermione agreed. She knew that Andromeda really didn't like to eat alone. The four of them ate together quite often. She put Teddy down and he ran back into the living room, still carrying Harry's card.

"Hermione," Andromeda said. When Hermione looked at her, the older woman looked much more serious. "I spoke with Narcissa today." Hermione controlled the flinch, but only just. "She has news of Skeeter and wondered if she might stop by tonight and share it with us."

"Of course," Hermione said, sounding much surer than she felt.

"Hermione, I," Andromeda began, then stopped, shaking her head. "Forgive me, it is none of my business."

"No, go ahead," Hermione said. She knew this was going to come up at some point.

"I hope you know that Cissy was genuine in her apology."

"I do," Hermione said.

"I am not trying to excuse what happened, please do not think that."

"I don't," Hermione said with a smile for the other woman. "Andromeda, she's your sister. I'm glad that the two of you were able to repair your relationship."

"Narcissa has many faults," Andromeda said. "But her love for her family, especially Draco, isn't one of them. And I do believe that her mind is changing about some things." Hermione nodded. She doubted she would ever be friends with Narcissa Malfoy, but what she said to Andromeda was true. She would never begrudge her a relationship with her sister. And perhaps, the more time Narcissa spent around her much more tolerant and loving sister, the more Narcissa would change because of it. And really, wasn't that what they all hoped for in the wake of the war, that minds would be changed?

"I'm happy to hear that," Hermione said. "Now, what can I do to help with dinner?"

* * *

Teddy was in bed and Hermione and Andromeda were chatting in the living room when the Floo flared. Narcissa stepped out, greeting them both.

"What is your news, Cissy?" Andromeda asked, getting right to the point.

"Skeeter has been taken care of," Narcissa said.

"What do you mean, 'taken care of'?" Hermione asked warily.

"She is no longer a beetle and no longer being held by the Muggles."

"Then where is she?"

"It is better if you do not know, Miss Granger. But I can assure you that she is alive, safe and being cared for. She remembers nothing about her life, at least as far as I can tell through Legilimency. She certainly had no idea who I was."

"I appreciate that you've taken care of it, Mrs. Malfoy, but I'd like a bit more information if you don't mind," Hermione said.

"She has been moved out of the country," Narcissa finally said. "To a private property where she is under the care of a Healer. She will remain there indefinitely."

"And her memory?"

"Likely will not return, according to the Healer," Narcissa said. "She had quite a bit of damage to that area of her brain, thanks to Cuffe. However, if her memory does return, I will be notified."

"And then what?" Hermione asked.

"It does no good to speculate about something that is unlikely to happen," Narcissa said. Hermione stared at her for a few moments, then nodded. She was right. It was time to put this behind her.

"I will be given monthly reports as to her condition, but the Healer does not expect any change."

"Are you protected, Cissy?" Andromeda asked in concern. Hermione had wondered the same but didn't want to ask.

"Yes, Andi, do not worry," she said. "I had no part in any of it and no magic was used to get her out of the Muggle building. Reports are being made to a company that I cannot be linked to." Hermione had to admit she was impressed. She had no idea that Narcissa was quite so familiar with such things. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"I need your permission to tell Remus about this," Hermione said. "I won't give him specifics, but I want him to know that she's no longer a threat." Narcissa studied her for a moment.

"All right," she said. "If Andi agrees."

"It is fine with me, Hermione."

"Thank you." There was a bit of an awkward silence.

"I should get home," Narcissa said. She stood and said good-bye to Andromeda, then nodded to Hermione.

"What was the news?" Hermione blurted out before Narcissa could throw in the Floo powder.

"I'm sorry?" Narcissa said.

"The other night, you said you had wonderful news." Hermione realized what she'd said and her face heated. "I don't know what made me ask that. It's none of my business." Narcissa's face softened.

"Draco and Astoria Greengrass are betrothed."

"Congratulations," Hermione said, genuinely meaning it.

"Thank you, Miss Granger," Narcissa said with a smile. She stepped into the Floo and disappeared.

* * *

 **12 October 2000**

Hermione began tidying up her desk. Harry had asked her and Ron to meet him after work, being a bit cryptic about why. She assumed it had something to do with the wedding. Hermione couldn't believe it was just over two weeks away.

Everything seemed to be falling into place, though. Their dresses were finished, she and Luna just had to go in for a final fitting on Saturday. Ginny had a match on Sunday and then was taking a month's leave for the wedding and honeymoon. Hermione and Remus had taken Teddy to Madame Malkin's a few days prior to get him fitted for his dress robes to be ring bearer. The little boy hadn't been too enthusiastic about the formal wear but had been told he was doing something _very_ important in Harry and Ginny's wedding and that the robes came with the job. He looked adorable, of course.

Hermione grabbed her cloak and her briefcase and left her office. She wondered if Narcissa had gotten her first monthly report on Skeeter yet. There had been no news so far, which Hermione was glad for. She was sure that Narcissa would have been notified if there was something wrong. Hermione had explained to Remus and he had been just as relieved as she was. While there was always the possibility that Rita would regain some, or all, of her memory, the Healers didn't think it was likely. Hermione had decided to forget about the reporter. She had no desire to expend any more energy or thoughts on the situation. Skeeter wasn't worth it.

Remus had settled in at Hogwarts, not that Hermione had any doubt that he would. He loved his job and the students adored him just as much. It brought a smile to her face to see him so happy.

Her job was going just as well. The mental health program was proceeding quickly, they expected to have the first few Healers completely trained by the following summer. The werewolf laws were being slowly implemented. The Sanctuary was doing well, more werewolves coming to transform there every month. Hermione suspected that had quite a bit to do with the Wolfsbane potion, as word spread about its benefits. She hoped that at some point in the future, the Ministry would find the funding to offer the potion to every werewolf that couldn't buy it or make it themselves, whether they transformed at the Sanctuary or not. The Pureblood laws she was tackling now were slowly being rewritten or abolished all together. Hermione hadn't realized that there were so many laws biased in favor of Purebloods. It was a bit ridiculous.

She had seen Annie, David and Claire the weekend before. It had been a Hogsmeade weekend and Remus had been assigned to patrol. Hermione had gone along with him. They had run into the three third-years outside Honeydukes and they had been full of excitement for their first visit to the village. Hermione hadn't been surprised when Paul had joined them. She'd hidden a smile when she saw him take Claire's hand as they walked to the Three Broomsticks.

They'd reported that Will was doing well. Paul didn't think that anyone had figured out that Will's lycanthropy yet, but there had only been one full moon at the school so far. The next was tomorrow, but as it was a Friday and Will wouldn't miss any classes the next day, it was easier to hide. After a butterbeer with the four teens she had excused herself and left them to enjoy the rest of their day.

Reaching the Atrium, Hermione looked around for Harry and Ron, spotting Ron first. She made her way towards him, but he appeared to be alone.

"Hey," he said with a smile as she reached his side.

"Hi, Ron. Harry's not here yet?" Ron shook his head.

"Any idea what this is all about?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said. "Something about the wedding, I'm guessing." Ron nodded and they chatted while they waited for Harry to join them.

"So, when's Susan moving in?" Hermione asked. The tips of Ron's ears reddened, but he smiled all the same.

"While Harry and Gin are on their honeymoon," he said. "We figured it would be less chaos then." Hermione laughed.

"You're probably right."

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Harry said as he hurried towards them.

"No problem, mate," Ron said. "Where are we going?"

"I'll take you side-along if that's okay?" Harry said. Hermione and Ron glanced at each other and Ron shrugged.

"S'okay with me." Hermione nodded her agreement and looped her arm through Harry's.

"You're being awfully secretive," she said as they walked towards the Apparition point. He looked at her sheepishly.

"I just want it to be a surprise," he said. They reached the Apparition point and Harry took each of them by the arm and turned.

When they landed, they were in the middle of what looked like a field, but when Hermione turned around, she saw a house set back near a small copse of trees.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Near Oxford," Harry said.

"And what are we doing here, exactly?" Ron asked.

"You know Gin and I have been looking for a house," Harry said. They both nodded. They had been looking for a few months, without much luck. "Everything has either been too big or too small, too close to Muggles or completely falling apart. This place came up for sale two days ago. Ginny hasn't seen it yet, obviously, but the realtor doesn't think it will last long so I don't know if we can wait until next week. I want your opinions." Hermione and Ron glanced at each other.

"Mate, you're not thinking about buying something without Ginny seeing it, are you?" Ron asked.

"Do I look like I have a death wish?" Harry replied and Hermione snorted. "Of course, I'm not. But I want your opinion if I should even try and get her here to look at it. She's got a match in three days, Gwenog won't be happy about her leaving, even for an hour."

They began walking towards the house. The property around it looked well-kept and the flower gardens in the front of the house were tidy and well-maintained. The house was large, but not overly so. Hermione knew neither Harry or Ginny wanted to live in a sprawling mansion, but they still wanted enough room for a family. A woman stood near the doorstep and Hermione assumed she was the realtor that Harry and Ginny had been working with.

"Mr. Potter, good to see you," the woman said, shaking his hand.

"Thanks for meeting us, Ms. Price," Harry replied, then introduced Hermione and Ron. The realtor unlocked the front door with a key, not a wand, Hermione noticed. She was also wearing Muggle clothing instead of robes. Harry hadn't told them to transfigure their own robes, however.

"If you don't mind, I'll let you look around on your own," Ms. Price said once they were inside. "I have a few telephone calls to return."

"That's fine, thank you," Harry said.

"I'll just be in the sitting room if you have any questions." The woman walked into the small room to the left of the front door and pulled out a mobile phone.

"Harry," Hermione said under her breath. "Is she a Muggle?"

"Squib," Harry replied. "She works in both the Muggle and the magical world. This is a Muggle property actually."

"That explains the key," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"Come on, let me show you the house."

The main floor consisted of the sitting room and a large living room that was open to the kitchen and breakfast nook. There was a formal dining room, a small loo off the kitchen and a study as well. Upstairs there were five bedrooms and three bathrooms; an en suite in the master, a bathroom shared by two of the bedrooms, as the one in Hermione and Remus' cottage was, and a third bathroom in between, but not connected to the other two bedrooms. There were plenty of windows and all of the kitchen and bathroom fixtures had been modernized. Some of the rooms were painted rather…interesting colors, but that was something that could be easily fixed with a color changing charm.

There was a huge patio off the back of the house and a large back garden. Hermione saw a stream beyond that and there was definitely plenty of land for a Quidditch pitch. The closest neighbors were far enough away that they could easily fly without being seen as long as they set up a few wards.

"What do you think?" Harry asked as they walked back into the kitchen.

"It's beautiful, Harry."

"Do you think Gin will like it?"

"Like it?" Ron said. "She's going to love it." Hermione nodded in agreement. A wide grin broke out on Harry's face.

"Good, because I think it's kind of perfect." Hermione could picture a few little Potters running around and all the family events that would take place here.

"It is," Hermione agreed. They walked back to the front of the house and found the realtor.

"What's the verdict?" she asked.

"We love it," Hermione said.

"Wonderful," Ms. Price said with a smile. "I have to tell you, Mr. Potter, there have been a few showings since yesterday. How soon do you think you can get your fiancée here to look at it?"

"Hopefully, first thing tomorrow morning," Harry said. "I'll call you as soon as I contact her."

"Very good," Ms. Price said. They left the house and she locked the front door. Hermione glanced back over her shoulder before they Disapparated. She really hoped that Harry and Ginny got this house.

* * *

 **28 October 2000**

Hermione stood at the window and looked out across the garden of the Burrow to where the marquee stood. It was already a flurry of activity although the wedding wouldn't begin for another four hours.

The rehearsal and dinner had been at the Burrow last night. As much as Harry and Ginny tried to hire a caterer, Molly had insisted on cooking. Eventually, they stopped arguing with her. Hermione had stayed at the Burrow last night at Ginny's request. Luna and Susan had as well. The men in the wedding party had gone to Grimmauld Place, although Remus and Teddy had gone home to sleep. They would return to Harry's to get dressed later this morning.

The door to the bedroom opened and Ginny walked in, fresh from her shower. Hermione smiled at her as she turned from the window.

"Happy wedding day," she said. Ginny grinned at her.

"I can't believe it's finally here," she said. She sat down on the bed, idly rubbing a towel through her hair. The smile slowly faded from her face. Hermione's brow furrowed in concern and she sat down next to her friend.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"Nothing," Ginny said. Hermione looked at her skeptically. "It's just, I've been dreaming about this for so long, you know? During the war there were days, so many days, when I was terrified it wouldn't happen because Harry would," Ginny trailed off and Hermione put an arm around her.

"He didn't though," Hermione said quietly.

"I know," Ginny replied, taking a deep breath. She laughed slightly and shook her head. "I have no idea why I'm thinking like this on my wedding day."

"It's an emotional day," Hermione said. "Even if it is a happy one." Ginny nodded.

"I keep thinking about Fred," she said softly. Hermione's arm tightened around her and Ginny rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. They sat in silence for a few moments. "Although he'd probably roll his eyes at me and tell me to stop being stupid."

"Either that or make some comment about women weeping at his feet." Ginny laughed and sat up, wiping away a few tears from her cheeks.

"Probably."

"It's your wedding day," Hermione said. "No more tears unless they're the happy kind." Ginny nodded and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're here." Hermione hugged her tighter.

"Me too."

* * *

Remus stepped out of the Floo and told Teddy he could open his eyes. He siphoned the ash off their clothes and then set Teddy on his feet.

"Ha-wy! We here!" Teddy yelled.

"I don't think you need to shout," Remus said. Teddy simply grinned at him. Remus shook his head as Harry walked into the room.

"Hey, mate," he said and Teddy nearly leaped into Harry's arms.

"Sorry about that," Remus said. "He's been very excited all morning." Harry laughed.

"Don't worry," he replied. "I'm pretty excited myself." He tickled Teddy and the toddler giggled. Remus smiled fondly at the two of them. Teddy had changed his hair to match Harry's and Remus could see the younger man holding his own son someday. He just wished James and Lily and Sirius could be here to see it. Harry turned and caught his eyes, looking at him quizzically.

"Your parents would be so very proud of you, Harry," Remus said quietly. "Sirius too." Harry moved toward him and gave him a one-armed hug, Teddy giggling as he was slightly squished between them.

"Thank you, Remus." When they stepped apart, Remus put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"If you ever need anything, Harry, you know that I'm here for you."

"I do," Harry said with a smile. Remus clapped him on the shoulder.

"I suggest we start getting dressed. It's about time to get you married."

* * *

Hermione hurried down the stairs to the kitchen. Things had been relatively calm as they'd gotten ready. Susan and Fleur were helping with their make-up and hair and Angelina and Audrey had wandered upstairs when they arrived. Molly had popped in and out, spending time supervising at the marquee as well.

But as they got closer to the wedding, Ginny got more nervous. Hermione was a bit surprised, actually. The redhead was normally unflappable. She supposed every bride had the right to lose it a bit on her wedding day. Hermione had come downstairs to see if Harry had arrived yet. Ginny insisted that the boys were late.

"My-nee!" a little voice said as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Hermione grinned at the sight of Teddy in his dress robes.

"Well, don't you look handsome," she said, crouching down to the toddler's level. He threw his arms around her neck and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.

"Where's your daddy?" she asked.

"Right here, love." She looked up at Remus and couldn't help staring. Harry had asked him and George to seat the guests and so he was wearing robes similar to what the groomsman would be wearing. He looked _very_ nice in them. She rose to her feet and took him in.

"Hermione," he said, a bit of awe in his voice. "You look," he trailed off, simply staring at her. She smiled and blushed. Fleur had done quite well with her hair, sweeping it up into some elaborate updo that Hermione knew was only staying in place because of magic. Her dress was a deep gold, a nod to both the season and Gryffindor. Hermione had been concerned about the color at first, but it complemented both her and Luna quite well.

"Has Ginny seen you?" Remus finally said.

"Yes, why?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Because I don't know how she could let you walk down the aisle. All the attention will be on you." She blushed again and stepped closer to him.

"I think you're just a _bit_ biased," she said.

"Perhaps," he replied with a smile, putting his arms around her. "But you do look stunning, love."

"My-nee boo-ful!" Teddy announced. Remus smiled.

"You are beautiful," he said and then kissed her.

"None of that," Susan said as she stepped into the room, picking up Teddy in the process. "You'll ruin your make-up." Hermione pulled away from Remus reluctantly, thumb rubbing some of Susan huffed.

"Now I'm going to have to redo your lips." Hermione shrugged.

"Worth it," she said. Susan rolled her eyes and Remus chuckled. "What are you doing down here, anyway?"

"Ginny saw Harry from her window and she wants to see Teddy."

"So, she doesn't need the ginger ale anymore, I assume?" Susan grinned.

"Amazing how your stomach settles right down as soon as you see your groom, isn't it?" Hermione laughed.

"Tell her I'll be up in a minute." Susan nodded and left with Teddy. Hermione turned back to Remus and kissed him again. He raised a brow in question when they parted. Hermione shrugged. "She has to redo my lips anyway." He laughed and kissed her once more.

* * *

Remus sat next to Andromeda as Ron walked his mother down the aisle. After Molly was seated, Ron joined Harry and Neville at the front. Kingsley stood next to Harry, waiting to officiate. Luna began her walk down the aisle, smiling at Rolf as she passed him. She took her place and Remus turned expectantly toward the back of the marquee. Hermione walked in and his breath nearly left him again as it had in the kitchen. He always thought she was beautiful, of course, but today was something completely different. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her that she was going to draw all the attention. He saw plenty of men staring at her as she made her way to the front. The wolf growled, but Remus simply smiled at her as she passed. She winked at him and he bit back a laugh.

There were a few 'awws' from the back of the crowd and Remus turned his attention to his son. Teddy held the pillow out carefully in front of him, like they had showed him, the rings held fast with a sticking charm. When he saw all the people watching him, however, he faltered, looking around the crowd nervously. Remus stepped slightly into the aisle and motioned to him. Teddy picked up his pace and hurried towards his father. There was fond laughter from the guests as Teddy put an arm around Remus' leg and stopped a few rows short of the front.

"Can you take your pillow to Ron?" Remus asked quietly as he crouched down to Teddy's level. "Then you can come back and sit with Nanna and me." Teddy nodded and ran to Ron, handing off the pillow and then racing back to his father. Remus met Hermione's eyes and saw she was trying hard not to laugh. Harry was grinning as Ron removed the rings from the pillow and slipped them into the pocket of his robes.

Remus picked up his son and watched as the pram Victoire was sitting in moved magically down the aisle. The baby was dressed in a mound of white ruffles with a wreath of flowers on her head and was more intent on gnawing on a finger than anything else. The pram stopped at the end of the aisle and Fleur moved to collect her daughter, wheeling the pram to the side.

The music swelled and the crowd rose as Ginny and Arthur came into view. Hermione was right, Ginny did look amazingly beautiful. Remus glanced at Harry who seemed to be in shock as he stared at his bride. His expression was almost identical to what James' had been when he first saw Lily in her wedding dress. It made Remus smile. He made a silent vow to his fallen friends that he would always be there for Harry.

* * *

"Might I have this dance?" Kingsley asked formally, holding out a hand to Andromeda. She smiled at him and rose from her chair, following him to the dance floor. The ceremony had been lovely. Andromeda had not been the only one dabbing tears from her eyes when Harry and Ginny had lit the candles to represent Lily and James. Now, Harry and Ginny just looked deliriously happy. She hoped they would always be so.

Kingsley had drawn her into his arms and she relaxed in his hold as they moved around the floor. He was, unsurprisingly, a very good dancer. She was sure he had received the same lessons as a child that she had.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" he asked. She smiled.

"Only a few times," she replied.

"Hm, not nearly enough." She laughed as he spun them around. Andromeda's eye was drawn to Remus and Hermione where they stood dancing with Teddy. Teddy was giggling as Hermione twirled him and then Remus twirled her. Remus looked so happy, it made her heart twinge just a bit. She adored Hermione, but she couldn't help missing Nymphadora at times like these.

"She sees, love," Kingsley said quietly. Andromeda looked up at him, wondering if he would ever stop surprising her.

"Sometimes I wonder if you are a secret Legilimens," she joked.

"I'm just very good at reading you," he quipped.

"My Slytherin skills must be slipping," she said. He laughed.

"Only when you're happy," he replied. She smiled.

"I am happy." He pulled her closer to him.

"I'm so very glad." Leaning down, he kissed her. The kiss was chaste, but Andromeda blushed anyway, unused to him showing such affection in front of their friends. He smiled at her when he pulled away and she couldn't help but return it. She was an extremely lucky woman, to have found love again and she told Kingsley as much.

"I'm the lucky one, love," he said, continuing to lead her around the dance floor.

* * *

It was late, many of the guests had already gone home. There were still a few couples on the dance floor, but it was mostly family that remained. Andromeda and Kingsley had left with Teddy an hour ago, insisting that as the maid of honor, Hermione had to stay until the bride and groom left. They would keep Teddy overnight.

Remus pulled Hermione close as they danced, her cheek, as well as their clasped hands, rested on his chest. He thought he might be happy just to dance with her for the rest of his life, the curves of her body fitting perfectly into the planes of his. He kissed the top of her head.

"Tired?" he asked her. She nodded.

"But happy too," she said.

"Mm," he agreed. She looked up at him and smiled, then kissed him. When they parted, he tucked a curl that had escaped behind her ear.

"Take a walk with me?" he asked.

"All right," she agreed. He let go of her and took her hand, leading her from the tent to the cooler air outside. He shrugged out of his outer robe and draped it over her shoulders when she shivered. She leaned into his side and he put an arm around her. They walked towards the pond, the moon reflecting on the still surface.

Remus stuck his free hand into his pocket and fingered the small box there. He had grabbed it impulsively just before he and Teddy went to Grimmauld Place. He still wasn't sure what had made him take it. He'd had no intention of giving it to her today.

"Today was sort of perfect, wasn't it?" Hermione said as they reached the pond.

"It was," Remus agreed. He could think of something that would make it more perfect, but he pushed that thought from his head. There was a flat boulder near the water and they sat down. Remus wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He kissed her temple and they lapsed into silence for a few minutes.

"The house looks amazing," Hermione said. Two nights ago, she had gone to the new house Harry and Ginny had bought to see the changes. Remus was on patrol at Hogwarts that night and hadn't been able to join her.

"I can't wait to see it," he said. Harry and Ginny were having a housewarming party when they returned from their honeymoon.

"It's so strange that they're going to be living there," she said.

"How do you mean?" Remus asked.

"I don't know, I'm so used to them being a Grimmauld it will be odd to see them somewhere else. The house is perfect for them though." She turned to smile at him.

"It is," he agreed. "I wonder how long it will take them to fill it with little Potters?" Hermione laughed.

"Ginny says she's not even thinking about that for a few years, no matter how much Molly hints around at it. She's enjoying playing Quidditch too much." She snuggled back into him, wrapping both arms around his waist. Remus kissed her temple and she made a noise of contentment. He put his hand back in his pocket, gripping the box. He couldn't really do this now, she would think it was entirely too soon. Everyone would think it was too soon.

"Have you thought about it?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Thought about what, love?" he replied.

"Having more little Lupins." He froze for a moment. She couldn't be asking what he thought she was asking.

* * *

Hermione had no idea what had made her ask that. Maybe it was the wedding or thinking about the future, but it wasn't anything they had actually discussed before. She knew that she wanted children, not anytime soon, of course, but someday. But she'd never asked Remus what he thought about it. Then again, they hadn't ever discussed having children _together_ , either.

She felt his body tense and immediately wished she could take it back. She'd obviously shocked him and if his reaction was anything to go by, not in a good way. They hadn't even been together for a year yet, what was she thinking bringing up children? For Merlin's sake, they hadn't even talked about _marriage_. Stupid, Hermione, just stupid.

"I always wanted Teddy to have a sibling or two," Remus said, interrupting her internal rebuking. "I was an only child and always wanted a brother or sister."

"Me too," Hermione said. "I know my parents were always sad they couldn't give me one."

"I think mine would have if I hadn't been bitten." Remus looked out across the pond. "They just had too much to deal with after that." Hermione's arms tightened around him.

"What about you?" he asked softly, looking down at her. "Do you want to have children?"

"Someday," she said, meeting his gaze. She felt like something had shifted, but she wasn't sure what. And she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or not.

* * *

Remus couldn't believe that she'd brought up children. The moment she'd said it, his mind supplied him with an image of Hermione holding a curly-haired, green-eyed toddler on her hip. His hand tightened around the box in his pocket as he finally spoke.

When he asked her if she wanted children and she looked up at him, his hand came out of his pocket as if it had a mind of its own. He didn't break eye contact as his hand settled in his lap, still holding the box tightly. He still wasn't sure that he should do this. But, gods, he loved her and he knew that she loved him. He wanted her with him, forever. He didn't know if she felt the same way but she had never given him any indication that she didn't. It was soon, yes, but everything about their relationship had been quick, hadn't it? Why should this be any different?

"Hermione," he began and she looked at him questioningly. "Hermione, I love you." She smiled.

"I love you too."

"I'm not sure what I did to deserve you."

"Remus," she interrupted. "You deserve _everything_." He couldn't help but kiss her.

"I'm not sure what I did," he repeated, cupping her cheek in his free hand. "But after Dora, I never thought, well, I planned to spend the rest of my life raising my son and being grateful that I got to do so. I never anticipated falling in love again. Even when I knew how you felt, I did my damnedest to change your mind."

"I suppose it's a good thing that I'm stubborn then, isn't it?" she asked cheekily. He laughed.

"Yes, it's a very good thing." Smiling, his hand left her cheek and he leaned back slightly so he could take her hand instead. She looked a bit confused, but he pressed on. "Hermione, I can't imagine my life or Teddy's life without you in it." He sat back from her a bit further. "And I hope to Merlin that I never have to find out." He opened his hand, revealing the box. Hermione looked at it and then up at him, her eyes widening.

"Remus," she whispered.

"I know it's soon, but," he opened the box. Hermione gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "Hermione, will you marry me?" She stared at him in shock, her hand still covering her mouth. He waited a few moments but she didn't say anything. He began to curse himself in his head. It was way too soon, he should have waited. She must think him insane. He began to draw his hand back when she made a noise. He looked up at her and saw the tears in her eyes.

"Hermione," he said. "I'm sor-"

Before he could finish, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him, the robe falling from her shoulders. He wrapped his free hand around her back, the other still holding the box with the ring. This had to be a good thing, didn't it? She wouldn't kiss him like this if she was going to say no.

"Yes," she said when she pulled away. He was so surprised he could only stare at her.

"Yes?" he repeated.

"Yes!" she said, laughing amidst the tears on her face. He grinned and wrapped his arms around her again. They snogged for quite some time before they finally parted. He rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you so very, very much." She kissed the corner of his mouth, then sat back from him.

"Prove it," she said, holding out her left hand. He grinned and pulled the ring from the box, then slid it on her finger. Her hands were trembling and he took them both in his.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, looking down at the ring. He, however, was looking at her face.

"I couldn't agree more." She smiled and then kissed him again. It was a slow, sweet kiss, full of promise for the future they would have together. Remus couldn't wait.


	92. Epilogue

**A/N - Hi everyone! I have finally finished the epilogue! I'm sorry that it took so long. My recovery from my surgery went really well and I want to thank everyone for their well-wishes! This thing turned out to be a mammoth, almost twice as long as a normal chapter, hence the extra time to write it. I can't believe it's finished and to be honest, I probably could have written another five thousand words, but it has to end sometime. There are time jumps, so mind the dates. I tried to wrap up everyone's storyline to some degree. There is also a bit of overlap in the first two scenes (line-breaks) but it's not too confusing.**

 **I am planning on taking a break from writing fanfic for a while to concentrate on my original fiction. But I seem to always find my way back here, so I'm sure there will be another story at some point. Likely not with this pairing, but I've got a few other ideas.**

 **I want to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, favorited and nominated this story for awards. When I started writing this over two years ago I _never_ expected it would get so long, but I have enjoyed writing it so much. I am so glad that you have all enjoyed it as well. I have loved reading your comments and I appreciate all of you very much! I hope that you enjoy this look into Hermione and Remus' future!  
**

 **Chapter 92**

 **Epilogue**

 **21 July 2001**

Hermione sat patiently at the vanity as Ginny put the finishing touches on her hair. Hermione was still in her dressing gown, her wedding dress hanging on the door of the wardrobe across the room. She glanced at it from the corner of her eye and the butterflies fluttered in her stomach again. There were times in the last few months that she had thought today would never get here. Now that it had, however, she was more nervous than she thought she would be.

After Remus' proposal, the two of them had gone back to Harry and Ginny's wedding, a disillusionment charm cast on the ring on Hermione's finger. Neither of them had wanted to take anything away from Harry and Ginny's day and so they had kept their news to themselves.

They had told Andromeda first, when they went to pick up Teddy the next morning. She hadn't looked overly surprised and had been thrilled for them both. Teddy hadn't really understood what was happening, although he'd been caught up in the excitement of the adults. He _had_ made a face when Remus told him he was going to get to walk down the aisle at another wedding. He seemed to have changed his mind now, though, if the rehearsal the night before was any indication. Besides, he was three now, as he liked to remind everyone. Often.

They had gone to Hermione's parents for dinner the day after the wedding to give them the news. Her dad had been a bit shocked and her mum, while not as surprised, had still been concerned that things were moving too quickly. She hadn't said as much in front of Remus, but Hermione's mother had pulled her aside in the kitchen as they were getting ready to serve the pudding.

" _Don't you think this is a bit soon?" her mother had asked. "You've only been together for a few months."_

" _You thought it was too soon for me to move in too, but that's been wonderful," Hermione replied. "Besides, we're not getting married tomorrow."_

" _So, it's to be a long engagement then?"_

" _Well, no," Hermione said. "I mean we haven't discussed dates yet, but most likely sometime next year. It will have to be in the summer, once school is over."_

" _Hermione, that's not even a year away. Sweetheart, you're only twenty-one."_

" _I know that you and dad got married much later, but I love him, Mum. And we're happy." Her mother had stared at her for a minute before she sighed and nodded. She had hugged Hermione then._

" _That's all I've ever wanted for you, you know. That you're happy."_

" _I know, Mum."_

They'd waited until Harry and Ginny had gotten home from their honeymoon to announce the news to the Weasleys. It meant that Hermione had kept her ring hidden while she was at work, but she didn't mind. The news would get out soon enough and enjoying it with their family and friends first was more important.

Ginny had actually squealed when they'd told everyone at the Weasley dinner. As they were congratulated by everyone, Ginny had held out her hand to Harry who had sighed and passed her a galleon. Hermione's eyes had narrowed, glad Remus was occupied talking to Arthur and Bill.

" _You had a_ bet _going?" Hermione hissed. Ginny smiled smugly._

" _Of course, we did," she said, pocketing the galleon Harry handed her._

" _What was it?"_

" _That you'd be engaged before the end of the year. Bit sooner than I expected, actually. I thought he'd do it at Christmas. Susan guessed Valentine's Day. Harry and Ron thought it would take longer than that. Two more galleons for me." She grinned._

" _You were_ all _in on it?"_

" _Not all of us. I mean if George knew, he'd have a whole grid worked out and everything, probably with multiple parameters for winning." Hermione gaped at her._

" _You're impossible," Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes. Ginny simply winked._

Hermione couldn't help smiling a bit as she remembered.

"What's that look for?" Ginny asked, smiling back at her in the mirror.

"Just remembering your ridiculous bet." Ginny grinned as she put a final pin in Hermione's hair.

"What do you think?" Hermione turned her head to the side. Ginny had gathered up her curls and piled them all on top of her head, somehow making it look elegant instead of just a sloppy mess. There were a few soft curls around her face and with the pins, it looked as if tiny diamonds were set into her hair.

"It's gorgeous, Gin," Hermione said. "Thank you." Hermione stared at herself in the mirror again and began to tear up.

"No, no, none of that," Ginny scolded. "I've already done our make-up and we can't be crying all over the place." Hermione laughed and dabbed a few tears from her eyes with a tissue. She stood and hugged Ginny tightly.

"Thank you." There was a knock on the door and Ginny crossed to answer it. Hermione's mother began speaking as soon as she crossed the threshold.

"Your father finally let Harry fix his tie with magic. Honestly, that man can be so stubborn, I told him that, oh-" her mum stopped short and stared at her, her breath coming out in a rush. "Oh, Hermione." Ginny smiled at the two of them and quietly left the room. Hermione's mother continued to stare at her until Hermione began to fidget under her scrutiny.

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful." Hermione smiled. Her mother touched one of her curls. "I can't believe you're all grown up."

"Mum," Hermione said, blushing slightly. Her mother smiled, but tears were gathering in her eyes. Hermione remembered what Ginny had said about her make-up and blinked quickly to hold back her own tears.

"Look at me," her mum said with a laugh. "You're not even in your dress yet and I'm a mess." She pulled Hermione into her arms. Hermione hugged her mother tightly. Despite her early reservations, her mother had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the wedding planning, her parents even coming back to England earlier than usual that year to help.

There was a light knock at the door and Ginny poked her head inside.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we'd better get you into your dress," she said. Hermione and her mother pulled apart, her mum squeezing her hand before she stepped away. Hermione beckoned Ginny into the room. Andromeda, Luna and Susan followed behind.

"How is Remus?" Hermione asked Andromeda quietly. Hermione's mother had insisted that the two of them not see each other until the wedding. Hermione had spent the night at Harry and Ginny's after the rehearsal the night before.

"He is fine, Hermione," Andromeda said with a smile. "A bit anxious, but that is more anticipation than anything." Hermione nodded.

"I know how he feels." Andromeda took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"I hope that you know how very happy I am for both of you." Hermione looked at the older woman. She had welcomed Hermione with open arms from the very start and Hermione was still extremely grateful for all of her support.

"Thank you, Andromeda," Hermione said, hugging her.

"All right, Granger, get over here and get this dress on," Ginny ordered. Hermione laughed and walked towards her friend.

* * *

Remus stood in the bedroom, looking out the window. He could just see the top of the marquee from here. Harry was right, no one would be able to see the house from either the spot where would arrive with the Portkeys or from the wedding itself.

He and Hermione had struggled to decide where to hold the wedding. Jean had wanted them to marry in the church that they had sometimes attended when Hermione was a child. Hermione, however, felt no real attachment to the place and with nearly all their guests being magical, making sure no one did magic or dressed inappropriately was a bigger headache than either of them wanted to deal with on their wedding day. Percy and Audrey had a Muggle wedding in April and after a couple of issues that called for the Obliviators, Remus and Hermione were glad they had made the choice they did. Jean was a bit upset that they couldn't invite some of their own friends to the wedding, given it would be a magical one. But Remus and Hermione had agreed to a party after they got back from their honeymoon for all of her parents' friends who had been told that the couple eloped.

They had looked into different venues, and Molly had offered the Burrow, of course, but nothing had felt quite right. One night over the Christmas holidays, they had been at Harry and Ginny's for dinner and Ginny had offered the use of their property. Remus had Hermione had initially refused, as they knew that Harry relished his privacy. The press had not yet gotten wind of where they were living and Harry hoped to keep it that way.

" _Don't be silly," Ginny said. "It's not as if you're inviting the newspapers."_

" _And you can't even see the house from the meadow on the other side of the stream," Harry added. The meadow, where Harry intended to put a Quidditch pitch eventually,_ was _a perfect spot._

" _Yes, but the guests have to get here somehow," Hermione said._

" _You can make the invitations Portkeys," Harry said. "I hear you've got an in with the Minister." He winked. "Your parents can even drive if they like. We're not that far from your old house."_

" _Harry, are you sure?" Hermione asked. Harry reached across the table and took her hand in his._

" _Let us do this for you, Hermione." She had teared up but nodded all the same._

And so, the wedding invitations had been turned into Portkeys, set to go off at intervals so that everyone didn't arrive at once. A magical barrier had also been set up around the meadow to keep guests in the meadow, and, Harry had told her, an anti-animagus ward. They weren't concerned about Rita, of course. She was still tucked away, her memory fuzzy as to who she was. But Remus was the only person Hermione had told. Everyone else still thought the reporter was missing, likely dead.

Hermione and Remus had kept the guest list on the smaller side, inviting only those they were truly close to. Remus knew that no one would purposely give away Harry and Ginny's secret, even if they discovered it. Still, it was better to be safe in case someone inadvertently let something slip.

"Daddy," Teddy called. Remus turned away from the window to see Ginny walking into the room, holding Teddy's hand. He was already in his dress robes and Remus couldn't help but smile.

"How's Hermione?" he asked Ginny.

"She's fine," Ginny said. "Got a bit teary when her mum came in."

"I can see My-nee?" Teddy asked.

"Not just yet," Ginny told him. She picked up the pillow and held it out to him. "Do you remember what to do?"

"I free now," Teddy said, holding up three fingers as if this was answer enough. Remus snorted and Ginny grinned at the little boy.

"I know you're three. You might have to help Victoire though."

"Vic on'y one," Teddy said, holding up one finger now.

"That's right, so she might need help." Teddy nodded solemnly.

Remus still questioned the wisdom of having Victoire actually attempt to walk down the aisle as the flower girl. She was not quite fifteen months old and while she'd been walking for almost three months now, he thought having her in the pram again was a better plan. He had been overruled, however, by the women who had taken one look at the toddler in the flower girl dress and fallen in love with the idea of her walking down the aisle next to Teddy. Remus wasn't about to argue with _all_ of them and Fleur would be on hand if things didn't go as planned.

There was a soft knock on the door and Ginny turned to answer it. Andromeda smiled at him as Ginny opened the door.

"Teddy, shall we go find Harry?"

"Yes!" Teddy said, always happy to see his godfather. Ginny closed the door behind them.

"How are you?" Andromeda asked as she crossed the room.

"I'm fine," Remus said. "Have you seen Hermione?"

"Not yet," Andromeda replied. "She is with her mother right now." Remus nodded and glanced back out the window. Andromeda joined him and they stood in silence for a few moments.

"I'm sorry you didn't get this," Remus said. "With Dora." They had never really talked about the quick wedding that Remus and Dora had had; just the two of them with strangers from the pub next door for witnesses.

"There was a war on," Andromeda said. "You did what you had to do."

"Still," Remus replied. "We could have included you and Ted."

"Weddings are lovely," Andromeda said. "But they are only one small moment in time. The bigger reward is seeing your child happy." She turned her head to look at him. "I got to see that for many months and that was more important than a wedding ceremony." Remus reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Teddy, however, had better not elope if he knows what is good for him." She flashed Remus a smile as he laughed.

"Andromeda," he said a few moments later. "I'd like it if you would stand in for my mother." She looked at him in surprise. "I want to escort you in and seat you where she would have sat."

"Oh, Remus," Andromeda said, taking a moment to compose herself. She smiled at him. "I would be honored."

"Thank you," he said and hugged her. She patted his cheek when they parted.

"It's almost time," she said. He nodded. "I will check in on Hermione and then meet you downstairs?"

"All right," Remus agreed. She kissed his cheek.

"I am so very happy for you both." Remus smiled.

"Thank you, Andromeda."

* * *

Everyone had left the room to Apparate to the edge of the meadow. Hermione was waiting for her father to collect her and she would take him Side-Along. Andromeda would take her mother and Ginny had offered to take Hermione and send Harry for her dad if she were too nervous. But Hermione had assured them all she was fine. She just wanted a few moments to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she smoothed down the skirts of her dress and took one last look at herself in the mirror. Vanity had never been one of her vices, the Yule ball the one exception during her Hogwarts years. But today, even _she_ couldn't believe how she looked. She was almost convinced that Ginny had cast some kind of spell on her in addition to doing her hair and make-up.

There was a soft knock on the door and Hermione looked over her shoulder, calling for her father to come in.

"Are you ready?" he asked, then stared at her as she turned around. She smiled at him and he crossed the room, taking her hands in his. "You look beautiful, Princess."

"Thank you." He continued to gaze at her, small smile on his face.

"What happened to my little bushy haired girl that like to play in the dirt?"

"Dad," Hermione said. She looked up at him and saw that his eyes were bright. Oh no, if her dad started crying there was no way that Hermione would be able to hold it together. She squeezed his hands and then stepped towards him, wrapping her arms around his middle like she used to when she was a little girl. He returned the embrace, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"Love you too, Daddy."

* * *

Remus took a breath before he began walking down the aisle, Andromeda on his arm. He kissed her cheek before he seated her and then walked up to the altar. Kingsley, who was not officiating, but a groomsman nodded with a smile. Thomas gave him a cheeky grin as Remus joined them. Thomas Clark was the new Muggle Studies professor. He had been a Hufflepuff and four years ahead of Remus at Hogwarts. Remus had barely remembered him from school, they'd obviously never had any classes together, but they'd become good friends this past year.

Harry walked in next, leading Jean to her seat. He then took his place next to Remus, clapping him on the shoulder. Remus thought there was some kind of strange symmetry having Harry as his best man. Sirius had been James', of course, and had Sirius still been here, he likely would have stood up for Remus. Harry, though, was the first person that came to mind when Hermione had asked Remus if he knew who he was going to choose.

Susan walked in first, followed by Luna. They both looked lovely and the new engagement ring on Susan's finger caught the light for a moment. Remus looked at Ron as Susan passed him and saw the same look on the younger man's face that Remus was sure he himself wore when he looked at Hermione.

When Ginny walked in, Remus glanced at Harry, who still looked entirely besotted, even after nearly a year of marriage. Remus swallowed around a lump in his throat when he remembered the same expression on James' face whenever he looked at Lily.

Teddy and Victoire came into view and Remus saw all the smiles and fond looks as the two little ones made their way down the aisle. They _were_ quite adorable. Victoire stopped when they were only halfway and sat down in the middle of the aisle. When there were a few chuckles from the guests, she grinned up at everyone while Teddy tried to get her to stand back up.

"You has to walk, Vic," he said, pulling on her hand. She smiled at Teddy and then began to laugh along with the guests, pulling at the skirt of her dress and exposing her chubby legs and ruffly pants underneath. Fleur materialized behind them and picked up her daughter. She whispered to Teddy who stood up straighter and continued to walk towards the front. Fleur followed behind carrying Victoire who waved to people as she passed.

Remus smiled proudly at his son as he presented the pillow with the rings on it to Harry. Teddy hugged his father quickly around the legs and then went to join his grandmother. She kissed the top of his head as he settled into the seat next to her.

Remus then looked expectantly toward the end of the aisle. When Hermione and her father came into view, his breath left him. She smiled at him when she caught his eye, but he couldn't do anything but stare, his mouth dry. She was breath-taking.

"Breathe, yeah?" Harry said quietly, hand on Remus' shoulder. Remus pulled in a breath and swallowed and Harry chuckled, squeezing his shoulder before dropping his hand. Remus vaguely remembered Ron having to do something similar at Harry's wedding.

When she reached him, Hermione had a beaming smile on her face and her eyes were bright. Richard kissed her cheek and hugged her, then put her hand in Remus'. He nodded once to Remus and then moved to sit with his wife who was already dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Gripping Hermione's hand tightly in his, Remus smiled. She squeezed his hand in return and they turned to face the Ministry official that would marry them.

* * *

"Fancy a dance?" Harry asked Hermione. She smiled up at her best friend and took his proffered hand. Harry led her out onto the dance floor and Remus smiled at the two of them from where he was dancing with Andromeda.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said. "For letting us have the wedding here and for all of this."

"You don't have to thank me, Hermione," Harry said. "I'd do anything for you, you know that."

"The feeling's mutual, you know." He smiled.

"I know."

"Aren't you going to give me any advice about married life?" Hermione teased. Harry chuckled.

"It's not all that different from living together life," he said. "Except that Molly doesn't tut at us anymore." Hermione laughed.

"It's…pretty great, actually," he said with a soft smile.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed, glancing at Remus. "It is."

"I'm really happy for you, Hermione," Harry said. She smiled and hugged him.

"Thanks, Harry."

"Trying to steal my man again, Granger?" Ginny said. Hermione looked up and saw Ron and Ginny dancing next to them.

"Always," Hermione said with a grin and Ginny laughed.

"My turn, Harry," Ron said and passed Ginny off to Harry's waiting arms. Hermione smiled and stepped into his hold.

"You look beautiful, 'Mione," Ron said.

"Are you ever going to stop calling me that?" she asked.

"Probably not," he replied with a grin. She shook her head but couldn't hide her smile. They moved around the floor for a few moments.

"Are you ready for this next year?" she asked. Ron looked across the room to where Susan stood laughing with Hannah. The same soft smile Harry had when he looked at Ginny crossed Ron's face.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, I am." Hermione grinned at him. "What?"

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just glad you're so happy."

"I'm glad you're happy too." Ron looked down at her. "And I'm really glad that we're friends." Hermione hugged him, knowing that they could have easily fallen out after their break-up. She was so glad they hadn't.

"Me too, Ron, me too." When they pulled apart, Ron tucked a wayward curl behind her ear and then grinned, dancing her around the floor while Hermione laughed.

* * *

Hermione walked towards the table of kids with a smile on her face. They had invited Caroline and her family of course, as well as Claire, David and Annie. Hermione had called Sarah and Amy beforehand to explain how the Portkeys worked. Harry and Ginny were planning on taking them home later. The three youngest Burke children and the three Muggle-borns had settled at a table together after dinner was over, although Hermione noticed that Rebecca was flitting back and forth between her mother, who was sitting at the table next to them, and her brothers.

"Hermione," Claire said as she reached the table. "You look beautiful." They all nodded their agreement and Hermione blushed slightly.

"Thanks, Claire," Hermione said. Will had just finished his second year, Claire, David and Annie their fourth. Paul, who was going to start his seventh year, held Claire's hand. "I'm glad all of you could come."

"Thanks for inviting us," Annie replied.

"I hope you didn't have trouble with the Portkey," Hermione said. She remembered the first time she'd taken one to the World Cup.

"It's a good thing Paul can use magic outside of school," Claire said. "Or David would have shown up with grass-stained knees. They all laughed as David stuck his tongue out at his sister.

"Rachel wanted me to tell you she was sorry she couldn't make it," Paul said. His older sister was at another wedding this evening of one of her school friends.

"We completely understand," Hermione replied as she sat down next to Will. They had been to their fair share of weddings this year as well and Hermione knew there would only be more to come in the next few years. Rebecca came running over and Hermione automatically pulled the little girl into her lap.

"I like your hair," Rebecca said. "It's pretty."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a smile. She chatted with the six of them for a while, finding out about Will's third-year subjects and how the rest of them felt about upcoming O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. Hermione smiled at their chatter.

Will had adjusted to school and actually told a few people about his lycanthropy. No one had judged him and Hermione knew that another child who had been bitten was due to start at Hogwarts in the fall. The seminars Hermione had devised were going very well and she hoped that some of the acceptance Will had found was due to that. She knew that Remus' presence helped immensely as well.

David had been officially adopted by Claire's family and all three of them seemed to be adjusting and even thriving after their imprisonment during the war. She knew they all still had nightmares from time to time. Hermione still had them too, come to that. But the bonds of their friendship and their families' support kept them moving forward.

Paul and Claire were clearly smitten with one another. Whether that would continue once Paul was out of school, Hermione didn't know. They were young, but then again, so was she when she'd decided what she wanted. She glanced across the tent at Remus. He caught her gaze and smiled. Saying good-bye to the children and excusing herself, Hermione made her way to his side. Remus' arm went around her and he kissed her temple as he continued talking to Thomas. Hermione sighed in contentment and turned her attention to their conversation.

* * *

"We are going to take Teddy home," Andromeda said as she walked up to Remus and Hermione some time later. They sat next to one another, Hermione's head resting on his shoulder, just watching their guests. Many had left already and Remus smiled at the sight of his son asleep on Kingsley's shoulder.

"Thank you," Remus said as he hugged Andromeda. "For everything." She smiled at him, seeming unable to speak for the moment. He squeezed her hand, understanding everything she was feeling. Hermione moved in to take his place as Remus turned to Kingsley. The older man held out a hand and Remus shook it.

"I wish you every happiness, Remus," Kingsley said.

"Thank you, Kings," Remus replied. He put a hand on the back of Teddy's head and then kissed his forehead. "We'll stop by in the morning to say good-bye." He and Hermione had decided to spend their wedding night in the cottage before leaving for their honeymoon the next day. Hermione rose up on tiptoe to kiss Kingsley's cheek and he squeezed her shoulder with a smile before they turned and left.

Hermione leaned into Remus' side and he put an arm around her. He was of a mind to leave as well, but thought he'd like one more dance with his wife before they did so.

"Can I talk you into one last dance, Mrs. Lupin?" Remus asked, holding out a hand to her. Hermione grinned up at him. She had decided to hyphenate her last name which Remus had supported. Hermione Granger had been her identity for a long time. He wasn't about to insist that she give up her name. When it was just the two of them though, he hoped she didn't mind him calling her that. He asked her as much when he pulled her in close, clasping her hand to his chest.

"No," she assured him. "In fact, I rather like it." He smirked.

"You do, do you?" She nodded. He pulled her closer, so his mouth was near her ear. "Shall I tell you what I intend to do with you tonight, Mrs. Lupin?" She shivered and he tightened his hold on her as they continued to move slowly around the dance floor.

"Remus," she whispered after a few minutes.

"Yes, love?"

"Take me home." He leaned down and kissed her.

"I think we should finish this dance."

"Sod the dance," she said, kissing him again. Perhaps she was right. He nodded when they broke apart.

"Let's say our good-byes."

They made their way around the room, thanking everyone who still remained. When they finished, Remus took Hermione's hand and led her out of the tent towards the boundary around the meadow. When they crossed it, he wrapped his arms around her and turned, reappearing in front of the cottage with a pop.

Before she realized what was happening, Remus had scooped Hermione up in his arms. She shrieked in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck as he laughed.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Tradition remember?" he said as they reached the door. He opened it with a flick of his wand and carried her over the threshold.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Lupin." She gripped the back of his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss as he shut the door behind them.

* * *

 **27 July 2001**

"Teddy's asleep," Kingsley said. Andromeda waved her wand at the dishes that were rinsing in the sink, casting a drying charm.

"Thank you for putting him down," she replied without turning around. Kingsley had been to dinner every night this week while Remus and Hermione were on their honeymoon. They had become rather domestic, one putting Teddy to bed while the other cleaned the kitchen. And he stayed the night more often than not. She found that she rather liked it.

"Andromeda," he said after a few moments.

"Yes?" she said absently, flicking her wand again to stack the plates and send them into the cupboard. When she was finished, she realized that he hadn't replied. She turned to look at him and found him standing with a small box balanced in his open palm. Her heart began to beat faster and she glanced up at his face which was giving nothing away.

"Kingsley," she said on a breath. "What is, what are you doing?"

"I've known what I wanted for some time. This past week has just proved it to me. I want to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up with you every morning. Andromeda, I love you." He dropped down to one knee in front of her, opening the box as he did so. "Marry me."

She stared down at him, hand on her chest as if she could slow her pounding heart. This man, this man that she'd never expected to find, hadn't even been looking for, and certainly never expected to fall in love with. This man that had not only welcomed her strange extended family but fit in as comfortably with them as if he'd always been there. This man that loved her grandson just as much as she did. She loved him.

"Yes," she said, her voice barely audible. She looked him in the eye and smiled. "Yes." He stood and pulled her to him, kissing her fiercely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. When they finally parted to breathe, he kept her tightly pressed against him.

"I love you," he said into her hair.

"And I love you," she replied, burying her face in his chest and breathing him in. They stood there in the kitchen for a time, simply relishing in their closeness, Kingsley pressing small kisses to her temple or her hair every few moments. Finally, he pulled back from her and took her left hand in his, sliding the ring onto her finger. She admired it for a moment, then looked back up at him, putting a hand to his cheek. He grasped it and kissed her palm, then pulled her back into his arms, kissing her once more.

* * *

 **22 December 2001**

Kingsley leaned down to kiss Andromeda and Hermione squeezed Remus' hand. He brought their clasped hands to his lips and kissed the back of hers. The ceremony had been a quiet affair, only the families and a few friends in attendance. Narcissa had stood up for Andromeda and, surprisingly, Draco and Astoria were there as well, married earlier that year in the spring. Hermione had seen Ron give Draco a few pointed looks, but no one had protested his presence.

Hermione and Remus had gotten much more comfortable with Narcissa. Something had changed after the whole Rita Skeeter affair. If Narcissa was willing to go to the lengths she had not just for her own family, but for Andromeda's as well, there was something redeemable about her. As Hermione relaxed around Narcissa, Remus did as well.

Kingsley's family consisted of a great-aunt who Hermione liked immediately, and his father, who shared Kingsley's deep voice and warm smile. His father had been his best man. Teddy had, once again, taken up the job of ring bearer. He was a bit disgruntled when Remus told him he would have to wear dress robes yet again. One mention of cake, however, and the little boy had agreed.

Hermione and Remus had been ecstatic when they had returned from their honeymoon and found out about the engagement. After all the support Andromeda had given them, she deserved every bit of her own happiness. Kingsley as well. His job as Minister was a stressful one and Andromeda was always the calm that he needed, even when he didn't realize he needed it.

"I'm so happy for them," Hermione said as they watched the older couple dance.

"So am I, love," Remus replied.

"Is Andromeda still upset about the extra security?" Hermione asked. They had decided to stay in the Hogsmeade cottage, but that meant extra wards and the presence of Kingsley's security detail.

"She understands the need for it," Remus said. "It will just take a bit of getting used to." Hermione nodded. Even them popping through the back garden now required a security question from a member of Kingsley's team. "Frankly, though, if it keeps them safe, I'm all for it." Remus and Hermione had gotten a few new wards of their own, knowing that as Andromeda's family they could be possible targets if someone wanted to hurt Kingsley.

"Not to mention I'm extremely grateful they didn't move into Kingsley's flat," Remus continued. While the Floo made it easy to get anywhere in a few seconds, having Andromeda next door was different than having her a fireplace away. Teddy could go back and forth between the two as he liked, and while he couldn't go by himself just yet, as he got older, he would be able to.

"Daddy," Teddy asked as he walked up with Harry. "Can I has more cake?" Remus glanced at Harry who held up two fingers over Teddy's head.

"I think two pieces is plenty, don't you?" Remus asked. Teddy shook his head vehemently. Remus chuckled and picked up his son, setting him in his lap.

"My-nee?" Teddy asked hopefully. She laughed.

"Your father already said no," she replied. "Besides, I think two pieces of cake is plenty as well." She ruffled his hair as he pouted.

"I'm sure that there will be some left over," Remus said. "You can have another piece tomorrow."

"Morrow is looooong time, Daddy," Teddy said solemnly. Harry snorted and Hermione bit her lip to control her laughter. Remus just shook his head fondly. They all looked up to see Andromeda and Kingsley walking towards them.

"Kings," Teddy said, squirming in Remus' lap until his father set him on the floor. Teddy ran up to his grandmother's new husband and hugged him around the legs.

"Oh, here we go," Harry said in amusement.

"Hello, Teddy," Kingsley said, picking the little boy up.

"I like cake, Kings," Teddy said. Kingsley chuckled.

"I know that you like cake," he replied. "Did you have some of ours?" Teddy nodded his head.

"It 'licious," he said. He put on his most innocent expression. "I has 'nother piece?" Kingsley glanced at Andromeda who rolled her eyes.

"How many pieces have you had?" she asked. Teddy looked at her.

"Nanna, I talkin' to Kings." Hermione tried to cover her laughter with a cough. Harry had turned away, but Hermione could see his shoulders shaking. Remus just sighed and shook his head.

Teddy turned back to Kingsley, giving him a smile. Kingsley, who was fighting his own laughter, cleared his throat.

"I think you've probably had enough cake for today," Kingsley said. "But how about you dance with your nanna and me?"

"Okay," Teddy said with a sigh, as if it were a great hardship. Kingsley laughed then and kissed Teddy's cheek, leading his wife back to the dance floor. Kingsley set Teddy back on the floor and the three of them danced together, Teddy giggling the whole time.

"Well, you've got your work cut out with that one," Harry said, slapping Remus on the shoulder. Remus looked up at Harry, glint of mischief in his eyes.

"You know, I've been wondering how mixing Potter and Weasley genes will play out," he said. Harry paled and Remus smirked. "Just wait, Harry. Just wait."

* * *

 **21 February 2003**

Hermione yawned again and Remus looked at her in concern. He knew she had been working hard on her newest legislation, but she hadn't been working _that_ long of hours. He suspected that she might have been up late earlier in the week when he'd had to stay overnight at the castle, but that had been three days ago. She'd been sleeping well since. In fact, she'd gone to bed early the last couple of nights. He hoped she wasn't coming down with something.

"Are you all right, love?"

"Fine," she said with a smile. "Just tired."

"Why don't you go up to bed?" he suggested. She shook her head and put her book down, moving closer to him on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled into his side. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head, getting a waft of her scent as he did so. She smelled…different, but he couldn't pinpoint how exactly. He didn't think she had changed her shampoo, the bottle in the shower still looked the same at any rate. And she hadn't worn perfume since the year she and Harry and Ron were on the run, after they'd almost been found by Snatchers because of it. After a few moments of trying to puzzle it out, he went back to his book.

After a few minutes, he gave it up as a bad job and looked down to find that Hermione had fallen asleep. Smiling softly at her, he set his book down on the side table and then maneuvered her until he could pick her up. She stirred, then settled again almost immediately. Remus frowned. She likely _was_ coming down with something. He was glad it was the weekend and she wouldn't have to go into work tomorrow.

He flicked his wand to lock the Floo and douse the lights, then carried Hermione upstairs. He laid her on the bed, then changed her into her pajamas with magic, settling her under the blankets. Remus brushed his teeth and stripped to his boxers before climbing in beside her. She immediately moved towards him and he smiled as he wrapped her in his arms. As he drifted off, something pricked at the back of his mind about the change in her scent, something familiar, but before he could grasp it, his breathing evened out and he was asleep as well.

* * *

 **22 February 2003**

Hermione woke just after the sun had risen. She yawned and snuggled back into Remus for a moment before bolting from the bed and into the bathroom. He woke abruptly and heard her losing the contents of her stomach. Jumping out of bed, he hurried to the loo.

"Hermione?" Remus said from outside the door. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said. Seconds later, however, she was retching again. When Remus opened the door, she tried to wave him off, but he ignored her. He held her hair back and then gave her a glass of water when she sat back against the bathtub. He ran cool water on a flannel and wiped her neck and forehead with it.

"Let's get you back in bed, love," he said. "I'll get a stomach soother." She nodded and allowed Remus to pull her to her feet, leaning against him as he walked her back to the bed. She grabbed her wand from the bedside table and cast a mouth cleansing charm before she laid down. He tucked her in and then went back into the bathroom, opening the locked cabinet in the wall and pulling out a vial of stomach soother. She drank it down and closed her eyes, relaxing back into the pillows. Remus sat down beside her smoothing her hair away from her face.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better," she replied. The color had come back into her face and she smiled at him. He laid a hand on her forehead, but she didn't have a fever. They'd eaten the same thing for supper the night before and Remus didn't feel sick at all. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, her scent wafting towards his nose. He froze as he sat back up, the pieces finally clicking into place and remembered when he'd smelled something similar before. With Dora, just after, his thoughts trailed off and he stared down at Hermione.

"What is it?" she asked in concern.

"Hermione, you, I," he stopped and took a breath, trying to clear his head.

"Remus?" she questioned, sitting up in bed.

"Love, I think that you're, that you might be…pregnant." Her mouth dropped open.

"What?" she whispered.

"You've been so tired lately and you were sick and you, well, you smell different." She continued to stare at him. "The same thing happened with Dora's scent when she fell pregnant with Teddy." Hermione turned to the bedside table and yanked open the drawer, pulling out a small datebook. He watched her as she flipped backwards and knew she was counting the weeks since she'd last had her monthly. He didn't really keep track and she wasn't exactly regular, but he realized it had been quite a while.

"Oh my god," she said. They were both silent. He knew it was a shock. They'd talked about children, of course. They both wanted them, but they hadn't planned this and he had no idea how she felt about it. "Do you know the spell?"

"Yes," he said as he pulled out his wand. She nodded and he cast it. After a moment, a soft yellow light rose up from her abdomen and hovered in the air. A baby. He looked back at her and she was staring at the light, transfixed.

"Hermione," he said quietly, once the light had dissipated and she was still staring at the spot where it had been. She jumped slightly. He really wanted to know how she felt. "Are you...all right?" Instead of responding, she brought her hands to her abdomen and laid them there, splaying her fingers. She looked up at him and there were tears in her eyes.

"Remus," she said and he braced himself for her reaction. It was sooner than they'd planned, she wasn't ready, she didn't want this, not now. Each thought that passed through his mind hit him like a hammer blow. Because as much as a shock as this was, he wanted it. So much. He held his breath and looked at her.

"I'm…pregnant." She still looked shocked, but he _thought_ he could see the faintest hint of a smile on her face. Although that could have been wishful thinking on his part.

"Are you…all right with this?" he asked tentatively. "I know it's sooner than we talked about." Instead of answering him, she surged forward on the bed and kissed him. Remus wrapped his arms around her, the weight on his heart disintegrating, and returned the kiss.

"We're going to have a baby," she said in his ear and he held her tighter.

"We are," he said, finally letting the smile he had been trying to hold back escape. She pulled back from him, her eyes alight with such happiness, Remus couldn't help but kiss her again.

"I love you," he said, swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat. She cupped his face in her hands, tears shining in her eyes.

"I love you, Remus Lupin."

* * *

 **23 March 2003**

They were all gathered at St. Mungo's, the weekly Weasley dinner postponed when Audrey had gone into labor that morning. They had just gotten word that the baby was here, a girl they'd named Molly Elaine after her two grandmothers. Hermione brought a hand to her still flat belly on the lift and Remus kissed her temple.

"It's a girl?" Teddy asked. Hermione nodded. He sighed in a put upon way. Ironically, so far there had only been girls born into the Weasley clan. Victoire, of course, Dominique, born last fall, and now little Molly. "When's there gonna be a boy?"

"I'm not sure, sweetheart," Hermione said.

"I thought you liked Victoire," Remus said.

"Vic's okay," Teddy said somewhat grudgingly.

"Well, even if the new baby had been a boy, it's not as if you could have played with him yet," Remus said.

"And you've got Jacob and Alexander," Hermione reminded him. They'd met more of their neighbors in Hogsmeade and Teddy had regular play dates with the two brothers that lived down the street. Jacob was six and Alexander four.

"Yeah," Teddy agreed. He looked up at Hermione. "If you have a baby, can it be a boy?" Hermione almost blurted it out to him right then. But they'd decided to wait. Teddy still had no real concept of time and the sooner they told him the sooner he would be continually asking if the baby was ready to be born yet. Besides, after all her mother's troubles, Hermione didn't want to tell people until after the first trimester which was not for a few more weeks. Teddy was sure to tell _everyone_. Andromeda and Kingsley and Hermione's parents were the only ones that knew. Although, Hermione thought that Molly might suspect. She'd been eyeing Hermione recently whenever she'd seen her. After seven children and three grandchildren, Hermione thought that the woman probably _did_ know. Still, she hadn't said anything. Hopefully, her new grandchild would distract her.

"That's not the way babies work," Remus said. "You can't choose whether it's a boy or a girl." Teddy sighed again.

"Besides, I know you'll be a great big brother whether you have a brother _or_ a sister," Hermione said, smiling down at him. The lift opened and they stepped out into the waiting room full of Weasleys and Potters. Percy was just passing off the baby to his mother. Molly held her namesake, a beaming smile on her face. Hermione's hand went to her abdomen again and Remus put an arm around her. She leaned into his side as Teddy ran towards Harry and Ginny.

"You might want to stop doing that," Remus said to her quietly. "If you don't want everyone to know just yet." She smiled sheepishly and dropped her hand and he looked down at her, amusement in his eyes.

* * *

Hermione had finally gotten her turn to hold little Molly when the elder Molly sat down beside her. Remus had taken Teddy to the loo and everyone else was involved in their own conversations.

"Congratulations, Molly, she's beautiful," Hermione said.

"She is that," Molly agreed. She looked at Hermione and lowered her voice. "It won't be long before you're holding your own, will it?" Hermione wasn't even surprised.

"October," she confirmed.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm so happy for you both."

"Thank you," Hermione said with a smile. "But we're not sharing it yet."

"I understand," Molly replied. She put a hand on Hermione's back. "You're going to be a wonderful mother, you know."

"I hope so."

"Of course, you are," Molly said. "You've done a wonderful job with Teddy." Hermione shook her head.

"That's been mostly Remus and Andromeda," she said.

"Nonsense," Molly replied. "That little boy loves you to pieces and I know you feel the same about him. To him, you _are_ his mother."

"I'm not trying to replace Tonks," Hermione protested.

"No one thinks that, dear," Molly assured her. There was the sound of running feet and Hermione looked up to see Teddy racing towards her. As much as he'd protested another girl, he was awfully eager to see the baby. Hermione smiled as he scrambled into the seat next to her.

"Would you like to hold her?" Hermione asked. Teddy nodded. Hermione carefully set the baby in his arms, keeping a hand under Molly's head to help support her. "What do you think?"

"She's okay," Teddy said with a shrug, but Hermione smiled as he held out a finger for Molly to grab. Remus reached them and chuckled at his son's comment.

"Congratulations, Molly," Remus said. Molly stood from her seat and smiled.

"Thank you, Remus," she said. She glanced at Teddy but he was paying her no attention. "The same to you." She patted his arm and then walked off leaving Remus staring after her.

"I didn't say anything," Hermione said when he looked at her. "She just knew." Remus snorted.

"I don't know why I'm surprised." Hermione laughed lightly as he sat down next to her. Baby Molly started to squirm and let out a little cry. Teddy looked up in alarm.

"It's all right," Hermione said, taking the baby back. "She's probably just getting hungry." Before Hermione could do anything else, Percy was in front of her.

"I'll take her," he said. Hermione passed the baby over to him. He made soothing noises to his daughter as he carried her back to Audrey's room. Remus put an arm around Hermione. She leaned into him and sighed happily.

"I can't wait," she whispered to him. He smiled and kissed her.

"Me either, love."

* * *

 **20 April 2003**

"Teddy there's something we want to tell you," Hermione said as Teddy bit into a chocolate egg. Molly was having everyone over for Easter dinner and they intended to make their announcement about the baby today. But they wanted to tell Teddy first. Although, Hermione thought, the first thing Teddy would do when they arrived at the Burrow was tell Harry, so they likely wouldn't have to make an announcement at all. She smiled fondly at the little boy. Teddy didn't acknowledge Hermione, just continued to eat his egg.

"Perhaps we should have told him before we gave him the chocolate," Remus said in amusement. Teddy looked up at the two of them and grinned, chocolate smeared on his lips.

"Do you remember when we went to see baby Molly in hospital?" Hermione said. Teddy nodded, licking the chocolate from his lips. "And we talked about you being a big brother?" Teddy nodded again. Hermione glanced at Remus.

"Well, you're going to get the chance," Remus said. Teddy looked up at him in confusion. "Hermione is going to have a baby." Teddy stared at them for a minute.

"Where is it?" he asked.

"The baby?" Hermione clarified. Teddy nodded.

"The baby hasn't been born yet, Teddy," Remus said. "Remember that babies have to grow for a long time before they're ready to be born."

"But where is it?"

"Right here," Hermione said, bringing a hand to her belly. They'd gone over the basics of where babies came from when Teddy began asking questions about Fleur's growing midsection when she was pregnant with Dominique. Teddy frowned as he looked at her.

"It's not in there."

"What do you mean, Teddy?"

"Your stomach isn't big enough," Teddy said. "Aunt Fleur and Aunt Audrey were reaaaally big." He widened his hands to emphasize his point. "There can't be a baby in there." Hermione bit her cheek to keep from laughing and Remus tried to smother his with a cough. Merlin, he hoped Teddy didn't repeat that to the women in question.

"Babies start out very, very small," Hermione finally said when she got control of herself. "So, at first, it's hard to tell that they're growing. Right now, the baby is only as big as a lemon." Teddy's eyes widened.

"That's small." Hermione nodded.

"That's why babies have to grow for months before they're born," Remus said. "Aunt Audrey and Aunt Fleur weren't that big the whole time the baby was growing."

"When is the baby going to be here?"

"Not until October," Hermione said. "Six more months." Teddy frowned.

"How long is that?"

"After summer hols, there will be two more months. Not until right before Halloween," Hermione said, trying to explain it in terms Teddy would understand.

"But that's a long time," Teddy protested.

"I know, sweetheart, but that's just how long it takes." Teddy huffed.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet," Hermione said. She glanced at Remus. They had decided not to find out the gender beforehand, but after Teddy's comment at St. Mungo's she was wondering if they should, just so they could prepare him.

"We won't know until the baby is born," Remus said. "But like Hermione said, you're going to be a great big brother, whether it's a girl or a boy."

"Babies have to learn all kinds of things," Hermione added. "I know you're going to be a big help with that."

"Like riding a broom?" Teddy asked. Hermione rolled her eyes as Remus laughed. Teddy had had his own training broom for a year now and wanted to ride it every chance he got.

"Among other things," she said. Teddy fell silent, his little brow furrowed in thought.

"Okay," he said. "I can help." Hermione smiled.

"I knew you would," she replied.

"Can I tell Uncle Harry?" Teddy asked.

"Of course, you can," Remus replied, ruffling Teddy's hair. "This afternoon when we go to the Burrow, all right?" Teddy nodded enthusiastically. Remus leaned over and hugged his son, then smiled at Hermione over the top of Teddy's head.

* * *

"Uncle Harry!" Teddy shouted as soon as they'd come through the Floo.

"Hey, mate," Harry said as Teddy raced towards him. He picked the little boy up. "Happy Easter."

"Harry, I'm gonna be a big brother!"

"A what?" Harry asked, shocked. He looked over Teddy's shoulder at Hermione. She nodded.

"A big brother!" Teddy said again.

"Hermione," Harry breathed. She laughed as he wrapped his free arm around her. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Remus," Harry said, reaching out and hugging him as well. "Congratulations."

"What about me?" Teddy said pouting.

"What about you?" Harry teased.

" _I'm_ gonna be the big brother."

"Who's going to be a big brother?" Ginny asked walking into the room.

"Me!" Teddy said. Ginny's mouth dropped open.

"You're not," she said accusingly to Hermione. Hermione grinned and nodded. "Oh, my gods!" She flung herself at Hermione, hugging her tightly, while Harry turned his attention back to his godson.

"You're going to be an excellent big brother, Teddy."

"I can teach the baby stuff," Teddy said.

"I bet you can," Harry replied, tickling him. Ginny let go of Hermione long enough to hug Remus.

"When?" she demanded.

"Mid-October," Hermione said.

"Merlin, I'm so happy for you two." Ginny's grin was wider than Hermione had seen it in a long time.

"What's all the commotion in here?" George asked, walking in with Angelina.

"Hermione's pregnant!" Ginny called.

"A little louder, Gin. I don't think they heard you down in the village," Hermione said rolling her eyes. Remus laughed and put an arm around her as the rest of the Weasley clan came into the room, everyone offering their congratulations. Remus and Hermione smiled at one another as they accepted hugs and well wishes from everyone.

* * *

 **11 September 2003**

Hermione yawned as she sat at the table with her cup of tea. Last night had been the full moon and while Remus still transformed in Andromeda and Kingsley's cellar, Hermione had gone by early this morning to check on him. He usually slept in the guest room at Andromeda's and came home around lunch time. He'd been upset that she'd come over so early 'in her condition'. Hermione had glared at him until he apologized tiredly. The protectiveness of the wolf had increased as her belly grew and while Remus could usually reign it in, the morning after the moon wasn't one of those times.

" _I'm sorry, love," he said, grasping her hand and kissing the back of it._

" _I know," she replied, not really angry. She sat down next to him on the edge of the bed._

" _You do need your rest, though."_

" _It's not exactly easy to sleep when your child is tap-dancing on my bladder."_

" _What happened to 'our child'?" Remus asked in amusement. He brought a hand to her belly and rubbed it lightly and was rewarded with a kick._

" _When I'm being pummeled from the inside, they're your child," Hermione replied primly. Remus chuckled._

" _Let your mum sleep now, will you?" he said to her stomach, still rubbing it lightly. Hermione leaned down and kissed him, then left reluctantly._

But Hermione hadn't been able to get back to sleep when she returned to the cottage. She never slept well when Remus wasn't there and it was getting increasingly difficult to get comfortable. She'd finally given up and come downstairs and made tea.

"My-nee?" a sleepy voice said and Hermione turned to see Teddy stumbling into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Good morning," she said with a smile. He wandered over to her, leaning against her side. She put an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. A month ago, he would have clambered onto her lap, but her ever growing belly made that nearly impossible now.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, but Teddy shook his head, eyes closing as he leaned against her. He understood now where his father went on full moon nights and was usually up early the following morning, worried about Remus.

"I saw your daddy and he's fine," Hermione said. "Sleeping at your nanna's house." Teddy nodded his head. "Let's go out to the couch, sweetheart. Maybe you can sleep a little more."

"Kay," Teddy replied around another yawn. She took his hand and they walked into the living room. Hermione settled herself on the couch and Teddy climbed up next to her, snuggling into her side. She put an arm around him and it didn't take long before his eyes closed and he was asleep again. Summoning a throw from the chair next to the couch, Hermione covered them both up and closed her eyes as well. If she couldn't sleep, at least she could rest.

* * *

She was startled awake by a tapping at the kitchen window. Looking at the clock on the mantel, Hermione realized she'd dozed off and was probably going to be late for work. Getting up as carefully as she could so as not to wake Teddy, she padded into the kitchen, opening the window for the owl.

She took the letter from his leg and opened it, surprised to see that it was from Aaron. She kept in touch with him by telephone periodically and once his daughter started Hogwarts, Hermione had gotten occasional notes from him brought by his daughter's owl. The mind healing program had been fully implemented and they now had four fully trained Mind Healers, with more currently in the training program. Aaron still consulted occasionally and saw a few patients, mostly Muggle-borns or Half-bloods. He was still seeing Delia Wilkes as well. Once there were Healers trained, Aaron had intended to transfer Delia's case to one of them, but the woman had refused. She was comfortable with Aaron and didn't want to see anyone else.

 _Hermione,_

 _I'm sure that you will hear this today from someone in the Ministry, but I wanted to let you know first. Delia has given me permission to speak to you. Delia's family has hired a solicitor and they intend to appeal her sentence. Delia has mixed feelings about this. She doesn't want to spend the rest of her life in prison, obviously, but she does feel she deserves punishment for what she did to you, regardless of her mental state at the time. Her sister, especially, has been pushing for this for quite some time and it was only recently that Delia agreed to it._

 _I know that you have always been an advocate for Delia and felt that her sentence was too severe. But I did not want you to be caught unaware by this news. Feel free to call me if you would like to discuss it further._

 _Aaron_

Hermione sat down in a chair at the table and blew out a breath. Aaron was right, Hermione didn't want Delia in prison for the rest of her life, but she was unsure just how she felt about this. Remus would definitely be upset.

"My-nee?" Teddy said as he came into the kitchen, looking much more awake than he had been earlier. "I'm hungry." Hermione smiled and folded the letter, sticking it in her pocket.

"Let's get you some breakfast then," she said.

* * *

"Hermione," Harry said as he walked into her office. At the look on his face, Hermione knew exactly what he was there to tell her.

"I already know," Hermione said.

"How?"

"Aaron sent me a letter this morning." Harry sighed and sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "You know that I never wanted her in prison for life."

"How did Remus take it?" Hermione glanced away. "He doesn't know?"

"It's the morning after the moon, Harry," Hermione reminded him. "He was asleep and I wasn't going to wake him up for this."

"It's sort of important, Hermione."

"But it will keep."

"As soon as she files, it's going to be in the _Prophet_."

"Which won't be out until tomorrow morning and I'll have told him by then." Harry was silent for a moment, then looked up at Hermione.

"I don't like this," he said.

"I know that you don't," she replied.

"Ginny is going to go ballistic." Hermione sighed and decided to change the subject.

"How is Ginny these days?" A small smile made its way onto Harry's face.

"She's still not feeling the best, but it's getting a little better. Molly's tea really helps."

"I remember," Hermione said, rubbing a hand over her belly. Ginny had found out she was pregnant a month ago. She was due in April.

"I can't believe there's going to be three of them starting Hogwarts the same year," Harry said. Angelina was pregnant as well, due in January.

"Poor Minerva," Hermione said with a laugh. "Is Molly talking to George yet?" George and Angelina had eloped last month, much to Molly's displeasure.

"Of course, she is," Harry said. "She's getting another grandbaby out of the deal." Harry's eyes narrowed. "Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"What?" Hermione said innocently.

"Changing the subject and hoping I'll forget about the Delia news." Hermione sighed.

"Harry, I know you're upset, but the woman has the right to ask. It doesn't mean they're going to let her out or even shorten her sentence. According to Aaron, she's no danger to anyone." Harry didn't respond.

"Make sure you tell Remus, yeah?"

"Yes, Dad," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. Harry stood and then leaned over the desk and kissed her cheek.

"I'm just worried about you. You know that right?" Hermione smiled.

"I'm fine, Harry, honestly." He nodded and said good-bye, then left. Hermione leaned back in her chair and blew out a breath. Harry was right about one thing. Remus was not going to be happy.

* * *

"How are you?" Hermione asked once Teddy was in bed for the night.

"I'm fine, love," Remus said with a smile. He grasped her hand and pulled her down next to him on the couch. To his confusion, she didn't lean into him like she usually did. "Hermione, it was a quiet moon. I didn't hurt myself at all."

"I know, that's not," she trailed off and shook her head.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ , exactly." She bit her lip. Finally, she sighed and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. Remus took it from her, his brow furrowed. His confusion gave way to anger, however, as he read through the letter from Aaron. How could this happen? How could Aaron allow it?

"Remus," Hermione began, but he cut her off.

"I know what you're going to say, Hermione. But I will never be all right with this."

"It's just an appeal," she said. "It doesn't mean that they'll hear her case or if they do, they'll change her sentence." Remus looked at her.

"But you hope they will, don't you?" he asked.

"I've never hidden my feelings about this."

"Dammit, Hermione," he said as he stood, his hip protesting the sudden movement. He couldn't hide the grimace of pain on his face.

"Remus," she said. "Sit down, you're-"

"I do not need to sit down!" he shouted. She jumped in surprise and he sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. "I'm sorry." She drew her wand and cast a Muffliato around them.

"I know that you're upset," she said.

"Don't try to placate me, Hermione." She scowled.

"I'm not!" she insisted, getting up from the couch herself. "I'd just like to try to discuss this like mature adults!" Remus glared and opened his mouth to say something else, likely something he would regret, when her hand went to her belly and she made a face.

"What is it?" he asked immediately concerned.

"Apparently, the baby isn't impressed with our arguing." She was rubbing the spot where she'd been kicked, rather harder than usual. All the fight went out of Remus. She was eight months pregnant for fuck's sake. What the hell was he thinking?

"Sit down, love," he said, guiding her back to the couch. He sat down beside her, looking worried.

"Remus," she said with a sigh. "I'm not made of glass."

"No, but you don't need this kind of stress right now."

"I don't need this kind of stress ever," she said dryly. He couldn't help but smile. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "But we need to talk about it."

"But not right now," he said.

"Remus," she said with another sigh. "If they agree to a hearing, it could be as early as next week. I looked at the schedule. We _do_ need to talk about this."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. He hated thinking about Delia Wilkes anywhere near Hermione. He still had nightmares sometimes about what had happened, even three years later. He could picture her lying in the hospital bed, her arm an angry red, her face pale as the potion fought against the stasis charm and tried to finish its job.

"Hey," Hermione said, grasping his upper arms to get his attention. "I'm right here and I'm fine."

"I know, it's just," he sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"She's not going to come after me," Hermione said. Remus tightened his hold on her. "Aaron wouldn't have agreed to this if he didn't think she was better."

"I know," Remus said again. He did trust the other man and knew what Hermione said was right. Aaron wouldn't put her, or anyone else, in danger.

"Like I said, we don't know what's going to happen," she said pulling back from him. She put a hand to his cheek. "Try not to get too upset about it right now?" He covered her hand with his and kissed her palm.

"All right, love." She smiled and leaned back into him. Remus wrapped his arms around her, thankful she was safe.

* * *

 **16 October 2003**

Remus sat as his desk looking at the Prophet as his fifth-year Hufflepuffs began the quiz he had just handed out. He bit back a sigh as he read the article again. Delia Wilkes had gotten her hearing and in a surprising decision, had her sentence reduced. Not only that, but she was being transferred the new inpatient unit at St. Mungo's; the one Hermione had pushed to create three years ago. Two more years of intense therapy and if she was deemed cured, she would be released.

Remus had known already, of course. The decision had been made the day before. Hermione was satisfied and he was trying to be as well. He had been in the courtroom at Hermione's suggestion. Delia had been a completely different person than she had been at her initial trial. She had even read a letter of apology to Hermione and Remus which he could tell was sincere. He was trying to be all right with everything, for his wife's sake as well as his own. But he was still struggling a bit. Before he could think on it any longer, a Patronus ran through the wall of his classroom.

"Hermione is in labor. I've taken her to St. Mungo's." Ginny's horse tossed its head and flicked its mane, then slowly dissipated. Remus remained staring at the spot where it had just been.

"Professor?" Remus looked up to see Emma Collins standing near her desk. "Shall I get the Headmistress?"

"Oh, yes, yes, thank you, Miss Collins." The girl ran out of the classroom. Remus went to his desk and began to gather up the parchment sitting there, although it was more to have something to do with his hands than anything. Hermione was in labor. The baby was coming. Taking a breath, he steadied himself, then looked back at his students.

"Back to your quiz, please," he said. "Professor McGonagall will be here in a few minutes." Every head in the classroom bowed over their exam papers, but that didn't stop most of them from glancing up at him every few moments.

It seemed like an eternity before Minerva came through the classroom door, followed by Miss Collins. Minerva walked quickly towards the front of the classroom as Miss Collins retook her seat.

"Professor Lupin," Minerva greeted.

"They're taking a quiz and then I was going to," Remus began but Minerva waved him off.

"We'll be fine," she said. She put a hand on his arm and smiled. "Go, Remus. Use the Floo in my office."

"Thank you, Minerva."

"Give Hermione my best." He nodded and grabbed his cloak before he practically ran from her office.

* * *

It had been hours and the waiting room was full of family. Harry and Ginny had brought Hermione's parents who had decided to stay in England through Christmas this year, due to the impending birth. And truthfully, Remus wouldn't be surprised if they didn't go back to Australia at all. It was their first grandchild, after all.

The Healer had just come in and told Hermione that it was time. Hermione had looked at him with fear in her eyes and he'd taken her hand and kissed her forehead, telling her it was going to be all right and that she could do this. She'd nodded and set her shoulders, pushing as soon as she was told to. Their child, however, seemed to have inherited their stubborn streaks because they were certainly taking their sweet time about it.

"I can't," Hermione whined.

"You can," Remus said. She shook her head.

"Too tired," she said. "You do it." Remus chuckled and kissed the top of her sweaty head.

"I would if I could, love. You know that."

"I love you," she mumbled, sounding exhausted.

"I love you too," Remus murmured into her hair. "Just one more time, love. Come on." Groaning, Hermione sat up and grabbed his hand, pushing with everything she had left in her.

"That's it," the Healer said. "One more, Hermione." Hermione grunted and bore down again. "And there's the head. Hold on just a moment." The Healer waved her wand and then nodded. "Once more, this is the easy part." Remus watched the Healer as she concentrated on delivering the shoulders and then the rest of the baby seemed to just slip out.

"It's a girl!" the Healer said with a smile. Hermione collapsed against Remus, laughing and crying at the same time as a loud wail echoed through the room.

"A girl," he whispered into Hermione's hair. The Healer brought their little girl to Hermione and laid her on Hermione's chest. The baby blinked at them both a few times and nuzzled into her mother.

"Hello," Hermione said, tears running down her cheeks, as she put a hand on the baby's back. Remus cupped his daughter's head in his hand and looked at his wife.

"We have a daughter," he said, then kissed Hermione.

* * *

While they cleaned up both Hermione and the baby, Remus stepped outside the room. Everyone turned towards him expectantly.

"It's a girl," he said with a wide grin. There was an explosion of noise in the waiting room.

"What's her name?" Molly asked.

"Her name is Hope," Remus replied. "For my mum." He looked up and caught Andromeda's eye. "Hope Andromeda."

"Oh," Andromeda said, bringing a hand to her mouth. Remus stepped towards her and hugged her. Teddy squirmed in Kingsley's arms and Remus took him from the other man, hugging Teddy tightly.

"Do you want to meet your sister?" Remus asked Teddy who tightened his arms around Remus' neck and shrugged. Brow furrowed, Remus loosened his son's grip so he could see his face.

"Hey," he said at the downtrodden expression on Teddy's face. "I know you hoped the baby was a boy, but she's going to love you so much, Teddy." Teddy shook his head and then looked around the room, hiding his face in Remus' shoulder. Remus glanced at Andromeda and Kingsley, who looked just as confused as Remus was. He stepped to the side, pulled his wand and cast a Muffliato around them.

"No one can hear us now," he said. "What's the matter?" Teddy didn't respond. "Teddy?" The little boy looked up at him, tears on his cheeks.

"What's all this?" Remus asked. Surely, he couldn't be _that_ upset that he had a sister instead of a brother.

"Silas said that My-nee is gonna have her own baby now," Teddy whispered. "So she won't need me anymore." Remus stared at him in shock, asking the only question he could think of at that moment.

"Who is Silas?"

"Jacob's friend. He played with us last time." Teddy sniffled. Remus hugged him again.

"That's not true, Teddy," Remus said. "Hermione loves you and so do I. That won't change just because you have a sister."

"But Silas said," Teddy began but Remus shook his head.

"I don't care what Silas said." Teddy didn't look convinced. "Did Aunt Fleur stop loving Victoire when she had Dominique?"

"But My-nee isn't my _real_ mum," Teddy said. Remus' heart broke a little and he vowed to have words with Jacob and Alexander's mother about this Silas.

"Oh, Teddy, that doesn't matter," Remus said. "Hermione _chose_ to love you. She loves you just as much as she loves Hope." Teddy stared at him for a few moments.

"Promise?" he asked.

"I promise," Remus replied, hugging him again. "Now, do you want to meet your new sister?" Teddy nodded. Remus dropped the spell and walked back to Hermione's room. Hermione was propped up in the bed, holding a small bundle tightly wrapped in a blanket.

She smiled up at the two of them when they walked in, smile fading as she took in the tear tracks on Teddy's cheeks. She looked at Remus in question but he shook his head, letting her know he'd explain later. Remus sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding Teddy.

"Teddy, this is Hope," Hermione said, angling the sleeping baby towards him. Teddy stared down at his sister for a moment before he shifted in his father's arms. Remus set him down on the bed and Teddy knelt next to Hermione. She wrapped her free arm around him and Teddy snuggled into her. Hermione kissed his forehead.

He reached out a finger and brushed it down Hope's cheek. Her tiny eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes, blinking at him. He looked at Hermione in surprise and she smiled at him.

"Hope," she said to the baby. "This is your big brother, Teddy." While Remus was well aware that Hope couldn't focus on much of anything right now, she seemed to be staring right at Teddy. Teddy leaned forward and kissed the baby's forehead.

"You can play with all my toys," he whispered. "Even Padfoot." Hermione looked at Remus over the top of Teddy's head, tears in her eyes. Remus smiled.

"Would you like to hold her?" Remus asked. Teddy nodded. Remus shifted in the bed and picked Teddy up, settling his son in his lap while Remus moved next to Hermione. Teddy held out his arms and Hermione placed the baby in them while Remus cradled Hope's head in one hand. Hermione leaned into Remus' side and he wrapped his free arm around her. He kissed the top of his wife's head and then his son's, thumb gently stroking the side of Hope's head as Teddy told her all about their house and Andromeda's, his broom and what they would play together. Hope seemed to be paying rapt attention.

"I love you," he said to Hermione. She reached up and kissed him softly.

"I love you." Then she settled her head on his shoulder and smiled as she watched their children.

* * *

 **8 October 2005**

"Edward Remus Lupin!" Hermione yelled over the back garden. Victoire's eyes widened.

"Auntie Hermione used your naughty name." Teddy grimaced. He should have known My would notice. She noticed everything.

"I'll be right back," Teddy said to Victoire, shoving the now empty tin under the edge of a blanket. "Just stay here." Teddy clambered out of the make-shift fort he and Victoire had built in the back of the garden under the willow tree and ran towards the house.

My was standing on the back step, holding Hope who was sniffling. Teddy grimaced again. He had forgotten his little sister was promised a biscuit when she got up from her nap.

"Do you have any idea what might have happened to the biscuits that Grandma Molly sent over?" My asked, free hand on her hip.

"No," Teddy replied innocently.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, daring Teddy to lie to her again.

"I-" Teddy began, but at her expression, he sighed and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, Mum."

"I thought I told you that-" she faltered, staring at him. "What did you say?" Teddy's head snapped up as he realized what he'd said. He had been calling her Mum in his head for a while now, but he'd never said it to her face. Because she wasn't really his mum. But it _felt_ like she was. She loved him, Teddy knew that. And she always did things for him like she did for Hope. And last week, when they'd been out shopping, she'd introduced them to that lady as her children. But even though Teddy couldn't remember his real mum, who had died when he was a tiny baby, he still didn't think that Hermione would want him to call her mum. Teddy panicked.

"I, I," his eyes were darting everywhere but at her face, sure she was probably horrified. "I'm sorry, I-" Teddy did the only thing he could think of. He ran.

He ran past the fort, ignoring Victoire calling his name, through the hedge into his grandmother's garden. He scrambled up the huge oak tree and sat on the large branch that he considered his. Leaning against the trunk, he brought his knees up to his chest and started to cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Teddy?" Hermione said tentatively as she looked up into the tree. She had wanted to run after him immediately, but with Remus chaperoning the Hogsmeade weekend and Andromeda and Kingsley still on their holiday, Hermione had to wait for Ginny to Floo over with James to stay with Hope and Victoire.

She had been shocked when Teddy had called her mum. She'd known him since birth, had been with his father since Teddy was two, and never once had he called her mum. It was always My-nee or lately, just My. Teddy was the only one she let shorten her name without complaint.

After they got married, Remus had asked her if she wanted Teddy to call her mum. She had insisted that Teddy could call her whatever he liked, whatever he was comfortable with. Even after Hope started talking and called her Mummy, Teddy had still called her My. And Hermione was fine with that. She loved Teddy just as much as she loved Hope, but Tonks was his mother.

"Teddy?" she said again, but the only response she got was sniffling that she knew meant he was crying. "Teddy, please come down so I can talk to you." Teddy mumbled something that Hermione couldn't hear. "What was that?"

"Are you angry with me?" he asked quietly.

"Oh, sweetheart, no, I'm not angry. Will you please come down?" Sniffling again, Teddy swiped at his face before climbing down the tree. He stood in front of her, looking at the ground. She squatted down so she could meet his eye.

"Why did you call me mum?" she asked softly. Teddy shrugged his shoulders. Hermione brushed a lock of hair off his forehead. Instead of his trademark turquoise, it was his normal brown, something that happened when he was particularly upset. "Did you do it because you thought it would get you out of trouble?" Teddy shook his head, scuffing the toe of his trainer in the dirt. Hermione swallowed.

"Did you say it because you _want_ to call me mum?" Teddy finally looked at her, lip trembling. He nodded tentatively. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and he buried his face in her neck.

"I love you so much. I would be honored if you called me mum," she said. Teddy squeezed her tighter and she felt the tears on her neck. Hermione could feel her own eyes filling. Her knees starting to protest, she sat down, pulling Teddy into her lap, still hugging him.

"I love you, Teddy," she said after a few minutes. He sniffled and looked up at her, smiling despite the tears still on his cheeks.

"I love you too, Mum." She laughed and hugged him again.


End file.
